Crowe’s Auto to Manual 01 1st gen Swap

My truck:
2001 4x4 DC TRD off-road (red)
Auto A340F
J-shift T-case
220k miles



Donor truck:
2001 4x4 (95.5-97 nose job) Ext cab 5spd TRD off-road
Push button T-case
287k miles
Swapping the manual to my DC and my auto into the Ext. cab.

I bought the donor truck from @STLharry up in VT.
Was well taken care of for 10 years and it shows. Made it 1300miles from Vermont to Florida, then 400 miles round trip to Everglades, then 800 miles round trip to Charleston SC for my brother to buy a sprinter, all within a month. When these trucks are cared for, even at 300k miles, they run like champs.

I will be documenting the whole process along with a list of all parts needed, and try to make it as informative as possible for anyone else wanting to do the same swap.


I will be using these links as references and of course the FSM/EDM during the swap:


SafetyDang write up


https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/safetydang-dc-build-4wd-swap-manual-trans-swap-thread.247243/



JungleCode write up


https://www.customtacos.com/threads...manual-tranny-swap-junglecode-writeup.137151/



Electronic Wiring Diagram


http://www.markofshame.com/fsm/01_Tacoma/01 Tacoma Wiring Manual.pdf

Along with those here are some useful videos by Timmy the Toolman. They show both how to completely remove the auto and manual in both videos and how to reinstall
Links below

How to remove/Install auto trans
https://youtu.be/oZDSjlxl2Q4
(This video has three parts, this is part 1)

How to remove/install trans and clutch on manual
https://youtu.be/5PJPZ5-AK-I
(This video has 2 parts, this is part 1)

@Timmah! videos are the best around for our 5vz Toyota’s wether it’s a 4runner or Tacoma

As I continue to research I will add more and as I write up the swap I will reference pages from the FSM that I use during the swap.

All of my parts come in tomorrow so I’ll be adding the entire list of what I purchased for the swap.



It will probably be a couple weeks before I start the swap write up, there will be lots and lots of pics. I might try to video it, but I don’t have a way to upload to YouTube other than my iPhone so we’ll see.


As 4WD Action puts it, sit back, crack a cold one, and get stuck into it!

 

Nice!

Two 1st Gens! Are both 4x4, or is at least one of them a PreRunner?

 

The manual swap is definitely worth it, no matter what a lot of folks on this forum say. It’s also a lot of fun doing it if you’re into that kind of thing

 

And you're converting the red one to manual because the DCSB only came as automatic?

 

When I bought the truck I failed to realize that it had the pink milkshake before me. Previous owner did a good job at flushing everything thoroughly, trans fluid was blood red when I bought it, but I didn’t realize the radiator overflow tank still had old coolant and trans fluid in it. I got 12k miles before overdrive started going out. Still drives but decided if I want a manual DCSB, now is the time to do it since i have to take the trans out anyways.

 

I would love to do a long bed conversion on a 1st Gen DC!

 

Nice. Planning on doing this same swap but also to 4x4. I will watch your progress and write up with interest! Thanks for sharing and documenting

 

I could kick myself in the ass for not picking up a double cab prerunner I came across for cheap. Sure would be nice to have a dc 4x4 swapped manual

 

Maybe this is a dumb question, but could you just swap the bodies from one chassis to the other? Or would that be more work?

 

I’m not 100% sure but I think there would be some difference between the Ext. and DC frames. Probably nothing major but I would think you’d have to make some body mounts on an Ext cab frame, from the rear doors back for the DC.
It’s kind of out of my capabilities anyways, I wish I had the shop space and lifts and everything to be able to do that but a standard floor jack and some jack stands will do for now.

Also the frame of the donor has a bit of rust that is past being fixable. It’s solid but it’s flaky.

 

Stretch the frame, leave the 6.5’ bed in place, and pop the double cab on, relocating body mounts and lengthening driveshaft

 

Some parts can be found cheaper on Rock auto.
They didn’t have anything in stock for the clutch hydraulics so I got my master and slave cylinder from Marlin. Still cheaper than $150 from Toyota.

