Matthew's Jade Green 4x4 Conversion. (and other upgrades)

Ok... Phase 1 completed and i think all went well. Test drive went fine so now we will dive for a few weeks this way and hope nothing breaks.


Day started with a reminder why i like to do my own work. I had a local shop do an alignment that ended up going south and ending up being new upper A arms and lower control bushings. I was in a pinch so i paid for the work. Ouch and well guess what i found.....

- 4 out of 6 ball joint nuts loose
- 4 out of 6 ball joints without safety pin installed.
- Drivers side upper ball joint nut hammered that i had to cut off.
- Passenger side upper ball joint had been whaled on and the ball joint threads stripped.

Keep it classy guys...



Rented a ball joint pullers to help get things apart. Did someone say the rear nut has to be super tight???


Ready to install.


All taken apart.


The big learning lesson of the day is do not assume. I made a you know what of myself thinking that a 1999 4Runner and 2004 Tacoma use the same brake backing plate. They do not.
I had to break out the cut-off wheel and modify the backing plate to get the brakes to fit. I guess this was the pre-work for a Tundra upgrade down the road...


All back together.


So what do you do to keep the back side of the hub clean as you drive around without axles? At first i was going to wrap a bag around the back side but there is not alot of purchase there. Then looking at the old spindle i could not help but wonder if the 2WD rear cap would fit. It does. Before and after.



For this build i kept ABS so there was the wonder if the older system would adapt without issues. If you recall i was puzzled with the ABS gear being offset when viewed through the sensor hole. Well all is well. When i took apart the 04 spindle i found the ABS gear also offset and no error codes on my test drive.

Last item was a good cleaning of my belly pans. Can't tell you how much caked on oil and dirt i found. Man i hate the position of the oil filter on the 3.4L engine.

I will not install the front differential or axles until after the tranny swap. I think i am going to want the extra room to get the tranny out.

I guess this now means this is real. Parts are installed.

While i am at it. The drive shaft. To shorten or look for a new one? What do i need?

I know from Lfaub03 that i need to loose 31cm. Measuring the front section of my rear dive shaft from flat mount to flat mount i measure exactly 42". (106.68cm.) Take 31cm (12.20") from that and we are looking for a drive shaft that is 75.68cm or 29.79in.

Now do you track one down or have yours cut? Seems like it is going to cost ~$250 to have mine cut so that is the budget i am working with. Of course you also assume the risk of bad universal joints.

 

Made a deal today for a 2004 3.4L A340F tranny with decent mileage and at a reasonable price. Included the transfer case adapter.


This sort of shifts my game a little from the "learn to rebuild" to the "just swap out" the tranny game The revised plan then is to swap and hold on to my A340E for a while just in case. If things go south then i will learn on my A340E and use the A340F for parts to build up a new tranny. Lets hope i do not have to do that.

Now i need a transfer case. Trying to make a deal on a low mileage, 3.4L J Shift unit from a 1999 4Runner. (Under 80K miles) If that falls through then i will go with a 150K mile unit from a 1999 Tacoma 3.4L and be done with it. I started a different thread to try and get transfer case reliability info. It is below. From the feed back there and some other research my take away is the Transfer Case is a "life of the vehicle" part and aside from the seals should be OK if the shifting is smooth. Therefor if i cannot get the low mileage unit then i am OK with higher mileage.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/replacement-transfer-case-what-to-look-for.584939/#post-19491041

I also updated my first page and added my running cost sheet.

Anyways...

 

Transfer Case secured.



All that is left to source are the seals to rebuild the case and the grey shift knob and console.

 

What is the length of the rear drive shaft? The one that goes from the transfer case to the rear differential? I’m looking for one but not sure on the length to get. Thanks in advance

 

I'll get that measurement and post it. I did not measure from the carrier bearing to the rear diff as that part does not change on the conversion.

 

Two big parts arrived today. Tranny & Transfer Case. Excited but i do have some questions i will pose here, then do some more research and if needed post the question in the forum.

