can a distributor off a 96 with a 2.4 be put on a engine with a set of coil packs

Hello , I am new here so go easy on me lol . I have a 1996 Tacoma with a 2.4 2rz that has a distributor and the engine went bad . I bought another engine out of a wreck 96 Tacoma that is also a 2rz but it has 2 coil packs. It was a low miles engine and I see the heads are the same so my question is can I take the plate off the side of the head that holds the coils on and put the distributor in from my original engine without doing anything special and if not the engine I bought has the complete wiring harness so would I be able to use the dual coil pack set up and just change the computer . I hope all this makes since and any help would be a blessing . Thank s in advance

 

Unfortunately no, the bore for the distributor isn't machined under that coil bracket on the later heads. You could pull the head off the 96 engine and plop it right on the coil engine if you wanted though. I would probably do the wiring/computer swap myself though. I can get you wiring diagrams if you need them.

 

If its has the coil pack its not a 96 engine.......most likely its 98 or 99 model
even tho it may be a late fall 97 mfg date or later
.......that newer engine may also be a swapped engine itself......
may have or not a distributor port hole....



You should be able to plug the cam sensor port and jump everything over...
IF AND ONLY IF YOU HAVE A HEAD WITH A DISTRIBUTOR PORT IN IT....
speedtech says no.....but maybe....

my later newer head just had a freeze plug where the distributor goes...
just pop that out.....and plug the cam sensor hole with a fake sensor...

so question is.....does the newer engine have a plug pop out where the distributor goes....or is it solid wall
....all aftermarket heads come with that dist port with a removable plug so its backward compatible
......so you may luck out and have this

That would be way easier than swapping to a newer engine twin coil design because
you'll have to swap to the newer harness because you have different wiring for the two coils....ecm will also be needed for the newer engine...way more work

And then........big question is I dont know is if you change the engine harness......will you also need dash harness changed out

so distributor jumping to newer head is looking better all the time
so it all depends on whether yours has got the distributor port plug or not

 

Changed no, pins swapped, most certainly

 

Also the evap system may be different....to jump to the 98 coil system
that may also have to be swapped for the newer square canister style....
bunch more money.......another problem from jumping years

What you need is a 96 expert.......maybe 'controlcar' here knows........... https://www.tacomaworld.com/members/controlcar.429578/
he can help a lot with distributor yotas since he ownes one....


so yeah sticking the old distributor in the newer engine is not ideal to me
but way more easier/safer than swapping all the electrical harness/ecm out for the newer coil style...

 

If you're determine to do.....these guys here can help you get it done.......not me
.....I know squat about 96/97..........but almost everything on the 98-2000 2rz/3rz

Either path its gonna take some sweat and tears to do it....wont be easy

if you like this stuff.......then its a dream come true

 

I just took the coil pack cap off the head and it does have a hole for the distributor . I don't feel a gear inside the engine that the gear on the distributor would run on though. I looked at the engine I tore down and don't really see what turns the distributor .

I see now , the old engine had a gear on the end of the cam that the new one don't . I believe I can put that gear on the end of that cam and everything will work perfect . I will just use the harness that I left on the truck and everything should be good . I think I have gotten a blessing on this one .Does that sound like it would work ?

 

2.4 2rz here as well with dizzy

i found that on drvr side of head there is a cap(casting) where on newer coil pack heads a sensor (cam position(?)) goes
unk if this would be an issue though if you use the coil pack head
more seasoned members will know more

 

2RZ 2.4L 3RZ 2.7L Distributor Drive Gear Bolt Genuine 1994-1998 - Yota1 Performance, Inc.


Distributor Drive Gear #13515-75020 | Autoparts.toyota.com

 

Link diagram......

Distributor Drive Gear #13515-75020 | Autoparts.toyota.com

2RZ 2.4L 3RZ 2.7L Distributor Drive Gear Genuine 1993-1997 - Yota1 Performance, Inc.

 

Well if its got that hole......then it most likely has a newer head and maybe newer engine

.....so that would be quite a score....



then most likely you're gonna have to plug the cam hole...
I've seen some buy a used cam sensor and jam in there just to seal it


you probably won the lottery.......most others wouldn't have that hole


now you're gonna need some 96/97ers to jump in and help

I would start a new fresh thread on that with 96/97 distributor somewhere in the title