vsi1600

Hey Yotatech,

I have a 1990 4wd Pickup, 22RE, equipped with a W56-C transmission, & forward shift transfer case. It's about time to rebuild the tranny before it goes out. It's making some noises that I'm not too happy about.

A friend of mine has the original W56-B tranny from his '87 Runner. His Runner is very very clean, and the tranny feels good too, he just had a bearing go out and had to change it. Should be more than good to go with new bearings and synchros, but it bolts up to a top shift T-case...

So first of all, just to make sure I can do the W56-C ---> W56-B swap if I swap to the top-shift transfer case, right?

And second... has anyone on here done this and have anything to say about where the select lever for the transfer case will end up? Pretty much figuring I'll have to cut a hole, but very curious how that will all work out. (How big of a hole, how much farther back, etc etc. Maybe the shift knob will be in the wrong place too?

If it weren't for the fact that I know the tranny in there could be totally beat, I'd just rebuild the tranny in there, even if it puts the truck out of service for longer. Because I know that the Runner tranny I have should be in pretty darn good shape overall I'm leaning towards figuring out how to make it work.

Thanks in advance for taking the time

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

This exact question got asked last week in the same exact forum section.

Please search.

vsi1600

I did indeed search, but perhaps not extensively enough.. I just re-searched (terms: transmission, transfer, w56, top-shift, forward-shift) and turned up many transmission issues but nothing specifically related to the size and location of the new hole which will need to be cut. That is my main consideration at the moment.

The best general information I found so far was in this thread:

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...bility-191558/

DC makes a post basically saying that it's possible to use a forward shift tranny with a top shift t-case, but not the other way around.

That issue has been fully demystified for me, so I plan to swap the transfer case as well. As far as I know everything will bolt up fine if I use the top-shift transfer case intended for the W56-B which I'm swapping in, but I will need to cut a new hole in the floor of the truck to make room for the shifter lever.

Still poking around for info on the fabrication required to do the specific swap I have in mind

Thanks for the bump!

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

Top shift and forward shift are the same, but different.

You have to convert one to the other depending on what is in your truck NOW, IF you split up the tranny/tcase combo.

Top shift has the tcase shifter ON the tcase and the shift rails are short and do not stick out of the tcase very far.

Forward shift has the tcase shifter ON the tranny and the shift rails are long and stick out of the tcase a great deal.

If you swap the two combos, as in both tranny and tcase then the only real issue is the shifter location in your trucks floor. You are just going to have to test fit and see where you are going to have to cut. The floor plate from the tranny/tcase combo will help to have as well.

I hope that makes sense.

vsi1600

Yep everything you say makes perfect sense

That's a great idea about the floor pan, never even though of just looking that up in the parts catalog.

Here the one in my truck... Kind of hard to see, but it's only one hole:



I'll post a picture of the 4Runner one as soon as I get the VIN and can be sure I'm looking at the right thing..

surfertom

i have a 1989 4x4 hi-lux ,22re motor , the trans is poping out of first and it has no 3rd. my truck has the forward shift w-56. i found and bought a top shift w-56 out of a 4-runner with transfer case. the top shift is very tight in all gears with no noise and has only 60,000 miles. i plan to swap the trans and transfer case as a unit.i have searched and know the swap is fine except for the floor pan which will have to be cut. i can find no info on doing this. i'm sure someone has done it and i would like to know where and how much to cut. don't really want to go the trial and error route. thanks for any help ,tom