Auto to 5 speed swap, need your input!

[Swimmerboy2112]

I just picked up a wrecked 96 4Runner to do a manual trans swap into my 97 4Runner.

My 97 is a Limited model with the push button transfer case, the 96 is an SR5 model with the traditional J-shift transfer case.

Here is a list of what I think I will need from the donor.

-Manual Transmission
-T-case? (Mine is a push-button style, and the donor is a j-shift)
-Diffs??
-Crossmember?
-Driveshafts?
-Wiring harness? (Do I need them? Which ones?)
-Master cylinder
-Slave cylinder
-Pedal assy
-Interior parts
-ECU

Any info you guys could provide would be fantastic!

Looking at you [MENTION=84972]danthemanx07[/MENTION] [MENTION=78000]zgensler31[/MENTION]

Pics because we all love pics, here is the donor.

 

[zgensler31]

Well, my only place to work is a friends garave that is for like couple hour jobs, and another friends barn. So the 4runner is sitting in his barn and has been since I picked it up. And since its been like less then 20º for the lsdt two months I havent even staryed mine yet.

But your list looks good to me. Dan the man did it without the wiring harness so if you dont want to switch it out you can do it without. Other then that go for it man!

Also I plan to use the j shift transfer case as well.

Subscribed and will be keeping an eye on your progress man

 

[4Runnin Tahoe]

I just picked up a wrecked 96 4Runner to do a manual trans swap into my 97 4Runner.

My 97 is a Limited model with the push button transfer case, the 96 is an SR5 model with the traditional J-shift transfer case.

Here is a list of what I think I will need from the donor.

-Manual Transmission
-T-case? (Mine is a push-button style, and the donor is a j-shift)
-Crossmember?
-Driveshafts?
-Wiring harness? (Do I need them? Which ones?)
-Master cylinder
-Slave cylinder
-Pedal assy
-Interior parts
-ECU

Any info you guys could provide would be fantastic!

Looking at you [MENTION=84972]danthemanx07[/MENTION] [MENTION=78000]zgensler31[/MENTION]

Ahhhh, I'm jealous.

You should also be talking to [MENTION=25058]ChildrenOfBodom[/MENTION]

 

[BrianSD_42]

Did you read COB's thread?

You might find some good information there.

 

[Swimmerboy2112]

Well, my only place to work is a friends garave that is for like couple hour jobs, and another friends barn. So the 4runner is sitting in his barn and has been since I picked it up. And since its been like less then 20º for the lsdt two months I havent even staryed mine yet.

But your list looks good to me. Dan the man did it without the wiring harness so if you dont want to switch it out you can do it without. Other then that go for it man!

Also I plan to use the j shift transfer case as well.

Subscribed and will be keeping an eye on your progress man

For what it's worth, I will not be starting mine until we get above this 20* weather either.

Good to know, I don't want to mess with wiring harnesses or really do much wiring...

I'll be in touch as we compare notes!

Ahhhh, I'm jealous.

You should also be talking to [MENTION=25058]ChildrenOfBodom[/MENTION]

Did you read COB's thread?

You might find some good information there.

I will check out his thread! I was unaware that he had done a swap. Thanks guys!

 

[zgensler31]

Also your obviously gonna need a.clutch and the clutch start cancel.button for the dash.

 

[Swimmerboy2112]

Also your obviously gonna need a.clutch and the clutch start cancel.button for the dash.

Yep, i've got the button from the donor and it works! Used it to start the donor.

As far as clutch goes, I'll probably be going with a Marlin Crawler as i've had success with their clutches in my 86' unless someone has a better idea?

 

[Snowy21]

Good luck finding anything in stock at MC.. I got tired of waiting for clutches to come in stock for my 85 and just ended up buying Aisin from Rock Auto

 

[LittleCaesar]

Fellow member Jon did a swap. Here is his link. You could PM him if you have ?s.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/145595-bawlzdeep-build.html#post1421070

 

[Swimmerboy2112]

Good luck finding anything in stock at MC.. I got tired of waiting for clutches to come in stock for my 85 and just ended up buying Aisin from Rock Auto

Good to know, thanks for the heads up.

Fellow member Jon did a swap. Here is his link. You could PM him if you have ?s.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/145595-bawlzdeep-build.html#post1421070

Sweet thanks i'll check it out!

