swapped the 22re out of my 88 pickup no a/c (broken connecting rod) for a 22re out of a 87 four-runner with a/c and found it had a different wiring harness with longer connectors. i plugged in what i could and it started but had check engine light (error code 52 - knock sensor) and the temp gauge was fluctuating (needle would rise to top , stay there for a few minutes and then drop quickly). also the timing was way off and oil pressure gauge is showing low oil pressure.. anyway i swapped the harness connectors that were needed so all of the connectors but 2 would fit and still got the error code and temp gauge problem. put in a new thermostat, swapped thermostat housing back to my 88 (the 87 4runner had some kind of connector on the top), changed water temp sensor, changed knock sensor, checked continuity on all sensor wires - good, adjusted valves, and changed throttle position sensor. still have the same problems .. error code 52 (i reset it), fluctuating temp gauge, low oil pressure and timing off. i just won a ecu on ebay so im gonna give that a shot, maybe the 4runner harness screwed up the ecu from my 88 pickup?? any suggestions???

 

did you plug in the knock sensor that could be why you are getting code 52 if its showing low oll pressure in the stock gauge i would try a manual gauge and see what its running at with that

 

So you used your old 88 ecu? Did that engine have the same transmission as your 88 22re?

 

The thermostat housing on the 4Runner had the temp sensor for the EFI computer on it. Gotta have that so the computer knows what temp the engine is operating at. The temp sensor for the dash gauge is located farther back by the #3 injector.
The '87 4Runner requires ECU OE#89661-35070 and your '88 pickup should be OE#89661-35130 (California emissions) or OE#89661-35110 (federal emissions). I suppose it is possible not having the right harness for the right ECU results in some issues. Did you jumper the diagnostic port when setting the timing?
Did you have to cut the knock sensor wire to put a new end on it to get it to fit? I found a post on the net that mentions that if the knock sensor wire gets cut the shielding for the wire may wind up in contact the signal wire and ground out the signal. Maybe try running a jumper wire from the knock sensor and tying it in right at the plug to the ECU otherwise to make sure there isn't a break anywhere
Kind of late to ask now, but why did you go with changing the engine and all the wiring and not just swap the head and block? They are a straight swap from '85-95.

 

thanks for the replies and the different ecu #'s..

my old 22re had a supercharger (eaton from a t-bird) that my friend put on.. long story short, the engine would ping (didnt change the stock compression - this was a hobby project and the eaton was laying around my buddy's garage) (oh we had supra injectors/ported head/fuel pressure regulator/ relocated oil filter/ custom fabricated brackets & pulley's, etc..), i knew about the pinging and wasnt supposed to drive it like a maniac but low & behold it ran great until i raced my bud's trd and cracked a compression ring, well i was getting blow by and the pressure would cause my dipstick to pop out and blow oil over the hood/engine or out the valve cover vent, i bungeed it down & eventually something else gave (maybe the timing chain gasket?) on the highway at about 90mph and blew all the oil out..well the bearing seized and blew the connecting rod through the block. end of supercharger project...

wasnt sure about how much damage was done to head or any internals so i just did a complete weekend swap from a 87 4 runner since i use the truck for work and didnt have time to tear the supercharger engine apart at that time. anyway

the thermostat housing i swapped got rid of the sensor so it shouldnt throw anything off since im using the original 88 harness & ecu with certain connectors off the 4-runner harness.

yes the diagnostic port was jumped for setting timing.

i thought the water temp sensor (to gauge) was the horizontal green connector (closest to the engine) next to the brown (cold start?) connector
( brown - green - engine ) either way i replaced all 3 sensors (2 horizontal 1 verticle (signal to ecu ?)) which worked fine on my other engine (dont have the service manual handy to look up exact sensors)

lol, yes the knock sensor is plugged in (same connector on both harnesses)

tranny was different, i have a m/t, i believe the runner was auto..doesnt matter though still works just added bearing.. maybe a extra connector to harness for a/t? still shouldnt cause a problem

 

I think I'm mixing old apples with newer oranges. I was thinking about how my 85 4Runner is set up and then looked at the FSM for my 93 4Runner. In the FSM for the '93, the sensor beside the cold start injector time switch is the EFI water temp sensor that goes to the ECU. The temp sender for the gauge is on the intake manifold between #2 and #3 injectors.
Not positive on my 85 since I don't have an FSM, but I think I got it backwards and the housing sensor is for the gauge and the green is the EFI water temp sensor to ECU. Easy enough to tell, maybe tomorrow I'll just unplug it before going for a drive and see what happens
The only thing I could find in the FSM for a code 52 is bad wire continuity, bad sensor or loose sensor. Maybe the knock sensor wire in the new harness is defective. Maybe you could use the old one you knew worked as a jumper although you said you checked the continuity of that knock sensor wire right?
Just guessing...
Good luck!

 

continuity is good in the sensor wires, harness worked on the 88 just fine... also i noticed that the temp gauge goes up & down more aggressively under hard acceleration with the needle staying at the overheat position for a few minutes before dropping suddenly.. at steady speed it still rises and falls, it just doesnt stay buried at the top for as long... the heater also is not working as good as it used too, with barely warm air coming out.. it used to be really hot before the engine swap.. i have a new thrermostat in too..