Fj t case swaps

lookn for info if a fj t case will bolt up to a 5 speed 2.7 taco 2009

 

A while back I purchased an FJ transfer case from Wyatt Scott at Rock Solid Toys and I’ve finally gotten around to installing it. I have a 2009 Tacoma Access Cab 2.7 4x4 with the 5 speed manual.

I live in Canada near Toronto and the main reason I got the 4x4 was for the snowy winters we get here in Ontario. During the summer months, I rarely use 4wd.

After having the truck for a while I began to realize that it would be really nice to be able to access the low range provided by the transfer case without having to use 4 wheel drive. It makes backing up a trailer so much easier and even simply backing uphill into a parking spot. Saves the clutch and gives you more control. Growing up, my Dad had a ‘63 GMC with an SM420 4 on the floor and I remember how nice that 7 to 1 granny gear was. The Tacoma with 1st gear and low range has an approx. 10 to 1 granny gear!

For several years I accomplished this by removing the front propeller shaft in the spring and re-installing it in the fall. As you can imagine I quickly grew tired of this.

Enter Wyatt’s FJ case conversion. I opted to go with twin sticks so Wyatt kindly did that upgrade for me as well. I purchased both the FJ case and the shifter handles from Wyatt.

Now I’m not a mechanic by any means but I was able to do 99% of this install myself. I just needed help from a neighbour to weld an additional piece into one of the shifter handles.

I’ve included below some pics of the cutaway in the floor and the shifter handles once they were properly bent.

As the shifter handles come from the factory, they will come up through the opening in the plastic gearshift shroud but you won’t be able to move them. I had to bend the right shifter (2wd-4wd) forward a little bit in order for it to clear and operate within the plastic opening. The left shifter (Lo, N, Hi) is much more complicated. Starting at the bottom of the shifter, you need to bend it to the left so that it will clear the gear shift when in 2nd gear. From there it needs to be bent forward, then come more or less straight up in order to exit the plastic gearshift opening. Then it needs to be angled to the left (and in my case lengthened about one inch) so that Wyatt’s shifter knob doesn’t interfere with the gear shift boot.

I was able to re-use the factory leather-like shift boot but I had to remove the felt portion that formed the lip around the base of the gearshift opening. Once this felt is removed, you have a much larger shifter boot which allows much more movement. I then put some duct tape on the underside of the shifter boot and punctured two holes for the shifters to come up through. This keeps the gearshift area looking fairly stock, other than the two new sticks!

I ordered a DPDT momentary switch and had RockerSwitch Pros custom make a switch cover for me.

For the ADD switch, I followed Wyatt’s wiring instructions to a T and it worked almost perfectly. I did need to reverse the polarity at the switch so that the indicator light came on when the switch was toggled upwards, and went off when it was toggled downwards.

In order to prevent someone from inadvertently sliding the ADD collar without shifting the 2wd-4wd lever first, I added an ADD kill-switch which I hid in the centre console.

So far I’m loving the conversion. I find myself using 2Lo quite often, more than I thought. I even use it to back into our driveway. It is only the snick of a lever away!

In addition to the features that the truck had from new, the FJ case conversion has added a few features that aren’t quite so obvious.

Stock:
2Hi
4Hi
4Lo

FJ case conversion (with twin sticks) adds:
a true 2Lo
true neutral in the transfer case (more on this later)
ability to shift from 2Lo to 4Lo on the fly
ability to start in Lo range and shift to Hi range on the fly (more on this later)
ability to satisfy the “drive 10 miles per month in 4wd” recommendation put forth in the owner’s manual while driving on dry pavement (more on this later)
Increased reliability. No more electro-mechanical parts to fail.

As discussed above, the 1st gear with 2Lo 10:1 low gear ratio was the main improvement for me but along the way I began to appreciate some of the other benefits.

True Neutral in the T-case. Since new, my 5 speed manual is sometimes really stubborn about not wanting to shift into 1st gear at a standstill. Since the t-case swap, I can quickly throw the t-case into neutral, put the gearshift easily into first and then put the transfer case into whatever range I want! Another benefit is that it might potentially make your truck harder to steal if when you park it you put the t-case in neutral. A car thief who isn’t familiar with a t-case might not be able to get your truck moving.

Ability to shift back and forth between 2Lo and 4Lo while moving. This can be done in two ways:
Engage Lo range and 4wd levers. Then while moving, toggle back and forth with the DPDT switch to engage/disengage the ADD.
Or the way that I like to do it:
While standing still, engage the ADD with your DPDT switch, then select Lo range and shift the 2wd-4wd lever back and forth while moving. This way gives a very tactile and satisfying mechanical shift between 2lo and 4lo. I know all you off-roaders out there like to avoid “binding” whenever possible and this makes that super easy.

