FZJ80 Check my logic

[Iratenewb]

I need advice from mind’s greater than mine. I have a 95 TLC that has a head gasket with a leak to the outside of the block. It comes and goes every few months and with the addition of a bottle of K-seal it holds for a while. Point being is that I’m researching a LS swap, I’d rather put in a 6.0 with a 4L80E just for simplicity. The question I have is whether to fork out the money for the adapter kit to mate the transmission to the Toyota transfer case or to swap in a drivers drop front housing. I might be unrealistic in the cost and misery between the two options. I’m sure the driveshafts would both have to be replaced if I went with a full Chevy drivetrain.
I could really GAF about the center diff lock, and I don’t think it would be that difficult to either put a switch in the dash for the Chevy transfer case or install cable shifter. This isn’t a hard core wheeling rig,it is more of a hunting, explore FS roads kind of rig.
The adapter kit is roughly 2k, a new bare housing is close to that mark. I could sell my old housing for a few hundred so my thought is it might be a wash. The driveshafts could easily eat up several hundred or even a thousand dollars depending on the level of strength.
The existing motor has 280k and is lacking in power compared to anything modern. I’m still considering going to a gen v series but the new transmissions scare me when I think about getting it to work correctly in a swap.
I’m looking forward to what you all have to say.

 

[Covecrawler]

I personally went with fixing the stock engine after researching cost. It has worked for 280k for your truck. Head gasket, machine shop charge and your labor should be pretty inexpensive comparatively.

There’s no cheap way to LS swap them. Don’t forget the rear is offset so it can/will cause driveline vibes with a centered Tcase output.

 

[rockota]

If you’re dead set on the ls… and you don’t care about AWD, might as well look at an atlas or similar.

But I vote for full rebuild, magnusson supercharger, level-10 transmission, and part time kit/low gears for the stock tcase. Cause it’s not my money

 

[YotaAtieToo]

Quick Google show the gas tank needs to move to use a centered output tcase.

I can't imagine swapping the entire drivetrain, axles, and gas tank just to cruise dirt roads. Different front axle is a can of worms with the front suspension.

There has to be an adapter for less than $2k? Who's the guy who has a thread V8 swapping an 80?

Edit: 91 FJ80 Build

 

[Aisin]

Don’t forget the rear is offset so it can/will cause driveline vibes with a centered Tcase output.

False. A double cardan will fix that issue. There are at least 2 of us here that run this exact setup.

 

[Chkn]

LS swap isn’t to too hard. #sendit
I bought my adapter directly from Marks4WD in Australia. It was cheaper and more complete than purchasing from Advanced. Bonus is it kept the tcase in the factory location so no changes to the drivelines were necessary.

 

[Chkn]

Totally worth thousands of dollars to sound like this in the morning.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

False. A double cardan will fix that issue. There are at least 2 of us here that run this exact setup.

Doesn't mean it will work for everyone.

How long is an FJ80 driveshaft?



Also what driver drop front axle would match the rear that's actually available? Waggy D44?

May as well just do superduty axles, who h is another can of worms. Makes that $1500 adapter look pretty cheap now.

 

[Iratenewb]

Good points, thanks for putting in your two cents. I’ll check Marks again. It would be nice to get into the three hundred HP plus power range, even the slightest grade knocks the speed way back when I have a decent amount of stuff in the LC.
I’m not expecting anything less than 8k to swap in an LS with me doing all the work with the exception of tuning if it needs it.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

Good points, thanks for putting in your two cents. I’ll check Marks again. It would be nice to get into the three hundred HP plus power range, even the slightest grade knocks the speed way back when I have a decent amount of stuff in the LC.
I’m not expecting anything less than 8k to swap in an LS with me doing all the work with the exception of tuning if it needs it.

You know what they say about project budgets. Get it as accurate as possible, then double it.

I thought that was dumb for years, then once you do a few bigger projects, it's absolutely true.

If I can help it, I'd buy a whole truck with the engine and trans you want(6.0/4l80e is super overpriced imo) and go from there.

 

[Aisin]

Doesn't mean it will work for everyone.

How long is an FJ80 driveshaft?



Also what driver drop front axle would match the rear that's actually available? Waggy D44?

May as well just do superduty axles, who h is another can of worms. Makes that $1500 adapter look pretty cheap now.

I believe an 80 rear shaft is around 40 inches. I can get an exact measurement if you really give a **** but I assume you don’t.

 

[Iratenewb]

You know what they say about project budgets. Get it as accurate as possible, then double it.

I thought that was dumb for years, then once you do a few bigger projects, it's absolutely true.

