Swapping the RC62F Manual Transmission for the RC60F

I have recently completed a swap to the RC60F manual transmission out of a 2024 Tacoma. This transmission replaces the stock RC62F manual transmission that comes paired with the V6 2016-2023 Tacomas.

Before I dig into any of it, I need to give credit to 3 mighty good forum members. All 3 contributed heavily to me doing this swap.

@Jowett - without him, I don’t think this swap would have been known and/or considered. No one discussed it until his thread opened up in September 2019. He bought a transmission from overseas as an experiment and that started all the gears turning (literally) to figure out how to get one of these things into our trucks.

@Jeff Lange - Jeff as we all know provides insanely helpful parts related information that can really pull a project together. He’s the one that confirmed the part number I used would work, and any other part number I needed to put things together. Could not have done this without him either.

@daveeasa - Dave pointed me to Brian’s thread to begin with which I wouldn’t have found as the thread had been dead a while when I got here. I had had my truck for about 3 days and I was already talking about ways to improve the gearing in the truck and first thing Dave did was send me to the thread about it.

I have also received a lot of helpful input from many other members and am appreciative of all of it.


Parts I Used

• 33030-04080 - Transmission Unit Assembly
  

Optional

• 13405-31140 - Flywheel
• 90250-10017 - x3 Straight Pin (Flywheel to Clutch Dowel Pin)
• 90910-02103 - x8 Bolt, Flywheel
• 31250-35481 - Clutch Disc
• 31210-35310 - Clutch Cover (Pressure Plate)
• 90119-A0234 - x6 Bolt with Washer (Pressure Plate)
• 31230-35151 - Clutch Release Bearing Assembly (TOB)
• 31236-0K050 - Release Fork Support (Fork Pivot Ball)
• 31204-35100 - Clutch Release Fork
• 31470-35210 - Slave Cylinder
• 90080-43046 - x2 Gasket, Exhaust Pipe (secondary cat to main cat)
• 90917-A6001 - Gasket, Muffler to y-pipe
• 96721-35063 - O-Ring, transfer case to transmission
  

Miscellaneous Recommended Tools

• $25 Lisle 38350 Exhaust Hanger Removal Pliers
  Lisle 38350 Exhaust Hanger Removal Pliers
• Plentiful metric sockets - both regular and deep
• 30" socket extension for bellhousing bolts
• Swivel socket
• Ratcheting metric box wrenches
• 10 flare nut wrench (line wrench)
• Centerforce 50071 Clutch Line-Up Tool

The Backstory

As a few may know, some foreign Toyota vehicles (Hilux, Fortuner, Granvia/HiAce, etc.) have for a while now been running transmissions that are similar to the stock Tacoma RC62F and are from the same family of transmissions (RC series), yet have different internal gear combinations, and other minor differences for the applications they are designed to fit. These transmissions exist in the following configurations:

(I have a feeling @Jeff Lange populated this Wikipedia page I’m pulling info from)

RC60 - 2WD Direct Shift

• Hilux - 2GD 2.4L Diesel - GUN122/135
• Fortuner - 2GD 2.4L Diesel - GUN165
  

RC60J - 2WD Cable Shift

• HiAce - 7GR 3.5L GHR300/301/320/321/322

RC60F - 4WD Direct Shift

• Hilux - 2GD 2.4L Diesel - GUN125
• Fortuner - 2GD 2.4L Diesel - GUN165
• Tacoma - T24A-FTS Gas - TZNA45

RC61 - 2WD Direct Shift

• Hilux - 2KD 2.5L Diesel - KUN125
• Hilux - 1GD 2.8L Diesel - GUN126
• Hilux - 1KD 3.0L Diesel - KUN126
• Fortuner - 1GD 2.8L Diesel - GUN156
• Fortuner - 1KD 3.0L Diesel - KUN156

RC61F - 4WD Direct Shift

• Hilux - 2KD 2.5L Diesel - KUN125
• Hilux - 1GD 2.8L Diesel - GUN126
• Hilux - 1KD 3.0L Diesel - KUN126
• Fortuner - 1GD 2.8L Diesel - GUN156
• Fortuner - 1KD 3.0L Diesel - KUN156

RC62F - 4WD Direct Shift

• Tacoma - 2GR 3.5L Gas - GRN305 (2016-2023)

The digits in the model code denote the gear ratio sets they contain, which are different in each.

