what to do with my little old 3.slo
#1
what to do with my little old 3.slo
alrighty guys here is the deal,i have recently been having troubles with my 3.slo its burning oil (the exhaust is coming out white and the exhaust pipe is pitch black) and i have lost a ton of power even tho there never was much for power and i have been following some of the yotatech "greats" threads and watching their rebuilds such as cadman and dntsdad...and i have decided i want to do a 3.4 swap on my 90 also...i am going to get the engine from my uncle who acquired a wrecked 96 4runner. My problem is i am a kid who's dad was a great mechanic so when i was little i learned a lot of things and he always said i was very mechanically inclined...but he died a couple of years ago and i am still a kid...this truck was his old truck so i want to keep it going good and i consider it a learning truck which i know my dad would want...i know how to wire car stereos and fog lights ect. but i am worried that this wiring will be over my head so idk if i want to attempt this on my own or not i have friends that are mechanics from all the people that my dad was friends with that could probably help me along the way if i get stuck but i wanna know how hard the wiring actually is? and if you think i should do it?
also the 4runner is an automatic and my truck is an manual so if there is anyone out there with a manual ecm who is looking to trade it for an automatic ecm out there pm me...i would like to hear from people that have actually done the swap but all opinions are welcome...and thanks for all the help in advance
also the 4runner is an automatic and my truck is an manual so if there is anyone out there with a manual ecm who is looking to trade it for an automatic ecm out there pm me...i would like to hear from people that have actually done the swap but all opinions are welcome...and thanks for all the help in advance
#2
This is just my personal opinion and since I'm a newb to toyotas anyways it reflects my opinion on working on cars/trucks of any make model in general.
Make sure you have the option to invest at least 50% more time/money than you had planned from the begining. Most projects usually take more time than planned due to unexpected problems and usually take more money than you planned due to parts needing replaced now instead of later when it would be twice as hard to do down the road.
I took the carb/intake off my 87 monte carlo ss and converted it to fuel injection (TPI) all by myself with the help of the internet and I am by no means a master mechanic. It is key to find the right people who are willing to answer questions if need be and who have already been through what you are wanting to do. Most of the time, they can lead you on a path that they wished they would have known about while doing their project which makes it that much easier on you. Not having to be in any kind of rush makes these types of projects that much more enjoyable so you have the option of just putting things down for the night and regrouping instead of pulling your hair out. On my project, I had to change the entire engine wiring harness/ecm and adapt it to a car that it never came in from the factory. I took my time, did ALOT of research, and all in all it really wasn't that bad. I only worked on it part time in the evenings after work and on the weekends so it did take me almost a month to finish, but if I had the option of working on it all day/everyday, I'm sure I could have done it in less than a week.
Good luck to you. I'm sure there are some members on here that are like the members on some of the other forums I belong to and will be happy to help however they can.
Make sure you have the option to invest at least 50% more time/money than you had planned from the begining. Most projects usually take more time than planned due to unexpected problems and usually take more money than you planned due to parts needing replaced now instead of later when it would be twice as hard to do down the road.
I took the carb/intake off my 87 monte carlo ss and converted it to fuel injection (TPI) all by myself with the help of the internet and I am by no means a master mechanic. It is key to find the right people who are willing to answer questions if need be and who have already been through what you are wanting to do. Most of the time, they can lead you on a path that they wished they would have known about while doing their project which makes it that much easier on you. Not having to be in any kind of rush makes these types of projects that much more enjoyable so you have the option of just putting things down for the night and regrouping instead of pulling your hair out. On my project, I had to change the entire engine wiring harness/ecm and adapt it to a car that it never came in from the factory. I took my time, did ALOT of research, and all in all it really wasn't that bad. I only worked on it part time in the evenings after work and on the weekends so it did take me almost a month to finish, but if I had the option of working on it all day/everyday, I'm sure I could have done it in less than a week.
Good luck to you. I'm sure there are some members on here that are like the members on some of the other forums I belong to and will be happy to help however they can.
Last edited by newTOyotas; 02-17-2011 at 03:04 PM.
#3
Contributing Member
alrighty guys here is the deal,i have recently been having troubles with my 3.slo its burning oil (the exhaust is coming out white and the exhaust pipe is pitch black) and i have lost a ton of power even tho there never was much for power and i have been following some of the yotatech "greats" threads and watching their rebuilds such as cadman and dntsdad...and i have decided i want to do a 3.4 swap on my 90 also...i am going to get the engine from my uncle who acquired a wrecked 96 4runner. My problem is i am a kid who's dad was a great mechanic so when i was little i learned a lot of things and he always said i was very mechanically inclined...but he died a couple of years ago and i am still a kid...this truck was his old truck so i want to keep it going good and i consider it a learning truck which i know my dad would want...i know how to wire car stereos and fog lights ect. but i am worried that this wiring will be over my head so idk if i want to attempt this on my own or not i have friends that are mechanics from all the people that my dad was friends with that could probably help me along the way if i get stuck but i wanna know how hard the wiring actually is? and if you think i should do it?
also the 4runner is an automatic and my truck is an manual so if there is anyone out there with a manual ecm who is looking to trade it for an automatic ecm out there pm me...i would like to hear from people that have actually done the swap but all opinions are welcome...and thanks for all the help in advance
also the 4runner is an automatic and my truck is an manual so if there is anyone out there with a manual ecm who is looking to trade it for an automatic ecm out there pm me...i would like to hear from people that have actually done the swap but all opinions are welcome...and thanks for all the help in advance
Best of luck to you. Welcome to YT
Last edited by mt_goat; 02-17-2011 at 03:38 PM.