Transfer Case. 153K miles. From a 98 Tacoma V6. Looks good but honestly i do not know what i am looking at for sure. Parts spin and links move.

So here are my Transfer Case questions.
1. How does the shifter go into the linkage? The plastic end on the shifter does not seem to fit anywhere. The bolt pattern in poke-yoke but it is not obvious to me yet.
2. I got a metal shim with the case. What way does it go on?
3. What are the three cables for?
4. Asside from replacing the seals is it worth opening it up to clean things out or leave it alone? I am a do it right once kind of guy but i do not want to create problems.




Transmission. 120K miles. From a 04 Tacoma. Included transfer case adapter, transfer case mount bolts, torque converter and some cables. It is a bit more rusty then i was expecting so many parts will have to get cleaned up as i get it ready to mount.

So here are my transmission questions.
1. How do i tell this is a 03/04 tranny? Kick down cable is what i understand will not be there but what does that look like?
2. Do all these metal bits come off so i can clean them up or is that silly and i should clean and paint them on the tranny?
3. Aside from changing the oil what else should i do while it is out of the truck?
Clean filter?
Change any seals?
Check anything out on the valve body?




I have but only a few more minor parts to source and then i should be complete for my shopping spree.

Thanks

 

Nothing big done this weekend. Was battling a cold. Did give the tranny a once over and while i am happy i do see some issues.

1. Heavy oxidation in genaral. Casting has a heavy coat of aluminum oxide but i think i can clean that off for the most part chemically and then clear coat the housing. All of the metal screws are rusty as are the parts. Most of them will be replaced from my 2WD tranny but i already found one broken bolt.

2. The oil pan which was one key different part is in pretty bad shape at the dip stick transition. Not sure i can recover it and a new one is not cheap. I was told the 2WD and 4WD were different but the dealer seems to only carry one. Hmmm????

Beyond that i posted a WTB for a 98-2000 none center console shifter cover so i could recover my cup holders. That thread is here.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...nsole-or-the-part-number-to-order-one.586954/

The console part number is 58802-04060-B0 and is about $100 from the dealer. Some good pictures in there but then i found this thread which shows more.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...st-for-4wd-computer-part-number.212009/page-2

This is the way i will head as i have boys who always seem to need more than one cup holder.

 

Some tranny cleaning today. Degreased and tried to chemically take care of the heavy oxidation. That did not work so well so...


I pulled the nose cone off and test fitted it to the transfer case. Fits fine which was a relief.



While the nose cone was off i was able to see that the insides of the tranny were really clean and the oil was clean. That was good news.


I figured out that i got the wrong shifter with my transfer case. Thanks to Bartman1234 and the thread below i see that i have a push button shifter.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/j-shift-vs-pushbutton-4wd-shifter.521362/




No pictures but i crawled under my truck today and looked my tranny over to make sure this new one is in fact the right fit. It sure looks right. I will have to transfer some parts over as many of these parts are very rusty and i would rather not use them.

Tomorrow is another day...

 

How come you decided to go with the auto transmission?
your getting almost same amount of part but there are more benefits to the 5 speed manual transmission.

 

Great question. This is my daily driver and my off road adventures are really going to be limited to Boy Scout adventures which is not every weekend and not rock crawling. I am going Automatic for every day drivability and adding 4x4 so i can go where i need to go every once and a while. I did think about just renting a 4wd when i need it but i also love projects like this so this is totally fun for me.

Thank you for asking and checking into what i am working on.

 

I guess to each there own. Mine is my daily driver and I wish it was a manual. Would be better gas mileage plus more fun off road given id do a dual transfer case. Maybe one day ill finally start collecting the parts to do the swap along with a SAS

 

Tranny all cleaned up. I am happy. Not perfect but all that oxidation is gone. It is a tranny after all.



I contacted the junk yard and the correct J-shift transfer case selector should be on the way.

