Transimission Swap

I'd been craving a 5-speed transmission in my Camry ever since I saw Ratko's Transmission Swap Page. In April, 2004 I started gathering parts and ordered a transmission. Since I live in Montana, the best deal at the time I could find on a transmission was through 'Lone Kiwi Parts Finder', a broker located in Ohio. You would think it would make more sense to find one closer, but the best deal was actually through Lone Kiwi for a transmission shipped from - get this - Virginia. By the time the transmission arrived, I had already left Montana for Salem, Oregon for my summer job. At the time the most logical thing to do was to have it shipped to Oregon. My uncle that I was staying with has a nice shop, so we were going to swap it there.

$60 for FedEx ground and a week later and I have a transmission in my posession. Much to my dismay, when I opened the crate, I discovered that they had sent me a 4 cylinder transmission! I e-mailed the broker and learned that the supplier thought they sent me a V6 transmission, and that their best guess is that it was inventoried wrong. So I ask him if they can ship to Oregon and he tells me the replacement has already been shipped to Montana. Just great. My uncle was heading to Montana to visit over the 4 th of July, so he brought the transmission to Salem. Dismay, round 2. There was no clutch fork or shift selector bellcrank included with the new transmission, nor were there any plugs in the axle holes as there were with the 4 cylinder tranny, and the entire thing was covered with salt and rust. Needless to say, I was quite disappointed since a new shift fork from Toyota runs around $100, and the bellcrank is about the same. Much to my relief, the clutch fork from the 4 cylinder tranny fit perfectly. I was able to modify the 4 cylinder bellcrank to fit as well. The salt cleaned up with some water, and I wire brushed all the rusty parts and hit them with a coat of black enamel.

I didn’t end up having time to do the swap while I was in Oregon, so I ended up waiting until I returned to Montana for school. I enlisted the help of a friend and we set reserved a lift at the school shop for the following Saturday. We started around 11AM, and by 7PM closing, we had everything but the exhaust on. I would have tried to get the car finished, but the passenger axle carrier bearing wasn’t seating correctly in the mount. So I hit up my usual Camry info source, ToyotaNation, for an answer. It turns out both guys who had already done the swap (Ratko and Zoni) were running into the same problem, and had just been driving their cars as-is. So the next Monday after class, I put the exhaust on and did some final tweaks. I started it up, put it in gear, and… Nothing. No gears would transfer any power to the wheels.

After a week of discussion on ToyotanNation and with local mechanics, everyone was still stumped. My best guess was the clutch splines weren’t engaging on the input shaft of the tranny, so the next Saturday, we pulled the tranny again to check on the clutch. Everything looked perfect there, so back together it went. Once it was together, we did some troubleshooting. With the car on the lift, transmission in gear, clutch engaged, you could turn either front wheel without the other one turning. As all you mechanics know, with an open differential, the opposite wheel should spin the opposite direction. When I was under the car spinning the wheels, I noticed that I could hear the differential turning when I spun the passenger side wheel, but not when I spun the driver side wheel. My helper pushed toward the differential on the driver’s axle with a bar, and they were both engaged! A few seconds later, they weren’t though. It turns out the part of the driver’s axle that sticks into the differential from the automatic transmission is about an inch shorter than the one for the manual tranny. I didn’t really want to get all new axles, as my CV half-shafts were just recently replaced. The automatic Camrys used a 2 piece axle, with half-shafts that unbolt from the inner axles, so I thought maybe I could just find an inner axle and that would solve my problem.

I went to the Toyota dealer and we looked up part numbers for the 3VZ-FE manual axles, and called other dealers that had the parts in stock, and had them take measurements. It turns out that the 3VZ-FE manual axles are the same size as the 1MZ-FE automatic axles, so they could not be used. We figured out that the only axles that would properly mesh into the 2000 Camry transmission are the 1997+ generation 4 manual transmission axles. So off to Checker I went to order remanufactured axles. We also figured out that the manual transmission cars use a different part number passenger axle bearing carrier / rear engine mount, so I ordered one of those as well.

A week later the car was drivable. The throw-out bearing was extremely noisy for the first 30 minutes or so, then it quieted down just as I was parking the car. I’ve only been driving the car for a couple days, and my impressions so far are great, but I can’t yet give a full review until the clutch gets broken in and I have driven it for a while.

