Toyota Repair: Transmission Noise, planetary gears, torque converter

Question
I own a 1993 4Runner with 3vze engine and 340H transmission. It has over 200,000 miles and when I put the tranny in drive or reverse a spinning sound come up. It is like a wheening sound. I asked a mechanic about this noise and he told me that this noise is probably caused by the torque converter. The truck is performing very well on the street but during off road running, you can feel the heat of the transmission. The transmission Temp light is always off. Do I need to replace the torque converter?

Answer
The torque converter is probably not the cause, it sounds more like an internal transmission noise caused by worn planetary gears. At his mileage replacing individual parts makes no sense, I would recommend replacing the transmission with a remanufactured or used one.