60:
1 - 4.7847:1
2 - 2.4238:1
3 - 1.4431:1
4 - 1.0000:1
5 - 0.7775:1
6 - 0.6439:1
R - 4.0669:1

61:
1 - 4.7847:1
2 - 2.4238:1
3 - 1.4431:1
4 - 1.0000:1
5 - 0.8262:1
6 - 0.6439:1
R - 4.0669:1

62:
1 - 3.9827:1
2 - 2.0175:1
3 - 1.3218:1
4 - 1.0000:1
5 - 0.8488:1
6 - 0.7132:1
R - 3.3853:1


And just for fun, here is a neat gear tooth count chart generated by @Jeff Lange comparing the differences between the 3 gear ratio bundles:




So why does anyone want this transmission?


The only benefit to the RC60/61 series as opposed to the stock RC62 series transmission is the different gearing they offer. All models are capable of the same torque, etc. There are no real build differences, the differences are really just gearing when you get down to the internals. I think it's pretty clear why the RC60 or 61 models are more desirable from a gearing standpoint.

The RC60F is a wider ratio box, which is why it comes behind diesels and turbo gas primarily. As you can see, it has 20.1% lower gearing in R, 1, and 2. It has 9% lower gearing in 3rd. 4th is the same, and both overdrives are taller. 5th ends up halfway between stock 5th and stock 6th, while 6th is taller than any stock gear.

This is beneficial on the low end. Lower gears mean easier acceleration. Lower ratio in reverse means more low-speed control and the truck not attempting to do 10 mph when you back out of a parking spot. The stock reverse gear ratio is stupidly tall, and this helps with that. 1st gear benefits from easier takeoffs, 2nd creeps at low speed more easily (parking lots at 5mph and such). 3rd sees minor midrange performance boosts. 5th and 6th drop the rpm which could be a good or bad thing depending on your preference.

I had my truck regeared a couple years ago, to the 5.29 ratio. This means my gears are already 24% lower than stock. So, in my case, paired with this transmission, I actually receive a super low low-end (nearly 50% lower than stock, and my top end is about the same as stock, just a bit lower ratio. 2700 rpm at 70 vs 2450).


To conclude, here are my main reasons why anybody would want this transmission:

• to improve low end performance/low speed control/boost offroad crawl ratio
• to drop the rpm at highway speed for potential mpg savings (theoretical, not always realized in the real world)
• To help with towing and general acceleration in the low gears
• For cool points or just to say you did something different

The adventure of actually finding/installing a transmission....

As a result of the enticing gearing, @Jowett set out to try and install one of these in his truck, specifically the RC60F meant for a Hilux diesel. Unfortunately, the diesel models (only real option available to source from at the time) use a shorter input shaft, which is a no-go for the Tacoma clutch setup. Upon delivery, it was determined that it would not work, and that the input shaft would need to be swapped, which is of course a full transmission teardown of a brand new multiple thousand-dollar transmission.

The RC60J that comes behind the 7GR-FKS in the HiAce was determined to have the correct input shaft length for the Tacoma 2GR-FKS clutch, and that it would work with the RC60/61F transmissions to adapt them to the 2GR-FKS. However, still the downsides of doing a full teardown and reassembly to swap it.





Fast forward to November 2023, and the technical information for the 2024 Tacoma becomes available. We find out that it uses a new version of the RC60F, which has the correct gearing from above, AND it has the correct length/spline input shaft. It is essentially a bolt in identical model to the RC62F. The only differences are some minor things like external wiring brackets, the clutch release setup, bellhousing, etc., which are all bolt on items that are simple to swap between the models. The only difference that is not a simple bolt on swap is the input revolution sensor - the RC60F for the Tacoma has this, the stock RC62F does NOT have this, because the 3rd gen does not feature auto rev matching. No worries, you just leave the sensor in place to keep the hole plugged. It does not interfere with any of the 3rd gen Tacoma parts at all.

Once the part number was available for this new transmission (33030-04080), I began trying to figure out a way to order it....

