'01 2.7 engine swap project

Alright so I figured since I was posting irrelevant questions on my other thread is just start a new one with the whole project and whatnot, so I'm not sure anyone remembers but several months ago I think around October my truck (2001 Tacoma 2.7l) blew a connecting rod bearing, I got a job and built up enough to fix it and finally picked up a new motor for $1900 with 95k miles on it from a place called lentini. The truck came apart relatively painlessly aside from some minor problems, radiator was taken out, power steering and AC was moved aside, hoses were disconnected, bolts were bagged and labelled, wiring was disconnected. Finally pulled the motor from the transmission and took it out a few days ago, resurfaced the flywheel, bought new fluids (trans, oil, coolant) got a new luk clutch and cleaned everything up, including painting some slightly rusty parts. I found that the new motor must've been off an automatic considering the wiring harness had more connectors and the flywheel didn't have a clutch surface type thing. I swapped over the wiring harness from the old motor, just because I wasn't really sure if I'd run into problems or not, well today we started putting in the motor and here's where it got really tricky,

First thing is we got the motor in and the clutch is in the bell housing but only down to the starter gear, how do I know if the clutch is lined up into the splines? How should the trans be supported and at what height do both the trans and motor have to be in order for a smoother operation? The motor also needs to be rotated slightly, I have no idea how to go about rotating it, sliding the pins into the trans, and putting the mounts on all at once, the leveler I have only tilts forward and back so rotating it left to right is all by hand, which as you can imagine isn't easy with 4 mounting points on the motor, any suggestions on how to get this thing in the trans? I'm almost wishing I had just pulled the motor with the trans at this point because it is a tight fit and if the motor isn't stuck over here it's snagged over there... Any help would be really appreciated obviously this is the first time I've done something like this so I'm learning a bit while I go.

 

Bump, any help? I don't know how to rotate the motor put the pins into the trans and put the mounts on all at once tried all day today

 

Did your clutch come with a guide tool?

Loosen the trans mount and massage it to line up with the motor.

You can do it! You are 65% done.

 

Yea the clutch came with a tool I liked it all up before I bolted the pressure plate down, the bearing didn't go down very deep though, I'll try loosening up the trans mount, thanks

 

if it were me I would pull the tranny and assemble it on the ground so you know its all good to go plus connecting the EGR stuff is going to be super painfully figuratively as well as literally so do all that on the ground including and especially the fuel filter and starter so it goes in all together

 

A lot of people say it would be harder because of the transfer case but I was considering it, the egr is already mostly on and I took part of the intake manifold off so I could maneuver it better also both motor mounts are off, I was playing with it yesterday and we got the pins almost lined up the thing just won't slide into the splines

 

Unbolt the drive shafts, remove the trans. mount but leave the cross member in place. Support trans. with a floor jack and slide it back several inches. Install the motor into place and install motor mounts. Take another floor jack and block of wood(placed under the harmonic balancer), jack up the front of the motor slightly to match the angle at which the tranny sits. Slide the tranny forward on to the motor(Extra set up hands help), rotate the rear out shaft as you push it up on the motor, this will help line up the splines and it will slide together to within .5-.25" of each other. Use 2 bolts, one on opposite side of each other to pull the two parts together, alternating from one side to the other to pull the tranny to the motor evenly.

 

Finally got the motor into the transmission, my brother pushed it in while I rotated the crank from the front, it didn't slide right in but eventually it got closer and closer until we could stick a bolt in there and pull it together, I was putting stuff back together all day yesterday and should be finishing up today, just a few more connectors, exhaust, intake, and some transmission bolts, were almost there, also the manual calls for I believe 5.7 qt, I put 5 qt in it and it was above the full line, I figured it was because the oil didn't circulate through yet does that sound right? And how much trans oil does it need?

 

I put about 5.5 quarts in mine when I change the oil. 5 won't hurt it, so start it up and run if for a while then check to see if it needs more.

I think the tranny takes 2.6 quarts on the 4x4, 2.7 for the 4x2.

 

Alright, I think I'm gonna get another quart just in case. To start it I was gonna unplug the coils then turn it over with the starter to circulate the fluids (coolant and oil) since the thing is literally bone dry, I think when it pumps through the oil filter and head and whatnot it will settle into the right area on the dipstick... We will see, I kind of mistakenly drained the gear oil I know it wasn't necessary to change that, oh well new gear oil is always good

 

One other thing, I heard pushing in the clutch helps with taking the motor out, it did, but then the rod from the slave cylinder came off the arm, so now the clutch feels like nothing is there and the rod isn't pushed in, do I just have to bleed the cylinder? Just uses brake fluid right?

 

sounds like it came loose from the throw out bearing fork if I understand you correctly

 

Yea I couldn't think of the name of the thing, the rod kinda came off the fork and there was a little bit of fluid around it

 

well I know nothing of clutch master cylinder stuff but it should have a snap clip to hold it in place just like the brake master cylinder does

im guessing it will snap right back into place, maybe with a little effort pushing it in

 

I fixed the clutch, it seems to depress normally now, also SHE STARTED, I pumped the fluids through best I could, and it fired right up, check engine, and oil pressure lights went off, but then the thing stalled, almost like it was out of gas, I put barely a gallon in it but it didn't seem to help, it did start again but stalled shortly after, I'm thinking a fuel filter? And more gas? But I don't know, I'm thinking it's either air or fuel problem, since it did start with no odd sounds or noises

 

I would have definitely removed the fan and fan clutch from both motors before pulling the old and stabbing the new. I also hope you installed a new fuel filter while the new motor was on the hook.

Best of luck from here. Hopefully that "new" motor is up to the task. You never know until you turn the key!

EDIT: I didn't read your last post before I posted. Fuel filter or intake leak are the first things I'd suspect at this point. I have a 2000 2.7 and that fuel filter was a bitch to do with the motor in the truck. Long extension through the wheel well and lots of patience.

 

Alright a little update, the truck drives, I took it around the block and to work and school, checked all fluids after every drive and drive carefully keeping rpms low. I think it was stalling because the fluids hadn't circulated well enough, so the sensors probably were telling the computer the wrong things (I don't know much about that stuff) anyway, it seems to drive fine, just a little rattle from the heat shield that has holes in it where the bolts are. Another problem is the idle is a little high, it's hanging around 1500rpm, I haven't lowered it yet. On my way to school I noticed that while decelerating, either in neutral or with the clutch in, While pushing in the brakes the engine seems to die down to 900 rpm then jump up to 2000 rpm and it does this repeatedly until I stop and it would then stay at around 1700 to 1800 at a stop. I have no idea why it's doing this, I don't even know where to begin aside from lowering the idle. No check engine lights or oil pressure or anything.

 

Bump, this ever happen to anyone?

 

sounds like you have a vacuum leak somewhere, did you put all new hoses on everything and make sure its all connected in the right places?

that or you have gasket leaks in the intake system somewhere, recheck you didn't forget to tighten something some where (hey shit happens between beers lol) and if you might have a bad gasket somewhere. the change in rpm you describe sounds like an intermittent sealing thing.

perhaps one of the sensors wasn't working right until it got to warm and cool a few times but its best to recheck everything you did after a few miles anyway just as normal good practice after any mechanic work

 

Ok I'll take a look at everything, yea now that I think about it when you let off the throttle air could be getting by causing a spike in rpm, I'm almost positive the seals were all good and the vacuum hoses were tight but I'll check again. Thanks, if that's not the issue maybe it will subside with use