22R to 22RE swap FAQ

[Izeloz]

Here it is, after much research and time. If you have anything to add or can correct any incorrect information, that'd be good.

This information is only good for ’85-’88 swaps using manual transmissions. ’89-’95 22RE’s have a different wiring setup. Wiring colors may vary between years. Injectors were different between certain years, so if you mix/match parts your setup may not work. It is best to get everything from the same vehicle so you can make sure the ECU, plugs and associated hardware is a match.

The stock 22R head can be used with 22RE intake (if it’s an ’83 and later head), so there’s no need to get an EFI head unless the head you’re using is an early 22R head, in which case you’ll need to drill and tap three new holes or use the donor EFI head. Most of the things you will need are either on the intake or plugged into the harness, so make sure you get everything that plugs into the harness. Also make sure to get everything attached to the intake. An EFI gas tank and fuel pump must be used unless you use a fuel cell and an external fuel pump. Two fuel pumps that are popular to use are the early Toyota Celica (’88-’89) pumps, which were mounted on the framerail and the E2000 Ford pump from an ’89 E250 with the 351W V8 engine.


Parts list for 22R to 22RE swap:

1 – EFI cam (edit: not needed. A carb cam will work)
2 – throttle body
3 – fuel runner
4 – upper intake
5 – lower intake
6 – EFI gas tank
7 – airbox
8 – cross over air tube
9 – EFI distributor
10 – EFI coil
11 – brake booster vacuum hose
12 – upper radiator hose
13 – fuel lines
14 – oil pressure sending unit
15 – throttle cable
16 – head gasket (might as well throw in timing chain kit, water pump, oil pump and associated gaskets while you’re in there).

Wiring list for 22R to 22RE swap:

1 – ECU
2 – fuel pressure VSV
3 – AC idle-up VSV (if equipped)
4 – Air Suction (AS) VSV
5 – check connector
6 – Throttle Position Sensor (TPS)
7 – O2 sensor
8 – EFI igniter
9 – knock sensor
10 – water thermo sensor
11 – injectors (x4)
12 – cold start injector
13 – Air Flow Meter (AFM)
14 – circuit opening relay
15 – EFI main relay (on EFI fuse panel)
16 – EFI fuse circuit (on EFI fuse panel)
17 – fuel pump (in EFI tank)
18 – air valve
19 – solenoid resistor


Once you’ve collected all the parts, you’ll have to collect some tools:

1 – 6 MM allen head driver with extension
2 – soldering iron with solder and 18 AWG shrink wrap (make sure you know how to solder well before you start this project because you’ll be doing a fair amount of it).
3 – good set of metric sockets and wrenches (8 MM to 19 MM should be a good range that will cover everything needed).
4 – misc. socket extensions/breaker bars

Now comes the fun part, taking stuff apart. Pulling the intake off of the EFI head is pretty self explanatory except for one bolt that is located just beneath the thermostat housing. You will need a long extension and a 6 MM allen head driver to remove this bolt. Once you have removed the intake, unplug all the wires from the intake and anything on the donor EFI motor (or harness) until all you are left with is a wiring harness with some plugs. You’ll have to do a bit of “surgery” on the harness now. Cut the fuse panel out of the donor harness completely, leaving about 10” of wire hanging out the back. Use a needle to remove the EFI fuse pins and the EFI Main Relay pins and pull these wires out. The rest of the fuse panel can be either saved or discarded (nothing else is needed from it). Cut the following wires at computer plug #1: W, HT, IGF and NE. Leave about eight inches of wire to work with. Cut the following wires on computer plug #2: IGT, and NSW. Again, leave about eight inches of wire to work with later. Cut the following wires on computer plug #3: 4WD, SPD, BAT, B/K, B1 and B2. Leave enough to work with. Here is a list of where these wires should be spliced:

W – violet and red, goes to the check engine light
HT – green, yellow and red, goes to the O2 sensor
IGF – brown and white, goes to the igniter
NE - black and red, goes to the igniter

IGT – black and yellow, also goes to the igniter
NSW – green and red, goes to the start circuit on the ignition switch