Parts:

New OEM clutch	Console and handbrake (thanks Brandon a.k.a. arcasmachineracing)	Fidanza Flywheel from CTMotorsport (engine side)
Fidanza flywheel (tranny side)	MR2 Spyder leather shift knob (didin't use)	Gen 4 shifter base and clutch pedal
Gen 4 shifter base and clutch pedal (2)	Gen 4 shifter base (trimmed to fit gen 3)	Speed-Source brass shift cable bushings
Speed-Source bushings installed onto cables	Gen 4 shifter w/ cables	Gen 7 Celica GTS short shifter
Comparison of gen 4 Camry stock shifter and gen 7 Celica GTS short shifter	The gen 7 Celica shifter came with new aluminum base bushings	Synchromesh fluid and windo-weld for motor mounts
I4 tranny	I4 tranny 2	I4 tranny 3

Installed:

E-brake cable swapped	E-brake handle	New pedals installed
Clutch installed	Slave cylinder and front of tranny	Passenger axle and rear mount
Bottom of tranny and mount	Tranny mount	Speed-Source busings installed
Top of tranny and resistor box	Clutch master cylinder and line	Current pedal pic
Shifter installed (MOMO Race Air knob)	E-brake installed	Current cockpit pic

Notes:

• The console bracket had to be trimmed to fit gen 4 shifter. This took about 5 minutes with a bench grinder. See shifter installed pic.
• The automatic rear engine mount won't allow for the passenger axle carrier bearing to seat properly. A manual rear mount must be used.
• The automatic driver's axle doesn't extend into the differential far enough. A manual 1997+ axle must be used.
• The shift solenoid wires must be hooked through resistors to ground. See Ratko's thread on ToyotaNation.
• The park/neutral switch wire must be cut at the ECU to prevent a CEL. It's the smaller of the black with white stripe wires on the bottom plug of the ECU (pin 13 or 14, whichever is smaller).
• The rear Y-pipe flange hits the differential, and must be ground down. The nut wouldn't fit, so I just left it off. Maybe later I will try to figure out how to get a fastener into place.

Parts List:

Step-By-Step:

