Builds Isuzu 4HE1TC into FJ62 (7 Viewers)

[Fromage]

Astr, one quick question, does your engine use a Zexel inline injection pump? I was surprised to find that my my 4D34T-3AT is completely fly by wire, not in itself a big deal, but I am thinking it may be difficult to coax a few ponies out of this engine. I suspect there may still be some manual full fuel adjustments that can be made...

Once I get all the bits sorted I will be starting my own thread...

 

[astr]

Astr, one quick question, does your engine use a Zexel inline injection pump? I was surprised to find that my my 4D34T-3AT is completely fly by wire, not in itself a big deal, but I am thinking it may be difficult to coax a few ponies out of this engine. I suspect there may still be some manual full fuel adjustments that can be made...

Once I get all the bits sorted I will be starting my own thread...

Yes, I believe the 4HE1TC was the last of the NPR engines that used the mechanical in-line injection pump. This mump has all the manual fuel adjustments that the older ones have. It does have an ecu that does some tweaking to the pump (extra advance or something) but it starts and seems to run fine with the ecu disconnected.

 

[Fromage]

If you get a chance snap an up-close photo of it and I will do the same. I get the feeling we are going to find a lot of similarities between both engines.

 

[Spook50]

The reason that I wouldn't consider it is I don't wnat a manual transmission.

The reason that you can't do it is because the only reason that the A440 will bolt up to the 4HE1 is because it has a separate bell housing which can be interchanged with the AW450 bell housing which originally came with the 4HE1. If you can bolt the H55 to a A440F bell housing, then you could do what you are suggesting.

Good luck!

Damn, I had forgotten that you're using the Isuzu's bell on the A440F. I might have to play around and see if maybe I can maybe modify a bell to go between the 4HE1TC and an H55. I want a manual

 

[astr]

If you get a chance snap an up-close photo of it and I will do the same. I get the feeling we are going to find a lot of similarities between both engines.

Here is a photo of the IP on a 4HE1. This is the left side of the engine looking back. On a 4BD1/2, the starter would be located roughly in this position.

 

[Fromage]

The pump on mine looks to be of the same family but it has an electronic governor and fuel rack control. I am finishing up some other projects to make room for this engine swap, once I have it in the shop I can post some photos.

 

[astr]

Time for the Real Thing

Time for an update. It has taken more time to do the writeup tahmn the actual work.

Now that all the special pieces have been made, its time to tear down the Isuzu AW450 transmission, switch in the A440F output shaft and put it all back together with the Toyota split T-case attached. The photo is of all of the custom and modified parts and the A440F output shaft. These all will be required to mate the split T-case that came on the A440F transmission to the back of the Isuzu AW450. On the left is the A440F T-case adapter with the custom spacer on the front and the AW450 speed sensor installed on the side with a custom spacer. To the right is the A440F output shaft that will be installed into the AW450. The second row down, left to right: Custom shaft spacer used to properly position the park gear, the park pawl actuator rod guide (from the AW450 with elongated holes to mount into the T-case adapter) and the shift lever from the A440F. On the very bottom are shown the extended length dowel pins that keep everything lined up. They pass through the spacer and align the T-case adapter with the transmission case. A stock length dowel pin is included in the photo for length comparison. Just above the dowel pins is the modified AW450 park pawl actuator rod and just above that is the custom manual valve shift shaft. Details on all of these items are provided earlier in this thread.

 

[astr]

The Preliminaries

A word of caution: I’ve only rebuilt three or four automatic transmissions in my lifetime so I am by no means an expert. All I’m trying to do here is to document my experiences to hopefully make it easier for others. The process that I’m going to describe isn’t that difficult. It is time consuming and requires attention to details and good organization. Don’t even consider doing it without a Factory Service Manual! Also, I’m writing this as I’m doing the work. I believe my chances of success are good but the outcome is certainly not guaranteed!

Warning! The following is full of endless detail, guaranteed to put you to sleep!

