Hello all,
I admit that I know very little about transmissions and I'm just looking to replace my old unit as seamlessly as I can.
I just got a good deal on what appears to be an L52 (Top Shift) unit with the short case behind the bell housing. I'm trying to get my 84 4Runner back on the road and have the original G52 unit with the tall case. I have been having 1st/2nd gear shifting issues sine November and making it almost impossible to drive. Does anyone know if it's possible to trade out my long case with the short case currently attached to the bell housing of the new transmission?
I'd be grateful for any help that I can get.

 

Anything is possible, and this is more possible than some possibilities, but it will take modifications, and is a questionable swap.

The L52 is not as strong a transmission as your G52. Better to find another G52 or a W-series.

Not many people go this direction; they're usually putting a later model transmission in an earlier model truck. But I would think the same principles apply. What tends to be told to people looking to swap transmissions from one model to another:

You will need to modify driveshaft lengths.
You will need to move the crossmember.
You may or may not need to cut the hole in the your floorboards for where the shifter comes up, since it's probably in a slightly different place.

I think it would make more sense to either find a direct replacement G52, or, if you're going to go through the work to make the modifications, get a newer, stronger tranny rather than a weaker older one.

But if money is really short and you have a friend who can do modifications for cheap, this would certainly work.

Any transmission that came with an "R" series engine (20R, 22R/E) will bolt right up to any other R series engine. So that part is a direct swap.

 

Just in case you really to mean to take off the actual bell housing and aren't just mixing up terms: there's no reason to remove the bell housing.

Like I mentioned above, where the transmission bolts to the engine, which is the bell housing, all transmissions that came with R series engines have the same bell housing. Or at least the same bell housing bolt pattern, and will bolt right up to any other R series engine. That part is the easy part. It's the driveshaft length and location of the crossmember that cause issues.

 

Thanks for the quick response, Zach. Looks like I'll try to track down a replacement G52 or see what a rebuild/repair is going to run me. I read about the L52 being a weaker unit and was a bit concerned about that.
On that note, what sort of fabrication might be required going to a W56 unit? I'm already having to run a spacer on the rear driveshaft so I am all for going longer there and would be willing to grab a new front driveline if I need to.
Thanks again!

 

On the terminology that I think I may be wrong on. I'm attaching a couple of pictures (hopefully they come through) to help explain what I was trying to say. When you look at the pictures, the L52 has the black bell housing and the shorter rear housing versus the G52 with the longer rear housing. I was trying to see if it's possible to swap out those two parts

 

Absolutely not possible.

 

With transmission swaps, know that I'm just repeating what others have said...I haven't done this myself.

Typically, going to a W56, which I think is longer than the G series, it would be lengthening the front driveshaft and shortening the rear. But you'd have to measure. It's possible that if you found a donor vehicle with the transmission and driveshafts, it would all swap over, but I'm not positive.

Then there's just moving the crossmember back a little. Different places (like BudBuilt) make crossmembers you can use.

And there's the possibility of having to cut another hole in the floor for the shifter.

But all of this is just from stuff I've read online, and knowing that the later model trannies are longer, so it all makes sense. Measuring the actual transmission and your truck is the only way to know for sure what modifications you'd need to make.

 

Thank you, both!
I'll hit the web and find myself a new G52 or pay to rebuild mine, in that case. I think this is going to be more trouble than it's worth to end up with an inferior transmission anyways.
Let me know if I can talk you into an L42 transmission. ;-) Looks like I have one for sale.

 

Good luck!