Ability to start in Lo range and shift to Hi range on the fly.
Now some of you might be skeptical about trying this but I’ve done it. Having said that, I’ve driven semis for 20 years so I’m comfortable with range selectors, splitters, deep reductions, double clutching, etc etc... Only try this if you feel comfortable doing so.
In a scenario where you are say, starting off with a load and want to make it easier on the clutch. Select Lo range and 1st gear. Lift off and bring rpms up to 2500-3000. (At this point the truck is rolling at about 5-6 mph.) Next, push the clutch in, take foot off throttle and shift the transfer case from Lo to Neutral. (this will be a very smooth shift) While still keeping the clutch pushed in, wait just a split second. (During this time engine rpms have dropped back to almost idle.) Once engine rpms are back to just about an idle, and with the clutch still pushed in, carefully pull the range lever from Neutral into Hi range. (during this shift you might feel the cogs engage a little but if done properly this shift should be as smooth as the shift from Lo to N). Next release the clutch. (Note: 3000 rpm in 1st Lo is equal to 1st Hi at just above idle.) You’ve now shifted from 1st Lo to 1st Hi range without coming to a stop!

I imagine with a bit of careful experimentation and some gear ratio comparisons, this shift from Lo range to Hi range could be done at higher speeds as well. In my truck, I’ve crunched the numbers and I know that 5 Lo and 2 Hi are about the same combined gear ratio.

Ability to satisfy the “drive 10 miles per month in 4wd” recommendation put forth in the owner’s manual while driving on dry pavement.
Some of you may laugh at me but the way I use my truck, I don’t see 4wd all summer. This means that technically I need to go find a gravel road once a month during the summer and drive 10 miles. Now with the FJ case conversion I can simply engage the 4wd lever, NOT engage the ADD and drive around on dry pavement without any binding. The t-case chain and front axle components are being lubed and the seals are being oiled.

I absolutely love my little Taco 4 banger. It does everything I’ve ever asked it to. I regularly haul 1000-1200 lbs of beeswax in the bed for my wife’s business and sometimes with a U-haul trailer I can net closer to 2700 lbs combined weight (load).

The FJ conversion from Wyatt as well as twin-sticks (in my case) adds a whole new layer of versatility to my truck. If you can afford it and have even modest mechanical ability, you can do this yourself. I worked very slowly and methodically for about a week (2-3hrs per day) and got it done. I imagine anyone who is committed and has more skills could easily do this in a weekend in their garage at home. For me the most time consuming and sometimes frustrating parts were getting the hole in the floor big enough that the shifter base didn’t hit the cut-out opening, and the bending/welding of the (left) shift lever.

A couple things I did notice after the conversion that some might deem as negatives:

Engaging 4wd is now a little more complicated and needs to be done with fore-thought. If engaging 4wd while on the move, it is IMPERATIVE that you move the shift lever first, then engage the ADD, otherwise serious drivetrain damage (to your ADD) could result. (This is why I wired in a hidden ADD kill-switch so someone doesn't go like "hey what does this button do...?").

If engaging 4wd while at a standstill, order doesn’t matter quite so much. Sometimes the ADD won’t engage right away. This can be remedied by either moving the steering wheel, the truck or the 4wd shift lever (or a combination of all three). The splines on the two sections of the right half-shaft need to be aligned for the ADD collar to slide over and engage.

There is more interior gear-train noise. For me this isn’t a big deal. Having been in semis for years, I rather enjoy it. Having said that, I think that with some additional sound insulation under the shifter cover this could be mitigated.

When you put the t-case in neutral, the 4Lo light is still lit. No biggie, just something to be aware of. The wiring instructions provided by Wyatt make it so that the 4wd light is on when the 2wd-4wd lever is in 4wd position. The 4Lo light comes on when the range lever is in either Lo or neutral

Resale. If there comes a time that I need to part ways with my little Taco, it will take the right kind of buyer to appreciate the changes I’ve made. The regular small/medium truck buyer might shy away from the “complicated” 4wd engagement procedure of 4wd Shift Lever first, then DPDT switch second as opposed to the factory solution of a rotary knob.

I’ve lurked in forums reading what others have posted for a long time. By doing this I’ve learned so much and I wanted to give back and share a little so anyone thinking about this conversion would know what they are in for. I wanted to give a shout-out and a thank you to Wyatt for pioneering this really cool swap (and for the cool T-shirt he sent me). My only regret is that I live so far away in Canada or I would pay him a visit! If there are any Canadians (or Americans) in my area wishing to see my truck, I’m happy to show you.

(PS: I also wanted to point out that it is possible to have 2Lo with an FJ case conversion but without the twin stick mod. You would achieve this by putting the truck in 4wd/Lo but NOT engaging your ADD. Remember however that 2Lo in this scenario would still be turning the chain in the t-case and therefore also spinning the front diff.... This is the benefit of the twin stick conversion, only the planetary gears are engaged in 2Lo, not all the other 4wd components... Something to keep in mind.)

