How to LS Swap a FJ60 or FJ62. Quick and dirty guide for regular folks wanting to do an engine swap in their driveway. (12 Viewers)

[dbbowen]

That setup right there is my dream, so full parts list and detail would be fully appreciated!

To be honest the hardest part I am having now is securing a motor that is trustworthy. Suggestions? FB marketplace is filled with sketchy junkyards

Man you are really far from me, but i have used the same place twice now to get a motor and a friend of mine used them for a lq4 in his s13 240sx and had good luck. Theyre called american pickup and salvage in paragould AR. Ironically... i found them on FB marketplace, but tons of people locally have used them. The LM7 i got from them looked brand new, even though it had 70K miles on it.

The thing ive noticed on facebook is people are not posting the motor theyre actually selling, its some other motor in the pics. With American pickup and salvage i called the owner a few months back and told him im looking for a 6.0 with a nv4500 on the back of it and he basically found it for me and we just went and picked it up.

Ill try and get as much info on its own post about the nv4500, the rest of the swap should be pretty similar, just no trans cooler and less wiring, etc.

 

[cruisermatt]

That setup right there is my dream, so full parts list and detail would be fully appreciated!

To be honest the hardest part I am having now is securing a motor that is trustworthy. Suggestions? FB marketplace is filled with sketchy junkyards

As someone who has played around with NV4500's a LOT -

Get your engine from anywhere but get your NV4500 from High-impact Gear.
All the parts between the engine and transmission are available new very inexpensively so no need to get a whole matching combo. High Impact will let you configure the transmission however you want.

 

[dbbowen]

As someone who has played around with NV4500's a LOT -

Get your engine from anywhere but get your NV4500 from High-impact Gear.
All the parts between the engine and transmission are available new very inexpensively so no need to get a whole matching combo. High Impact will let you configure the transmission however you want.

Damn, good to know. Wish we woulda known that before we had to wait like 3-4 months for ours

 

[Dubs2017]

Man you are really far from me, but i have used the same place twice now to get a motor and a friend of mine used them for a lq4 in his s13 240sx and had good luck. Theyre called american pickup and salvage in paragould AR. Ironically... i found them on FB marketplace, but tons of people locally have used them. The LM7 i got from them looked brand new, even though it had 70K miles on it.

The thing ive noticed on facebook is people are not posting the motor theyre actually selling, its some other motor in the pics. With American pickup and salvage i called the owner a few months back and told him im looking for a 6.0 with a nv4500 on the back of it and he basically found it for me and we just went and picked it up.

Ill try and get as much info on its own post about the nv4500, the rest of the swap should be pretty similar, just no trans cooler and less wiring, etc.

@BurntToast Another reference point since I was in the same boat as you having no idea where to find one. I ended up calling a local shop who does a bunch of LS swaps and asked where they source their used motors. He told me they get all of them from a place called All Car and Truck (I’m in the SLC area). I called All Car and Truck once a week or so and asked what they had for decently low mileage 5.3’s. Took 3 or 4 weeks until they got one in. I paid a deposit over the phone to hold it for me and went down to pick it up in a rental uhaul trailer a few days later. Came with a 90 day warranty (laughable in my case), which certainly lended some comfort to the purchase.

 

[Megadoomer]

60k miles from 1 owner isn't going to be the same as 60k from another. My LM7 theoretically had low miles but it was not treated very well. I bought and paid a price conducive of a good runner but once I got it open I felt like it needed a refresh. For my money and piece of mind, I would probably get a low dollar engine and pay the small price for the rebuild kit. In a lot of cases you will be out less money than the so called low mile engine and have the reassurance it will give you 200k miles.

 

[dbbowen]

Heres the initial parts list for the nv4500 swap. Will be adding more to it as we buy more stuff. Its looking like the nv4500 swap is going to be a bit easier than the 4l60e. Hoping for like 4 week swap time at most.

List - Google Drive

drive.google.com

 

[cruisermatt]

Heres the initial parts list for the nv4500 swap. Will be adding more to it as we buy more stuff. Its looking like the nv4500 swap is going to be a bit easier than the 4l60e. Hoping for like 4 week swap time at most.