1. Get the car ready to lift. Check to be sure that the lift is set up properly before continuing.
2. Disconnect and remove the battery.
3. Remove the battery tray.
4. Disconnect the throttle cables and remove the cruise control actuator.
5. Unscrew the intake hose clamps and remove the hose.
6. Unplug, unbolt, and remove the MAF.
7. Take the cover and filter off the airbox and unscrew and remove the airbox.
8. Remove the cables from the starter and then remove the starter.
9. Remove the shift cable pin and clip and disconnect the cable from the tranny.
10. Inside the car, remove the lower dash pads and the center console. Unbolt the shifter and disconnect the electrical connections. Unbolt the grommet from the inside of the firewall (those are a bitch!).
11. Remove the shift cable grommet from the engine side of the firewall. Pull the automatic shifter assembly out and feed the manual shift cables through.
12. Bolt up the shifter. Also bolt up the inner firewall shift cable grommet. Practice your French while you're at it.
13. Replace the auto brake pedal with the manual one. You don't need to remove the bracket, just the pedal itself.
14. Drill the holes in the firewall and mount the master cylinder and clutch pedal.
15. Remove the front engine mount bolts. There are two on top and one underneath.
16. Remove the two lower bolts from the 'shock' that is mounted to the front of the tranny.
17. Remove the top 4 17mm head bolts holding the tranny to the block.
18. Unplug all electrical connections to the tranny.
19. Disconnect the tranny cooler hoses from the front of the tranny.
20. Raise the car.
21. Drain the tranny fluid and properly discard.
22. Completely remove the tranny fluid hoses you just disconnected from the tranny.
23. Remove the wheel caps, lugs, and wheels.
24. Remove the cotter pins and nut retainers, then use a 30mm socket to remove the spindle nuts. An air impact wrench is a good idea.
25. Remove the nuts from the swaybar to A-arm connection, and from the A-arm to strut connection.
26. Pry down on the A-arm and pull out on the strut to seperate them. Beware of the ABS wire, it is easy to damage if stretched too far.
27. Remove the small plastic splash guards in the wheel wells. They each are held on by two small 10mm head bolts.
28. Remove the driver's axle.
29. Remove the passenger axle carrier lock bolt, snap ring, and passenger axle. The bearing may be corroded and siezed inside the carrier and thus may require some friendly persuasion.
30. There is a power steering line running along the top of the subframe on the passenger side. Remove the two 12mm head bolts that retain it.
31. Remove the Y-pipe.
32. Remove the plastic caps in the subframe that cover the tranny and rear engine mount nuts. Remove the nuts.
33. There are two 19mm head bolts holding the steering gear to the subframe. The nuts have ears on them and won't spin, so don't worry about holding them. Remove the bolts. You will have to lift up on the swaybar to get the ratchet in place.
34. Remove the front center splash guard.
35. Remove one screw on each side holding the splash guards over the rear subframe mounts.
36. Remove the 4 small nuts and 2 small bolts holding the ears of the subframe mounts. DO NOT REMOVE THE LARGE BOLTS!!!
37. Remove the two 10mm head bolts holding the torque converter access cover. Remove the 6 torque converter bolts, turning the engine to gain access to them all. When you're done, replace the cover.
38. Lower the lift so that the car is about 2 1/2 feet off the ground. You want it high enough to work under but low enough so that you can support the engine with an engine hoist and support the tranny with a tranny jack.
39. Set up the engine hoist and tranny jack to support the weight of the engine and tranny.
40. Unbolt the 4 subframe bolts and lower the subframe. Get a friend or two to lend a hand, it's heavy. Once again an air impact gun is a plus.
41. Remove the remaining 3 or 4 tranny to engine bolts. Dislodge and lower the tranny. Once again enlist the help of your friends that have been standing around watching, as it will be heavy.
42. Remove the torque converter from the automatic tranny and drain it. Remove the 'shock' from the automatic tranny and install it on the manual tranny. Torque to 35 ft-lbs.
43. Remove the 4 bolts holding the rear mount. Install the new MT rear mount in its place. Torque to 47 ft-lbs.
44. Bolt the outer shift cable grommet to the firewall. Make sure the shift cables are out of the way so they don't get damaged.
45. Remove the flexplate.
46. Install the flywheel and NEW bolts with threadlocker. Torque to 65 ft-lbs.
47. Clean the flywheel and clutch parts with brake parts cleaner, and allow to dry.
48. Install the clutch and pressure plate, using NEW bolts with threadlocker. Use an alignment tool if possible. Torque to 14 ft-lbs.
49. Install the tranny mount and insulator if it's not already attached to the tranny. Torque to 47 ft-lbs.
50. Pack the throwout bearing with high temp grease, even if it comes pre-greased. Grease the clutch fork pivots and the throwout bearing slider tube and install the throwout bearing and clutch fork.
51. Replace the slave cylinder if you bought a new one. Torque the mounting bolts to 9 ft-lbs.
52. Jack up the tranny and wiggle it into place. Install the tranny to engine bolts. Torque the large ones to 47 ft-lbs, and the smaller ones to 34 ft-lbs.
53. Have your friends help you get the subframe back into place. Install the large bolts and torque them to 134 ft-lbs, then install the smaller nuts and bolts on the ears and torque them to 27 and 24 ft-lbs respectively. You can now remove the engine hoist and tranny jack.
54. Replace the two screws holding the splash guards over the rear subframe mounts.
55. Replace the two 12mm head bolts that held the power steering line to the top of the passenger side of the subframe.
56. Replace the rear and tranny mount nuts. Torque to 59 ft-lbs. Replace the plastic caps.
57. Replace the bottom front engine mount bolt. Torque to 59 ft-lbs.
58. Replace the two large steering gear bolts. Torque to 134 ft-lbs.
59. Install the new manual passenger axle and snap ring. Install the lock bolt in the carrier. Replace the strut to A-frame nuts and bolts and torque to 24 ft-lbs.
60. Install the new manual driver axle. Replace the strut to A-frame nuts and bolts and torque to 94 ft-lbs.
61. Replace the spindle nuts and torque to 217 ft-lbs. Replace the lock rings and install NEW cotter pins.
62. Replace the front sway bar endlink nuts on both sides. Torque to 41 ft-lbs.
63. Grind the Y-pipe where it hits the differential and re-install it. Torque nuts to 46 ft-lbs, and the catalytic converter joint bolts to 32 ft-lbs. Install the brackets.
64. Replace the splash guards in the wheel wells.
65. Replace the front spash guard and screws.
66. Make sure the drain plug on the tranny is tight.
67. Replace the wheels and install the lugs and caps.
68. Lower the car to the ground.
69. Replace the front mount and shock bolts. Torque them to 59 ft-lbs.
70. Replace the starter. Torque the bolts to 29 ft-lbs.
71. Connect the shift cables. Don't forget to grease the pivots.
72. Use a 24mm socket to remove the filler plug from the top of the tranny. Fill it with 4.4 quarts of gear oil. Pennzoil Synchromesh is recommended.
73. Connect the hydraulic line and bleed the clutch. Ensure proper clutch operation.
74. Plug the vehicle speed sensor cable into the differential.
75. Cut the large plug that went to the gear selector switch on the auto tranny off. Remove the split loom and electrical tape from about 6" of the wires.
76. Connect the black wire to the black with white stripe wire. This makes the ECU think the car is in park or neutral and allows the starter to operate. They should be connected to the clutch start switch, but this can be easier accomplished by accessing the wire under the dash.
77. The red with blue stripe and orange with blue stripe wires go to the reverse light connector. The colors will match the wires coming off the connector you clipped off the MT harness. Wire the connector in.
78. The rest of the wires in that harness are ignored. Terminate them by folding each of them over and wrapping them with tape. Then wrap the wire bundle with tape.
79. Cut the plug off the shift solenoid harness. It is the other one that connects to the front of the tranny.
80. Connect the each of the violet, pink with blue stripe, and yellow with blue stripe to a 10-15 ohm, 20 watt resistor. Connect the other ends of the resistors to ground. It would be best to seal the resistors inside a box, but you can wrap each in electrical tape and then bundle them together if you please. Terminate the rest as described above.
81. Replace the cruise control and reconnect the throttle cables.
82. Replace the battery tray and the battery.
83. Replace the airbox and intake tubing.
84. Start the car. The throw out bearing may squeal for a little while, it just needs to be broken in. Go for a drive! Don't forget though that the clutch needs to be broken in properly.