I am working on a 96 camry that had been hit on the driver's side at the wheel. more sideswiped than head on. The other car hit just in front of the door and the impact was hard enough to snap the tie rod and break the shock mounting on the hub. Going to replace the tie rod and hub assembly, but when I looked at the axle the end that inserts to the tranny was a bit chewed and there were some light metal shavings on the spines of the gear just inside the tranny where the axle inserts. The circlip on the end of the axle is gone. Whether it went in the tranny or popped off when the axle was yanked out of the transmission with the force of the accident I don't know. I have never worked on a Toyota transmission. Is there a way I can open a pan on the bottom to flush out metal filings and ensure the circlip is not inside? Also if a few small filings are inside, will they be caught in a filter? I am going to check tonight that the splines in the transmission are not stripped, but having something inside bothers me. The car, without the axle in, went through every gear right after the accident (didn't know the axle was out and was looking for fluid leak).

 

What engine 4 or 6 cylinder?

There is removable vertical plate on the differential housing (where axles install). The plate faces the rear of the car and has integral fins.

On the 4 cylinder engine this plate has the oil filler port.

The 4 cylinder engine trans has a separate isolated oil camber for the differential fluid.

The 6 cyl has a passage connecting to the trans fluid.

The drain plug is on the bottom of the diff housing.

The axle is removed from the differential by prying it out of the housing. The circlip can be very difficult to compress to allow pulling the axle out of the diff ring. This can require a large pry bar and abrupt pull.

In the accident the axle could have popped out. If the axle was still rotating, the male axle splines chewing female spines in the process.

The circlip is all that retains the axle into the diff.

Remove the cover plate then inspect.

If a 4 cylinder you need only flush out the camber.

On the 6 cylinder the trans and diff fluid cambers are connected. There is a possibility any contamination migrated to the trans pan.

The trans filter is a simple mesh screen. Any debris sinks to the bottom of the trans pan.

When doing repairs, suggest replacing the diff housing axle seal which could have been damage. Does not take much to nick the seal and cause a drip when operating.

 

thanks, toyomoho. It is a six cylinder, so I will do what you suggest. There is some marring on the axle teeth that are on the end, after the circlip, so I am assuming that is where the shavings came from. I was planning on replacing the seal. It is scarred from the accident.

 

Great!