How to LS Swap a FJ60 or FJ62. Quick and dirty guide for regular folks wanting to do an engine swap in their driveway. (4 Viewers)

[KodiakFJ62]

Ok I found this on the differences between the 4l60 and 4l70:

“it sets itself apart from the previous 4L60E by providing a sturdier build, including both five-pinion planetaries over the 4L60E's four-pinion planetaries, and an improved output shaft.”

Now onto the shaft differences for 4wd

 

[KodiakFJ62]

Ok, so the 4L70 4wd version is a reworked 2wd version for heavier duty applications such as higher power engines, rock crawling, towing, etc. There do NOT appear to be any dimensional differences.

Whoops I had a link here to a possibly unapproved vendor, but I found helpful info from Performabuilt transmissions.

 

[KodiakFJ62]

Anyway I‘ve just purchased a ‘90 fj62 for a frame off restomod and an identical ‘89 for parts. I’m going to purchase a new LS3 and tranny crate from Jegs. I need it soon so I can get it on a fishing boat to Alaska next month - if possible. The 4L70 trans is the only one available in the paired Connect & Cruise crate. They have them in a 4WD model with an extended shaft but the statement above contradicts this. Can someone please clarify? Also, the next paragraph lists all the tranny options but never mentions the 4L70. Is there a reason for the exclusion?

Thanks man! So the 4l70 is a beefed up 4l60 I believe. The main reason you are looking for the 2wd trans is the longer output shaft coming out of the back of the trans. Do they not offer it in a 2wd configuration?

Apologies for my inability to appropriately navigate this forum or thread. But I’m learning.

Anyway I did what I shoulda done to begin with: research…and not rely on a Jegs techie guesses.

1. So the 4L70 including the 4wd version is an improvement of the 4L60 design. There are no dimensional differences. Parts are not interchangeable.

2. The 4wd version of the 4L70 is a reworked, beefed up version of the stock 4L70 2wd. Depending on the vendor, there are numerous upgrades but again, I can find no dimensional differences in shaft length or anything else. They appear the same externally.

For my application (no real serious off-roading or towing) the standard 4L70 will do. However, the price for the Connect n cruise crate with the LS3 and the base 4wd 4L70 is actually cheaper than with the 2wd tranny. So I’ll probably order that given my intent to tow some potentially heavy trailers and maybe climb some rocks. No mud. I hate mud!

Anyway it’s all academic cause none of the crates will be available till September so I’ll literally miss the boat. But that’s ok cause (lol) I won’t be ready for at least a year. I don’t even have the vehicles in my workshop yet.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Apologies for my inability to appropriately navigate this forum or thread. But I’m learning.

Anyway I did what I shoulda done to begin with: research…and not rely on a Jegs techie guesses.

1. So the 4L70 including the 4wd version is an improvement of the 4L60 design. There are no dimensional differences. Parts are not interchangeable.

2. The 4wd version of the 4L70 is a reworked, beefed up version of the stock 4L70 2wd. Depending on the vendor, there are numerous upgrades but again, I can find no dimensional differences in shaft length or anything else. They appear the same externally.

For my application (no real serious off-roading or towing) the standard 4L70 will do. However, the price for the Connect n cruise crate with the LS3 and the base 4wd 4L70 is actually cheaper than with the 2wd tranny. So I’ll probably order that given my intent to tow some potentially heavy trailers and maybe climb some rocks. No mud. I hate mud!

Anyway it’s all academic cause none of the crates will be available till September so I’ll literally miss the boat. But that’s ok cause (lol) I won’t be ready for at least a year. I don’t even have the vehicles in my workshop yet.

I would research more and make positive that the 4wd transmission will work with the adapter for tye transfer case... it's a known fact that the 2wd transmission is what works with the adapter. Do not order until you know for sure it will work or you will screw yourself over on time and money.
Tommy

 

[KodiakFJ62]

I would research more and make positive that the 4wd transmission will work with the adapter for tye transfer case... it's a known fact that the 2wd transmission is what works with the adapter. Do not order until you know for sure it will work or you will screw yourself over on time and money.
Tommy

Thanks tmx. That's excellent advice! especially since I live on an island in the Gulf of Alaska.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Thanks tmx. That's excellent advice! especially since I live on an island in the Gulf of Alaska.

Oh s*** quadruple check then

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Thanks tmx. That's excellent advice! especially since I live on an island in the Gulf of Alaska.

Mmmm Alaska want to snowboard there

 

[KodiakFJ62]

Mmmm Alaska want to snowboard there

Well, there is snow here...still. come on up and you can give me more and better advice.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Well, there is snow here...still

Oh I'm sure

 

[KodiakFJ62]

Thanks tmx. That's excellent advice! especially since I live on an island in the Gulf of Alaska.

