Crazy idea: FJC drivetrain in a 4th gen?

[Martinjmpr]

Not that I'd ever do it (I have neither the time nor the money nor the patience nor the know-how to do it) but I was just thinking about how cool it might be to transplant the drivetrain from an FJC into a 4th gen, seeing as how they're both T-120 platform vehicles.

The specific drivetrain I'd want would be the 4.0 V6/6 speed manual tranny/full time 4wd/locking rear diff that was on the FJC I test-drove when I was shopping for the T4R.

Can't think of any reason it wouldn't work, although I don't know if things like the hangers for the clutch pedal are even on the T4R (I've never looked.) Also IIRC the FJC has a lever for the T-case vs. the 4runner's dial, so you might have to hack into the console. Of course, you'd have to hack into the console anyway for the stick shift, so maybe it wouldn't be that big of a deal.

I'm sure I'm not the first person to ever think of this - does anybody know if someone out there has figured a way to put a manual tranny in the 4th gen? The other route would be to use a 2nd gen Tacoma drivetrain, but that would give you conventional 2wd/4wd, not full-time or multi-mode.

Note, again, that I'm not planning to do this, I'm just curious to know if it's ever been done.

Also, is the 4th gen Hilux Surf sold with a MT outside the US?

 

[Martinjmpr]

Ah, seems like this question has come up before:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/118696-manual-toyota-4runner.html

 

[CookieRoe]

Also, is the 4th gen Hilux Surf sold with a MT outside the US?

Can't remember where I saw this, but no, the 4th gen SURF never came with a manual tranny.

 

[97hb]

There are pics of a white 4th Gen with a v160 trans 6 speed in it. Haven't seen one with a r154 swap yet.

 

[03L4RUNNER]

There are pics of a white 4th Gen with a v160 trans 6 speed in it. Haven't seen one with a r154 swap yet.

Where?

 

[97hb]

Where?

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/66908-6-speed-manual-swap.html

Motor is a 2JZ but the V160, R154, A430 and 750 trans all have the same bell housing. They will all bolt up, getting it to work will be the hard part, lol.

 

[scottm]

I'd be more excited to have a Land Cruiser drivetrain. Oh wait, the V8 guys have one. I shoulda had a V8!

 

[Martinjmpr]

Can't remember where I saw this, but no, the 4th gen SURF never came with a manual tranny.

After doing a little Googling, I think I figured out why: The Surf is a fairly limited market vehicle. Japan and maybe a few countries in Europe. Other parts of the world get the Fortuner instead, which is based on the international version of the Hilux truck which is sold in many parts of the world. FWIW, the Fortuner (which IMO looks a LOT like a 4th gen 4runner) is available with both a diesel engine and a MT in several countries, notably South Africa.) On the plus side, it does have full-time 4wd, on the down side, the MT is a 5 speed, not a 6.

I remember seeing a Fortuner when I was in Costa Rica last year and I had to do a double-take. At first I thought it was a 4th gen (3rd gen 4runners and Hilux Surf's are not uncommon sights in CR) but as our bus passed it, I could see the shape was not quite "square" enough to be a 4th gen.

Here's Toyota SA's web site:

Toyota Lead The Way

Warning: If you go to that web site you will either :drool: or :redbrick: or when you see the tasty vehicles they get over there that we don't (like the LC 76 and 78 wagons, with diesel engines.)

Here's what a Fortuner looks like. Again, having seen one in person I can tell you that at first it really does look like a 4th gen, it's only when you see the rounded back end that you realize it's something different:

 

[mymalade]

I guess I'm not alone in this. Every few months this idea pops into my head, and I would still love to do it. However, everyone I have talked to thinks I am crazy. I still wonder if the 4th gen runner has the space for clutch pedals, etc. Is it the same frame as the fortuner?
Someone has to do this.