List - Google Drive

drive.google.com

Switch out the water/oil temp adapters to mine? They're less money then Marks and already in the US I also sell a plug-in reverse light adapter. My motor mount kit works great with an NV4500 as well.

60 Series Land Cruiser NV4500 Reverse Light Wire Harness — CruiserMatt's Off-Road & Performance

Converting your FJ62 or other automatic 60 series to a manual transmission using an NV4500? This wire harness provides a fast PLUG & PLAY solution for your NSS and reverse lights. Take the guess-work out of your project. All wiring products are assembled with care in the USA with high-quali

www.cruisermatts.com

60 Series Land Cruiser Water Temp Sensor for LS / Vortec — CruiserMatt's Off-Road & Performance

Modified OEM 60 Series Water Temp Sender to fit GM LS / Vortec cylinder heads for conversions keeping original gauges.

www.cruisermatts.com

Toyota Oil Pressure Sender Adapter LS / Vortec — CruiserMatt's Off-Road & Performance

NOTE: Be sure to use a oil-rated thread sealant on the sender’s threads when installing. Caution: Be sure to connect sender wire to CENTER POST TERMINAL on the sender. Connecting to the spade will ground and ruin the dash gauge.

www.cruisermatts.com

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Switch out the water/oil temp adapters to mine? They're less money then Marks and already in the US I also sell a plug-in reverse light adapter. My motor mount kit works great with an NV4500 as well.

60 Series Land Cruiser NV4500 Reverse Light Wire Harness — CruiserMatt's Off-Road & Performance

Converting your FJ62 or other automatic 60 series to a manual transmission using an NV4500? This wire harness provides a fast PLUG & PLAY solution for your NSS and reverse lights. Take the guess-work out of your project. All wiring products are assembled with care in the USA with high-quali

www.cruisermatts.com

60 Series Land Cruiser Water Temp Sensor for LS / Vortec — CruiserMatt's Off-Road & Performance

Modified OEM 60 Series Water Temp Sender to fit GM LS / Vortec cylinder heads for conversions keeping original gauges.

www.cruisermatts.com

Toyota Oil Pressure Sender Adapter LS / Vortec — CruiserMatt's Off-Road & Performance

NOTE: Be sure to use a oil-rated thread sealant on the sender’s threads when installing. Caution: Be sure to connect sender wire to CENTER POST TERMINAL on the sender. Connecting to the spade will ground and ruin the dash gauge.

www.cruisermatts.com

Hey Matt that water temp sensor is it rethreaded oem I've done it that way and wasn't much material left and it broke in the threads just curious.

 

[dbbowen]

Switch out the water/oil temp adapters to mine? They're less money then Marks and already in the US I also sell a plug-in reverse light adapter. My motor mount kit works great with an NV4500 as well.

60 Series Land Cruiser NV4500 Reverse Light Wire Harness — CruiserMatt's Off-Road & Performance

Converting your FJ62 or other automatic 60 series to a manual transmission using an NV4500? This wire harness provides a fast PLUG & PLAY solution for your NSS and reverse lights. Take the guess-work out of your project. All wiring products are assembled with care in the USA with high-quali

www.cruisermatts.com

60 Series Land Cruiser Water Temp Sensor for LS / Vortec — CruiserMatt's Off-Road & Performance

Modified OEM 60 Series Water Temp Sender to fit GM LS / Vortec cylinder heads for conversions keeping original gauges.

www.cruisermatts.com

Toyota Oil Pressure Sender Adapter LS / Vortec — CruiserMatt's Off-Road & Performance

NOTE: Be sure to use a oil-rated thread sealant on the sender’s threads when installing. Caution: Be sure to connect sender wire to CENTER POST TERMINAL on the sender. Connecting to the spade will ground and ruin the dash gauge.

www.cruisermatts.com

Well. s***. I didnt know those were available. Im adding that to my master list going forward. We have another one were doing after this one, so im definitely going with yours. Shipping from AUS is kind of crazy

 

[cruisermatt]

Hey Matt that water temp sensor is it rethreaded oem I've done it that way and wasn't much material left and it broke in the threads just curious.

