1971 Fj40 3fe swap trying to keep 3 speed please help

[GoodHartMotorsCinci]

Hello everyone,
My name is Andy. I work for Good Hart Motors in Cincinnati, Ohio. Currently I have a customer that has a 1971 Toyota Land Cruiser with a three speed column shift set up. A previous owner blew the original engine and had an old Chevy inline six laying around so they adapted it and put it in the cruiser. Now, the current owner, my customer blew that engine so we are going back to something that will work a little easier or so I hoped. We decided to go with the 3fe engine after talking to Cruiser parts . net. The thing is my customer wants to keep the three on the tree and I talked about that with cruiser parts. net before I bought the engine. Supposedly it would work just fine. Now with the engine in it is obvious that the shift linkage hits the rear exhaust manifold and would have to be greatly modified to work not just bent a little. So my question to everyone out there is, has anyone else done this and if so can they help me get this figured out. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for your time. I will try and get some pictures posted asap -Andy

 

[GoodHartMotorsCinci]

Shift Rods Hitting Manifold

 

[lcwizard]

Hello everyone,
My name is Andy. I work for Good Hart Motors in Cincinnati, Ohio. Currently I have a customer that has a 1971 Toyota Land Cruiser with a three speed column shift set up. A previous owner blew the original engine and had an old Chevy inline six laying around so they adapted it and put it in the cruiser. Now, the current owner, my customer blew that engine so we are going back to something that will work a little easier or so I hoped. We decided to go with the 3fe engine after talking to Cruiser parts . net. The thing is my customer wants to keep the three on the tree and I talked about that with cruiser parts. net before I bought the engine. Supposedly it would work just fine. Now with the engine in it is obvious that the shift linkage hits the rear exhaust manifold and would have to be greatly modified to work not just bent a little. So my question to everyone out there is, has anyone else done this and if so can they help me get this figured out. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for your time. I will try and get some pictures posted asap -Andy

The three speed shares the same bellhousing bolt pattern as early chevy bellhousings which why you see the three speed so commonly mated to chevy motors. The four speed has a different pattern and requires an adapter
bellhousing. Whether that bellhousing, manufactured by Advance Adapters, would work in that application would be a question for Advance Adapters.
They have a very good tech team that will answer all questions. This might be the first time that question was asked. Now here's my question...why?
The three speed is a terrible transmission to drive.The average cost of a 3FE
into a 40 is probably 10,000 and up unless all the parts are free. When he's done he's getting slightly better mileage ( maybe) and about the same power.
Why not go to a simple early 90's GM TBI 5.7, have his choice of a multitude of better trannys, end up with significantly more power and fuel mileage.
The conversion harnesses are getting cheaper everyday. You can buy a new long block with GM warranty for about 2000.00 and the second gen motors bolt directly to every transmission GM used from the 60's to the last decade.
Parts are cheaper and more common.

 

[GoodHartMotorsCinci]

Top View of linkage

 

[GoodHartMotorsCinci]

The three speed shares the same bellhousing bolt pattern as early chevy bellhousings which why you see the three speed so commonly mated to chevy motors. The four speed has a different pattern and requires an adapter
bellhousing. Whether that bellhousing, manufactured by Advance Adapters, would work in that application would be a question for Advance Adapters.
They have a very good tech team that will answer all questions. This might be the first time that question was asked. Now here's my question...why?
The three speed is a terrible transmission to drive.The average cost of a 3FE
into a 40 is probably 10,000 and up unless all the parts are free. When he's done he's getting slightly better mileage ( maybe) and about the same power.
Why not go to a simple early 90's GM TBI 5.7, have his choice of a multitude of better trannys, end up with significantly more power and fuel mileage.
The conversion harnesses are getting cheaper everyday. You can buy a new long block with GM warranty for about 2000.00 and the second gen motors bolt directly to every transmission GM used from the 60's to the last decade.
Parts are cheaper and more common.

I wish we had posted on this site before we purchased the 3fe, but unfortunately we didn't and got talked into buying the 3fe engine because it was going to be an easy conversion and be a lot better. With the engine in it proves to be a little more difficult then stated by my previous resources, but now am forced to get it figured out. The reason for keeping the three speed trans is just the sole fact that my customer absolutely loves it. I tried to sell him on the 4 speed floor shift trans, but he wasn't interested

 

[inkpot]

The 3fe was never offered in the FJ 40 series. It is not an easy swap. It may be a bit tall for the hoodline, and there is no room for all the electronics. It also has power steering and smog crap that you don't need. John

 

[lcwizard]

I do feel for you but when someone tells me they "absolutely love their three speed" I generally think they're blowing smoke to save money. What's going to happen is you're going to spend enough hours completely modifying the column shift that you could have done a 4 speed floor shift conversion for the same price. If you finish modifying it and find out it's not as smooth as before you may be going back to redo it all. Who honestly loves driving a 3 speed with a non syncho first gear and a ratio simlar to 2nd gear
in the 4 and 5 speed.

