LS 5.3 - 4L60E - NP243 - 4x4 Conversion

[INSANEREINDEER]

Some people will most likely be against this just as the 300zx forum was against the same motor in my 300zx. Hate it or like it.

I am taking my 1998 2WD 4runner and converting it to GM LS 5.3 (Vortec 5300) with a 4l60E automatic trans bolts to a NP243 (electronic shift) T-case and also converting the 4runner to 4wd. I will be keeping everything since this will be a DD. Cruise, heat, a/c, and stock gauges. With my hood shut the truck should look normal.

1998 Limited 4runner (1 accident) Caused and repaired by me.
280k-80k on motor-280k on trans -121k on LS - 0K on 4l60E & NP243
17inch ultra bullet hole wheels
Sport Hood without insert but finally found one for 50
3 inch toytec lift. (OME rear springs and spacers)
231mm Tundra Brake upgrade with Bosch Pads
Custom Rear Tool box
Other small things....

Pictures are good for a start to this build. More will happen as all parts are collect and I work out oil pan/front differential clearance. I plan on doing a 2inch BL mostly for room but also for bigger tires later on. I plan on replacing wheel bearings and ball joints on front spindles before installing.

I do have some question so I know how to get my ECU tuned. What signal does the 3rd gen 4 runner use for tach and speedo? Is the tach a standard V6 tach signal? Is the speedo an AC wave or a square wave? More question will come as I run into certain problems...

Parts I currently have:

5.3 Vortec Complete -121k
4L60E
NP243 Transfer Case
Transfer Case Control Module
4x4 Push Button
4.10 Front Differentail
ADD solenoids
Front 4x4 Knuckles

Parts Needed:
CV Axles
Wheel Brearings
Ball Joints
NP243 Rebuild Kit
4l60E Rebuild Kit
ECU Tune
Dakota Digital SGI-5 & SGI 8
Transfer Case Clock Ring

Obviously mounting part like trans and motor mounts will be made with the motor is fitted.







Wiring and testing TCCM and Push button 4wd. I will have this installed long before anything else.


This is my first LS Swap in a 1990 300zx...

 

[Forrrrest]

This is going to be a sick swap
Definitely will be following. Got a question tho, not sure about np243 cases but doesn't GM drop on passengers side? Our 3rd gens our driver sides drop.

 

[INSANEREINDEER]

This is going to be a sick swap
Definitely will be following. Got a question tho, not sure about np243 cases but doesn't GM drop on passengers side? Our 3rd gens our driver sides drop.

They do both actually depending on the vehicle. This is a K1500 T-case which is driver side drop and I'll use a clock ring to tilt it down so it will fit under the 4runner without hitting the body.

 

[KidVermicious]

Subscribed!

 

[txbonds]

I'm watching too.

 

[Robb235]

Wow, definitely following this.

 

[IBallEngineer]

OK, a couple of questions and hopefully some answers for you.

1. Is the 5.3 a fly by wire Throttle body?

2. If it is, do you already have the parts needed?
It looks like 300 was fly by wire, so you are probably familiar with the TAC and it's module.

3. I never could make my 89 Land cruiser tach work with my 5.3 despite buying the convertor from Dakota Digital. What did you do on the 300?

4. Have you measured the frame width on the 3rd gen? On my LC I had a hard time with the left exhaust manifold wanting to be in the same place as the left frame rail. Since you'll be keeping the left hand drop, this could be a very real problem.

5. What are emissions laws like where you are? Here in CA I had to keep cats and EVAP so headers weren't an option. There may be smog legal headers now, I did my conversion in 03.

6. Have you used "Jags that run"? They offer products and knowledge on VSS for conversions. I didn't have to deal with the speedo because I retained the Toyota T/C. I have used them on other vehicles, and Dakota Digital as well.

7. What are you doing for a fuel pump? The 5.3 like 55psi, my old Toyota pump was only giving me 45 so I went to a GM module, which also was needed for the evap system(pressure/vacuum).

Well good luck, you've lived it already but I'm sure there will be new challenges as well. I've got almost 80K since my conversion and I've never regretted it.

I'll be watching closely!

:snacker:

 

[white_n_slow]

subscribed I'm considering the 5.3 or 6.0 for an eventual replacement of my TBI. You will love the extra oomph, but you already knew that

Sweet Z, by the way. I've always wanted a LS swapped RX7.

 

[downpour11]

Square wave. I believe toyota used a sine wave pre 80's somewhere.

This will be an awesome swap! The shop I built my truck at has a 5.3 vortec with an atlas 4speed on it just sitting there waiting to go into my friends EB. Jealous! :cheers:

Why keep it IFS? Might as well put it on tons with that power!

 

[INSANEREINDEER]

OK, a couple of questions and hopefully some answers for you.