……which proved to be much more difficult than it should have been. The RC60F was confirmed to be the transmission in the 2024 Tacoma in November 2023. It didn’t hit the parts catalogs until around February 2024. I ordered from Sparks Parts first, who told me it was on backorder indefinitely. I cancelled after about a month. During early 2024, there was a recall where the transmission lost the 2/4/6 gears. They weren’t selling them through that time frame while they worked on the solution. Eventually, Toyota released a TSB and the transmission issues were fixed. I then placed an order at Sparks Parts in July 2024. After a few weeks, they cancelled the order on me due to realizing the shipping would be too much for them to handle. They charged me $300 for shipping, so I thought we were good, but anyways. It didn’t work out.

Next, I ordered it locally from Longo Toyota of Prosper. They cancelled it a few days later stating a few bogus reasons:

• This transmission requires a $1000 core charge.... Nope - Toyota doesn’t sell rebuilt manuals, and so they don’t want cores.
• This transmission will require you to turn on your old transmission and it MUST match what you bought.... Nope - again, no cores.
• This transmission requires “paperwork” to be filled out before they’ll sell it.... Nope, again, it’s just a simple part you buy. There is no reason there would be any paperwork whatsoever. You’re not buying a remanufactured transmission with a weird warranty or anything like that.
  

They told me the parts sales manager could call me to discuss if I wished. I took them up on that offer and requested the manager call me to discuss, but I never received a call. I gave up on it and the order remained cancelled.

Next, I tried to order it from BAM wholesale and Toyota Parts Deal, and each cancelled immediately due to the transmission not being immediately available to ship (they called it backorder status).

I decided to wait until Black Friday, knowing Toyota usually runs some pretty crazy deals for a week or so at that time of year. Lo and behold, this year Toyota ran the typical 25% off + dealer discounts deal which brought the total to $2,580 out the door. That is an insane deal when you consider just the MSRP on the part is $3,800. The dealer price was around $3,100 and with discounts it came to around $2300, plus tax. I bought it and waited. I was pretty sure this order would go through, because it was officially on the Toyota parts site as a US domestic part number, with there really being no good excuse since it was on the genuine Toyota website. So, I had some faith/hope this time.

Around a week after I ordered it, I got an email from the dealer saying it would be shipped via freight from California, and that it would not be returnable. I agreed to those terms and waited a little longer. After about 3 weeks total, I got a notification that it was ready to pick up! Score!

I picked the order up that evening and it was exactly what it should be: a brand-new shiny transmission in a nice cardboard box that fit it perfectly. The dealer parts salesman and I loaded it in the truck, and I headed on home.


The Install

This is not going to be a write up thread. The job was such a long one that I simply didn’t have time to take a photo of every step along the way. I did take a lot of progress photos along the way and updated the RC60F swap thread, though, and I can certainly give some pointers to anyone looking to do the swap. Anything particular that needed to be “dealt with” (3rd gen specific parts needing to be moved, etc.), I tried to document. Most of this swap is literally just a straight across swap. Some parts need to be moved around to complete the job. None of it is difficult.

I’ll list out the steps, and then I’ll post my progress photos from the journey. It took me one evening and a lot of the second day to get it all done. I had a major headache the second day that really didn’t help. It was also pretty dang cold, my lips were chapping, throat was getting sore, lol. I wanted to get it done so I stayed out there and kept working, which I'm glad I did.