 

[JackA]

I do feel for you but when someone tells me they "absolutely love their three speed" I generally think they're blowing smoke to save money. What's going to happen is you're going to spend enough hours completely modifying the column shift that you could have done a 4 speed floor shift conversion for the same price. If you finish modifying it and find out it's not as smooth as before you may be going back to redo it all. Who honestly loves driving a 3 speed with a non syncho first gear and a ratio simlar to 2nd gear
in the 4 and 5 speed.

I fully agree. The 3 speed is not any fun at all. The column shift is cool for like 5 minutes then the novelty wears off. That is all;p

 

[zebrabeefj40]

You might try using a 2F exhaust manifold from a late FJ60 ('86-87). That will get you a center dump exhaust to clear the column shift. Put 2 O2 sensors in the single down pipe so the computer sees a sensor per bank like in the original application.

FYI - I used O2 sensors from a '96 Camaro Z28 (front sensors) and the GM pigtail on the harness side on a 3FE conversion I did in the past. They are cheaper than the Toyota style sensors and available everywhere. The signal output is the same as the Toyota stuff so the computer is happy.

Nick

 

[GoodHartMotorsCinci]

You might try using a 2F exhaust manifold from a late FJ60 ('86-87). That will get you a center dump exhaust to clear the column shift. Put 2 O2 sensors in the single down pipe so the computer sees a sensor per bank like in the original application.

FYI - I used O2 sensors from a '96 Camaro Z28 (front sensors) and the GM pigtail on the harness side on a 3FE conversion I did in the past. They are cheaper than the Toyota style sensors and available everywhere. The signal output is the same as the Toyota stuff so the computer is happy.

Nick

Hey, good info thanks for the help. Talking with someone to get the measurements on that manifold to see if it will work.

 

[hairy_apple]

Really? I loved my 3on the tree and really miss it...

 

[120mm]

Really? I loved my 3on the tree and really miss it...

Necro post but needs to be said.

3 on the tree means you can use the bench seat as intended.

Also, if you use it like a 6 speed it works great. The issue here are people who never grew up with it so don't understand it.

 

[Cruiserman13]

I wish we had posted on this site before we purchased the 3fe, but unfortunately we didn't and got talked into buying the 3fe engine because it was going to be an easy conversion and be a lot better. With the engine in it proves to be a little more difficult then stated by my previous resources, but now am forced to get it figured out. The reason for keeping the three speed trans is just the sole fact that my customer absolutely loves it. I tried to sell him on the 4 speed floor shift trans, but he wasn't interested

I did the 3fe and kept the 3 speed in my 73 and have very few complaints. I do grind 1st and reverse often but no big deal. Electronics are not terrible and the exhaust is the biggest pain in my opinion, you need to get the down pipes and cut and weld your exhaust system. I've made a few varieties trying for the best fit and sound. The best part is lifting the hood and not seeing a chevy product.

 

[cruisermatt]

I did the 3fe and kept the 3 speed in my 73 and have very few complaints. I do grind 1st and reverse often but no big deal. Electronics are not terrible and the exhaust is the biggest pain in my opinion, you need to get the down pipes and cut and weld your exhaust system. I've made a few varieties trying for the best fit and sound. The best part is lifting the hood and not seeing a chevy product.

Your 73 isn’t column shift like the OP’s which was the point of making this thread. I wonder if it ever got figured out

 

[Roastchestnuts]

I did the 3fe and kept the 3 speed in my 73 and have very few complaints. I do grind 1st and reverse often but no big deal. Electronics are not terrible and the exhaust is the biggest pain in my opinion, you need to get the down pipes and cut and weld your exhaust system. I've made a few varieties trying for the best fit and sound. The best part is lifting the hood and not seeing a chevy product.

I would love to drop a 3fe in my 64 fj40. I however would also really like to make my 40 a colomn shift again. sounds like Its very doable with the floor shift 3speed. My problem right now is I am opening my hood and seeing a SBC chevy. The sbc gets me around but its just not what I like.

 

[cruisermatt]

The 2023 solution to this is to just put 2F and Sniper in.
That will absolutely work with the column shift.

 

[120mm]

That 1F valve cover on that 2F is pure sex.

My 2F fits just right with column shift.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

The 2023 solution to this is to just put 2F and Sniper in.
That will absolutely work with the column shift.

View attachment 3374931

I was thinking possibly the 3fe because I can find them much easier than a 2f and 1f in my area. Talking with a few people my number 1 would be a original 135 1f with some sort of sniper. Number 2 would be a 2f. I probibly will end up with a 2f just for the fact that parts are hard to find for the 1f.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

That 1F valve cover on that 2F is pure sex.

My 2F fits just right with column shift.

I thought the same thing!

 

[cruisermatt]

That is an original F145 in my picture. They are the same as a 2F though in terms of overall packaging