1. Is the 5.3 a fly by wire Throttle body?

2. If it is, do you already have the parts needed?
It looks like 300 was fly by wire, so you are probably familiar with the TAC and it's module.

3. I never could make my 89 Land cruiser tach work with my 5.3 despite buying the convertor from Dakota Digital. What did you do on the 300?

4. Have you measured the frame width on the 3rd gen? On my LC I had a hard time with the left exhaust manifold wanting to be in the same place as the left frame rail. Since you'll be keeping the left hand drop, this could be a very real problem.

5. What are emissions laws like where you are? Here in CA I had to keep cats and EVAP so headers weren't an option. There may be smog legal headers now, I did my conversion in 03.

6. Have you used "Jags that run"? They offer products and knowledge on VSS for conversions. I didn't have to deal with the speedo because I retained the Toyota T/C. I have used them on other vehicles, and Dakota Digital as well.

7. What are you doing for a fuel pump? The 5.3 like 55psi, my old Toyota pump was only giving me 45 so I went to a GM module, which also was needed for the evap system(pressure/vacuum).

Well good luck, you've lived it already but I'm sure there will be new challenges as well. I've got almost 80K since my conversion and I've never regretted it.

I'll be watching closely!

:snacker:

1/2. No actually I made sure both of my motor I bought were cable driven for the reason I don't really want to deal with the pedal assembly and it just makes it a tad easier. Both motors were from 01 vehicles.

3. The 300zx was easy to make the tach work. I told the guy who tuned it (lt1swap Brendan) to just tune in a V6 tach and all I did was connect to the original tach wire that ran into the ecu originally. It works perfect.

4. Not yet. I actually have my runner on the lift at the shop and I'm just planning things in my head. I have seen one guy do this swap with a T56 and he used headers to go around the steering shaft and the cross over under the bellhousing but his was 2wd. I think there will be enough room to squeeze it pas the DS but I'm not sure yet. If worse comes to worse I will flip the left side, make a new skid pan, and cross it over under the balancer and connected them on the PS side.

5. I live in metro Atlanta. Normal OBD-II scan. I don't think I can pass emissions if I swap the motor but I will just register it at my sisters house which has no emission. If anyone knows exact details on this I would like to just get emissions normally and pass. The Z passed no problem with stock nissan exhaust. I would obviously just tune all the random evap, egr, rear o2's to say they are working correctly rather than actually installing them. In 03 I was still in elementary school....

6. I haven't actually look into the speedo so much because I'm sure I can figure out how to make something work. It will be one of the last things I focus on.

7. All I did on the Z was install a corvette regulator which I was going to see if I could get away doing the same thing on this. Easy, works well, and is a $40 part.

Why keep it IFS? Might as well put it on tons with that power!

That might be an option down the road but I figured I'd start this and plan it out the simplest way I know how to get everything correctly working then upgrade later. (Much later) If something does happen and I run into clearance problems then I'll get the ls, trans, and t case in but leave everything from the front DS off and do an SAS swap when possible. I know SAS would solve A TON of space problems.

I just looked at your truck downpour11 and I'd love to have the SAS swap and that type of lift with a V8. After looking I think that might be a a for sure SAS future swap. I need to learn a little more welding and practice it. I don't really trust myself enough yet to do suspension brackets welded to the frame. Although I did weld most things on my Z and I have yet to have a single problem from it...

This swap will be a little slow. I expect everything to come together towards mid-fall or the end of the year. I will keep updating as I collect parts and make progress but I am going to try to get the motor in within a couple of weeks. I won't touch the 4runner until all other parts are ready since it is my DD. My Z was down for 11 months as I learned and saved up for parts. Since I've done it once all those "hidden parts" that usually get missed will be bought before hand. Also graduating college, working on days I don't have school, and have many side jobs takes a toll on my time I actually work on my projects. Right now my garage is filled with a 1965 C-10 that belong to my uncle that I am putting together for him.

Does anyone have an idea on where I should mount the 4x4 button and TCCM? I don't want it to be in the open since the GM plastic would look odd next to the 4runner plastic. I thought about maybe putting it in the tray near the ebrake since it would allow me to see it but it's not obvious. Maybe put it in the glove box and build a small bracket? Or maybe under the cig lighter with a small bracket. Has anyone mounted extra gauges that look nice not in the A pillar? I want to have a oil pressure and trans temp since I will be towing stuff with this.

 

[IBallEngineer]

I used a 2001 motor as well! I was able to use ALL the evap parts, had to buy a lot of new stuff since there weren't a lot of these things in the bone yards yet. I had the body functions removed from the ECU, but retained full emmissions functions to make it pass.

 

[INSANEREINDEER]

I used a 2001 motor as well! I was able to use ALL the evap parts, had to buy a lot of new stuff since there weren't a lot of these things in the bone yards yet. I had the body functions removed from the ECU, but retained full emmissions functions to make it pass.