Removal

• Drain the transmission fluid. 24mm head bolt. Remove the fill plug first and then drain plug. Put both plugs back when done.
• Looking down at the shift knob, grab the chrome trim ring on the boot and twist it clockwise. Pull down and it comes off the knob.
• Unthread shift knob and set aside.
• Open the console and pull up the parking brake.
• Give a firm tug and pull out the large upper console finisher trim piece. Work the parking brake boot off of the handle.
• Remove rear driveshaft. Chock wheels. Keep parking brake set. You may need to spin the driveshaft around once to get to all the nuts. Jack up wheels and undo parking brake with trans in neutral to spin the driveshaft around.
• Remove front driveshaft.
• Remove the metal piece that goes around the left secondary cat.
• Remove the bolts at the muffler connection.
• Remove nuts at the secondary cat to main cat connections on both sides of the exhaust.
• Use exhaust hanger pliers to remove the bushings holding the Y. Pull out the entire Y pipe with both secondary cats in place. Set aside.
• Remove the transmission mount to crossmember bolts (4). These are the short ones.
• Roll your transmission jack under the transmission and lift the transmission up slightly. Remove the transmission mount to transmission bolts (4). These are the long ones.
• Remove the support bars connecting frame to crossmember.
• Remove 4 bolts/nuts for the crossmember and remove the crossmember.
• Use transmission jack to lower transmission as far as it will go. Throw the jack’s strap or chain over the transmission to secure it.
• Since the transfer case would be moving to a new transmission, I removed it before I pulled the transmission. So next few steps focus on transfer case removal.
• Unplug transfer case connector and remove the bolt holding the wire harness to the transfer case.
• Pull the breather hose off the actuator.
• Pull the breather hose off of the top barb of the transfer case.
• Loosen/remove the 8 bolts holding the transfer case to the transmission.
• Pull the transfer case. May need to tug on it. It seals with an o-ring, which can be a bit tight to remove from the transmission. Set aside.
• Work your way up the transmission to remove the wiring harness. It’s bolted down in 4 or 5 different places with 10mm head bolts. Take photos of any wiring connected to brackets and remove the brackets from the wiring. Needle nose worked well to pinch the tabs on these.
• The last wire harness bolt was a real pain. 10mm head, facing vertically, can’t see it and can barely get to it. Use a small 10mm box or open end wrench and work it out slowly.
• Work on the clutch accumulator. Remove the 4 bolts for the heat shield.
• Use a 10mm line wrench and remove the hard line to the accumulator, and hard line going to the slave cylinder, from the accumulator. You can leave the slave line in the slave.
• Remove the 3 10mm head bolts and remove the accumulator. There will be dripping brake fluid, have towels handy.
• Remove 2 10mm head bolts for slave cylinder and remove it.
• Undo the bolt for the bracket holding the accumulator line to the bellhousing. This one is also a pain. 12mm head, use a swivel socket and extension to reach it.
• Remove the 3 bolts per side and each exhaust bracket supporting the main cats to the bellhousing.
• Work on transmission bolts. Five 17mm head bolts towards the upper half of the transmission pattern, and then six 14mm head bolts. The 2 longer ones are for the starter, so don’t mess that up. The short ones won’t reach the starter, and the long ones will be too long for any hole that isn’t a starter bolt hole.
• Secure transmission to jack and pull it out. Lower down to the ground gently.
  

Swapping parts between transmissions

• Remove bellhousing from old transmission and new transmission. Install old bellhousing on new transmission.
  • x10 14mm head bolts, 27 ft-lbs.
• Install new release fork support on the old bellhousing if you are replacing (recommended)
• Install either old or new fork (if you choose to buy one), as well as new throw-out bearing (highly recommended)
• Remove shift tower assemblies from both transmissions.
• Remove the shifter housing pieces from each transmission.
• Install the shifter housing piece from the stock RC62F onto the RC60F shift shaft and install the bolt with red Loctite. Crank it down tight with a 3/8” ratchet.
• Find the backup light switch on the old transmission and follow it's wiring up to the top where it is clipped to a bracket. Grab the white clip for the breather hoses and move that over to the new transmission backup light switch connector bracket.
• Undo any other brackets for the backup light switch wiring and undo the wires from those brackets. Move the brackets from the old transmission over. Due to the 2024 being an I4 and only having exhaust on one side, the new transmission has different brackets that don't support the same setup as the 3rd gen. So, your brackets need to be moved over.
• Move the breather hose assembly over, bolt down the brackets and clamps in the correct spots.
• Remove transmission mount from old transmission and install in same orientation on the new
  • x4 14mm head bolts, 30 ft-lbs.
    

If you are replacing the clutch/flywheel while in there

• Zip off the clutch bolts, remove pressure plate and disc
• Zip off the flywheel bolts with an impact (hold the flywheel so it doesn't fall)
• Hammer new dowel pins into new flywheel if applicable
• Install new flywheel with new bolts
  • Use three-bold 1324 or red Loctite 271, and install bolts to 22 ft-lbs. evenly
  • After 22 ft lbs. on all bolts, rotate each bolt another 90 degrees
• Clean flywheel surface with dish soap and warm water
• Clean pressure plate clutch disc surface with dish soap and warm water
• Using a clutch line-up tool, install pressure plate and disc
  • Tighten clutch bolts evenly
  • 14 ft-lbs.

