Author Topic: swapping efi into an 83 pickup (Read 6161 times)

paradisetoyota · « **on:** Oct 28, 2006, 10:42:58 PM »

I have an 83 long bed pickup that I want to swap efi into it. I just bought an 86 1 ton 2 wheel drive for $400 with a blown head gasket. I have been told that I just need to use the engine harness, ecm, gas tank with fuel lines, ignitor, etc. Another guy told me that I need the whole wire harness from the head lights to the tailights from the 86 truck. The truck is at my Dads shop, he said until i have plan on what I need to use I can't tear into either of my trucks. Any help would be great. Thanks.

11 Bravo · « **Reply #1 on:** Oct 29, 2006, 06:50:47 AM »

I see nobody else jumped in here so I will take a shot at it. I have never done an EFI swap and most of my experience is with first gens running carbs, so take this for what it is worth. I parted out a couple of 4Runners a few years back and the ECM was located under the right kick panel in both of them. I suspect that the ECM in your 86 truck is also inside the cab and I would bet it is around the glove box someplace. That said, it will plug into the cab harness. That is a one piece harness and it runs behind the dash through the fire wall out to the engine.

I think that it would be a pain to change the whole harness over. None of the plugs will match up with the stuff on your truck now. Ignition switch, wipers, heater, you name it and you will have to rework it. I would look at some wiring diagrams and trace the ECM wiring out and see what you need. It would probably be easier to make up a wiring harness for the EFI and ECM and just add it into the truck as a separate harness and tie it in where you need to (like power wires for example). It really wouldn't be very hard to do it that way.

Several guys here have made this swap, so hopefully they will offer some first hand information.

8D3TOY · « **Reply #2 on:** Oct 29, 2006, 08:56:00 AM »

http://www.offroadsolutions.com/products/engine_upgrades.htm#efi_harness or this may help

http://toyota.off-road.com/toyota/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=186141

I am planning to do this swap when time and $ permit I think you are on the right track by buying a whole donor truck,good luck & post up your results!

Capt. Crawler · « **Reply #3 on:** Oct 29, 2006, 07:09:24 PM »

Please keep us informed. I plan on doing this swap soon. my donor is a ?'92 2x with an automatic trans. which i plan on keeping. I will run 5.29 gears with a detroit in the rear and a ARB in the front. I have just scored the trnsfer case for my daul case setup.
Good luck

MidgetMike · « **Reply #4 on:** Oct 29, 2006, 07:42:30 PM »

I did an efi swap on my 83 long bed last winter. I got the wiring diagram and traced the wires to the efi system and married it with the 83 harness. I will try and post tomorrow in more detail what I did and how

1 make sure the doner runs, ie computer and electrical system.

2 use the efi tank and pump.

3 my 83 had the efi mounts on the head so I didn't need to swap the engine, so I have the dual timming row head and block with efi like an 83 celica

paradisetoyota · « **Reply #5 on:** Oct 29, 2006, 07:50:53 PM »

my donor truck is complete and does run, but it has a blown head gasket with 220k on the motor. i plan on using the 86 motor later when i start my swap. That would be very helpfull if you can post what you did in the swap.

Rainer · « **Reply #6 on:** Oct 29, 2006, 07:57:17 PM »

i am thinking of doing this if i dont get an 85 with EFI. So lets keep this thing going.

Mark

11 Bravo · « **Reply #7 on:** Oct 30, 2006, 07:35:46 PM »

That Off Road Solutions harness in the link posted above is nuts. The price seems crazy high for that. $450 - $500 plus a core charge for the connectors? Does that mean your little $500 harness has used connectors? Am I missing something?

Capt. Crawler · « **Reply #8 on:** Oct 30, 2006, 07:41:30 PM »

Hey midgetmike, How does it run? what kind of power can we expect, if any? My friend has a celica motor in his 1st. gen. but its a rock crawler so I am curious how yours does on the street.
Thanks
I am hoping to go and see my doner soon. it apparently runs but the body is rusting off... I hope it is good running condition.
What gearing are you running?

rick80 · « **Reply #9 on:** Oct 31, 2006, 02:40:32 PM »

okay, it seems like their is an interest in swamping 22re's in our vintage first gen toyota trucks. That off road soulution wirring harness seems to be the best way to go it looks simple. So if their is anyone out there "migetmike" that can lead us in the right direction please help us out. And has anyone used the off road solution kit before and if so how does it work?