To switch the output shafts, almost all of the subassemblies of the AW450 must be removed. If you are going to overhaul the transmission, each subassembly is further torn down, inspected, and the wear items replaced. I’m going to stick to documenting the procedure for removing and reinstalling the necessary subassemblies only. For those interested in doing a complete overhaul, I would refer you to the FSM. If you are planning a complete overhaul, there are also certain measurements that should be taken as you remove the major subassemblies. Again, see the FSM.

There are several SST’s that the FSM says are required for this job. You don’t need them if you are willing to improvise. The IED (Improvised Extraction Device) that you will need is called an Oil Pump Remover by the FSM. This is used to remove, not only the oil pump but several of the major subassemblies from within the transmission case. I substituted a 1 meter length of M8 x 1.25 threaded rod, cut in half, some matching nuts, a 6” chunk of steel drilled appropriately and a standard gear puller that I already had. The first photo is of this puller.

To completely gut the case for a thorough cleaning, you need to remove the first and reverse brake piston (the next to the last item to be removed from the case). To accomplish this, you need to compress the piston return spring assembly so that the snap ring can be removed. The FSM calls for a J-44162, No. 1 Piston Spring Compressor. I made my own using a ½” length of PVC pipe, a bolt and some misc. aluminum. Photo 2 is of this tool. You don’t have to remove this piston to swap output shafts but doing so, allows you clean the case without fear of getting contaminants into the passages that feed pressure behind the piston.

These are the only two special tools that I had to make to completely pull all the subassemblies out of the case.


Some precautions:

¨ These automatics seem to hold an endless supply of ATF. Once you think it all has drained out, more will mysteriously appear so be prepared otherwise you’ll have a mess. I had some old commercial steel baking trays that worked well to contain the endless drips.

¨ Automatics are very sensitive to contamination so work in an area that is clean and dust-free. When not working on the transmission, cover the transmission and components to keep dust out. I like to use the 55 gallon clear garbage can liners as covers.

¨ The transmission is heavy and clumsy. You will need to maneuver it into different positions during various stages of the process. Although you could probably do it on a work bench, I would recommend some sort of stand. I modified a cheap HF engine stand to allow me to rotate the transmission to different positions. If you do try it on a workbench, be careful not to damage the various mating surfaces.

¨ Assuming that you are starting with a used AW450, clean the exterior BEFORE opening it up. Leave the torque converter in place, plug any external holes with rubber stoppers or duct tape and take the whole thing to your DIY car wash and wash it with hot, high pressure water. This will help minimize the possibility of internal contamination latter. When moving the transmission around with the torque converter in place, I bolt a small piece to steel to one of the outer holes of the bell housing to keep the torque converter in place.

¨ The FSM recommends that, during the disassembly process, you do not completely invert the transmission so that any junk that may have accumulated in the pan won’t get dumped back into the transmission. This does make it a bit difficult to thoroughly power wash the exterior. Here, I was lucky to have basically a new transmission so I didn’t have to worry about any contamination as a result of inverting the transmission. Sure made removing the pan a lot simpler.

¨ The FSM recommends using ATF or kerosene for washing the transmission parts so I have a 5 gal bucket of kerosene always available for rinsing the parts. The FSM specifically prohibits the use of gasoline and naphtha (white gas) or similar solvents on the o-rings, seals, and friction plates.

¨ You will be removing a lot of small parts, some of which are quite similar in appearance. To keep everything straight, I store all these pieces in labeled zip-lock bags. ! qt. Freezer bags work for me.

The third photo is of the AW450 bolted to the modified engine stand ready to be torn down.

 

[astr]

Breaking Down the AW450

The objective here is to disassemble the transmission just enough to be able to swap the output shaft with one compatible with the Land Cruiser T-case. The FSM describes the teardown procedure for a complete overhaul so I’m going to omit those steps which are not required for the output shaft swap. The transmission is disassembled in the following order:

¨ Torque converter and bell housing (FSM call it a torque converter housing).

¨ The tail end components including the drum park brake, the extension housing and the park lock components

¨ The pan and valve body.

¨ Starting from the front, the oil pump followed by the various internal transmission power train components.