Reassembly

Transmission

• Roll it up there on a transmission jack, get it to the same angle of the engine, roll it a bit closer, making sure to clear the body, wiring harness, and dangling clutch line. Peek through the window in the bellhousing to see how your alignment looks. Once you're close, shake the transmission and push forward. It should slip in relatively easily.
• Reinstall bellhousing to engine bolts
  • x5 17mm head, 53 ft-lbs.
  • x6 14mm head, 27 ft-lbs.
• Make sure the 2 longer 14mm head bolts go back to the starter location

Release (Slave) Cylinder Equipment Reassembly

• Bolt the accumulator line bracket down to the transmission snugly
  • 12mm head, 15 ft-lbs. (snug)
  • Use a work light to light up the side of the transmission so you can see the bolt hole and line up the bracket accordingly. Without light, I messed with it for over 10 minutes and still didn't get it. It's way up there and hard to reach.
• Fasten the release (slave) cylinder to the transmission. It will be spring loaded when you push it against the release fork.
  • x2 12mm head bolts, 9 ft-lbs (snug)
• Attach hard line to the slave cylinder and accumulator loosely
  • 10mm fittings, use a line wrench (snug)
• Install accumulator (or deleted version of your equipment if applicable)
  • x3 12mm head bolts, 9 ft-lbs (snug)

Wiring Harness

• Bolt the first wiring harness bracket down to the top of the transmission
  • 10mm head, snug
• Bolt the corresponding oxygen sensor connector brackets to the transmission. Depending on how you removed originally, they may either still be on the old transmission or may be on the wiring harness. Make sure to use the old brackets regardless.
• Bolt up any other wiring harness support brackets to where they came from off the original. Remember, keep the old brackets, the 2024 ones are not what you want.
• Plug in the backup light switch connector.

Transfer Case

• Install new o-ring on transfer case
  • Lightly lube with some transmission oil
• Install transfer case itself
  • x8 14mm head bolts, 18 ft-lbs
• Connect transfer case wiring harness, fasten back brackets, hook up the breather hoses to the actuator and at the top of the transfer case

Exhaust

• Install the exhaust manifold stay brackets
  • x3 14mm head bolts per side, 30 ft-lbs.
• Reinstall Y-pipe and secondary cat assembly
  • Use new gaskets from parts list above at the 3 connections
  • 2 14mm head bolts each, 35 ft-lbs.
  • Hook the hangers back into the bushings
  • Install the little protector bracket around the left cat
    • x2 bolts, either 12mm or 14mm, tighten snug

Transmission Mounting

• Install transmission mount crossmember
  • x4 bolts and nuts, 30 ft-lbs.
• Install the little protector bracket around the left cat
  • x2 bolts, either 12mm or 14mm, tighten snug
• Install transmission mount crossmember brackets from crossmember to frame
  • x8 bolts (4 per side) 12mm head, 24 ft-lbs.
• Install transmission mount to crossmember
  • x4 14mm bolts (short), 15 ft-lbs.

Driveshafts

• Install front driveshaft
  • At front differential
    • 4 bolts, nuts, washers
    • Install washer onto bolt first, insert bolt through the driveshaft yoke and then the pinion flange, and install nut on backside of pinion flange
    • 65 ft-lbs.
  • At transfer case
    • 4 nuts and washers
    • 65 ft-lbs.
• Install rear driveshaft
  • x8 nuts and washers
  • 65 ft-lbs.

