FJ40 LS Swap?

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Mike Shull said:
Hi,

I have the 6.2L L92 from a 2008 Escalade, which is a gen IV DBW engine. I have an NV4500 behind that. I am using the factory harness that I trimmed down and I had a local shop do the final tuning. ls1swap did the initial tune.
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That sounds great!

I thought it would be easier to find an engine, but evidently a lot of the listings on Facebook Marketplace are a scam.

Anyone have any suggestions on where to look?
 
I found my 5.3 / 4L60e locally on FB Marketplace. He specialized in just buying / wrecking vehicles with all the variations of the LS (mine is a LM7 with cast iron block from a 2002 2WD Suburban). If you are looking for both engine and transmission the Advance Adapters transfer case adapter requires a 2WD transmission that you'll cut 5" off the output shaft. The 4WD 4L60e transmission doesn't work. It really pays to plan out your complete swap before you buy anything.

This was my thread:

Fix or Sell: '67 FJ40​

 
FloridaLife said:
That sounds great!

I thought it would be easier to find an engine, but evidently a lot of the listings on Facebook Marketplace are a scam.

Anyone have any suggestions on where to look?
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There should be TONS of legit stuff on MP from regular folks, I’d avoid anything that looks like a company.

Maybe you need this 🤣 I’m selling it

www.facebook.com

GM 8.1 Vortec 496 Complete Engine, Dual Alternators, Standalone Harness, 4L80E

American Thunder, that’s what we’ve got here This is an ‘02 year, Gen VII 496 big block. I bought it for a project I don’t have time for now. Was told it had under 20k miles and was in an RV. It was...
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
 
Rock40 said:
There should be TONS of legit stuff on MP from regular folks, I’d avoid anything that looks like a company.

Maybe you need this 🤣 I’m selling it

www.facebook.com

GM 8.1 Vortec 496 Complete Engine, Dual Alternators, Standalone Harness, 4L80E

American Thunder, that’s what we’ve got here This is an ‘02 year, Gen VII 496 big block. I bought it for a project I don’t have time for now. Was told it had under 20k miles and was in an RV. It was...
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
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Ah, wish I had known sooner. Would that big boy fit in an FJ40? I already bought a 2007 5.3 LS with a 4L60E. Since I have not kept up with GM stuff for over 20 years, I did not realize that it probably would have been better if I bought a 6L80E because that would have given me a 6 speed and even better on the highway / interstate. Dang it. And, I already bought the Advanced Adapter for the 4L60E, so it would be a hassle to change all that now. I don't know if a 6L80E would even bolt up to the 5.3 LS? But, on the other hand, I bet a 6L80E would cost a lot more than the $700 I paid for the 4L60E.

I also like that yours has 2 alternators. That could come in big time handy!
 
You will be just fine with the 4l60. From experience, a 5.3 and 4l60 is enough power to easily make a 40 cruise at 80mph with 20% throttle, and very easily go deep over 100mph.

I would recommend installing a cable throttle body and using a 98-02 harness/ECU to accomodate, and then you can easily connect to your stock 1971 cable gas pedal.
 
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cruisermatt said:
You will be just fine with the 4l60. From experience, a 5.3 and 4l60 is enough power to easily make one of trucks cruise at 80mph with 20% trottle, and very easily go deep over 100mph.

I would recommend installing a cable throttle body and using a 98-02 harness/ECU to accomodate, and then you can easily connect to your stock 1971 cable gas pedal.
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Thank you.
 
cruisermatt said:
You will be just fine with the 4l60. From experience, a 5.3 and 4l60 is enough power to easily make a 40 cruise at 80mph with 20% throttle, and very easily go deep over 100mph.

I would recommend installing a cable throttle body and using a 98-02 harness/ECU to accomodate, and then you can easily connect to your stock 1971 cable gas pedal.
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@cruisermatt - using the exact same stock '71 cable? Or do I need a different length cable?
 
FloridaLife said:
@cruisermatt - using the exact same stock '71 cable? Or do I need a different length cable?
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Different length cable, but there are a bunch of options that bolt right up from other Toyotas. I don't remember the exact one you need offhand though.
 
I cannot conceive of running an FJ40 at 100mph +

I had mine over 80 and while it did well, I was not comfortable … it sure sounds interesting though!
 
knuckle47 said:
I cannot conceive of running an FJ40 at 100mph +

I had mine over 80 and while it did well, I was not comfortable … it sure sounds interesting though!
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It takes a little more then simply installing a V8. Steering, suspension, caster angle, wheelbase, are all modified. Crashing at 100mph is another story. That most likely means dead.
 
That 496ci motor was sort of put up for fun. Would it fit in a 40? Yes. And then it would break everything downstream of it.
 
Lots of truth in the words above. The 5.3/4L60e is a long drivetrain with the AA adapters. My rear driveshaft measures only about 15.5”. If I was to do it again I wouldn’t have installed the rear gas tank, and I would have moved the rear axle back a couple inches. The double cardan rear driveshaft from Tom Woods works well and there isn’t any vibration. The 4 speed transmission works just fine with the 5.3 and with the overdrive, 33’s and 4.10 gears it cruises at about 2000 rpm at 65. It’s a nice combo.
I installed an electric fan so I could keep the engine as far forward as possible.
IMG_4979.webp
IMG_4725.webp
IMG_4729.webp

Make sure you read up a lot on placement of engine and transmission mounts. You definitely don’t want to have to do that twice.
 
