I'm REALLY lost now, can I PLEASE get a straight answer on this tranny swap!?

[tigeraid]

I have a tranny from a 96 Caprice I can swap into my '94. I keep getting 100 different answers from every person I ask.

This is really sucking. Has anyone actually DONE this swap? I've gotten 10 different answers... on NAISSO two people have said "swap right in", bolt in, nothing else whatsoever needed. Then on Impalassforum.com they say I need wiring harness OR re-flash the PCM to a 96....

Then I talk to a GM tranny tech and another b-body guy, here's what they said:

<tigeraid> apparently there's a difference in the wiring
<tigeraid> for the tcc or some such
<Rexehdrol> ya
<Rexehdrol> between 94 and 95-96
<Rexehdrol> what year is your car again?
<tigeraid> 94
<tigeraid> I was told it could be swapped
<tigeraid> but I had to change something
<tigeraid> I just dunno what
<Rexehdrol> wiring harness and PCM progrmaming to a 95 program
<tigeraid> okay, cool, that sounded about right
<tigeraid> now one more question
<Rexehdrol> but still have to rewire
<tigeraid> the harness in question actually comes FROM the PCM directly to the tranny right? So I should just grab the harness from the doner car?
<Rexehdrol> you could do that
<Rexehdrol> or just run a metripack connector frmo the right terminal on the PCM to the tranny harness
<tigeraid> wussat, just an adapter?
<tigeraid> I assume the 94 and 95 PCMs are the same, it's the harness itself that varies... the same terminal on the PCM right
<Rexehdrol> a metripack connector is one of those lil pins in the PCM connector
<Rexehdrol> yup PCM's the same
<tigeraid> ok cool

-----

And the GM Tranny Tech (yes, despite his nickname):

<HondaRace> sup
<tigeraid> I got a 94, and I found a '95-96 tranny to swap.... fairly certain it's a 95
<tigeraid> just gotta check, someone else told me I need to run a 95 program in the PCM
<tigeraid> cuz the tcc stuff is different
<tigeraid> and the wiring harness has to be changed
<tigeraid> anything else I need to know?
<HondaRace> should be it
<tigeraid> ok cool
<tigeraid> if it DOES turn out to be a '96, there's no difference eh
<HondaRace> no
<tigeraid> ok cool, thanks
<HondaRace> thankfully alot of shit is interchangable

-----


Now on top of all this, the guy who's selling me the tranny says:

To swap a 96 + trans into a 94:

needs changing:

Wiring harness
Valvebody
Transmission pump.

You don't HAVE to swap the valvebody, you just have to take a solenoid out, and tie a valve up. It's just easier to swap the whole thing

I DON'T KNOW WHO TO BELIEVE! HAS ANYONE DONE THIS SWAP!?!?!

[DR2000]

Feliks did that as far as I remember. He took a 94 car and moved stuff from 95 into it.

[12SEC SS]

when I put '95 tranny into '94 car i added 1 wire to the tranny connector, the wire comes straight from the PCM, and the PCM has to be flashed with a '95 program. Workes fine for me for 2 years now.

[tigeraid]

k now that's what I thought, but another guy who's done the swap on impalassforum.com says I have to flash the PCM *or* change the harness, not both.... your thoughts?

[MrSag]

Well, Feliks's car works, so I'd take his word for it.

[DR2000]

But you know, the problem here is that the other guy is no one else, but Ed Runnion himself. :)

I'd just ask Feliks about more detail. They are probably saying the same thing.

You probably should go ahead and buy the tranny while it's still avaliable. Obviously the swap is possible. You'll figure out the details on the way.

[LM13]

Originally posted by tigeraid
k now that's what I thought, but another guy who's done the swap on impalassforum.com says I have to flash the PCM *or* change the harness, not both.... your thoughts?

thats exactly what feliks said
Originally posted by feliks94ss
the PCM has to be flashed with a '95 program.

[tigeraid]

thank you all for the input, I got it cleared up... I have to

1) flash the PCM to a '96 *and* add a single wire to the wiring harness from the PCM to the tranny

*** OR ***

2) change the internal wiring harness to the tcc, which is located under the tranny filter.

Since the tranny is apart anyway, the second choice is easier... I was confused since some guys were saying I had to do BOTH. But thank you.

[capriceman]

Believe it or not, I sometimes long for the days when a computer was something that big companys and Starfleet had.
Good luck.

[sbcaprice305]

heres an idea......take out ur local yellow pages go to auto servise...and call up every single transmission shop in there...they would no....here it from the experts.. i would think if the engins the same ..controlls, wiring ,sensors ......o yea is the 94 electronicly controlled trans?