Question about replacing my 5-speed MT clutch in my 2000 2.4L 2WD base Tacoma

Much appreciate the photos, especially since you had to brave the cold to get them. Makes me shiver to think of that.

I didn't look for a crankshaft position sensor, but know that it has 2 camshaft position sensors located inside the distributor, which stirs me to ask you if you would like me to pull and send the distributor from the car from which I get the igniter? I am thinking that you probably have access to one somewhere closer to you and would not want to pay extra shipping, so your answer would probably be no thanks, but just wanted to give you the choice since I will be at the car to pull the igniter.

I like your attitude about wanting to own a car that is older than yourself so you can learn how things were done in the past, and I almost know that you will, one day, own a carbureted vehicle. I can't imagine why I think that.

I was going to ask you what a "feedback carburetor" was, then realized how stupid that question would be when I can just use Google. See, you continually teach me new things. I like that. Thanks.

 

I appreciate it but thats okay, with this distributer rebuild and my pickup coil gaps set I think i'll be okay. I did ohm all the coils and the condenser in it and they tested okay. I still have the factory distributer in the car. Only aftermarket parts i've installed on it are the coil, cap, rotor and seal. The bearing ended up being a Koyo bearing which is factory conveniently. The coil tests with a little less resistance (0.5ohms) than the cracked one (0.7ohms) which is what I recall "High efficiency" coils are supposed to have for the primary coil. Mind you the other one was cracked so I don't know what the resistance would of been when new and not compromised. The cap and rotor seem decent or atleast the same contact materials as what I removed. Those are consumable parts so if I still have the car when time comes to replace then again I'll chose off of pictures again. I try to find the ones with brass contacts when possibly because they don't tend to erode and corrode like the steel contacts do.

I haven't put much time into yet into understanding what all the pickups do in there yet. What I recall from my formal education of "electronic" distributers is that the pickup coil is supposed to replace the points and condenser of traditional distributers by switching the direction of current flow (as the coil should essentially be outputting AC current not DC like the cars electronics systems normally utilizes) when it's triggered which will shut off the coil current flow, which starts the chain reaction of inducing the voltage needed to fire the spark plugs. I feel like this also allowed a variable amount of coil dwell time but I really don't remember.

I'll have to refresh myself on the theory before I look at this specific system because everyone did things differently and even all the government theory books were mostly based on GM systems with the exception of AWD systems which were Subaru based, Manual transmissions and Transaxles which were Ford and Subaru based, hybrids which were Toyota Based and, diesels which were Cummins and Navistar(Pre-2010 Powerstroke engines) based. I'm probably overthinking it though as a factor I often forget with older vehicles is alot of systems were simple to the point of complex compared to newer vehicles. Examples of that is things like your dash sensors. Say the coolant temp gauge. The engine traditionally had one sensor for the gauge and another for the engine computer both completely separate where as new vehicles just send the temp reading to one computer which distributes it to the computers and gauges that need that information. Or your red battery light which traditionally had alternator power on one side and battery power on the other side and would in turn light up if there was a voltage difference between the alternator or battery where as new vehicles have the light controlled by a module which looks at some combination of system voltage, alternator current and voltage output vs. What it is requesting the alternator put out and, battery current flow amount and whether it's flowing into or out of the battery then decides if the light should be turned on or not.

No stupid questions, sometimes Google is misleading anyways aha. Basically a feedback carb is an overcomplicated attempt at meeting emissions standards without fully committing to full injection. In short it's a carb that has a couple sensors like an Oxygen sensor and maybe a manifold pressure or mass airflow sensor to provide data to the engine computer which has the ability to make minor tweaks to the carb on the fly to help it be optimized for a wider range of conditions compared to simply relying on only it's initial setup and the Venturi effect to maintain proper fueling in all conditions

 

Responding to your comment:

"I haven't put much time into yet into understanding what all the pickups do in there yet."


FWIW: You sent me a photo (you said you had Googled) of the Camry igniter and I stumbled-upon the same photo on a web-site that includes help for understanding how the spark is generated in your 92 Camry:

https://troubleshootmyvehicle.com/toyota/2200/ignition-system-wiring-diagram .

Citation: Abraham Torres-Arredondo did the nice work of developing simplified schematic diagrams, along with 2 tutorials that help understand how to troubleshoot (probably also helps to understand the details of operation) of the 1992 Toyota Camry ignition coil and ignitor. His diagrams are neatly done, watermarked, and at the bottom of the page he asks you to buy him a cup of coffee if his work has saved your day, so I think his stuff is copyrighted. He gives all of the pin-out information, the wire colors, the signal names, etc, and two tutorials. I think you might find what you want in those tutorials. I did not open them.

Ignition System Wiring Diagram (1992-1995 2.2L Toyota Camry)

• Created: 06 December 2016
• Updated: 12 December 2022
• Articl Id: 773

PART 1: Simplified Ignition System Wiring Diagram 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 2.2L Toyota Camry
PART 2: Continues the simplified wiring diagram to the ignitor, ECM, Tachometer, and two camshaft position sensors.

You can access his website to see his simplified wiring diagrams, which might be helpful. I didn't want to cut and paste his copyrighted material (anyway, you may already know of his website?).

Saying that his simplified diagrams apply only to the 92-95 Toyota Camry, he includes two tutorials:

• 
  How to Test the Ignition Coil (1992-1995 2.2L Camry)
  How to Test the Igniter (1992-1995 2.2L Camry)

Finally, he shows the front view of the 5-pin connector, and then provides a nice chart defining all of the five signals.

