Ok i started with a 96 2wd 3.9. Took that out put a 5.2 out of a 95 in. I went through the motor and the donor truck already had a rebuilt trans with under 2k om it. The 95 was a 4x4. I have switched in the motor, the trans, wiring harness but reused my taipiece off the 96. The problem i am having now is that the truck will not shift and seems to fall out of gear. I cannot find a plug or wiring for the output sensor on the trans which i believe is my issue. It will engage in park, rev, drive, but wont leave first. Do i have to hardwire in the sensor? And if so what wires do i splice into. Might be unrelated but my tach isnt working either.

 

The 1995 is a RH transmission, the 1996 had a RE transmission.

You'll also need to swap the valve bodies, and I'm not sure what else, to get it to shift properly.

RwP

 

The only part of the trans that came off the 96 is the tailpiece. The rest of the drivetrain is 95 motor, trans, wiring harness pcm etc. The only reason i had to use my tailpiece from the 96 is because the 95 was a 4x4 and i was going rwd

 

Ah. I misunderstood the direction of swapping.

Tach is driven off the ECU; the transmission swap won't affect that.

RwP

 

Yup 95 is RH 96 is RE. The H or the E is related to the governor within the trans, H means the governor is hydraulic E means that it is electronic (computer .controlled) the governor is in the tailshaft housing on the RH trans and is a solenoid on the valve body on an RE. We're Were there 2 metal tubes in the RH tail housing along the bottom of the inside of the case?this is dluif feed and return for the governor. The 96 won't have this. You're gonna have to get a tail housing to match the year of your trans. No governor, no wonder it won't shift

 

Both transmissions have the 2 metal tubes the one from the 96 and the 95. And when i went to the junkyard to look at a 95 2wd it has the same two sensors in the tail that mine already has. Just no wiring coming from the harness for the oss the vss is hooked up. I got the truck broke in half 3 years ago. Frame rotted. Im wondering if someone cut the wires out of the harness before me owning it since i never got a chance to actually drive more than on and off the trailer. Im trying to figure out wiring part of it.

 

You're in luck on figuring out the wiring - the 95 AND the 96 FSMs are linked in the FAQ (about 1/3 of the way down, IIRC).

Download both, and you'll have both wiring schemes for back there.

RwP

 

Sorry im not sure what those abbreviations mean. Forgive my feeble mind lol. But i do like the being in luck part. One thing i have noticed about my truck is that it seems to be an oddball on some of the parts. I just figured it was because it was the last year of that body style and the first of odb2. That or someone before me bastardized it.

 

Factory Service Manual == FSM. It'll have the original wiring diagrams in it; specifically, section 8W.

And yah, the 1996, like the 1987, was a one-year-wonder; a LOT of "Well, it's ALMOST the same!" parts in it.

Frequently Asked Questions == FAQ. And it says so, right up at the top of the forum message list.

If I Remember Correct == IIRC.

RwP

 

being that 96 was 1st year of OBD II I know that some carmakers phased in some parts of it a year early...… I have also seen cases of "using the last of some leftovers" in early model next year trucks. If they both had the 2 tubes then they could both be RH series trannys.
Look if you can on top of the "shelf" so to speak, where the shift linkage and throttle linkage pokes thru the case on the driver side. about even with where the cooler lines screw into the case. At the back of that "shelf" facing downward into the case there should be a bundle of wires. Can you pop that connector and see if it has 3 pins or 7 pins? Look at the same thing on both units. 3 pins is an "RH series trans; 7 pins is an "RE" series trans. What ever they are, if both the same then you're good/ if you have a 3 pin and a 7 pin, youre kinda screwed.
or at least see how many wires goes into that connector if you can, may not have to pop the connector loose.