Yes. but it is done very accurately on a lathe by a machine shop to remove as little material as possible.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Yes. but it is done very accurately on a lathe by a machine shop to remove as little material as possible.

Cool 80 series isn't the same is it?

 

[cruisermatt]

Cool 80 series isn't the same is it?

They are a different sensor but I believe the original thread size is the same.

@NLXTACY sells the re-threaded 80 sensor

 

[BurntToast]

Can anyone describe the difficulty of integration between the 4l60e and the 4l80e? Might have a lead on a 6.0l with 4l80e but seems like there is less info about that setup

 

[cruisermatt]

Can anyone describe the difficulty of integration between the 4l60e and the 4l80e? Might have a lead on a 6.0l with 4l80e but seems like there is less info about that setup

The difference is length (4l80e is shorter), and front driveshaft issues with the adapter. Electrically they are basically the same.

Just sell the 4l80 and get a 60e unless you are wanting to make big power. You’re going to get the ECU flashed regardless or run Holley so it doesn’t really matter. The 60e is a much easier swap IMO especially into a FJ62 it’s a slam dunk.

 

[dbbowen]

The difference is length (4l80e is shorter), and front driveshaft issues with the adapter. Electrically they are basically the same.

Just sell the 4l80 and get a 60e unless you are wanting to make big power. You’re going to get the ECU flashed regardless or run Holley so it doesn’t really matter. The 60e is a much easier swap IMO especially into a FJ62 it’s a slam dunk.

This. I went back and forth for a long time with the 4l80 because i had one available to me for like$100 by a buddy and ended up just sticking with the 4l60e for now. @cruisermatt hit the nail on the head.


If you have the money, zero gravity performance makes a 6l90e conversion kit to mate the Gen 3 motors to the newer transmissions. Im planning on going this route in the future and skipping the 4l80e completely.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

This. I went back and forth for a long time with the 4l80 because i had one available to me for like$100 by a buddy and ended up just sticking with the 4l60e for now. @cruisermatt hit the nail on the head.


If you have the money, zero gravity performance makes a 6l90e conversion kit to mate the Gen 3 motors to the newer transmissions. Im planning on going this route in the future and skipping the 4l80e completely.

I've done the swap with a 4L80 it can be done you have to work for it tho. I called AA about the fitment issues and they don't care what so ever. The adapter needs to be redesigned I had a custom spacer made and didn't cut the rear output shaft I probably could have went with a thicker spacer but wanted full engagement on the shaft splines.
Tommy

 

[dbbowen]

I've done the swap with a 4L80 it can be done you have to work for it tho. I called AA about the fitment issues and they don't care what so ever. The adapter needs to be redesigned I had a custom spacer made and didn't cut the rear output shaft I probably could have went with a thicker spacer but wanted full engagement on the shaft splines.
Tommy

What?! Advance adapter didnt care?! hahaha man its crazy that theyre like the only place to get these adapters. For cars there are SO MANY vendors for adapters for motors to trans and bellhousings. Did you just make your spacer the same length as the amount they wanted you to cut the output shaft?

 

[BurntToast]

This. I went back and forth for a long time with the 4l80 because i had one available to me for like$100 by a buddy and ended up just sticking with the 4l60e for now. @cruisermatt hit the nail on the head.


If you have the money, zero gravity performance makes a 6l90e conversion kit to mate the Gen 3 motors to the newer transmissions. Im planning on going this route in the future and skipping the 4l80e completely.

Does AA make a 6l90e to TC adapter? It does feel a bit odd putting all this work into a modern ish V8 and ending up with a 4 speed transmission

 

[Megadoomer]

I wanted to the 6L but I was told it is a lot bigger. Plus you need to have a stand alone harness just for the transmission because the older LM7 type ecu is only thinking about 4 speed.

 

[cruisermatt]

Yes, if doing 6l80e you would be much better off just doing a complete Gen 4 setup vs trying running Gen3 engine/PCM alongside a standalone 6l80. That would be silly and needlessly costly and probably be worse