 

[danthemanx07]

You can revisit my thread over on TTORA, I think there is a materials list there.


-Manual Transmission
YES

-T-case? (Mine is a push-button style, and the donor is a j-shift)
Not necessarily unless you want to swap to a simple j-shift. The two are interchangeable. The transmission I used was originally mated to an electric shift case.

-Diffs??
NO

-Crossmember?
I don't recall exactly, but I think they are the same between the manual and the auto. Should be easy to compare the two.

-Driveshafts?
NO. You will need a rear driveshaft spacer though because the total length is decreased by about an inch. I bought a one-inch one from 4crawler.com. You can run without it on the street, but I wouldn't do any wheeling without one.

-Wiring harness? (Do I need them? Which ones?)
NO. But you will want an ECU from a 1997 4runner with the v6 and a 5-speed. The one out of that 1996 won't work for you. This is not entirely necessary, though. You CEL will remain on though after you do the swap though as a result of the missing auto tranny. It will show codes for shift solenoid malfunctions. This has not been a problem for me because I dont live in a state that cares about my check engine light. If you do live in a state where this is a problem, then you will need to pick up an ECU and swap it out. THis involves clipping some of the wires on the harness that are not needed by the manual ECU. I have not done this yet, but it is as simple as clipping a few wires and popping in the new ECU I think. I have an ECU ready to swap in mine, but I just havent had the time.

-Master cylinder
Yes. You will ndeed to buy a master cylinder gasket from the dealer to use as a template for drilling the holes in your firewall.

-Slave cylinder
Yes. Check the condition though. I had to buy a new one shortly after my swap because the donor failed.
-Pedal assy
Yes. You need the clutch and brake pedal because the brake pedal on the automatic will interfere with the clutch pedal as is.

-Interior parts
Yes. The plastic trimmings around the shifter and the shift boot.

-ECU
Yes, but see above.

If I can think of anything else helpful, I'll let you know. My swap thread should lay everything out pretty well though. You will need further instruction if you want to swap the ECU. I will see what info I have saved on that one. There is a good thread with info on TTORA, but it is mostly for Tacomas. Contrary to most parts, the ECUs changed between years and are different in Tacomas and 4runners, so the application is very specific.

Good luck with it. Shout if you need anything else or my descriptions are unclear.

Dan

 

[Swimmerboy2112]

You can revisit my thread over on TTORA, I think there is a materials list there.


-Manual Transmission
YES

-T-case? (Mine is a push-button style, and the donor is a j-shift)
Not necessarily unless you want to swap to a simple j-shift. The two are interchangeable. The transmission I used was originally mated to an electric shift case.

-Diffs??
NO

-Crossmember?
I don't recall exactly, but I think they are the same between the manual and the auto. Should be easy to compare the two.

-Driveshafts?
NO. You will need a rear driveshaft spacer though because the total length is decreased by about an inch. I bought a one-inch one from 4crawler.com. You can run without it on the street, but I wouldn't do any wheeling without one.

-Wiring harness? (Do I need them? Which ones?)
NO. But you will want an ECU from a 1997 4runner with the v6 and a 5-speed. The one out of that 1996 won't work for you. This is not entirely necessary, though. You CEL will remain on though after you do the swap though as a result of the missing auto tranny. It will show codes for shift solenoid malfunctions. This has not been a problem for me because I dont live in a state that cares about my check engine light. If you do live in a state where this is a problem, then you will need to pick up an ECU and swap it out. THis involves clipping some of the wires on the harness that are not needed by the manual ECU. I have not done this yet, but it is as simple as clipping a few wires and popping in the new ECU I think. I have an ECU ready to swap in mine, but I just havent had the time.

-Master cylinder
Yes. You will ndeed to buy a master cylinder gasket from the dealer to use as a template for drilling the holes in your firewall.

-Slave cylinder
Yes. Check the condition though. I had to buy a new one shortly after my swap because the donor failed.
-Pedal assy
Yes. You need the clutch and brake pedal because the brake pedal on the automatic will interfere with the clutch pedal as is.

-Interior parts
Yes. The plastic trimmings around the shifter and the shift boot.

-ECU
Yes, but see above.