Rick80

MidgetMike · « **Reply #10 on:** Oct 31, 2006, 04:27:35 PM »

It runs well a lot better throtle response and low end, I am looking for my diagrams for how I did my swap and I will post it as soon as I can. When I did mine I pulled all the efi components IE the intake gas tank ect then pulled the harness and hooke it all up on the floor in the garage traced out all the necessary wires and cut all the others out lights and

. I only had to hook up about five wires. I will get pics and my diagrams up by this weekend. I can tell you that the info on pirate for an efi swap was useless as I couldn't find the wire color combos for any year efi system in any wiring diagrams not even factory. I just got my truck home from storage since my move to CO so my wheein motivation is coming back. $Beer Chug\'n$

snowshoebrue · « **Reply #11 on:** Oct 31, 2006, 04:55:20 PM »

i have the offroad solutions harness. i haven't got to put it in yet (just recieved it yesterday). just by looking at it it looks like it simplifies it alot. they even have a little light tied into the harness for the check engine light. the only wires that need to be spliced/or are not in a connector are

ground, large ignition source, switching side of stop lamp, 1 wire speed sensor(optional), large current ignition on, large current start signal, oil pressure gauge, water temp gauge, tachometer, battery term, fuel pump +, -.
all the wires and connector come labeled with what they are.

it comes with instructions and recommended list parts that you will need for the swap. this is basically just the body side of the harness you still need the engine harness and ecu. it has connectors to plug into the engine harness and the ecu

snowshoebrue · « **Reply #12 on:** Oct 31, 2006, 04:58:57 PM »

oh and yes the connectors look like they are used

rick80 · « **Reply #13 on:** Oct 31, 2006, 05:22:57 PM »

that was a fast anwser $Beer Chug\'n$ thank you Migetmike and Snowshoebrue. If you could do us a favor post up your diagrams up Mike. And for Snowshoebrue keep us updated on your project and let us know how that wirring harnness works out for you. Do you think it's worth the $500.

thanks
Rick80

8D3TOY · « **Reply #14 on:** Oct 31, 2006, 05:32:24 PM »

It may seem pricey but you are paying for the effort on their part to do all the labor on tracing each wire out,my time is worth alot to me if I can plug instead of trace and splice,$500 is cheap!

Capt. Crawler · « **Reply #15 on:** Oct 31, 2006, 06:57:59 PM »

Hey, Thanks for the info "midget" and evryone else. This is a killer forum. I have been trying to get info off of pirate but those people are so hard to deal with.

11 Bravo · « **Reply #16 on:** Oct 31, 2006, 09:16:04 PM »

Quote from: 8D3TOY on Oct 31, 2006, 05:32:24 PM

It may seem pricey but you are paying for the effort on their part to do all the labor on tracing each wire out,my time is worth alot to me if I can plug instead of trace and splice,$500 is cheap!

It's just a matter of opinion I guess. I don't really look at the time I spend working on my truck as being worth money. If I did I would just work overtime and pay somebody to work on my truck. A lot of the reason I work on my truck is because I enjoy it. Some guys tie their own fishing flys and some guys buy them. Some guys reload their ammo and some guys buy it. Some guys just don't like wiring work and that is cool too. It is what ever works out best for the guy making the decision. It's all good.

I am kind of a picky ass about some things. I don't like the plastic harness covering with the split down the side, I don't like butt connectors and I am surprised it has used harness connectors. No offense to the guys at Offroad Solutions, but that harness just seems like it is pretty expensive for what it is. There is no black magic here. We are wiring up an ECM and the Toyota wiring schematic shows where all the wires go. I understand that the customer is paying for their time and effort and they need to keep the doors open and make a living. It is just not for me and that is just my opinion.

I personally would go with the MidgetMike method and build up my own harness, especially if I had a donor rig with a harness to get the connectors. I really don't mind wiring work and I have all the tools to work on the connectors. I built the entire harness that is in my 1980. There are no extra wires and everyting is run nice and neat the way I wanted it. I like to use Deutsch connectors and Caterpillar Sure-Seal connectors rather than the stock Toyota ones wherever possible also.

rick80 · « **Reply #17 on:** Nov 01, 2006, 10:33:01 AM »

Quote from: 8D3TOY on Oct 31, 2006, 05:32:24 PM

It may seem pricey but you are paying for the effort on their part to do all the labor on tracing each wire out,my time is worth alot to me if I can plug instead of trace and splice,$500 is cheap!

That is true 8d3toy about how you are paying fo their effort and time. But if it is plug in play and you don't have to stress out about it is well worth the $500. So 11 bravo post up your info on how you did your swap. and Your fellow toyota friends would highly apperiate the help we could get from you or anyone. Thank You in advance and keep on posting this helpful information.

Rick80

rick80 · « **Reply #18 on:** Nov 01, 2006, 10:45:41 AM »

Here are the individuals who are going to plan to attemp the EFI conversion in their first gen toyota's.