I found it useful to stack the component back together as they are removed from the case, using the torque converter as a base. This keeps all of the components organized and available in the right order for assembly. Although the FSM tells you to remove the replaceable items (o-ring, seals, etc) as you remove the major subassemblies from the case, I prefer to leave them on each subassembly until I’m ready to start the assembly process. This way I can match the new part with the old and I know exactly where and how it goes and am less likely to leave one out.

The disassembly procedure I’m going to describe is specifically for the AW450. It generally applies to the A440F with some exceptions as some of the internally subassemblies of the A440F are held in transmission case differently. I’ll try to remember to note these differences.

Begin by removing the torque converter. Note how far back the converter sits relative to the transmission case. When you reinstall the converter, you need to get it back this far into the case. As there are three sets of splines/drive tines that need to engage sequentially, it is easy not to get the converter fully seated into the case. If you try to attach the transmission to the engine in this condition, you can easily crack the case and/or internal transmission components.

To remove the converter, just slide it straight off the shaft and place it transmission-side down over a container to drain (Photo 1). Once drained, flip it over and support it with some wood so you can use it as a stable platform to hold the other subassemblies as you remove them from the transmission. (Photo 2)

 

[astr]

Breaking Down the AW450 (Part 2)

Next, remove the bell housing (aka. Torque converter housing) by removing the eight bolts (Photo 1) and taping housing with a dead blow hammer.

From the rear of the transmission, remove the output yoke and e-brake drum by spinning off the nut (Photo 2). It helps to have the transmission in park to hold the shaft.

Next, remove the e-brake assembly by removing the four bolts (Photo 3). You won’t be using this e-brake assembly but it sure would be nice to be able to adapt it to the Cruiser. Another project for latter!

 

[astr]

Breaking Down the AW450 (Part 3)

Next, remove the extension housing by removing the 10 bolts attaching it to the case (Photo 1). You will need some of these bolts to mix and match with the A440F T-case adapter bolts to bolt the T-case adapter to the AW450. You can’t just use the original T-case adapter bolts as they will be too short as they will also have to pass through the aluminum spacer that will be sandwiched between the transmission case and the T-case adapter. Usually, a few caresses with a dead-blow hammer will break the extension housing loose from the transmission case. Be careful not to damage the gasketed mating surfaces by improperly prying the two apart.


You won’t be reusing the extension housing but you will need to use the park rod guide out of it (Photo 2) which will be installed into the T-case adapter. You need to use the guide from the AW450 to accommodate the larger diameter of the AW450 park rod end.

Finally, slide the speedometer gear, washer, and park gear off the output shaft (Photo 3). Only the park gear will be reused.

 

[astr]

Breaking Down the AW450 (Part 4)

Moving on to the transmission pan and valve body. As stated before, the FSM says not to invert the transmission prior to removing the pan so that the gunk in the bottom of the pan isn’t dumped back into the transmission case. It certainly makes it more difficult to pull the pan per the FSM.

Caution: Even though you’ve drained the transmission of oil, be prepared for a deluge when you remove the pan.

Remove the 21 pan bolts around the perimeter of the pan (Photo 1). I like to keep the four corner bolts screwed in by a few threads so as to capture the pan once the gasket material is cut. Most likely, silicone rubber was used to form the gasket. I use a thin putty knife and hammer to cut the seal (Photo 2).


Inspecting the gunk in the bottom of the pan should give some indication of the wear. Not being a certified tea leaf reader, I just look for big chunks, big enough to feel when rubbed between your fingers. The black and brown stuff is usually from the friction material, brass-colored debris is from bushings, silvery stuff is aluminum from housings, carriers, etc., and the black stuff stuck to the four magnets is steel from gears, bearings, and steel clutch plates. Maybe someone with more transmission experience can chime in on this subject (or any other subject, please). Note the position of the four magnets in the bottom of the pan for reassembly. (Photo 3)

EDIT: If you are planning on using the AW450 shifter rather than the FJ62 shifter, you probably don't need to remove the valve body as the reason for removing the valve body is to allow you to remove the shift shaft so that it can be modified to mount the shift lever on the opposite side so that the standard FJ62 shifter can be used.

 

[astr]

Breaking Down the AW450 (Part 5)

The first major subassembly that you will remove is the valve body. Begin by removing the screen by removing the four 10 mm head bolts (Photo 1). Next, disconnect the wires from the four control solenoids (Photo 2), the pressure solenoid and the temperature sensor (Photo 3).

