80 Series H151F 5 Speed Manual Transmission Swap - Includes RHD HDJ81 & LHD FZJ80 (5 Viewers)

[CaptBeardilocks]

Can any one of the many learned individuals who've been involved on this thread help me out with the correct length of the rear drive shaft for the H151 with Viscous Clutch Transfer Case (longer, Full Time HF2AV case)? I'm having trouble tracking down the length to get the driveshaft made. Transmission/T-Case not currently installed (and body off of frame) so measuring my set up is problematic.

So much helpful stuff in this thread. Thanks for documenting so well!

 

[Rock40]

Can any one of the many learned individuals who've been involved on this thread help me out with the correct length of the rear drive shaft for the H151 with Viscous Clutch Transfer Case (longer, Full Time HF2AV case)? I'm having trouble tracking down the length to get the driveshaft made. Transmission/T-Case not currently installed (and body off of frame) so measuring my set up is problematic.

So much helpful stuff in this thread. Thanks for documenting so well!

I'm sure somebody can help. I have the HF2A but we could compare measurements from the main flange on the t-case where the viscous coupler mounts up if necessary

 

[SNLC]

Can any one of the many learned individuals who've been involved on this thread help me out with the correct length of the rear drive shaft for the H151 with Viscous Clutch Transfer Case (longer, Full Time HF2AV case)? I'm having trouble tracking down the length to get the driveshaft made. Transmission/T-Case not currently installed (and body off of frame) so measuring my set up is problematic.

So much helpful stuff in this thread. Thanks for documenting so well!

I have a 1995 HDJ80 in the shop. H151 and h2fa. See if I can measure over the weekend.

Cheers

 

[CaptBeardilocks]

I have a 1995 HDJ80 in the shop. H151 and h2fa. See if I can measure over the weekend.

Cheers

If it’s a VC xcase that would really help me out. Thanks!

 

[SaturnAscends]

How much would this swap cost in 2022, and how much of that would be labor if one isn’t able to do the work themselves?

Im trying to figure out if this would be even remotely possible in the near future.

 

[Rock40]

How much would this swap cost in 2022, and how much of that would be labor if one isn’t able to do the work themselves?

Im trying to figure out if this would be even remotely possible in the near future.

Labor? A TON

I’ve heard 5k-10k at a Landcruiser shop plus parts. 2022 prices probably aren’t much different then when we did these swaps several years ago. Some parts may be NLA tho

 

[SaturnAscends]

Labor? A TON

I’ve heard 5k-10k at a Landcruiser shop plus parts. 2022 prices probably aren’t much different then when we did these swaps several years ago. Some parts may be NLA tho

I figured labor would be a lot; only seems feasbile DIY as the part can be very costly after shipping I imagine. I guess maybe the “cheapest” route would be to contact some wreckers in Australia or maybe Canada.. oh well, still cheaper than a new Bronco or Tacoma..

 

[CaptBeardilocks]

More than anything parts are getting harder and harder to find. And more people are interested in doing swaps. In the US parts are definitely getting more expensive due to rarity.

It’s worth investigating Spain/Canary Islands for LHD swap parts as well.

 

[SaturnAscends]

More than anything parts are getting harder and harder to find. And more people are interested in doing swaps. In the US parts are definitely getting more expensive due to rarity.

It’s worth investigating Spain/Canary Islands for LHD swap parts as well.

Yea I imagine they’re more plentiful overseas. Almost seems more cost effective to just import a GCC/European truck.

 

[JT 80 Series]

I figured it's time for me to contribute to the forum.

I wanted to create a thread of my experiences with this swap in order to inform other guys that might be interested in this. The goal of this thread is to give MAXIMUM information and part #s to the other 2 1/2 mechanics (hobbyists) like myself on this forum. There are a few threads on this swap however there are a LOT of assumptions in all of them and they don't get into the nitty gritty details that I would like to know. I'm also a purist so I'm doing this as close to OEM as possible.

So here we go.


Why do the swap?

There are many reasons to do the swap, and not to. So here are some pros and cons.

Pros:

-H151F is more efficient and lighter. After driving it for a while, I have noticed that there is now much more response at the wheels. I would say 15% would be a maximum value for power gain, but feels like 10%. MPGs are definitely better around town, though I haven't seen a huge highway difference, if any. Of course, I'm now running 33s and an RTT which will devour fuel.