4WD – red, yellow and black, goes to the 4WD indicator
SPD – green and red, goes to the speed sensor on the back of the gauge cluster (not necessary for vehicle to run properly)
BAT – white, blue and red, this is the EFI fuse wire. It should go to the fuse panel behind the kick panel on the driver side. There is a place in the panel for an EFI fuse even on carb vehicles. Remove the wire from the fuse block you took from the donor truck and splice it into this fuse panel.
B/K – green, white and red, goes to the stop light switch
B1 – black and red, this is one of two Main EFI Relay wires. The Main EFI Relay wires you cut and removed from the donor fuse panel can now be spliced into your truck’s fuse panel.
B – black and red, same instructions as B1.

[Izeloz]

1 –
FPU – FUEL PRESSURE SWITCH (B/Y/R)
ACV – AC IDLE-UP SWITCH (W/G)
*W – CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (V/R)
AS – AIR SUCTION VSV (L/R)
T – CHECK CONNECTOR (G/Y/R)
TSW – COLD START INJECTOR TIME SWITCH (G/B/R)
IDL – TPS (B/R)
*HT – O2 SENSOR (G/Y/R)
*IGF – IGNITER (BR/W)
E2 – GROUND (BR/B)
OX – O2 SENSOR (B)
VF – CHECK CONNECTOR (GR/B/R)
VCC – TPS (W/R)
KNK – KNOCK SENSOR (B)
VTA – TPS (L/R)
*NE – IGNITER (B/R)
THW – COOLANT TEMP. SENSOR (G/R)

2 –
E01 – GROUND (BR)
E02 – GROUND (BR)
10 – INJECTOR (W/R)
20 – INJECTOR (W)
STA – START SWITCH (B/R)
*IGT – IGNITER (B/Y)
STJ – COLD START INJECTOR (G/W/R)
E1 – GROUND (BR/W/B)
*NSW – START CIRCUIT ON IGNITION SWITCH (G/R)

3 –
VC – AFM (L/R/R)
E – AFM (BR/B/B)
VS – AFM (Y/L/R)
*4WD – 4WD INDICATOR LIGHT (R/Y/B)
THA – AFM (Y/R)
*SPD – SPEED SENSOR (G/R)
*BAT – EFI FUSE (W/L/R)
*B/K – STOP LIGHT SWITCH (G/W/R)
*B1 – MAIN EFI RELAY (B/R)
*B – MAIN EFI RELAY (B/R)


*-wire needs to be cut at the computer plug and spliced into existing truck harness


B – BLACK
BR – BROWN
G – GREEN
GR – GRAY
L – BLUE
R – RED
V – VIOLET
W – WHITE
Y - YELLOW

[Izeloz]

ECU plugs overview:

[Izeloz]

Plug #1:

[Izeloz]

Plug #2:

[Izeloz]

Plug #3:

[Izeloz]

EFI Relay:

[Izeloz]

O2 Sensor:

[lacrack]

man! thats a pretty good job

[sylvan_boy]

Originally Posted by Izeloz

The stock 22R head can be used with 22RE intake (if it’s an ’85 and later head), so there’s no need to get an EFI head unless the head you’re using is an early 22R head, in which case you’ll need to drill and tap three new holes or use the donor EFI head.

I just wanted to clarifiy this I can use an 84 22R head on my 86 22RE? The head on my RE is toast and got a good 22R engine I could just swap cams and bolt the head on and every thing will work?

