I got the 5 speed swap blues! - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Stonegrave · 12-01-2008, 01:07 AM

99 Toyota camry - E153 from a 99 Solara, Fidanza flywheel, ACT clutch kit.

I got everything finished. Filled it up with gear oil, bought a new battery, and was ready to roll. Get in, clutch pedal feels good, shifter feels amazing, feeling pretty good about the whole thing. Turn the key, click. Click. It tries to start a few times, but it seems as if the motor wont turn over. Smile dissapears, try it a few more times. Chugs a little bit, then Click. Click. Okay, lets give it the help of another car maybe? Hook it up to my mom's minivan with a 65 series, try it again...Click. Chuga chuga....Click. Ok. Lets try to turn the motor over by hand. Impossible. Awesome. (i dont have a neutral safety switch, I bypassed it using a wiring diagram from toyota. before i bypassed it, turning the key did nothing, so i know for sure that the bypass was successful because it actually tries to start now. I also have a 5 speed ecu out of a 99 solara)

And thats where im at folks, its back in the garage, ready to be taken apart to see what happened. My ideas:

1. Rule out the engine being locked up itself, because i turned that automatic flexplate with a screwdriver to undo all the bolts from the inspection plate.

2. The auto flex plate had 2 washer hub spacer kinda deals on it, I tried bolting up the Fidanza flywheel without any spacer(one of those washer deals), and it definately hit block. Used the one that was on the crank side of the automatic to give the flywheel some room, and it seemed to clear in all spots. Like a moron, I never actually checked to see if it would turn or not.(stock manual flywheels dont use any spacers, according to diagrams at Toyota)

3. The guy at the dealership said the bolts that secure the flywheel on might be too long and hitting the block. Maybe. He thinks that since I needed to use a spacer, the mounting hub deal on the fidanza is thinner than the stock mounting surface. Anyone have any experience? I dont have a stock one to compare.

4. When it's on the ground, in gear, it doesn't move. Push the clutch in, it rolls. Leave it in neutral, it rolls. Up in the air, spin one tire, the other spins the other way, so the diff isnt fucked up. Everything seems to be in order and working fine, other than the problem at hand.

I know I should've double checked my shit, but im paying for that with having to take everything apart once more. Im simply asking if anyone thats done/researched e153 swaps into these cars has ever come across this issue, and what has been done to resolve it. Im taking it apart tomorrow morning, couldn't get ahold of a engine cradle till the morning. Oh, every bolt/part that wasnt reused from the automatic came straight from Toyota. Ill probably find the problem tomorrow, im hopeful that its something stupid i screwed up on my part. Any ideas/ suggestions are definately welcome. My cardomain is in my sig, it has pictures and a sort of 5 speed happenings of the whole process. Its been fun, but now that theres snow on the ground it kinda sucks. Thanks for reading, thanks for any advice!

DanInDaNati · 12-01-2008, 08:54 AM

There should be two switches on the clutch pedal. One is the clutch start switch. If the clutch pedal is not pushed down all the way the engine will not start. Did you hook up this switch? Did you push the clutch in all the way when you are trying to start it? I would check that first before you start taking everything apart.

Hajoca · 12-01-2008, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stonegrave

99 Toyota camry - E153 from a 99 Solara, Fidanza flywheel, ACT clutch kit.

3. The guy at the dealership said the bolts that secure the flywheel on might be too long and hitting the block. Maybe. He thinks that since I needed to use a spacer, the mounting hub deal on the fidanza is thinner than the stock mounting surface. Anyone have any experience? I dont have a stock one to compare.

4. When it's on the ground, in gear, it doesn't move. Push the clutch in, it rolls. Leave it in neutral, it rolls. Up in the air, spin one tire, the other spins the other way, so the diff isnt fucked up. Everything seems to be in order and working fine, other than the problem at hand.

If #4 is true then #3 is possible.

Are you able to rotate engine by turning crank pulley with wrench only ( after remove spark plugs) ?? and using starter with no spark plugs?

Your starter pinion gear may be binding (only a guess) when it meshes and is having a hard time sliding onto and off the flywheel.

Stonegrave · 12-02-2008, 02:41 AM

DanInDaNati

I didn't hook up the clutch safety switch, I bypassed it. If it wasn't right, then no power would be going to the stater at all, and thats not the case.

Hajoca

Can't turn the motor over by hand at all. I had a 1/2 craftsman beast with a big ass cheater bar and it wont budge. Since I needed a spacer to even fit the flywheel, its too far close to the starter for it to really mesh, so yes you are correct. When the starter extends, it extends too far, but I know this isnt my only problem because I obviously cant turn it over by hand. Ill definately need to shim the starter when I figure out the main problem.

Got the engine cradle, but the guy lost his wire, and by the time I got off of work all the stores were closed. Gotta buy a chain or some wire tomorrow so I can get this thing taken apart. Thanks for the responses!

Hajoca · 12-02-2008, 09:18 AM

Wire?? you mean cable or wire rope right?

Stonegrave · 12-07-2008, 10:29 PM

Finally got the motivation and time to take this thing back apart. it was 100 times easier this time around. The ACT pressure plate is too big, it hits the inside of the trans bellhousing. Tomorrow im going to take the trans to the shop and grind off some material so it will work. The motor turns over no problem with the trans off. I think someone said that the third gens have the same problem with this clutch/pressure plate?