Paradisetoyota
8d3toy
Capt. Crawler
Snowshoebrue
Rick80
I know that their is alot more people out their that want to do the conversion as well so let us know what you are going to do to make this come true. And for the ones who already did the swamp please don't be shy and share the helpful information that we need to make this happend.

11 Bravo · « **Reply #19 on:** Nov 01, 2006, 05:17:02 PM »

Quote-- So 11 bravo post up your info on how you did your swap. and Your fellow toyota friends would highly apperiate the help we could get from you or anyone. Thank You in advance and keep on posting this helpful information. Rick80 --quote

rick80,

You have to go back and read my first post. I have not done an EFI swap in a Toyota. In my first post on this thread I told Paradisetoyota (the OP) that I had never done this swap and that most of my experience was with 1st gen trucks with carbs. My 1980 has a Weber on it and I don't have any plans right now to change it. When I said that I made up the harness in my 1980, I meant the whole main wiring harness.

Again, I have not done an EFI swap in a Toyota. I have, however, converted dozens of pieces of large mining equipment from diesel engines with governors over to diesel engines with electronic unit injectors (referred to as EUI engines). The EUI conversions on equipment are arguably more difficult than what we are talking about here. The engine ECM on a mining haul truck has a 40 wire connector and has inputs from an electronic throttle position sensor, engine speed and timing inputs, sensors that monitor boost, exhaust temps, air filter restriction, it ties into the transmission ECM and so on. This is the experience that I base my opinions on.

I offered the OP some advise and deferred to others who had actually done the swap. Beyond that, I expressed my opinion about the Offroad Solutions harness. For me, it seems like a lot of money for what it is. That is just my opinion. If a guy feels like it is worth the asking price, then it is for him.

I don't want to mislead anyone. I have not done an EFI swap on a Toyota, but I can't imagine the wiring portion of the swap is very difficult. As far as asking me to post up my info, it is like I posted above. The Toyota schematic shows anyone who is willing to read it where all the wires go.

If I had done the swap, I would be glad to share the information.

Cheers

snowshoebrue · « **Reply #20 on:** Nov 01, 2006, 05:36:09 PM »

the only reason why i got the offroad solutions harness is because i won it in the raffle at the roundup. personally i would not have spent the money for it. i would have just spent the time to trace out the wires and build my own harness.
don't get me wrong it is a nice harness and it will make thing really simple i just don't have the $568 dollars to spend on a harness. i do enjoy working on my truck but anything i can do to simplify things i am all for it.

8D3TOY · « **Reply #21 on:** Nov 01, 2006, 05:49:17 PM »

I know there is a ton of interest in this swap, not all of us are willing to go all the way with a 3RZ or Lexus or supra motor. 11Bravo I don't look at the time I spend working on my truck as $ either I enjoy working on my junk. I see your point though about the connectors and plastic loom, for the price I would expect better,I just know that there is alot of effort on their part other than the 12 bucks in wire and connectors. Used plugs are a different story I think in BigMikes official 3RZ thread he mentioned that new ones are not available or very difficult to obtain. I think if we could make this a "sticky" so that anyone who has done this swap can add their info you may not have to buy a harness. I have a donor truck I'm trying to get but the guy is driving a hard bargain right now but time is on my side.

TRHS1980 · « **Reply #22 on:** Nov 01, 2006, 06:34:29 PM »

Here's a couple threads I found for you guys that might help... there's SO MUCH info already on the net about this swap if you search for it. Hope this helps, good luck, and see you on the trails!

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=316661&highlight=22R+swap

http://www.yankeetoys.org/black900rr/EFI.html

http://toyota.off-road.com/toyota/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=186141&searchString=chris%20efi%20swap

TRHS1980 · « **Reply #23 on:** Nov 01, 2006, 06:37:08 PM »

Oh, one more thing, I personally am really interested in what this guys got going on...

http://69.50.175.2/forum/showthread.php?t=516406
http://zuksoffroad.com/products/MY-T-FI.htm

Looks like he's put together a mechanical fuel injection kit for our motors... might be interesting to check out...

paradisetoyota · « **Reply #24 on:** Nov 01, 2006, 09:11:17 PM »

I talked to a few people in the last few days and I have thought about putting my axles under the 86 truck, it's a 1 ton. I have the springs,axles trans-and case. That motor just needs a head gasket. I might just do that.

paradisetoyota · « **Reply #25 on:** Dec 02, 2006, 11:45:46 PM »

Is there anyone in the Paradise/Chico area that has done this swap that is willing to show me how to wire the fuel injection and cut what I don't need?

paradisetoyota [OP]

paradisetoyota [OP]

paradisetoyota [OP]

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