Quick question on an engine swap.

[Fit4Action]

SO I had a customer come in my shop who bought a 2003 Toyota 4Runner without a running engine. He bought a 2007 Engine from a junkyard and put it in, turns out the engine from that year uses different cam sensors and a different harness. So we change cam sensors out, computers, transmission, and do a complete swap. Now the vehicle still wont run. What history do you need from me to help me figure out what's going on with this swap. Is it just not compatible? Or do we need to switch to an 03 motor and tranny.

 

[Erkelbot]

Man, this makes my stomach turn just thinking about attempting to diagnose an issue like this...

 

[smeagol]

2005+ V8 added vvti, possibly some other small differences which may cause some other headaches.

4Runner

I've not seen the differences spelled out, or any backwards compatible information. Not to say it can't be done, just not aware of anyone else who has attempted.

 

[fullboogie]

I gotta tell you, my first reaction to this post was to put myself in your customer's position and think: "You should have known the answers to these questions before agreeing to do the work." What happens if there is no workable (or reasonably affordable) solution - you going to still bill the customer for the work you did and give him a non-working vehicle? Not trying to be a dick, but it seems you are going about this backwards.

 

[MikeyMike]

If the ECU/computer was changed, I'd worry about the immobilizer chip in the key?

 

[Fit4Action]

ACTUALLY:

The customer brought the 4runner to me this way. The thing is I can communicate with the whole car after changing the wiring harness and transmission and the computer, so where do the PINS go on the data connector for the ECM? Are they assigned differently... I guess the guy shouldve bought an 03 motor and this wouldve been alot easier.

 

[A/V1]

If you go to https://techinfo.toyota.com and become a subscriber (they have two day subscriptions available), you can check out the differences between the 2003, and 2007, both electrically through the wiring diagrams, and through pinouts of the ECMs, as well as other information you might find helpful.

 

[Troymclure]

Had this happen to me when I had my engine replaced when I hydrolocked it. Sent it to a shop and they put in a motor from an 06 Tacoma and it wouldnt run. Sent the truck over to toyota and they found the cam sensor issue. They threw every new part they could think of at it, including two new ecus, new wiring harnesses, new programmed keys, almost every electrical part they could replace. In the end, they still couldnt get it to run, so had to swap in the correct motor( same year and 4runner). Not sure if there is an option to get it to work with the newer motor, and in my case it was cheaper to do a whole other swap to get it right. Good luck though

 

[V8Man]

With the computers in cars today I would most defiantly stay with the same year and same model. I did an engine swap from my ’03 Sport to an SR5 that I bought with a bad engine. Started up first try. I didn’t change the computers or keys. I made sure the trucks were in the same build cycle and both were 2WD.

 

[gm350reratliff]

[MENTION=121089]Fit4Action[/MENTION] , you may want to reach out to Torspd, Lucario Runner, and Gadget over on tacoma world. They may be able to help you with this problem.

Are you still using the key from the 2003? Did you reprogram the key to the different ECM? Is it even trying to start?

 

[Fit4Action]

[MENTION=121089]Fit4Action[/MENTION] , you may want to reach out to Torspd, Lucario Runner, and Gadget over on tacoma world. They may be able to help you with this problem.

Are you still using the key from the 2003? Did you reprogram the key to the different ECM? Is it even trying to start?

The vehicle will turn over, but it doesnt fire up. Keys have been programmed and there are no more codes for the immobilizer so THIS just is not fun.

We are pretty much outta ideas.

 

[wnelax04sr5]

[MENTION=66389]BlackWorksInc[/MENTION] [MENTION=84120]nevada[/MENTION]

 

[nevada]

The vehicle will turn over, but it doesnt fire up. Keys have been programmed and there are no more codes for the immobilizer so THIS just is not fun.

We are pretty much outta ideas.

have you checked the simple things, like fuel pressure, spark and fuses?
its possible during the swap, something was shorted or a wire pinched.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

First thing is first, what engine are we talking about here? There was some differences between the 2UZ-FE when they went to VVTi in 2005. As for the 1GR-FE apparently the motors changed slightly somewhere between 2003~2009 and they went to a 3-wire ""VVT Sensor" that has completely different toothed sensor plate and VVT actuators. I can't remember off the top of my head exactly when this occurred (I believe maybe '04~'06-ish? not entirely sure.)

There was a member or two that actually ran into this issue when swapping out their 1GR-FE and they had a nightmare trying to make it compatible with the engine; I believe in the end they just swapped a similar year engine and called it a day. (I don't remember the thread title, but it was in the 4th gen section I think a year ago or so?)