EDIT: On the A440F, there are no solenoids to disconnect but you will have to disconnect the TV cable.

 

[astr]

Breaking Down the AW450 (Part 6)

Next remove the 21 bolts with the 10 mm black heads. Don’t remove the ones with the 10 mm shiny heads or the 8 mm heads (Photo 1). The valve body should now lift straight out. Note the location and orientation of the four seals that you will have to replace when you reinstall the valve body (Photo 2). If you are going to further clean the case, you may want to pull the wiring harness by removing the bolt from the harness retainer (outside of case) and carefully threading the wires out.

 

[astr]

Breaking Down the AW450 (Part 7)

Removing the valve body exposes three of the four accumulators which you will want to remove if you intend to clean the case. There is one accumulator for each brake and clutch. Photo 1 shows the location of the four accumulators, the fourth accumulator being on the rear of the case under a steel cover. Use air to blow out the accumulator pistons as shown in Photo 2 and 3. You will want to place a rag over the accumulators to capture the pistons when they come out and to avoid being sprayed with oil. In Photo 1, the circled hole by C1 is used to blow out the piston for accumulator C1.

 

[astr]

Breaking Down the AW450 (Part 8)Next step is to remove the Manual Valve Lever Shaft.

Next step is to remove the Manual Valve Lever Shaft. To do so, you need to drive out the tension pin that attaches the manual valve lever to the shaft. To drive this pin out, you first need to cut what the FSM calls a spacer. It appears that this “spacer” only serves as an extra safety to prevent the pin from working its way out. Photo 1 shows the spacer. Cut it with a chisel. Photo 2 shows the cut spacer. Spread and slide the spacer out of the way over the manual valve lever and then drive out the tension pin using an 1/8” pin punch (Photo 3). Don’t lose the pin inside the transmission. Once the pin is out, slide the shaft from the Manual valve Lever and case. There should be two flat washers and one wave washer. Note their positions on the shaft. With the shaft out, remove the Manual Valve lever and Parking Lock Rod.

NOTE: As stated before, you only need to do Parts 5 through 8 if you are going to modify the Manual Valve Lever Shaft to switch the external shift lever to the other side so that you can use the standard FJ62 shifter and/or you wish to do a thorough cleaning of the transmission case.

 

[AppleTech]

Andy - this is an AMAZING write-up! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this!

-Phil

 

[astr]

You are welcome. Its taking a lot longer than I thought but I keep plugging along. I hope to have the tear down write up completed by mid next week then I'm going to spend some time getting everything cleaned up, then its time for putting it all back together. The assembly write up will go a bit slower (if that's possible) as I plan to go through each sub assembly before installing it back in the transmission.

I really want to get this transmission back together and tested with the T-case in the Isuzu before I tear into the FJ62.

 

[astr]

Breaking Down the AW450 (Part 9)

Sorry for the lack of updates but I screwed up and accidentally erased a bunch of photos so I had to back up and recreate them.

The next step is to pull the real guts of the transmission – the gear train along with the associated clutches and brakes. While very similar in construction, a clutch couples two rotating components whereas a brake holds a rotating component stationary.

Begin by removing the pump by removing the 11 bolts that attach it to the case. The FSM tells you to mark the pump and case with match marks but there is no need as the bolt spacing only allows the pump to be installed one way (Photo 1). Using your IED, extract the pump from the housing (Photo 2) and start building you stack (inset).

 

[astr]

Breaking Down the AW450 (Part 10)

With the pump removed, the overdrive clutch and planetary gear can be removed. First, measure the depth of the assembly in the case (Photo 1). Save this reference measurement for reassembly. It provides a way to verify that the unit is fully seated in the case. As the assembly has to mesh with several friction plates, it is easy not to get all the way in. Pull the assembly and add it to the stack (Photo 1 Inset). Make sure that you also remove the thrust bearing under the assembly.

Next remove the snap ring that holds the OD clutch plates and then remove the plates (Photo 2) followed by the ring gear (Photo 3).