-H151F is more reliable. These boxes are bulletproof and will have less chances of leaving you stranded. You also have less maintenance since your fluid changes have longer intervals and much less fluid as well. (90-92 models have 1st/2nd synchro issues, so beware!)

-H151F is more awesome. Every 80 I have driven with a 5 speed has given me the biggest smile. The driving experience is greatly improved.

-Added value to vehicle. Here in Canada, 5 speed 80 series often go for far higher prices and get sold far quicker than autos. This is one of the few mods you can do which could very well break even with net cost of the swap and the increased value of the vehicle.

-You get to learn a lot about your truck. For us 2 1/2 guys, this is a big deal.

Cons:

-COST COST COST COST COST. This swap is very expensive. This is probably the biggest con and turns most people away from it. This is coupled with the fact that most components come from overseas and these parts are HEAVY so shipping kills the bank account. Don't be surprised if you sink $4k to $5k on this. However, you'll net less after selling auto components. BUT I justified this because an auto rebuild could run almost the same amount... +/- a few $k of course.

-Finding parts. This has been an adventure over the past 6 months. It has been very challenging finding all the right components. I was lucky enough to get a good source from a fellow mudder so that made things much easier. However new components sourcing and searching has become an art form. EDIT: If you have the option of getting a rebuilt H151F, DO IT. It's easily worth the money.

-EDIT: Wheeling is no longer a con. After wheeling the manual, I've determined it's been a superior experience for me. Others may have different experiences.



Where the hell did you find your parts?

-Send me a PM and I'll give you my source to the USED components.

-For new components, there are many ways to go.

FIRST contact beno or cdan and see if they have stuff locally. For you USA guys, that'll save lots of money in shipping. I went with the sources below as shipping internationally either way would have cost about the same. Canada is a pain that way.

SECOND, if they don't have everything, I used: partsouq.com and Japan4x4 (Dave is awesome). amayama.com is also another way to go.


Obligatory Before picture:

View attachment 1066444

Obligatory After Picture:

View attachment 1086786

looks great! worth the 5k imo. Lets say you run it 200-300k more miles and you are getting 5-10% better mpg + less chance of trans failure. Probably pays for it self in the long run

 

[Dubbinchris]

I read through the whole thread and someone earlier alluded to maybe listing the part numbers for the clutch pedal assembly. I'm starting a 6bt/NV4500 swap and need to sort out a clutch pedal solution. One post seemed to indicate that the RHD and LHD assemblies are basically identical save for a minor bend difference in the actual pedal which seems to be easily corrected. What is the current best source? My truck is a 1997 for reference. Thanks,

 

[CaptBeardilocks]

AFAIK You need to try to source a used assembly somewhere.

I've had some luck getting LHD parts from the Canary Islands. But wreckers are far more plentiful in Aus. Some are willing to ship, other not.

You can always post a wanted ad in the Diesel & JDM classified section. Peddle assemblies pop up there from time to time. But they're not cheap.

 

[ikarus]

Hi @gnarlynick2072, thanks a ton for putting all this info together. Super helpful.

How have your crossmember 8" bolts/nuts held up over time? Would you do it any differently if you were to do it again?

 

[Rock40]

Hi @gnarlynick2072, thanks a ton for putting all this info together. Super helpful.

How have your crossmember 8" bolts/nuts held up over time? Would you do it any differently if you were to do it again?

Hey, I can attest to mine holding up. I welded nutserts into the frame like Toyota did. I made mine, but they are commercially available from McMaster Carr and others. I’ve had zero issues with the crossmember relocation and that was over 70k ago

Builds - Euro 1HD-FT Turbo Diesel/H151F 5 Speed Manual LHD 96' USA Swap

I believe the title says it, I'm going to begin a 24 valve 1HD-FT turbo diesel and matching 5 speed manual transmission swap into a USA model 1996 FZJ80 truck. A little background first: I've owned the 96' FZJ80 since January/2014 and it's been sitting in my shop ever since while I've...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[ikarus]

Hey, I can attest to mine holding up. I welded nutserts into the frame like Toyota did. I made mine, but they are commercially available from McMaster Carr and others. I’ve had zero issues with the crossmember relocation and that was over 70k ago

Builds - Euro 1HD-FT Turbo Diesel/H151F 5 Speed Manual LHD 96' USA Swap

I believe the title says it, I'm going to begin a 24 valve 1HD-FT turbo diesel and matching 5 speed manual transmission swap into a USA model 1996 FZJ80 truck. A little background first: I've owned the 96' FZJ80 since January/2014 and it's been sitting in my shop ever since while I've...

forum.ih8mud.com

Good to know. Awesome build thread, thanks for sharing. Reading through the whole thing

 

[Mark3406e]

Does anyone know who can help us source parts? I need the LHD brake pedal 47101-60210.

