I don't mess with transmissions, so I don't know really anything about them. I went to a tranny shop that's got a pretty decent rep around here, & the guy pulled me to the back to show me the little cylindrical metal pins from a needle bearing in my pan & tried to hard sell me on letting him fix it. he spoke so fast I couldn't get a word in edgewise. Some of my best friends, who work at a local dealership, and my b/f and his dad, and even my dad said it shouldn't have been like that unless my tranny was completely smashed and if that was the case it should have broken down when the bearing broke, or shortly thereafter, and left me stranded somewhere. However, I drove it in, drove it home, and because I have nothing else, I have been driving it to work. I don't think he would have salted my pan with em, though. What do you guys think? Something any of you have experience with?

 

maybe he tried to take off the differential, and screwed something up, or maybe it was already in the pan?

 

I had a tranny break down recently.
I drove the car for +- 560 miles (900km) before the tranny totally seized. Believe me, you will hear the bearing!! You can’t miss that sound!!
When my tranny's bearing seized totally, I drove for about 3miles and the car just suddenly stopped with my front two tires screeching to a halt. I had to take out the side shafts to tow the car back home. The tranny wouldn't turn at all.
When I took a look under the car the gears went through the tranny casing spilling oil everywhere.
Luckily now all is fixed up and I drive around with a J1 Elanrta box in my 98 Tibby

 

DTN: He said they were already in the pan. Like I said, tho, my guys said that those little pieces shouldn't have ben able to make that far unless my tran was totally fooxed.

Li-il: Hmm...I don't remember hearing anything. I catch a lot of the noises and soond changes cuz I'm paranoid. I actually listen for it.

When I get a chance, next week, I'm taking it to the dealership my friend works at so they can look at it. I know he won't screw me on this.

 

Take my advice. Seriously.

This guy's not trying to rip you off. What was found in your pan is what's called a Torrington bearing. It's a thrust bearing that prevents front to back (or in fwd, side to side) motion of the hubs and drums. There are a bunch of them in there, and are very crucial for proper spacing of the clutch packs. What's happening is now the pistons that apply pressure to the clutch packs are working harder to apply them, and it will soon burn the clutches up. Not to mention that there's metal to metal rubbing, and not metal against a bearing.

You won't always notice a thrust bearing go bad either. The bearing that went bad in Li-il Bullet's car was probably a main/input/output bearing, which supports an axial load, and not a thrust load (but your trans is automatic, and not a manual like Li-il Bullet's). Those will cause a transmission to seize. Hell, I had a Torrington bearing one go bad in my Rx-7's engine after rebuilding it (which turned out to be a manufacturing defect) and I didn't even notice it was going bad until one day I was working on the engine, and I told someone to push the clutch in. I saw the crankshaft move forward a good 1/4 inch and almost got sick!! Luckily I knew right where the problem was and was able to fix it rather quickly.... after waiting 2 weeks to get a new bearing from Mazda.

 

AGreen, THANK YOU.

You gave me exactly what I was looking for and a little extra. I just wanted to know if it was possible or if all my friends are just not exactly sure. 'preciate mang.