See I think they problem with me though is OBDII testing and the engine not matching the vehicle. Apparently I can only swap a motor that was offered in the vehicle at the time so that messes everything up. Also swaps that happened before 1998 are exempt from that rule....

 

[IBallEngineer]

See I think they problem with me though is OBDII testing and the engine not matching the vehicle. Apparently I can only swap a motor that was offered in the vehicle at the time so that messes everything up. Also swaps that happened before 1998 are exempt from that rule....

Wow, that is even tougher than CA. Here we can only swap the same year or newer, and it must have all the emmissions equipment that came on the motor.

 

[Dirtyfingers]

Hell of a way to come into the forum! I'm going to be watching closely...

 

[LittleCaesar]

I am watching closely as well.

Got any more pics of the Z? I am helping a friend's son slowly do a V8 Q45 engine swap into his 90 300Z after the #3 connecting rod on his original NA engine decided to retire itself and jump out the block.

 

[redneckstarterkit]

This is cool to see someone local to me doing this.

Hit me up if you need some help I am always willing to lend a helping hand.

 

[snivilous]

Awesome! I was considering a 5.3 swap but decided to spend cash elsewhere. Looking forward to it! [MENTION=89531]Cartzo[/MENTION]

 

[INSANEREINDEER]

Wow, that is even tougher than CA. Here we can only swap the same year or newer, and it must have all the emmissions equipment that came on the motor.

I think that is also a requirement. Ours are not a strict but seems anything with OBD-II is much tougher to get by with. The Z I just made sure it had cats and they ran the test and I was good to go.

Hell of a way to come into the forum! I'm going to be watching closely...

I've actually been around for a while. I joined when I got it in 2010 but never have really been that active. When I got this thing I hardly knew how to work on a motor....
I also made a few post about the time I rammed a few cars together.

I am watching closely as well.

Got any more pics of the Z? I am helping a friend's son slowly do a V8 Q45 engine swap into his 90 300Z after the #3 connecting rod on his original NA engine decided to retire itself and jump out the block.

My car had 200K on it and I bought it for $1600. The major problem was the motor. I repaired some parts to get it running right then decided that POS VG30DE had to go. It seems guys on here aren't as much purist as the Z guys. I can say I have NOT LOOKED BACK from swapping a GM motor in the Z. It has the stock trans behind it and it is quite. It makes no V8 rumble and I think is quieter than the stock N/A motor. Planning on turboing down the road and pushing 550wrhp. Here is my album. A ton of pics in there of random things but most are of the Z journey from the first time it was taken apart until recently. It came a long way. Just ask if you have any questions. I've taken most of that car apart. Don't mind how ugly the exterior is. It will be fixed when the funds and time permit it. And when I have my own garage. I actual like that it's looks like a POS from the outside for the time being.

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://s1071.photobucket.com/user/INSANEREINDEER/embed/slideshow/"></iframe>

This is cool to see someone local to me doing this.

Hit me up if you need some help I am always willing to lend a helping hand.

Will do. I'm sure I'll run into problems somewhere.

Awesome! I was considering a 5.3 swap but decided to spend cash elsewhere. Looking forward to it! [MENTION=89531]Cartzo[/MENTION]

There are many other places I could have spent cash but taxes came back and I hate that the 4runner motor is so weak. Also could pass up $600 for the complete 5.3 with 121k. They worst that could happen is that I have a spare for my car.

Also I was planning on replacing the wheel bearing in the front knuckles but they came out of a truck with 125k. Is it really needed? I don't think mine have ever been replaced and they're fine. I will replace ball joints just for the hell of it.

I have a problem with the steering and I can't figure out the issue. It's done it since I've had it and having it on the alignment rack today I have no idea what the problem is. It seems like I can hold the wheel tight and somehow the rack and pinion will slightly move back and forth when driving (at least what I think it is). Like a tapping but the truck doesn't drift left or right. I saw something a while ago that said a part wears out in the rack and that's the cause. There was a write up on how to fix it but can't find it. Bushings are good. Wheels don't really have play. Ball joints aren't bad.

Did an alignment on it today and I have to much positive caster. There is no correction for this on a stock truck suspension correct?

 

[justinh]

See I think they problem with me though is OBDII testing and the engine not matching the vehicle. Apparently I can only swap a motor that was offered in the vehicle at the time so that messes everything up. Also swaps that happened before 1998 are exempt from that rule....

I had a conversation about engine swaps with the emissions guy I use in hickory flat and he said as long as it is from the same year or newer I shouldn't have any problems.

We were specifically talking about a Toyota 4.7 v8.

 

[IBallEngineer]

I
Did an alignment on it today and I have to much positive caster. There is no correction for this on a stock truck suspension correct?

There is no such thing as TOO much positive caster, as long as you are close to equal on both sides. Well there is but as long as you don't get crazy it will be fine, what's the actual amount?