1981/1983 fRaNkEnToY build up.

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

I have always wanted a 1st Gen Toyota Pickup. About 6 months ago I could not help myself anymore and bought a hacked up, pieced together 1981. About two weeks after that I found a 1983 cab (while looking for a hood) that was in way better shape than mine. I made an offer to the guy just to see what he would say and he took it.

I have never bought an older vehicle to fix up before, but I am working hard at it and doing the best I can learning along the way. My goal for this truck as of now is to get it back on the road after the cab swap and use it as a daily driver.

The 81 was a running truck when I got it, and I fooled around In it a little, but it needed tons of work to get it to where I was trying to go. The 83 cab was the answer to that question. Two weeks ago I ripped the 81 cab off and set the 83 on the frame.

Here I am now with the easy part done and the long road ahead. Since I have done the swap, I cannot get the thing wired up to crank. I was able to get the cab to come to life after who knows how many years of sitting (lights, buzzers, gauges, blower) but I cannot seem to figure out how to get it to start.

I have spent several hours in the Haynes manual with the wire diagrams and on here and other forums looking for answers. So if you can help me out with a little guidance, please do so. I'll post pics when I can (I guess I don't have enough posts here yet but I do have a build thread here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/1981-83-pickup-build.369051/. Thanks for looking)

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

I finally figured out the starter. I can now get the engine to turn over. I still have a jumper from the starter. I need to figure out the wiring for sure back to the switch. I wires up the fuel pump and ended up flooding the carb pretty good, I fixed that for now. I still need to wire the Alternator in. That should connect directly to the battery, correct?  It sounds like it wants to go, but I am afraid that I'm not getting spark from the ignitor and coil. How can I check this?

Also, the ignition coil gets pretty hot when I try to start the truck. Is this normal? I have it grounded to the truck and wire tapped into the ignition wiring in the dash.

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

I just thought of something. My dizzy might be out of sync. I need to get the #1 on the TDC and make sure the distributor is in sync. I remember turning the motor (fan) while the ignition coil wire was disconnected. That would mess up the firing order correct?

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

I have some sort of Gremlin I can't figure out or find.  Before I switched all these parts out they worked. Now after I switched them all over I can not get the engine to fire. It will turn over, but not fire off.
Any more ideas??

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

Time to post some pictures.

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

[OVRAROK]

looking good, great start

[OVRAROK]

have you checked the normal stuff, fuel, spark, did you set dist. properly?

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

I know I'm getting fuel, and I have not touched the dist., the engine was running before the cab swap. I think my problem lies within the ignition system. I am not sure I'm getting spark.

Here is something that concerns me. When I hook up the ignition coil and igniter where I believe it goes, it gets hot to the touch while trying to start the engine. I know that can't be good.
All of the drawings I have looked at have the igniter connected to the B-R wire in the ignition. I am getting no where with that, unless my coil is bad.

[redneckcustoms13]

Do you have a ground wire running from the head to the firewall? Ground from battery post to fender and from fender to frame ans from frame to block?

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

Not one from head to firewall, but yes on the other.

[redneckcustoms13]

Be sure to ground from head to firewall. Then see what happens.

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

First off, what is this for? It is off the 81' cab:


Next. My new BS cables (from a popular auto parts store, not even a week on the truck)


Finally. If any one can help me with what these plugs are for. I plan on deleting them if I don't need them. They are located in the 83' cab, front passenger fender. I am trying to clean up the wiring, getting rid of what I don't need.

[redneckcustoms13]

First object was from the firewall. Ive only seen them on 2wd trucks. But maybe some 4wd had them as well i am not certain. It was used to operate the throttle on your carburetor and the cable connected to it. 2nd, I can solve all your problems with 1 suggestion. Pull the wiring harness from the 81 cab and put it on the 83 cab. Hook up everything the way it was and roll with it. I've done 3 cab swaps on my 80 trail rig. It has had an 80 cab, an 83 cab, and now an 82. I've used the 80 harness in all of them. Takes less than an hour to swap it. Then your not hacking into the wiring harness and removing plugs.

[redneckcustoms13]

Took a few minutes of digging to find but here is that bracket installed when my 83 was a 2wd auto

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

Thanks for the reply. The wire harness from the 81 cab is toast. It was a major hack job when I got into it. The PO cut the crap out of it. I believe I am in much better shape with the 83 harness. The only reason I want to I.D. Some of these plugs to delete is just to clean things up a little.

[redneckcustoms13]

On your last picture the gar right plug should go to the carburetor harness if I'm not mistaken. The middle plug does it have a larger black wire with a yellow tracer? If so it needs to be tied into the battery. The left plug I'm not sure. I don't have any 83s with a 22r still in them.

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

Yes. I already pulled the Black-yellow wire out of that plug for the battery. I have a 20r in the truck so I think I won't be using most of these wires anyway. As far as the carb goes, I have no wires to it.

[redneckcustoms13]

So are you trying to fire a 20r distributor with the coil from a 22r? Are they the same?

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

No. Everything came out of the running 81'. I am trying to wire it into the harness, or run new wires if I have to. I have traced down most everything I need. I am just unsure about the power to the ignitor from the 83 harness. Going off the Haynes manual, I should be tapping into the black-red wire from the ignition. I have tried that and got nothing. The 83' FSM I downloaded off Yotatech had a different wire from the ignition, I can't recall what wire I'd have to look again, but I know it was different. I am wondering if I am producing spark at all. I got a tester yesterday, but it is raining like crazy here, and this is a driveway project since I don't have a garage.

[redneckcustoms13]

Just use a screw driver in the coil wire that will tell you. I'd compare the wiring schematics of the 2 trucks and go from there. Haynes manual is junk in my opinion when it comes to wiring.

[zippo]

Why not just run a Painless harness and dump the factory harness?

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

Painless for wiring, but not on the wallet.

So my tester is telling me I'm not getting spark. How is the ignitor supposed to be hooked up?  It has to go to the ignition and has to be grounded, correct?  I hope I didn't fry it somehow. If that is the case I will read up on the GM conversion.

I should be able to test it with a meter, right?

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

GM Bypass write up:

http://bbs.zuwharrie.com/content?topic=85514.0

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

Yes. I have gotten this far flipping back and forth with the diagrams in the Haynes manual between the year model diagrams. This is the only one I can not trace (the 83 FSM is not much help either). I think my coil went south, and I'm gonna try the bypass with GM equipment.

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

IT'S ALIVE!!!!!  I ran to O'riely's and got the stuff for the GM conversion. Wired it up in about 10 minutes, and she fired off on the first shot!  I'm so relieved. I finally got it to run.

[redneckcustoms13]

Good deal!

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

This was taken right after the install. I have since cleaned it up a good bit.

[81fRaNkEnToY83]

Anyone know where I can get some windshield wiper arms. Or something that will fit that I can use?