Lumpia

Well, my 85 4 runner has been down for a while after my transfer case mishap. I have been looking for a W56 with a transfer case without much luck. I found an Auto here locally, with the transfer case, and am thinking of doing the swap to auto (I know, I know, Blasphemy).

This will get my truck back the road, and the price seems right. My questions are as follows (I have been searching for the last few hours trying to find out this information, and have come up with a blank on all of them):

1) The ECUs in the 85 4runner is interchangeable from all the reading that I have been doing, so doing the swap should not be a problem, as long as I can get the Transmission Control Unit with the transmission, correct?

2) If the transmission doesn't come with the Control unit, what is the Transmission Control Unit actually called?

3) I'm already going to have to change the rear drive line out, as the one that was in the truck is bent, and the splines are all torn up, however the front is still in good shape. Am I going to have to get another front drive line to be at the right length for the auto transmission / transfer case setup? Are the drive lines between auto and manual different lengths I guess is a better question?

85TurboRunner

Your front driveline will work. As for swapping in an auto, that seems like a lot of headache as far as wiring and such.

Your best bet, and this is only my opinion, is to just get the entire wiring harness from whatever you get the auto tranny from and swap it into your truck.

Sounds like a lot of work right.

Lumpia

Well, it's already out of the vehicle it came from, and I don't know if the guy selling it has the harness or not.

I didn't want to go auto, but in light of the way things are going right now, I'm not going to be able to get a manual and get it in the truck and running anytime soon. And I need my truck for November, my CRX isn't a good choice for deer hunting.

mistreatedtoys

You all out west must use up all the good stuff, those trannys can still be found here all the time for about 250 on craigslist.here being ohio

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

Bad idea.

myyota

X2, your truck doesn`t have the wiring needed to make an automatic transmission work, and it just isn`t worth the trouble to try and make it work, why do you think so many on here are doing auto to manual swaps ?.

Lumpia

I think it has a lot to do with our proximity to Mexico.

To have gear driven transfer cases? And as a personal conspiracy against me, making it harder to find a transmission that will work.

whokrz

People make stand alone shifters for the auto. You will have to tell it what gear you want to be in like a manual just no clutch. This will make it work but not like a standard auto, however you won't have to rewire everything.

For some reason the autos have gotten a bad name.
They do not stall like the manuals are notorious for off road with 2.28 gears.
They do not break drive train parts as easy because they to not shock load the drive train.
Inchworm makes an adapter that allows you to put a gear driven case behind them.

I think finding a used w56 would be easier than putting in a auto

theBurlyone

"They do not stall like the manuals are notorious for off road with 2.28 gears"

Why you would be running 2.28 gearing when it came with 4.11 stock, I don't know, but the reason everyone wants a manual over an automatic is for the absolute control it gives you. You have complete control over how much power your wheels get and when they get it. Also if you know how to drive a stick shift properly you can get better gas mileage with it. Oh yeah and it's WAAYY funner to drive

whokrz

2.28 gears was in reference to the gears in the transfer case not the differential. When you try to climb large rocks and there is not enough torque generated by the 2.28 gear it stalls or smokes the clutch, neither of which is to desirable. It is also not to much fun to have it stall on a steep hill climb and end up with limited brakes. With 4.7 gears in a manual it is no longer a problem.

I have driven autos and manuals offroad and have found that autos give you more control with stock gearing. The aftermarket shifters also have the option to lock the torque converter if you wanted to, which would give you complete control over how much power your wheels get and when they get it.

Personally I like manuals as I have a R151 but I would not turn my nose up at a auto.

bigt

i though i remembered there was a auto availible in 4wd 22r in later years like 86 or 85 pickups.. i think its just a ecu.. but i never ended up going that route.. autos are wya better offroad .. even though i only use stick shift i would love a auto .. but hey i would also like power steering and 38s on my offroader too!

samiam39

try this place for the tranny . http://www.yotayard.com/parts.htm I think most yard sell the tranny and the transfercase together. My truck started out as an automatic .After cracking two tranny cases in half I changed to a Manual trans and that was 5 years back. I miss the auto in la traffic, but prefer the manual on the trail. There are many wrecking yard in ca where the tranny wont be to hard to find, with that cash for clunkers deal that wasted all the engines in the cars and trucks turned in. Good luck

ToyRunner1

I have a friend that has 2 here in the Springs. Both are trans and t-case together for $200. One is from an 87 Runner and the other is from an 88 Runner. These are manuals, not autos. W56 and top shift t-cases.


Edit: I personally prefer auto for off road. Actually, I prefer autos for just about everything, as long as you have an engine with enough power. I guess I'm getting old...