Finish Up

• Fill the new transmission with fluid. I like to do this by dumping it through the shifter hole rather than pumping into the fill hole. I despise hand pumps. Do it however you please. If you do it through the shifter, be careful to not spill nasty gear oil into the cab. Fill until it comes out of the drain hole, then let it drain until the level settles. Install fill plug.
  • 2.5 quarts, so buy 3 bottles
  • GL4 (calls for
    $29 75W-90 Synthetic Gear Lube - 1 Quart (Pack of 2)
    75W-90, I use other weights with great success - currently Driven 80W-90 conventional)
  • Fill and drain plugs are 24mm, torque to 27 ft-lbs.
• Install shifter by inserting down into the shift tower (retainer assembly control) and push downward. Push down spring loaded retainer and turn clockwise.
• Seal small boot over the shifter base
• Install inner shifter boot with 2 screws and 2 clips
• Install console finisher trim by clipping it down
• Thread on shift knob
• Pull boot up to shift knob, twist counterclockwise to lock the knob to the boot
• Bleed clutch. Use Dot 3/4/5.1 (NOT DOT 5)
  • Clutch may still feel weird for a day or two as it works all the air out naturally. You will typically not get all the air out yourself by bleeding. Monitor the level in the remote reservoir if you have an Off-Road or Pro. If you have a Sport, keep an eye on the brake reservoir

Go Drive!

The results

It's been nearly two weeks since I finished up the install. I am really enjoying the results of this swap. Here are my thoughts on each gear:

1st - Pretty low, although honestly, I got used to it quickly and now it feels pretty normal. This was a gear I didn't really need to improve, although I enjoy the improvement.

2nd - Much better than before. It's easy to start from a stop with, if I choose to, it is better at low speeds in parking lots, better for quick acceleration up to 40 mph or so, etc. Great improvement overall for 2nd gear.

3rd - A nice moderate improvement as well, mainly in the midrange. I can for sure feel a difference around 40 mph plus. 3rd for me now maxes out right at 80 mph with a 6800 rpm redline. If I were to lug out 3rd gear from 15 mph or so, it still feels pretty gutless, as one would expect. But in the range of the engine where it starts to make power, there is a noticeable boost in acceleration that I really appreciate.

4th - Same as before.

5th - It's taller, and should have less pulling power than before, but honestly, I don't really notice a difference. No complaints here.

6th - This one I didn't expect. I actually like the 6th gear I have now. I am a spirited high rpm driver, and so with the 5.29s for 2 years and 40K miles, I expected to not like the new taller 6th gear. I actually really like it. It's much quieter than before, the pulling power is not much less than it was, it does seem to get 1-2 mpg better than I was getting before (depending on weather), and overall, it's just more comfortable than it used to be.

Reverse - This one is a huge benefit like 2nd gear. Everybody with the 3rd gen thinks reverse is dumb, and it is. This just makes it better. It's not like a granny gear or anything but it's much better than it was. I'd be happy with a granny gear reverse if I could get one, but this will certainly do.

Overall, I am very pleased with how it went. I have had no troubles; the transmission is quieter than before and overall, I'm just so glad it turned out to not have any hangups or showstoppers during the install. Now I can put the cost behind me, not worry about buying one anymore, and just enjoy it now that it's done.

RPM Comparisons:

4.30 gears, 30.6" tires
(RC62F left, RC60F right)


5.29 gears, 30.6" tires
(RC62F left, RC60F right)
I have the setup on the right


5.29 Gears, 34" Tires
(RC62F left, RC60F right)


Comparing my bone stock truck to what I have now
Original (left), Current (right)


Percent difference in each gear from then to now:

1 - 39.8% Lower
2 - 39.8% Lower
3 - 27.2% Lower
4 - 23.0% Lower
5 - 12.5% Lower
6 - 11.0% Lower
R - 39.8% Lower

Overall, a big difference in all gears except the tall ones.

Photos

Picking it up from the dealer:



The beauty within after opening the box:




Miscellaneous photos after unpackaging:




The input revolution sensor shown here stays in place, unused:




Photos of the clutch setup, that are all unused on this swap:




Measuring the input shaft to confirm it is roughly the same as the stock 146mm measurement:




Beginning teardown, starting with the interior:




Remove the inner boot, then pull off the small circular oil seal boot, press down on the lock ring and turn counterclockwise. Pull shifter out:




Photo of backup light switch connector bracket orientation for reference:




Transmission out!