Do mechanical fan if you can.
 
FloridaLife said:
Because of all my low back surgeries and surgeries on both hips 41 years ago (and The Mayo Clinic says both hips need to be replaced), my wife is pushing me to do an automatic transmission swap. I have not been able to find an adapter plate to run an automatic transmission with my 2F, so I would have to do a V8 swap.

I would like to hear from those of you that have done V8 swaps. Have any of you done an LS swap? If so, I would like to hear any info, tips, and suggestions.

Were you able to use the OEM LS wire harness, or did you have to order one? If you had to order one, where did you get it?

What adapter did you have to use to connect to the transfer case?

Were you able to use your original driveshafts from your 4 speed?

Thank you for any info you can give. 👍
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You should reach out to CruiserMatts cruisermatts.com his shop has or can make the adapter plates. they do these swap all of the time. He is also very reasonable for pricing. I buy my parts for the frame off I'm doing.
 
Shagmaier said:
You should reach out to CruiserMatts cruisermatts.com his shop has or can make the adapter plates. they do these swap all of the time. He is also very reasonable for pricing. I buy my parts for the frame off I'm doing.
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Yep, cruisermatt is a good guy. I have bought several parts from him, and I'm getting more. And the good thing is that he is within driving distance. I really enjoyed when he showed me some of the projects they were working on. Very impressive.
 
fireflyr said:
Lots of truth in the words above. The 5.3/4L60e is a long drivetrain with the AA adapters. My rear driveshaft measures only about 15.5”. If I was to do it again I wouldn’t have installed the rear gas tank, and I would have moved the rear axle back a couple inches. The double cardan rear driveshaft from Tom Woods works well and there isn’t any vibration. The 4 speed transmission works just fine with the 5.3 and with the overdrive, 33’s and 4.10 gears it cruises at about 2000 rpm at 65. It’s a nice combo.
I installed an electric fan so I could keep the engine as far forward as possible. View attachment 4102070View attachment 4102071View attachment 4102072
Make sure you read up a lot on placement of engine and transmission mounts. You definitely don’t want to have to do that twice.
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That looks amazing! Nice work. Are you going to be able to run dual exhaust on it?

I'm taking cruisermatt's advice (and some others said it too) and going back to a somewhat closer to stock size tire that won't be as tall, only 28.9 in diameter, and removing the leaf springs that some previous owner had added, 3 in the front and 2 in the back to lift it. People here on mud noticed when I first got it and posted pics. They all said, especially cruisermatt, that it would ride horribly horribly bad like that. And with six spine surgeries (and both hips) I don't need it trying to jar all the metal out of me every time I hit a bump, LOL! I'd love to be able to put the Terrain Tamer parabolic spring kit on like knuckle47 recently did his, but I'm probably going to have to sell a kidney to cover some of the cost on this thing as it is.

Hopefully with the 5.3 LS and the 4L60E transmission in overdrive and the 28.9" diameter tire it will be comfortable at 65 or 70 mph if I get on the interstate to run errands in Orlando or Lakeland. And, while I like the look of the lifted fj40s with the bigger tires, because of all the surgery, I don't want to have to try to climb up every time I go to get in it, or have to climb down to get out of it. That's one thing I always loved about my Gen 3 4Runner was I'd open the door and just slide right over onto the seat.
 
fireflyr said:
Lots of truth in the words above. The 5.3/4L60e is a long drivetrain with the AA adapters. My rear driveshaft measures only about 15.5”. If I was to do it again I wouldn’t have installed the rear gas tank, and I would have moved the rear axle back a couple inches. The double cardan rear driveshaft from Tom Woods works well and there isn’t any vibration. The 4 speed transmission works just fine with the 5.3 and with the overdrive, 33’s and 4.10 gears it cruises at about 2000 rpm at 65. It’s a nice combo.
I installed an electric fan so I could keep the engine as far forward as possible. View attachment 4102070View attachment 4102071View attachment 4102072
Make sure you read up a lot on placement of engine and transmission mounts. You definitely don’t want to have to do that twice.
Click to expand...

@fireflyr - are you running a 1 piece 3 or 4 speed transfer case, or a split transfer case? Rick at BTB told me If I run my one piece three or four-speed transfer case that when I get up to speed the transfer case will whine so much that it gets extremely annoying, and to avoid that I should run a split transfer case. So I decided to change the plan and go that route.

Although I did consider just turning up the music louder. LOL
 
The original 3 speed transfer case, and yes it is loud. But then, so are the tires, that Spall fan, wind whistling through everything…. It’s so loud that carrying on a conversation with my wife is all but impossible.

;)

At 65 mph with 28.9” tires, 4.10 rear axle ratio and .7 final drive on the transmission you’re looking at 2169rpm.
 
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