#4
thank newtoyotas and yes i have a thunderbird i can drive through the summer while im doing the project so time isnt an issue...money on the other hand will b and also thank you mt. goat i would probably use a manual one except since its my uncle i am getting the 4runner through it will be a lot cheaper and since im a kid money is very tight...will i be able to use the automatic harness with the manual ecm because i have read alot of threads and they are conflicting with eachother
Last edited by Kody B.; 02-17-2011 at 07:57 PM.
#5
Contributing Member
Oh also the auto harness plugs are totally different than the manual harness plugs, so you would also need to find the manual ECU plugs to put on your auto engine harness. They may be available through a dealer if you have a really good parts guy, other wise someone will need to salvage them off the correct engine harness....at which point that engine harness is ruined and you could probably buy the whole thing for the same price.
Last edited by mt_goat; 02-18-2011 at 10:14 AM.
#6
Contributing Member
This should help: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f160...emonch-223093/
#7
Contributing Member
I quote Wabbit from here: http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=169571
As you can see it would be impossible to fit a plug from the top ECU into the bottom ECU.
As you can see it would be impossible to fit a plug from the top ECU into the bottom ECU.
Last edited by mt_goat; 02-18-2011 at 10:29 AM.
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#9
Contributing Member
There is one other option you might research, just using the auto ECU. But that again does make the wiring harder than it needs to be. IIRC the main problem with that is fooling the ECU that the shift lock is ok but I don't have any experience with this option, just something you may want to research. You have found the 3.4 swap section right? https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f160/
#10
Registered User
Where do you live? If you are close to me I wouldn't mind helping you out. Honestly I hope that you are not near me because if you are in California though it is twice as hard to make it all legal.
You can use your auto harness with a manual ECM. Like Goat said, it does make it harder as you have to repin the plugs. It time consuming and sometimes a tad confusing but nothing that is overly difficult. Just slow and careful.
Also, like Goat said you have to find the plugs for the manual ECM which I am not sure that you can order from the dealer. At least I have never seen anyone successfully post a part number. I got lucky with mine when I found them.
You can buy a NEW manual harness from Toyota for about $250 and I paid $50 i think for my manual ECM so for $300ish you have all that. If you can find the plugs, the you just need the ECM.
Does you wrecked donor have the auto with it? That may be a better option?
Do you have just the motor, the whole truck?? There are many pieces needed to make the swap happen. The motor and the ECM are just a few.
Also, I would talk to your dad's friends and have them read a few threads that have all the progress that had to be done and see UPFRONT that they can/will help you out. You dont want to get yourself high-n-dry. What is your toll situation?
You obviously have done some homework and have some understanding of what is going to have to happen which is more than I can say for some/many others that have started this process. Keep reading and researching and saving you pennies!! If you take it on, that truck will become more than that and serve as a good legacy to your father and a means to always remember him. That is worth the frustration IMO.
There are plenty of guys in the swap forum that will help you along the way.
You can use your auto harness with a manual ECM. Like Goat said, it does make it harder as you have to repin the plugs. It time consuming and sometimes a tad confusing but nothing that is overly difficult. Just slow and careful.
Also, like Goat said you have to find the plugs for the manual ECM which I am not sure that you can order from the dealer. At least I have never seen anyone successfully post a part number. I got lucky with mine when I found them.
You can buy a NEW manual harness from Toyota for about $250 and I paid $50 i think for my manual ECM so for $300ish you have all that. If you can find the plugs, the you just need the ECM.
Does you wrecked donor have the auto with it? That may be a better option?
Do you have just the motor, the whole truck?? There are many pieces needed to make the swap happen. The motor and the ECM are just a few.
Also, I would talk to your dad's friends and have them read a few threads that have all the progress that had to be done and see UPFRONT that they can/will help you out. You dont want to get yourself high-n-dry. What is your toll situation?
You obviously have done some homework and have some understanding of what is going to have to happen which is more than I can say for some/many others that have started this process. Keep reading and researching and saving you pennies!! If you take it on, that truck will become more than that and serve as a good legacy to your father and a means to always remember him. That is worth the frustration IMO.
There are plenty of guys in the swap forum that will help you along the way.
Last edited by dntsdad; 02-19-2011 at 08:21 AM.
#11
Contributing Member
https://www.yotatech.com/50633100-post10.html
Apparently the trick is finding the right numbers, which is why I say "if you have a really good parts guy" (it also helps if you are a Toyota master tech working at a dealership).