I would research more and make positive that the 4wd transmission will work with the adapter for tye transfer case... it's a known fact that the 2wd transmission is what works with the adapter. Do not order until you know for sure it will work or you will screw yourself over on time and money.
Tommy

OK to verify what tmx and others have said, and what most of you probably already know, this is what I found on the internet regarding the 4L60 or 70, etc. output shaft difference between the 2wd version versus the 4wd version. Wasn't hard to find...

The main difference between a 2WD transmission vs a 4WD transmission is the output shaft. The Output shaft of a 4WD is shorter than a 2WD version. The 4WD transmission is also designed to mate up with a transfer case to engage 4WD and Lo-range (4L)

Hmmm...still researching for my own edification. I gots lots of lernin to do

 

[White Stripe]

OK to verify what tmx and others have said, and what most of you probably already know, this is what I found on the internet regarding the 4L60 or 70, etc. output shaft difference between the 2wd version versus the 4wd version. Wasn't hard to find...

The main difference between a 2WD transmission vs a 4WD transmission is the output shaft. The Output shaft of a 4WD is shorter than a 2WD version. The 4WD transmission is also designed to mate up with a transfer case to engage 4WD and Lo-range (4L)

Hmmm...still researching for my own edification. I gots lots of lernin to do

Afaik if you have a 4wd transmission you can make it work by disassembling it and installing a 2wd shaft. So it's easier to just get a 2wd transmission. It's unlikely the 4wd version is measurably stronger than the 2wd. If you can swing it get the 4l75e transmission from gm. It's the strongest rendition of the 4l60e type.

 

[KodiakFJ62]

Afaik if you have a 4wd transmission you can make it work by disassembling it and installing a 2wd shaft. So it's easier to just get a 2wd transmission. It's unlikely the 4wd version is measurably stronger than the 2wd. If you can swing it get the 4l75e transmission from gm. It's the strongest rendition of the 4l60e type.

Thanks Whitey! Yep, I’m thick but starting to get a grasp of this Chevy tranny numbers game as it relates to us. If it starts in 4L, it’s good. The higher the last two numbers, the better it is. And it needs to end in 2wd. Or something to that effect.

Oh BTW, I just received my brand new 1990 Toyota Land Cruiser Repair Manual along with the keys to both the 89 and 90 FJs. I just have to go and retrieve them. Photos to follow. Hoorah!

 

[White Stripe]

Thanks Whitey! Yep, I’m thick but starting to get a grasp of this Chevy tranny numbers game as it relates to us. If it starts in 4L, it’s good. The higher the last two numbers, the better it is. And it needs to end in 2wd. Or something to that effect.

Oh BTW, I just received my brand new 1990 Toyota Land Cruiser Repair Manual along with the keys to both the 89 and 90 FJs. I just have to go and retrieve them. Photos to follow. Hoorah!

The 4L means it's a 4 speed. 4l80e and 4l85e are 3/4 ton transmissions and are a fair bit more difficult to install. They have larger external dimensions. Use a 3/4 ton trans if you want it to be bulletproof and plan to have a motor in the 500hp or more range. It also has a higher first gear so it wont be quite as good on technical trails offroad. The 4l60e series is a 1/2 ton transmission and was upgraded through the years and as it was upgraded was given a higher number such as 4l65e, 4l70e, and 4l75e. It's a bit easier to install, had the same external dimensions and connections throughout the years, and has a lower first gear. The 4l75e is supposed to be able to handle up to 600hp I think.

 

[Cruisunder]

I just realized i never included a section in here for a trans crossmember so here is a good idea on how to do one. This is on a fj40 im working on right now but the same exact setup can be done for a 60 super easy.

The L brackets on the frame are 3/16 thick 1.5x1.5 i believe. You do one on the outer and one on the inner then two on the crossmember itself.

On the cross member you can cut a little pie shaped piece out of the tubing and bend the uncut side and it wil form your angle instead of cutting it completely. A 45* angle would be a pie cut out with an 22.5* angle on each side if that makes any sense.

Weld tabs on the bar to have the bolts of the trans mount run through the tabs instead of going through the cross member. This signifigantly increases the strength of the crossmember as its kept intact. Most of the weight is on the crossmember and the tabs are just to allow the studs on the trans mount to go through.


Also clean the mill scale better than i did. My welds got kinda weird looking because i didnt really grind the mill scale off.

Crossmember upside down. This is showing the gusseting of the tabs and the horizontal adjustment slots. These werent really needed to be honest but they look cool.