If I can think of anything else helpful, I'll let you know. My swap thread should lay everything out pretty well though. You will need further instruction if you want to swap the ECU. I will see what info I have saved on that one. There is a good thread with info on TTORA, but it is mostly for Tacomas. Contrary to most parts, the ECUs changed between years and are different in Tacomas and 4runners, so the application is very specific.

Good luck with it. Shout if you need anything else or my descriptions are unclear.

Dan

I'll check out your thread on TTORA.

Do the transfer cases that are mated to the auto trans fit the manual trans?

I will compare the crossmembers.

Instead of the spacer, wouldn't it be easier just to swap driveshafts?

I will be looking for a 97 V6 4x4 ecu. I thought the difference of 1 year didn't matter, apparently the 96 won't work?

Everything else I don't have questions on. Did your gauge cluster still function normally?

 

[danthemanx07]

Do the transfer cases that are mated to the auto trans fit the manual trans?

Yes, I used the transfer case that was mated to my auto behind the manual that I put in.

I will compare the crossmembers.

Also, compare the transfer case mount. The part that connects the crossmember to the transfer case. I don't recall which one I used, they may be the same.

Instead of the spacer, wouldn't it be easier just to swap driveshafts?

I guess you are right. I did not have this option. Maybe compare the lengths first, but I think you are right.

I will be looking for a 97 V6 4x4 ecu. I thought the difference of 1 year didn't matter, apparently the 96 won't work?

Correct. There were minor variations nearly every year for the ECU.

Everything else I don't have questions on. Did your gauge cluster still function normally?
It did. The gear selector on the dash just always displays DI think, and when you go into reverse the R will light up as well.

 

[Swimmerboy2112]

Good to know my existing t-case will bolt up to the manual trans, I was under the impression the connecting shaft was different between the two, apparently not.

I'll check out the t-case mount although I would think it would be the same.

I'll check lengths of driveshafts and determine which is best although the donor driveshaft is probably ideal.

Do you think plugging in the ECU from the donor could cause any damage if I try it anyway?

My cluster does not have a PRND321 on it (the older models didn't) So I need not worry about that.

Did you have to do any wiring?

 

[danthemanx07]

Good to know my existing t-case will bolt up to the manual trans, I was under the impression the connecting shaft was different between the two, apparently not.

I'll check out the t-case mount although I would think it would be the same.

I'll check lengths of driveshafts and determine which is best although the donor driveshaft is probably ideal.

Do you think plugging in the ECU from the donor could cause any damage if I try it anyway?

Truthfully, I have no idea. You could pay for a one time access to the Toyota Information System and find the pinout diagrams for the two models and see what differences there are. Here is a link to a thread on TTORA that documents the differences in Tacoma ECUs. Unfortunately, he only has pinout comparisons for one year of 4runners. Automatic->Manual ECU swap wiring info - TTORA Forum

My cluster does not have a PRND321 on it (the older models didn't) So I need not worry about that.

Did you have to do any wiring?
There is some wiring, but not much. My thread covers this with some diagrams as well I think. Only a few wires need to be run.

 

[Swimmerboy2112]

Hmm I might try plugging in the donor ECU anyway, worse comes to worse I will just fry that ECU and have to buy a correct one anyway.

I'll check out your thread for the wiring.

 

[Swimmerboy2112]

Success!!

 

[Brique]

I have a question for you guys: I've seen threads like this and in my daydreams I've thought that if my auto trans ever dies, it might be cool to switch to a manual. I have a 2001 with vsc/trac and the multi mode transfer case. If i did the swap, would i be able to keep the multi mode and the vsc/trac?

 

[zgensler31]

In theory you can, it just gets more complicated wiring wise.

 

[ChildrenOfBodom]

In theory you can, it just gets more complicated wiring wise.

Even if you manage to get the 5 speed bolted up and get the transfer case working, your year limits to only automatic transmission compatible ECUs. You'll throw a CEL for the missing automatic transmission components. There will be a lot of now defunct wires left over from the auto transmission harness.

Manual swap in 01-02 would not be a fun thing to do IMO... 99-00 have manual transmissions available, making an ECU swap of the same year a solution to auto ECU CEL's. I don't think theres a way to make the auto ECU not throw codes. That could be annoying to look at daily, moreso when inspection or smog come around