I quote from link above:
Also under the cheap-skate umbrella is the wiring harness. ORS makes a great harness and backs it up with superior customer support, but I can read EWD's and decided to make it myself. It really wasnt that hard, but it was time consuming. It worked first try and I didnt have to change anything yet.
I have posted this on another board, but thought that I would put it in this also:
Below you will find the part numbers for the plugs (c1 & c2 in the ewd) that fit into the dash harness on my 92 yota so that you dont have to cut up the 22r harness to use them...
90980-10811
90980-10881
These are empty plugs that you will have to supply the wires for, if you cant find any to use, use these part numbers, (these are per wire btw)...warning, doing it this way (ordering each wire) can get expensive in a hurry...
82998-12340 - small wire (majority of these two plugs)
82998-12380 - larger wire (only 4 of these needed in this application)
Also it seems people have had trouble in locating the plug for the body harness that plugs into the 3.4 ecu. Below you will find 4runner part numbers, I dont know for sure, but I think that the taco's p/n are the same.
96 - plug E8 90980-11392
(Manual Trans)
plug E12 90980-11218
(Auto Trans)
97/98 - plug E12 90980-11218
99/00 - plug E12 90980-11637
plug E14 90980-11638
96/97 T100 - plug E4 90980-11392
(manual trans)
I ended up using a 97 Tacoma ecu with a 98 4runner AUTOMATIC harness. For those that tell others that you cant use an auto harness with a 5 speed trans, try again. The only difference is the wires on the trans end, just snip off the auto crap and solder on some 5-spd ends. Not a big deal at all. You do need to use a 5-spd computer. It may not be necessary, I thought of using an auto computer and just fooling it by telling it that I'm in park all the time. But I figured that it would throw codes when it started seeing a load on the engine while still in park.
Since I wrote this the first time, I have found out that the first few years of the 5vz there was a difference in the auto/5spd ecu plugs, as in the auto plugs will not plug into a 5 spd ecu. I did not have this trouble on the harness that I used, but check on this if you are planing on using an auto harness with a 5 spd ecu like i did.
I have posted this on another board, but thought that I would put it in this also:
Below you will find the part numbers for the plugs (c1 & c2 in the ewd) that fit into the dash harness on my 92 yota so that you dont have to cut up the 22r harness to use them...
90980-10811
90980-10881
These are empty plugs that you will have to supply the wires for, if you cant find any to use, use these part numbers, (these are per wire btw)...warning, doing it this way (ordering each wire) can get expensive in a hurry...
82998-12340 - small wire (majority of these two plugs)
82998-12380 - larger wire (only 4 of these needed in this application)
Also it seems people have had trouble in locating the plug for the body harness that plugs into the 3.4 ecu. Below you will find 4runner part numbers, I dont know for sure, but I think that the taco's p/n are the same.
96 - plug E8 90980-11392
(Manual Trans)
plug E12 90980-11218
(Auto Trans)
97/98 - plug E12 90980-11218
99/00 - plug E12 90980-11637
plug E14 90980-11638
96/97 T100 - plug E4 90980-11392
(manual trans)
I ended up using a 97 Tacoma ecu with a 98 4runner AUTOMATIC harness. For those that tell others that you cant use an auto harness with a 5 speed trans, try again. The only difference is the wires on the trans end, just snip off the auto crap and solder on some 5-spd ends. Not a big deal at all. You do need to use a 5-spd computer. It may not be necessary, I thought of using an auto computer and just fooling it by telling it that I'm in park all the time. But I figured that it would throw codes when it started seeing a load on the engine while still in park.
Since I wrote this the first time, I have found out that the first few years of the 5vz there was a difference in the auto/5spd ecu plugs, as in the auto plugs will not plug into a 5 spd ecu. I did not have this trouble on the harness that I used, but check on this if you are planing on using an auto harness with a 5 spd ecu like i did.
Last edited by mt_goat; 02-19-2011 at 09:55 AM.
#13
hey thanks guys and ya i have been researching it pretty heavily for the past couple of weeks...and im not even close to where you live i live in south dakota which im glad i dont have to deal with the smog issues of california and your thread was one of the threads that made me want to do this...u did a very nice job and i would like to do it that cleanly...lol but yes thanks for the the great quote mt goat i will definately look at that. and also i can have the whole truck my uncle and i are hammering out a deal right now...
#15
im sorry i didn't include u in my list mt goat i never noticed your swap thread before...thats definitely a nice looking swap you are definitely on the list for yotatech "greats"
#17
Registered User
One thing that I will add to this for future searchers is that the stock 3.0 harness ECM plugs will physically plug into a 95.5-98 manual ECM. The colors are wrong but they can be repinned.
#19
by repinned you mean? i should probably know what your talking about but i cant remember anything about it except for one thread where they showed a picture of what i think your talking about...
#20
Registered User
Physically removing the pins/wires from the plastic plug and moving them to other locations in the plug. I had to do that to adapt my auto harness to the manual ECM. I showed what I did in my thread so maybe that is where you saw it.