Parts from Marin crawler:
8 x 3.4l 5VZ Flywheel bolt - $17.28
Flywheel, V6 3.4L - $119
1995-04 6cyl 1200lb Clutch kit - $339
Steel braided clutch line kit - $33.25
Clutch Slave Cylinder - $49.99
Clutch Master Cylinder - $89.99
Clutch fork boot for 1995-2004 R150 - $22.24
Heavy duty pressure plate bolt kit - $7.99
Heavy Duty Seats (White & blue) - $12.49 each
2x Clutch collar retaining clip - $5.12
Round shift handle boot 1981-2004 - $10.14
Heavy duty socket - $7.49

Parts for swap from Camelback Toyota:

Clutch Hydraulic line 31481-04040 - $11.42
Clutch Hydraulic line 31482-04040 - $15.44
Release fork 31204-35031 - $44.81
Rear Main Seal 90311-A0027 - $34.74

In the picture, All the parts from the intake plenum gasket to the right are all for timing belt/valve cover gaskets. Parts on the left are all for the swap

I’m sure there will be more parts when I get into it and Ill add them to the list as I go

 

So the time has come after waiting 8 months, I pulled the donor truck in the back and am pulling out the transmission tomorrow. I’ve been using it as a work truck which has been nice but I’m ready to get on with this build.

Getting the trans out tomorrow and will have more pics to come

 

Noice! Can’t wait to see it happen! I’m going to be doing the same to my 02 dcsb

 

Might be too late for this now, but I’d put the truck more on the concrete where the trans has to come down and you can roll the trans jack or whatever jack you’re using unless you plan on a helper and ratchet straps being your method of removing and replacing the trans.

Edit: saw you’re not putting the other trans back in this one. I replaced my 4x4 trans with another one myself and those things are heavy.

 

Lol yeah I’ve got a plan. I’ve bought a trans jack from Northern tool for the swap, and I’ve got some plywood I’m going to slip underneath for myself and the trans jack. And had to make room on the pad for my brother whose building out his sprinter van. As for when I actually start swapping stuff onto my double cab, it’s going to be inside the shop. But the donor truck just for pulling shit off I’m going to just do it outside, should take less than a day to get the trans out and from there everything will happen inside the shop

 

I ended up cutting a piece of plywood for a larger base for my trans jack since the xfer case is off center and kept wanting to rotate the trans when lifting it. Another set of hands might have made that unnecessary.

 

Cinder blocks are a Major NO NO for vehicle support!!

They break so very easy!! I had a friend have his 17 year old son killed that way while good jack stands sat unused in the garage .From what we heard it was not quick!!

Nothing worse then losing a child and blaming yourself my friend joined his Son about 2 years later I don`t think he was ever sober after that day

 

I ended up just using a ratchet strap to keep it in place on the trans jack while maneuvering it out, had no problems with it moving on me at all. I didn’t have any help and it came out honestly a lot easier than I thought it would. Only took a couple hours from taking the drive shafts off to pulling the trans out. I feel I was lucky as all of the bell housing bolts were coated in oil so none of them were corroded
I only had 2 bolts break, one bolt that holds the bell housing to the trans and then one bolt that holds the tcase to the trans. Other than that came out like butter. Had to remove the bell housing to get it out from under the truck though as I didn’t want to remove the exhaust

That’s really sad to hear man,
you’re absolutely right. It’s not worth it when the right tools are in the shop.

I only used them as make shift car ramps, I put jack stands under the frame as insurance. I updated my other post to reflect that as to keep anyone from getting the wrong idea. That was my bad, and definitely don’t recommend them be used alone as jack stands that was bad wording on my part.

I was laying on a creeper the whole time so that if one of them did break I wouldn’t be in harms way but of course it’s a lot easier to say I was being careful but if something were to happen there’s no guarantee it couldn’t have gone bad.

 

Getting it out wasn’t the difficult thing for me. Using my super loose tolerance in every bolt hole HF jack and re-installing the trans by myself was the most difficult part.