Tranny Swap Question

[wrenchtech]

I bought an '89 4runner with a blown auto tranny. The auto is getting pulled and a 5 speed is going in. The current auto tranny has ECT (electronic transmission control) and I know that the ECU (Engine Control Unit) part # is different than the manual trans equipped 4runner. Does this ECU need to be connected to an auto tranny to work properly? Is this a straight forward swap or is this going to be a difficult wiring project? -- Matt

[79coyotefrg]

just trick your ecu  to think the tranny is in neutral

[wrenchtech]

just trick your ecu  to think the tranny is in neutral

Sounds easy enough! Thanks -- Matt

[854RUN]

OK so i swapped my auto tranny and alls you need to do is leave the ECT plugged in and leave the ECU alone and connect the 2 big wires (black and white) that drop down between the manifold(it comes off the engine harness) and conetack them together. they come off a white connector. There are 3 wires on the conetor the big black and white ones and one small blue one, just cut and seal off the blue one and you r done i hope the help you. let us know how it goes    p.s. (i have an 85 runner)

[wrenchtech]

OK so i swapped my auto tranny and alls you need to do is leave the ECT plugged in and leave the ECU alone and connect the 2 big wires (black and white) that drop down between the manifold(it comes off the engine harness) and conetack them together. they come off a white connector. There are 3 wires on the conetor the big black and white ones and one small blue one, just cut and seal off the blue one and you r done i hope the help you. let us know how it goes    p.s. (i have an 85 runner)

Let me see if I understood all that:

I just leave the part of the harness that plugs into the ECT computer  disconected (in my case I won't have an ECT in the vehicle).  Then I just have to worry about the black, white, and blue wires (3 different wires). You say I should connect the black and white wires together and disconnect the blue wire and seal the end of it off.

Did I get that right?

From what I can see looking at the wiring diagram for my '89 4runner donor the black and white wires are for a neutral start switch. Do you have any idea what the blue wire that gets cut is for?

[854RUN]

OK so you took out the ect computer? i think you might have to leave it in but i am not foreshore on that one, i have never tried running it without the ect plug in. i think the ect is what tell the ecu it is OK to start  i will check at lunch and see if it will run with out the ect plugged in.  yes black and white get connected and i am do not know what the blue one is for. you might need to swapout ecu's if you dont use the etc ? hope that helps

[wrenchtech]

I probably got carried away when I said I'd get rid of the ECT, but I want to know how your experiment with unplugging it works. Thanks.  -- Matt

[854RUN]

Matt sorry it took so long to get back to you no computer at home  right now just at work, but i did disconet the ect and it ran with no noticeable chanage but i did not drive to much with it unplugged. I will unplug it and drive longer to see if i can find a difference it having it plugged in or not and i will go over some wiring diagrams to see if they go to any thing of importance for all i know they just go to the old auto tranny. so ya i will look more into it and let you know on Monday 

[wrenchtech]

854run, You are the man! Thanks for checking this stuff out for me. I am so glad to have this kind of help, because I don't have that much time to experiment with this on my daily driver work truck. When I do the swap I gotta "Git-er--Done. -- Matt

[854RUN]

Hey Matt so i looked at wiring diagrams last night and from what i can tell all that the ect does is Cantrell auto tranny crap (sensor and what not). I am going to unplug mine today and then drive home with it unplugged thats about 20mi so i should notice a difference if there is any. If no difference i am going to take the ect out of my runner. i will let you know what i find out.   

[854RUN]

OK so i am going to leave the ECT out. so far there is no difference and nothing going wrong    . so i say leave it out and connoted the black and white wire and go  . I will let you know if any thing goes wrong 

[Dave J.]

I'm new, and doing the same thing to a 1987 pickup. after removing the ect have you experienced any problems such as no reverse lights?

[854RUN]

My reverse lights are on a toggel   

[Dave J.]

thank you for the welcome, and i was just wondering because i have to go through a state inspection to get the truck registered, i'll have to look into whether i can put them on a toggle and still be legal

[854RUN]

what state? they don't check that here in colorado. You can alway just run a +wire to the revers switch on the tranny and hook it up to your R. lights.

[Dave J.]

I live in Connecticut. They kinda blow with vehicle codes up here.

[BoG-ToY]

like he said...just wire it strait up to your new reverse switch on the 5spd trans.....problem solved

[Dave J.]

is there anything else i need to be aware of when doing this? like i said, i'm new to this. 20 years old and this is my first project, on a college student budget no less. I just want to make sure i get it right.

[854RUN]

OK so i bought a pedal assemble off ebay $10.00 (it had the pedal and studs for the master on it ) master cylinder $12.00, slave cylinder $20.00, hard line to connot the master and slave, you need a fly wheel, clutch kit about $235 for new fly wheel and clutch and the tranny and case. i spent about $400 with tranny and case, i had a fly wheel and clutch. Good luck

[854RUN]

OK so i am going to leave the ECT out. so far there is no difference and nothing going wrong   . so i say leave it out and connoted the black and white wire and go  . I will let you know if any thing goes wrong 

I also found that I do not need the white and black wires connoted but i also use a push butten to the starter so you might need to leave the ect and connot the wires. 

[Dave J.]

Well i have a donor truck, another 1987 with a 22r, with no title, and a rotted body and frame, but all of the other mechanical components are good, so i just plan to use the pedal, master and slave cylinders, flywheel and clutch, transmission, transfer case, and engine from that and swap it into the truck with efi.

[854RUN]

Sounds good let us know how it go's

[Dave J.]

i'll try to post some pics once it gets done. like i said its nothing special. just a summer project on a college student budget.

[RABIDYOTA]

and that is were it starts. next more power then tire and lift visious cycle

[Dave J.]

thats true. i'm already looking at things i can do for more power. it already has 33 inch tires, cheap continentals, but 33's non the less and a two inch body lift.

[854RUN]

and that is were it starts. next more power then tire and lift visious cycle

HELL YA    Thats how mine started, swap the tranny, cam the list go on and now I'm rolling on 38" tsl