If I can help it, I'd buy a whole truck with the engine and trans you want(6.0/4l80e is super overpriced imo) and go from there.

You aren’t kidding, the whole vehicle/parts market has been effed since cash for clunkers. I am looking for a donor vehicle so I have a better chance of not running into a brick wall with sourcing all the little things.

 

[vegask]

The stock motor is pretty under powered and does not do well on gas.

You could 1UZ swap it (non-vvti) and keep your tcase, possibly your transmission.

Or just go with a full GM setup.

I'd rather put 2k towards an atlas than to an adapter.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

I believe an 80 rear shaft is around 40 inches. I can get an exact measurement if you really give a **** but I assume you don’t.

I'm of the camp that normally agrees with what you're saying. I've ran both centered output/offset rear and offset output/centered rear with decent luck.

My point was that most guys running that have fairly long wb. Not sure how it would work out in an FJ80 with a 4l803/241 shoved in it.

 

[Iratenewb]

LS swap isn’t to too hard. #sendit
I bought my adapter directly from Marks4WD in Australia. It was cheaper and more complete than purchasing from Advanced. Bonus is it kept the tcase in the factory location so no changes to the drivelines were necessary.

First hand experience. I won’t ask how much, but how long did it take and was there any real roadblocks? Would you do it again?

 

[Chkn]

I ordered the kit and it shipped out the next business week. I think it arrived at my door within 3 weeks of ordering it. I went with a 6L80 on my swap so the kit has the adapter, the motor mounts, some other components and made for a fairly simple affair. I had a technical question about the installation (about 7 months later when I put it together) so I contacted Marks and they replied within a day with the answer to my question. I would do it again. 100%.

Watch the exchange rates and you can get a good deal. I watched it for about a month and when it was more favorable for the US dollar that’s when I purchased. I think it offset the price of shipping or close to it? Been a minute

 

[Iratenewb]

Chkn, did you put in a 6.0 or a 5.3?

 

[Monesty]

Drop a 2UZ in with a A340 or the A700 trans, if you can find a donor vehicle. I Used a 2002 Sequoia for my swamp and sent the harness to Lxxextreme in florida. He does a great job and makes the harness a four wire startup. Mine is in my 93 LC that I have converted to a buggy. If you can find the driveline out of a 100 series you can use the 80 transfer case. I mated mine to an Atlas 4 speed but I have tons of room as I no longer have a gas tank, I have a fuel cell. Te 2UZ fits no problem, and you can use your existing radiator.

 

[Chkn]

Chkn, did you put in a 6.0 or a 5.3?

I have a gen IV 4.8l. My truck was a 3FE so it feels like a rocket ship.

 

[chaplinfj60]

2020 i did the head gasket on a 96. fj80. painful at times loads cheaper than LS swap. motivated person could have it tore down one day. maybe weekend. parts at the machine shop and back together in another weekend. then your driving again.

this is just my two cents. love them LS swaps and love them cruisers too.

 

[Iratenewb]

Well I pulled the trigger on a 2015 6.0 with a 6l80e. Wish me luck.

 

[Chkn]

If you’re unfamiliar make sure to replace the torque converter as preventative maintenance. If you already know then just ignore me

 

[Iratenewb]

If you’re unfamiliar make sure to replace the torque converter as preventative maintenance. If you already know then just ignore me

I had read something about that but thanks for the reminder. Way easier to change it when it’s out of the vehicle.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

Well I pulled the trigger on a 2015 6.0 with a 6l80e. Wish me luck.

What did you pay if you don't mind me asking?

This is more or less my plan for my 81 pick up down the road, except I don't care if it's a 5.3 or 6.0 or whatever.

 

[Iratenewb]

What did you pay if you don't mind me asking?

This is more or less my plan for my 81 pick up down the road, except I don't care if it's a 5.3 or 6.0 or whatever.

3k with free shipping

 

[chaplinfj60]

why did you choose the 2015? nive only done one swap and currently installing my second but have been staying in the gen 3 area so curious why

 

[pinchegringo]

Gen 5 swaps are a bitch. Does the gen 5 piston slap and tick like the 3 gen? That **** drives me crazy

 

[FleshEater]

Dude is going to have some money in an AFM/DOD delete. It’s a necessity with those POS 2007+ engines.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

Dude is going to have some money in an AFM/DOD delete. It’s a necessity with those POS 2007+ engines.

Like $700?

 

[FleshEater]

Like $700?

Last I looked it was around $1,200. Then you have to use something like HP Tuners to go in and shut off all that stuff on the ECU side of things. Which if he’s going with a lock up torque converter he’ll want to shut all that stuff off anyways.