Some additional pics:
t-case in neutral and gearshift in neutral, 2wd
Range Lever
2wd-4wd Lever
another view of ADD kill-switch
normal driving mode, 2wd and high range
transfer case in neutral, gearshift neutral
2wd Lo range
4wd high range

 

Great write up. Check out this thread. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ontario-m-g-bs-trail-run-thread.249665/page-498#post-18043446

 

Thanks for pointing me to that thread Thyces!

 

No worries. If you wanna get crazy....
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/swisha-loop-2018.511894/

 

WOW, what a nice clean swap!! Those levers are a great solution...

Where can I find a list of FJ T-Cases that fit 2000 and up model Tacomas?

And also, does it matter if we have either a manual or an automatic transmission??

Thanks for any help gettin me in the right direction...

 

Hey DC92T, glad you like it!

FJ cruisers were sold from 2006 to 2014. Any transfer case from an AUTOMATIC FJ will work. It has to be automatic becuase those are part-time cases. The manual FJ’s had full time cases which won’t work in the Tacoma.

Further to that, the transfer cases out of automatic FJ’s will bolt direclty to any automatic 2nd gen Tacoma as well as any 5speed manual 2nd gen Tacoma. They will also work with a six speed 2nd gen Tacoma with one caveat: the input shaft on your existing electronic transfer case will need to be swapped into the FJ case. (This is possible but is a little more involved) This is becuase the output shaft on the six speed is larger than the one on the 2nd gen auto/5 speed transmission.

DC92T, you spoke of the 2000 up Tacomas. The only swap that I know anything about is the FJ case into a 2nd gen Tacoma (2005-2015)

For info outside of this area, I would strongly encourage you to contact Wyatt Scott at Rock Solid Toys. He is the one who pioneered the FJ case swap and I’m sure he knows all the ins-and-outs much more than I.

Hope this helps!

 

@Kees nice Swap. Was wondering if you remember how much the shipping of the case was? I am eventually going to be doing this and am wondering if its better to get a case local and do the conversion myself vs buying from RST.

Also how did you seal up the tunnel?

 

tacoma16, I paid approx $125 USD to have the case shipped from California to a friend in Grand Rapids MI. This was in May of 2017. I then drove to Grand Rapids myself the pick up the case.

Here is a pic of the shifter boot I used to cover the hole in the tunnel. I had to put a stiff piece of wire into the bottom lip of the shifter boot in order to expand it outward far enough to cover the hole. I then used 3M double sided adhesive to secure the boot to the tunnel.

 

Awesome great info! Thanks!

 

Does anyone have a part supplier for the Input shaft that is in the Tacoma originally, that needs to go into the FJ T-case?

I'd like to do that without removing my Input shaft from my Taco's T-case and just leave it together, for several reasons.

 

How did you wire up that kill switch for the ADD?

 

It’s been a while since I did this swap so I’m just going by memory. Near or above the glovebox there is an electronic module which controls the transfer case. This module is unplugged and no longer used after the swap. Some of the wires going to/from this module are spliced together in order to get the dash lights to work and in order to run wires to/from the ADD switch. I simply spliced in a kill switch to the hot wire that ran from the module (now disconnected) to the ADD switch. Hope this makes sense. My ADD switch is on my dash and my ADD kill-switch is inside my centre console.

 

I’m not sure. I got a harness from 12th state for the add. It plugs right into it and I follow it through my fire wall. Has the switch wired to it. I should be able to wire a kill switch to that harness, yeah?

to my understanding the 4wd ecu is just for the dash lights after the swap basically

 

you don't need the 4wd ECU at all after swapping to an FJ case.

 

Among other things, the 4wd ECU would not only illuminate the appropriate dash lights but it would also engage the transfer case forks and ADD in the correct sequence. For example if you are in motion, the 4wd shift fork needs to be activated before the ADD is, otherwise damage could result. Once the ECU is disconnected, the driver must ensure proper 4wd component activation sequence. As far as a kill switch is concerned, I see no reason why you couldn’t insert it somewhere into the hot wire leading to your ADD switch.

 

From another FJ case swap thread..

Might help

I am trying to get a grasp on this entire project myself as I have all the parts on order. FJ t-case in hand

 

If you swap in FJ case, there is no reason for a kill switch for ADD, you just simply don't engage it. It becomes a strictly manual action by the driver at that point.

 

6 gearT444E
You are entirely correct. The kill switch is optional. I installed it merely because from time to time others drive my truck and I didn't want someone inadvertently engaging the ADD in the wrong sequence. It is simply a precaution.

 

Just did this. Still no lights or shifter boot ect. But it works
Thank you to everyone on this thread and @tacoma16 for all the help.
Big thanks to 6 gearT444E your helping a lot of people
https://youtu.be/C9DxRrw7q3w