There are quote a few parts on the tranny that are rusty or questionable. I started a different thread to cover that stuff. It is below.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...rt-idientification-help.588700/#post-19669146

I also was passed along a thread on the oil pan which is below. Good info here.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/a340f-oil-pan-swap.581044/

After all of this i am probably going to transfer parts from the old tranny to the new one at the time of swap. I am also kicking around buying a 01-04 DC front drive shaft to use instead of cutting down mine. My reasoning is that if something is found wrong with the new tranny in my test drive i cannot go back if the drive shaft is cut down. Being my daily driver i want insurrance if i can get it cheaply.

I am also rounding up the parts to change the oil on the 4x4 tranny. Pan seal & filter. Easy stuff.

 

Yesterday was Transmission take things apart day. That is do what i could to get it ready. Getting close.


Removed all the fittings and connections in prep for the swap. Also pulled the pan and filter and got that all ready. Some interesting findings.

1. Oil in the pan was generally clean and the while the old filter was coated in fine dark debris there was not that much metal on the magnets. The screws holding the pan on were really bad so i will be replacing quite a few of them.




2. I knew i needed a new pan because the tube joint on my new tranny was really rusty. In looking for a new pan of course i needed to do some research. After almost pulling the trigger on a pan from a fellow TW member i stopped because i was bothered that for 2004 the dealer did not show a 2WD pan separate from the 4WD. So under my truck i went and that is when i figured out that in 2004 at least they are the same. I would guess 2003 too. So mine are Exactly the same. I measured everything. Another part i will swap over. I cleaned up the pan mating surface casting in prep for the swap later. I also got some FIPG and mounted the transfer case to the tranny. First image is my 2WD and second is the 4WD.



3. Salt on the roads make everything hard to take apart. Aside from the screws already mentioned and the oxidation i already removed i found that some parts just did not want to come off. There is a sensor in the transfer case adapter that the screw head broke off. After lots of heat and penetrating oil i got it out. Also the neutral sensor. It was not going to come off. So it came apart in place and then into the garbage.



So getting closer. More parts to find. I am also starting to apply penetrating oil on my 2WD tranny so things come apart easier.

 

So i am trying to track down some parts. Maybe i can get some help.

Transfer case breather tube. I think it is 90904-45005. Same part comes up on the 2004 tacoma and 2002 4Runner although i cannot find an actual image.
https://parts.lakelandtoyota.com/p/...EFOR-TRANSFER-ADAPTER/4186082/9090445005.html


Transfer case lever boot. The one on the transfer case. I know this one. 33555-35190.
https://parts.lakelandtoyota.com/p/...PACKAGE-TRAIL-PACKAGE/3935588/3355535190.html


Tunnel transfer case boot. This one have a few options. I think this one is correct based on the 4Runner thread below. 36331-35010.
https://parts.lakelandtoyota.com/p/__/BOOT--TRANSFER-SHIFT-LEVER/3927930/3633135010.html

Dynamic damper. Now this one i am not sure what trucks had this and what ones did not. I am of the opinion that it is not needed. 33183-34031. It is super expensive.
https://parts.lakelandtoyota.com/p/__/3921394/3318334031.html


So, anyone have any info on any of these? Do i have the right part numbers?

 

Jmarvel. You asked for rear drive shaft info. Here it is.

For 2004 the drive shaft is in two pieces. The front or sometimes called them mid shaft is 42" long flange to flange.



The rear going to the rear differential is 35" long flange to flange.



Right now i am still under the impression that when you add the transfer case you have to cut 12" from the mid shaft so it would be 30" long flange to flange. Not sure how accurate that number is though so take it with a grain of salt.

 

What to work on when it is raining outside? Today i tackled a small job. Modification of the Automatic Transmission shifter plate to accept the Transfer Case shifter. Pretty easy job.

Rusty on top, not on the bottom. Probably a coke or something that was spilled.


Lower Linkage.


Plate extracted


Cut the "X" out and clean up all the edges.


Epoxy paint it black


Back together and installed. Easy peasy. Getting the linkage off the plate was a little interesting. A mixture of screws, clips and snaps. I used a Dremil tool and cut off wheel to remove the "X" cutting at the apex of the stamped perimeter. Took two wheels. By shifter boot was in good shape. Again easy and got something done.