The empty void after removal:




Photo of the old clutch setup, parts were in good shape:




Old bellhousing removed and ready for cleaning. You can see the fork support that I later removed and replaced with new:




The shifter housing piece that needs to be swapped. 2024 Tacoma uses the one on the left, you need to move the one from the right over to your new transmission and install the bolt tight with Loctite 271 (red threadlocker):




Breather hoses moved over - starting to pretend to be an RC62F!




Comparisons of the fronts of both transmissions - they look identical! Old on the left, new on the right if it isn't obvious:




New transmission dressed up, under the truck, and ready for install! It passes for an RC62F! All new clutch fork, fork support, and TOB installed - bellhousing cleaned up nice and easy:




Removed old flywheel, left the reluctor in place, installed new flywheel. Check out what I had to do with the flywheel holder to make it work solo (used a floor jack on it and raised it up into the frame so it couldn't move):




Clutch fits on the splines perfectly - the clutch disc comes from the factory greased up, so I didn't need any spline lube for the splines - nice touch.




New OEM clutch installed and ready for the transmission to mate up:




Transmission made itself right at home!




Accumulator and new slave cylinder installed and plumbed:




Get rid of this bracket on the right side (for the backup switch) and use your own bracket. This one doesn't have the slots to support the right side O2 sensor connector.




All done! Wouldn't know it isn't stock!




Before:




After:

 

This is the kind of post that makes forums great. Badass, dude!

 

WTH man, you are using the stock knob? For reals? grrrr

 

Lol - haven’t found any alternatives I like…..

 

Wow, that looks like one hell of a job!
That's great man!

 

@tcBob is this the longest single post ever?
dude deserves a medal

Also voting for single greatest thread opening ever

 

@crashnburn80 probably has that title but this is for sure a pro thread and definitely best of the year

 

Excellent write up. I look forward to explaining to my wife why my near new truck needs a new transmission.

 

I had to do this while I'm still youngish and unsettled Probably a hard sell if she rides in it and thinks it drives great already!

 

This is awesome. Looks like this'll happen before a regear. (not anytime soon, of course. Need to do the one mod first, payoff).

 

Is this within your skillset? Asking for a friend

 

It will be far easier to do the swap than explaining the need. Luckly my wife leaves the vehicle stuff to me.

 

I mean to be fair. I did my first transmission swap less than 5 months after starting as a tech.

Swapping transmissions is not hard. I mean it's hard work.. But it's not too complicated.

Taking one apart and rebuilding it... That's where the complicated stuff comes in

 

While I am somewhat mechanically inclined, this is definitely not my wheelhouse, and would prefer to leave it to the experts. Time, sanity = money.

 

I want to be the 2nd set of hands if I get to mine. But I’d gladly take it to Jason (the other speed freak) if I manage to get the transmission.

 

This is a solid plan for learning and building confidence

 

Absolutely epic!
Awesome write up

Mine is and will forever be a stocker - too bad there isn't a way to improve just the reverse ratio.

 

I’m shocked you put the accumulator back in place, or is that one drilled?
Also how much fun is 4low? And do you have the 2 low already?

 

Mine is dremeled, although I honestly don’t feel like it made much of a difference. But maybe my mind would change on that if I went back to stock. I did it so early in ownership that it’s hard to say. I don’t like the way the hardline method works so whatever method I use will always keep the accumulator housing in place.

4L is very slow.

Yes, I have a version of 2L which I modified some of the wiring on where if I operate it out of sequence, I will not get any errors. I don’t really need 2L though. I am back to considering deleting the ADD in preps for a manual transfer case. Which I may or may not mod for twin sticks, which would once again achieve 2L. But my gearing is so low now at 40% lower than stock in the bottom 3 gears, that I really don’t need 2L... although it would still be nice if I had to back up a heavy trailer…but doing that would be rare.

 

If it helps, I did my first clutch replacement on my Jeep when I was 18 and less than a year after I bought it. The day I bought it, I couldn't tell you anything about anything - I couldn't even identify the air compressor if I would have been asked to. Less than a year later I was doing the clutch. All it takes is tools and some patience. The Toyota had more stuff to remove than my Jeep did, but honestly, I felt like the Toyota was an easier job. Once I got the transmission in place, it went right in. That never happens on anything else.

That said, it was a long day and a half, I had a bad headache the second day, and I'm quite glad to be done lol.