[kyle_22r]

ACTUALLY any '83-up 22R head is good for EFI. only the '81 and '82 aren't convertable to a 22RE unless you modify them(don't think they are tapped for EFI or have all the correct bosses or something)

'83-84 EFI came on celicas and i think some 2wd trucks, it's analog and simpler(or so i've heard) to rig up. however it should work on a later motor as should later EFI bolt to an '83-84 head, except for the fact that you need to find a place to mount a knock sensor. i've heard welding a correct sized nut to one of the motor mounts will do the trick.

info on the early EFI conversion: http://www.blackflag4x4.com/cgi-bin/...num=1069200650 (you have to register to view)

[kyle_22r]

Originally Posted by sylvan_boy

I just wanted to clarifiy this I can use an 84 22R head on my 86 22RE? The head on my RE is toast and got a good 22R engine I could just swap cams and bolt the head on and every thing will work?

early and late heads wont swap! however, the guts like springs, valves, rocker assembly etc will swap no problem.

check into engnbldr's NEW head castings, i think it's under $300 for a new head minus the valves/springs/keepers/seals. basically a bare casting, but its brand new. they can also be ordered loaded(i think a bit over $400) or with oversized valves and port work

[luvmeye22refi]

Small and piddly tech I know but werent the harnesses in 89 pickups and 89 4Runners different, i.e. changed with the body style, Im just going off of what I was told. When I did my efi 89 runner motor in my 80 p/u I was going to buy the harness from offroad solutions but they said that they make those harnesses from 89-95 pickups or 90-95 4Runners and that the plugs were different in 85-89 runners and 85-88 pickups from their later counterparts. Correct me if Im wrong Id like to know.

[Izeloz]

I don't know. Anyone? Good stuff, guys. Keep it coming.

[Sundowner]

the injector connectors, injectors, and the EFI resistor changed from 87 to 88. they are NOT interchangable.

[Izeloz]

I knew the injectors changed but didn't know what year. Thanks. Are you talking about the solenoid resistor (the little metal box with fins) that is not interchangeable?

[Sundowner]

Originally Posted by Izeloz

I knew the injectors changed but didn't know what year. Thanks. Are you talking about the solenoid resistor (the little metal box with fins) that is not interchangeable?

afaik, the injector change is reflected in the injectors, the connectors the reisitor, and possibly the ECU. either set of injector componentry can be used, but the aforementioned items must be kept in matched sets

[Izeloz]

Great info., guys. I'll add it.

[waverider]

Great job man. About damn time somebody did this

[fishtruck66]

What is different about the EFI cam and Carb cam? Are the lobes different?

[Scubasteve83]

Im having a small problem getting my injectors and fuel rail to fit my lower intake manifold. I have the injectors i need and A set of injectors that dont fit the wiring harness I have plus two fuel rails and none of them fit together. Does anyone know if their are two different lower intake manifolds and what years they came in?

[SuperRunner]

These are your basic nippon denso injectors. They swap into tons of stuff. You must be doing something wrong. Try replacing your groments, maybe they are malformed not letting you put the injectors in.

As for the different injectors, I noticed that on a 91 the other day, they don't use a resistor. What you need to do, is find out what year your ECU is, and find out what impedance your injectors should be. If you ECU use a low IMP driver, you can use either without a problem. If your ECU uses a high IMP driver, you cannot use low IMP injectors unless you hook up a injector resistor. I don't know enough about 22RE injectors to know if they even used different drivers.

If needed, you can bypass the resistor by just connecting all three wires that go to the resistor together.

[SuperRunner]

Originally Posted by fishtruck66

What is different about the EFI cam and Carb cam? Are the lobes different?

Yeah, can you put an EFI cam in a carbed head?

[SuperRunner]

Originally Posted by kyle_22r

ACTUALLY any '83-up 22R head is good for EFI. only the '81 and '82 aren't convertable to a 22RE unless you modify them(don't think they are tapped for EFI or have all the correct bosses or something)

'83-84 EFI came on celicas and i think some 2wd trucks, it's analog and simpler(or so i've heard) to rig up. however it should work on a later motor as should later EFI bolt to an '83-84 head, except for the fact that you need to find a place to mount a knock sensor. i've heard welding a correct sized nut to one of the motor mounts will do the trick.)

I have an 83. THe head does not work for EFI manifold.

[Izeloz]

You can put an EFI cam into a carbed head. Some of the earlier 22R heads did not have the necessary holes machined into them for use with EFI intake. I'm not sure on the years, though. I think some 83's had the necessary machining, and I'm sure ALL the '84-'95 heads did.