Eh, my tranny makes noise in 5th also, always has. Ive only owned it about 2 yrs, and I beat the piss out of it. Hasnt changed its performance one bit. I support the statement that older toyota trannys arent really quiet. I have an l series, the weaker ones supposedly, and it is original. I notice that if I get to a higher rpm in 5th, the sound deadens quite a bit. Its like that gear doesnt like low rpms at all.