I am on the lookout for the dynamic damper. Why, because it is supposed to be there. Nothing more as i read many do not bother. I am also still in looking for a already shortened middle drive shaft (30") and a grey J shift knob. I have leads on each and will see if they pan out.

I am also collecting tools and reviewing procedures for the tranny swap. Don't want to be down for more than two weekends so double checking everything.

 

It does rain in CA and between that and a canoe trip down the Colorado i have not done much the last few weeks. I did receive a bunch of seals and transfer case parts so yesterday i gave my transfer case some love.


The big question was do i take the transfer case apart or not to check things out. It looks like it has been taken apart in the past with evidence of RTV on all the joints. I jnow i am replacing all the shaft seals so i pulled off as much as i could and started to look inside with a flashlight for anything that said "take me apart".


Finding nothing i did not take it apart and instead replaced all the seals. Easy job. I also pulled the VSS to see how many teeth it had since i suspect i will have to replace the gear to get my speedo to read right as some point. 30 teeth. This is from a 97 Tacoma.


As i learned is typical that the transfer case shifter bushing disintegrates. Mine was totally gone. This handle did not come from my transfer case so i know the parts are not inside. I installed a blue one from marlincrawler. Easy install.


My next issue is extending the VSS sensor. I would rather not cut the wire so will see if I can ID the connection and make a cable.


Thanks

 

Back from the depths of inactivity this weekend is the big weekend. 2WD trans is being pulled tomorrow and hopefully by Sunday i will have the 4WD trans & transfer case installed with the only missing piece being the rear drive shaft. That will be shortened next week.

In the meantime i have been:
- Watching Timmy the tool man's Transmission video.
- Taking notes.
- Gearing up with tools.
- Getting everything in order and ready to go.

Probably the only part i am going to hack is the speed sensor. For now i will extend and use the same gear and fix that later.

I also started collecting parts for the Tundra brake upgrade. I think i have i tall but the trans is first. Want to see the truck go before i take about the stop.

Hope to have lots to post next week.

 

I will add details later but the trans and transfer case are installed.

In the meantime i have a few front differential questions.

1. I converted an ADD diff to a none ADD. (Manual tube installed) Can i ditch all of the ADD hoses?
2. Other than the bolts for the front and rear mounts, can the rest of the tapped holes in the diff be ignored? Not sure what they went to anyways.

This is the next step so i am planning already.

 

OK. I finally found two consecutive weekends to tackle the transmission swap. Started Thursday night and got done Saturday mid morning. Friday was almost all day. Learned a few things, made a few mistakes but in the end got-er-done. So...

Before i started i watch Timmy the tool man's youtube on the trans R&R like 4 times and took lots of notes. I am glad i did as there were very few surprises and i had the right tools.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZDSjlxl2Q4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4GA3UhPC5Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4YY3IfnzaQ

My notes:




Key tools:

- Transmission jack.
- Impact wrench with 1/2" drive
- 1/2" Impact sockets with 36" of extension.
- silicone tapered plugs.
- 17mm flair wrench

Rest of the tools were standard. Lots of rags, gloves and patience.

The war chest.



Pull the drive shaft & wire it up. Need a hammer for this.



Pull the rear trans support and somehow support the trans... Bailing wire and wood block.



Drop the trans and find out your transmission jack is so tall you can't possibly lift the truck up enough to clear it.

So, a furniture dolly and two long boards make a wheel barrel. Drop the trans to that, lift the truck and you can wheel barrel it out. Easy.



Empty cavity. Cool but committed. Check out the flex plate at this point and the rear main seal for leaks. Mine were good.



Side by side and ready to swap parts over.



Mistakes or observations made in this section.
- Underestimating how tall you have to lift a truck to get a trans out.
- Really glad i bought the impact tools. I mean REALLY GLAD!!!
- Trans was harder to pull away from engine than i expected.
- Protect the oil pan. Especially the dip stick tube.