Braums Ice Cream straw in sealed transmission.

True. I really screwed up. After following the transmission shudder thread I decided to try Lube Gard shudder fix today. I didn’t think the nipple on the tube was long enough to get the lube in the housing. Laying on the workbench was a large diameter straw from Braums. The nipple fit tightly so I inserted a 2” section of the straw into the fill hole. I got about half the lube in when the straw slipped off. It was right at the edge of the hole and I could easily see it. I tried a needle nose plier but it didn’t fit well in another piece of the straw. Next thought was to use tweezers. I am 69 with fairly steady hands but evidently not steady enough.

I called my son so our plan is to drain and pull the pan. The truck hasn’t been started and the keys are hidden. We will go ahead and do a full service.

Is it possible for the straw to makes its way to the pan or will other things need to be done?

What kind/type transmission fluid? Autozone, O’Reilly, Toyota?

Let the roasting begin but remember I am probably old enough to be your grandfather. Please show mercy.

Thanks for your help.

 

You will find the straw easy when you remove the pan.

I'm not gonna throw the 1st stone. I got lots of fuck ups behind me and I'm sure I got a lot in front of me.

Welcome. You will fit right in.

Kirk in Michigan

 

Tacoma has their own “world standard” (WS) fluid. I use Valvoline MaxLife, from Walmart. Dropping the pan will cost you about 3 quarts. There is a whole procedure about getting the trans temp correct for proper fluid level.

Edit: Recommend doing the trans fluid level by the book because you are experiencing transmission issues.

 

I've had no issue with the Max Life oil as well.

I've got 110k on my 2nd gen Tundra using it.

Sure the WS oil is good, but I don't think it's anything different from the Valvoline fluid.

 

what's the straw made of? if plastic, wood, metal... use superglu

 

Such an Oklahoma problem to have I love Braums.

Good luck!

 

1: Drop the pan and go from there. Take care to save the fluid so you can measure for the refill. If it was my truck, I would buy the Toyota fluid.

2: Don't beat yourself up too hard. I have been a shade-tree mechanic for most of my "6x"years including three 1950's antique cars. The one I still have, a '57, I have owned for 47 years. I've done worse. Trust me: >>Everyone has that works on their own cars/trucks/lawn tractors/snowblowers<<. The factory professional certified mechanics do too. Stuff happens. Some cost me a few bucks and gray hairs, some bad ones resolved fine.

The "Toyota gawds" will smile down on you on this one and it will turn out OK. Everything can be fixed. (or "buffed out")

 

Have you tried a long piece of All-thread?

Get another straw exactly like the one you dropped in, and take it to ACE, Lowes, or Home Depot and find some All-thread a tad bigger diameter than the straw and long enough to possibly reach the trans.

If you find the All-thread that has a slightly larger OD than the straw ID, chuck it up in a hand drill and make a taper on one end with a file/sandpaper/grinder to make it want to drill it's way into the straw opening.

Clean off the All-thread so as not to introduce any foreign material into the trans.

Chuck it back up in your drill and get it spinning med-low speed and slip it down the hole.

Hopefully it will catch the straw and draw it up the All-thread enough to safely pull it back out.

 

if you are going to drop the pan, grab a wix filter screen and replace while you are in there and clean the magnets. Best to make lemonade outta a lemon!

 

I like this, but I don't know of any 1/8" or smaller all thread. I'd love it to work, but it would be a huge, lucky thing to happen.

 

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I still think it is the easiest just to drop the pan.

 

As far as transmission fluid. Stick with the same as what its got in it. if thats factory fluid. Then Toyota WS. Runs ~ 8-10bucks a quart at the dealer, pan drop will chew through ~3, get 4 quarts just to be safe and a crush washer for the check plug from the dealer. Put 3 in, get truck on a level surface and put it in temp check mode then follow the fluid level procedure. If more is needed you will be thankful for the 4th quart. Dump the whole 4th quart in let cool n do temp check again.

 

I don’t know enough about the trans to say if the straw would easily be accessible with the pan off, but if so, you can kill two birds with one stone. Four really.

Order a replacement gasket and filter.

Drain the fluid.

Drop the pan.

Pull the filter.

Hopefully find the straw.

Replace the filter.

Clean the pan and magnets.

Reassemble with new gasket.

There used to be a great drain and fill thread regarding the procedure to get into trans temp mode but it’s gone. Hunt around and you should still be able to find it elsewhere. Fill and move on.

 

Thanks for the help. I just bought this truck a month ago. The CarFax report showed a good maintenance record but nothing about transmission service. It is a 2012 TRD Off Road with 158,000 miles. This just causes me to do what needed to be done.

 

OH!!!!! : I forgot to add: Don't forget to confirm you can remove the FILL PLUG ---before---- you remove the DRAIN plug!!! It's not a show-stopper, but it will be a mandatory tow to the dealer or other shop to correct it if you can't refill the transmission because the fill plug won't come out.

 

I still don’t know if I believe that one. Not an ounce of panic in that thread. Just a casual musical chairs of maintenance fluids and very little regret. Could only be explained, if real, by lots and lots of drugs and alcohol.

 

Edit: Assuming an automatic transmission

 

yeah as long as you are able to recover w/o destroying something you are way ahead of the game. Some guy had a rebuilt YotaTech long block ($$$) and had some glass beads lodged in his valve cover (leftover from bead blasting) and promptly killed that engine. Now that's a bad day!

 

The straw went IN the fill hole, so I don’t think there was trouble removing the plug…