Pin 1: WHT/RED IGF - ignition coil firing feedback signal (*goes to the ECM to inform it that the ignition coil has fired)
Pin 2: WHT IGT - igniter control signal (*gnd from the ECM goes to the igniter to control the ICG signal to turn on current flow through the primary winding of the ignition coil)
Pin 3: WHT/RED Bat+ (+12V Battery Power) (available when ignition switch hits ON, and stays on as long as the vehicle is running)
Pin 4: BLK IG - Tachometer Signal
Pin 5: BLK/RED IGC - ignition coil control signal (*gnd from igniter causes current to pass through coil primary winding;
gndNOT stops current flow in primary, causing a high voltage coil output from the coil secondary going to the central electrode of the distributor; the ECM controls this process via grounding the IGT signal - Igniter control signal on Pin 2; by varying the speed at which this control is activated, the ECM controls the dwell time of the ingnition coil's primary winding)

* My annotations: Be careful of these comments. I interpreted the schematics to pull this information out, and could well be wrong, but I know I am close.

Other information from different sources:

The Toyota igniter module acts like a high speed relay (a relay is a device that uses a low current signal to cause a larger current to flow in another circuit), it takes the ground signal from the ECM to trigger a driver transistor that can handle the current required by the ignition coil primary. That is to say, the Igniter Control Signal (IGT) - ground - coming from the ECM to the Igniter causes a ground of the Ignition Coil Control Signal (IGC), which lets current pass through the ignition coil primary side.

How an igniter works:

1) Igniter receives the ignition control signal (IGT)
2) Igniter causes the ignition coil primary current to flow intermittently
3) The ignition coil secondary generates a high voltage current when the primary current is shut off abruptly
4) The igniter thus regulates ignition timing and generates sparks to ignite fuel-air mixture.


I found his schematics helpful when looking for the igniter on the Toyota parts explosion diagrams at PartSuq. Wasn't so easy for me to find it, but I did.

 

Hey, I got an Igniter (Toyota 89621-26010). That Toyota number replaced the Toyota 89621-16020 that was specified for your 1992 Camry, and is shown as the correct substitute for that PN by Toyota diagrams available at PartSuq. I got the igniter from a 1996 Corolla that was put up at the Durham LKQ on 2/19/2024.

Before I went there, I had already identified three Corollas from the Durham LKQ inventory that might have the substitute Igniter among the 48 fitments. The first vehicle I went to, 1996 Corolla, actually had one attached to it, so I pulled it off, then went looking for the other two Corollas (96 & 95). The Igniter for the 96 had already been removed. I don't remember the 95, but I am sure I looked at it, and there was no Igniter on it, that I could find. Your photos refreshed my memory today, but I don't think I saw one mounted on that vehicle, but your photos did tell me that the bracket that I took with the Igniter I got is not meant for your 1992 Camry. A 1997 Corolla was reported coming into the Raleigh LKQ yesterday, so that one would probably have an igniter, and they had a Tacoma at Raleigh that also might.

Now that I have one ready to send you, I looked back at the message about the work of Abraham Torres-Arredondo. That was said to be specifically (applies only) for 92-95 Camry. To double-check, I went back the comment where you put up your VIN and took that VIN back to PartSuq to see what they called for on your 1992 Camry. Indeed it was the 89621-16020, which is replaced by the 89621-26010, so we ought to be good to go. I did a cursory cleaning and then sprayed WD-40 to keep it from rusting, then packed in one of my old RockAuto boxes, so it is ready to ship as soon as you give me an address. Finally, a bunch of photos to show you what is coming.



Had a slight argument with the guy at the check out counter over the 90-day warrantee (?) because I thought when I read their yard rules on-line that warrantee was FREE, but evidently it's not, so I had to think quickly. I was going back and forth between getting you 2 Igniters (which would require another trip -- to Raleigh) or buy coverage for 90 days (which I had in my head should have been free), just in case the igniter does not work when you plug it in, so I got the warrantee. If I can post it on Monday, I have no idea how long it will take to get to you, but certainly you will get it before the 90 day warrantee expires, and maybe have time to get it back to me in time to get the money back. If it doesn't work, just let me know and I will be on the case seeking another to replace the bad one. There are LKQ yards in Durham, Raleigh, Greensboro, within easy driving distance. Drive a but more and there are two or three more, so finding a replacement igniter should not be all that difficult, given the experience I already got this first time around.

It's kind of ugly! Sorry it looks so bad. That was a 1996 vehicle it came out of, so it has been sitting in that vehicle some 28 years already.

I had a good time going to the LKQ by myself. There is something fun about mingling with all the auto carcasses in various stages of decay. On my way out, I was picking up speed pushing the wheelbarrow with my tool bag in it, and I hear a voice coming from behind me. "Do you have a 3/16" extension I could borrow? I didn't bring any extensions with me, and I have been struggling with this one bolt for the past 2 hours trying to get the (whatever) off!" The part was underneath the gas tank, and to get to the bolt he had to deal with structural suspension parts, so he really did need an extension. Within two minutes he had it out, using his electric impact driver.

Had to walk half way across the lot to get to the car he was working on, but I didn't care. Turns out he is 18 and has just developed an interest in working on cars. Said he has now already had 6 vehicles. Bought his first one for $800, fixed it up so he could drive it, and soon he found another that he liked even better, so he got that one and on and on, and his dad's (something amazing) had blown its engine, so they had a friend who had a lift and soon now they were going there to pull out the engine and give it a new engine because whatever happened blew a hole out the side of the engine. . . the people I run into at the LKQ are generally pretty nice people. Never run into snobby people there. Mostly the people stick to themselves, unless they are working on a vehicle next to the one you are working on.