Crossmember before end caps.

Fully encapsulate the crossmember with weld to keep moisture (and rust) out.

Here it is all installed. Notice the joints on the bottom flat portion as they bend up 45* these are not welded. The metal is bent here using the cut technique i talked about before. My mig welds on the frame were not that great.

Allow ample room to the driver side of the crossmember instead of kicking it up to give you space to run your Y pipe or muffler or resonator right here

Make sure you space the crossmember to be under the yoke of the front drive shaft. This will act like a skid plate and protect it.

Hey mate! Your thread keeps on giving, very good. Just revisiting this because I think I may need a new cross member. Going from a H55f manual gearbox to an auto I’ll have to support the tcase adapter some 300mm further towards the back of the car. The rails being further apart, the old crossmember will not fit. I could possibly look into a crossmember from a 62 auto, which people reportedly reuse for my conversion by only dropping it down with a couple of 30mm spacers.
The other option is to customise something like yours. My question is, you mention the little tabs are not load bearing but from the photos they appear to have the v-shaped mount attached to them which then bears the tcase adapter? And you would need some form of vibration damper on the tube if load bearing? I’m probably not seeing something
And last, what size rectangular tube did you use?

 

[dbbowen]

So most of the trans cross memeber sits on the actual rectangle tubing Only like half of it goes out to those little tabs. The mount we used was from a 60 series with a flat bottom, i believe the same fj62 one you are talking about. The vibration damper is the toyota trans mount! I believe it was 2x4 steel .120 wall tubing. You can use something more narrow but the width allowed us to get most of the mount onto the actual crossmember and not just on the tabs.

 

[dbbowen]

Adding a quick note to the end of this in regards to aluminum radiators.

For your swap, you want your frame grounded to your block grounded to the body grounded to the battery. Technically, the way the 60 series radiator mounts to the core support, there is a ground that goes to the radiator... sort of.

You need to periodically check your grounds on your truck. For me it was the point where the frame grounds to the body to the battery here. This bolt and bolt hole had corroded and the rust was not allowing a good clean ground for the body, so the body wasnt grounded to the block of the truck very well.

This is the bolt that came out of that hole when it was all rusty.

What does this have to do with your radiator?


Acceptable voltage is supposedly 0-0.3 volts in the coolant. Anything more causes electrolysis and will eat your radiator away from the inside. This poor ground connection read .3 volts on my multimeter when connected to 12v. I checked my coolant and it also read .2 - .3 volts when the truck was on. This is supposedly within spec, but let me tell ya... its not.

I noticed a leak in my radiator and found 4-5 small pin holes in the tubes and a bunch of corrosion. This "within spec" voltage is the cause. I use nothing but distilled water and coolant concentrate at a 50:50 mix.

The radiator wouldnt hold any pressure at all

For me, .3 volts ate the inside of my rad away. This radiator is about 2.5 years old.

I wire wheeled the inside of the bolt hole, sanded even more paint off of the fender, sanded the ground straps, slathered it all in dielectric grease, and used a new non rusty bolt and this ground read -12v on my multimeter. Good ground connection. I went to test the coolant and what do you know... the coolant measured zero volts. Im thinking that the block and head werent grounded to the body very well and the charge was using the coolant as a path to ground through the mounting bolts or something.


So.... moral of the story. Periodically test your coolant voltage. Its easy with a multimeter and theres videos online on how to do it. Check your grounds periodically. Change your coolant every 1.5 or so years.

Put the ground probe of your multimeter on your rad and the positive to 12v and check your radiator has ground.

Put your ground probe on your frame and positive to 12v and check your frame has ground

Put your ground probe on your body and positive to 12v and check your body has ground (IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS)

Put your ground probe on your block/heads and positive to 12v and check your motor has ground



I just ordered a very pricey replacement rad. The rad that came out of this truck when i did the swap was 34 years old. This one lasted 2. Dont be like me. When i fill the next one im going to use a coolant additive for electrolysis and maybe even a sacrificial anode to maybe have the replacement last longer.


Live and learn

 

[AcroSteve]

Good info...


I always like lubricating grounds with a product designed to limit oxidation too.

 

[dbbowen]

Good info...


I always like lubricating grounds with a product designed to limit oxidation too.

yeah after this, probably going to go back and hit my other grounds too like on the frame. what a costly mistake this was

 

[BurntToast]

Good info...


I always like lubricating grounds with a product designed to limit oxidation too.

What do you like to use?

I think I’m going to get a ground strap kit and make sure everything is at 0 volts

 

[AcroSteve]

Not sure if it's still available, but I've had this for a long while.