 

[AlbertoSD]

First, I want to thank @gnarlynick2072, @Rock40, and others that created this thread as it was of great help while sourcing all the parts and working on the conversion on my 80.

To contribute to this thread, I will add some ideas how we did it on mine. We (@FJ40Jim and I) went a slightly different route when planning and mounting the transmission crossmember to accommodate for the shorter and more fun H15x type manual transmissions.

We decided to use a Slee Off Road (@sleeoffroad) Belly Skid Plate and modify it slightly to make it work. I have always loved the Slee Belly Plate as I think it is VERY beefy and very clean:

SLEE - Belly Skid Plate - '93-97 Land Cruiser / Lexus LX 450 - NOW High Strength Steel - Slee Off Road

Features Low profile design Direct bolt on Replaces factory cross member No need to remove for fluid changes Durable powder coat finish Recessed hardware High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) has nearly twice the strength and impact resistance of general purpose mild steel (A1011 and A36). 30-36ksi...

sleeoffroad.com

(Slee belly plate link functional as of the date of this post)

There are 3 small modifications needed to make all this work and several advantages to doing it this way. Let's tackle what is needed first and then I will address the advantages.

Modifications:

1. The Slee Belly Plate has enough material on the leading edge of the cross member allowing you to just drill the holes forward to accommodate for the H15x type transmissions (see marking 1 in red below). You will also need to drill holes in the bottom of the plate to allow you to put the fasteners in. This will become evident once you start working on this.
2. When you drill the new holes (I can't remember the exact number, but around 2.5" forward), about 1/4 off the transmission mount ends up unsupported. To solve this, JimC welded a 1" angle iron and rounded the edges of the angle iron so it wouldn't be sharp or get caught anywhere (see marking 2 in red below).
3. Since the H15x type transmissions are shorter than the A442 and A343 automatic counterparts, as you might expect, the Transfer case also moves forward. The Transfer case has ribs on the bottom tail shaft housing that will interfere with the Slee crossmember once it moves forward. To solve this, we made a cut on the cross member as shown in marking 3 in red. The portion that was cut, was then flipped and welded to keep/maintain the structural integrity of the crossmember (see marking 3 in red below).

Advantages:

In my mind, there are several advantages of doing it this way. I will list a few, but I am sure there are others I am not thinking about:

1. This approach requires zero modification to the frame, making it transferrable to any other US-based 80-series platform or any automatic 80-series without any additional work required. You can move your complete drivetrain to any other truck virtually in the blink of an eye.
2. The Slee cross member is beefier and stronger than the factory Toyota crossmember. Your transfer case ends up being fully protected by the Slee belly plate and you end up with a stronger mounting solution.
3. Transmission and Transfer Case are now mounted and supported by the regular 8 big bolts that hold the plate to the frame mounted transmission crossmember, but also an additional 4 smaller bolts behind the cross-member portion of the belly plate.
4. Since the location of the mounting structures remains the same as for the automatic transmissions, all the additional aftermarket items that are designed here in the U.S. for the automatic trucks will still work without any additional modifications (specially referring to rock sliders with this comment here. On the first photo of this post, you can see that if you move the mounting position forward, the U-bolt holding the rock slider on the driver side (LHD) will need to be modified as it will then interfere with the new mounting location).

Hope this helps,

-Alberto

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Does anyone know who can help us source parts? I need the LHD brake pedal 47101-60210.

NLA

 

[Mark3406e]

NLA

O great. Should be fun to find used.

 

[ikarus]

O great. Should be fun to find used.

Try Jumeirah. I know they have a lot of parts not listed on their site if you email them.

Jumeirah Parts

Jumeirah Parts

jumeirahparts.com