So I picked up a v6 h27a swapped geo tracker. Just got delivered today.


I need to hook up the vss so the speedo works , and the temp gauge for coolant temp. Can I use the original cluster speedo and temp gauge?


Also the shifter seems to be loose and floppy will swapping the xl7 shifter solve this issue?

I take it you realise that anyone who responds is only guessing ...

I'm going to guess that the vehicle has the XL-7 transmission fitted, and that it's an automatic transmission, because manual transmission XL-7s can be difficult to find - if I'm right on that, the answer to the first question is NO, and the second is MAYBE

The Geo speedometer is cable driven and the XL-7 transmission doesn't have a cable output - in theory you could remove the speed sensor off of the transfer case and fit the one off of the Geo, but you'd probably need to get into the transfer case and fiddle with the drive gears to get them to mesh properly - I've never heard of anyone doing it, but you could give it a shot.  In theory, if it's an automatic, you could swap the transfer case from one transmission to the next, but again, I've never heard of this being done.  Regarding the temperature gauge, it depends on the year of the H27 donor, on later models the coolant temperature sensor did not drive the temperature gauge directly, but routed the signal through the BCM (body control module), the Geo temperature gauge was designed to be driven directly from the sensor, and it needs to be a "matching" sensor for it to work properly.

Continuing my guessing game - if it is an automatic, any sloppiness in the shifter is likely to in the shifter itself, this generation of automatics uses a cable operated shifter, so if you have a sloppy Geo shifter, the XL-7 shifter MAYBE in better condition.

Now if I guessed incorrectly my answers MAY also be incorrect - I assumed the XL-7 transmission would be used for a number of reasons - starting with ease of mating the bellhousing to the engine and knowing that swapping the transmission with the engine typically requires little more than custom driveshafts, which is relatively easy to do. 

Personally I would hesitate to buy anyone's "incomplete project", especially one as complex as this, unless I had first hand knowledge of what had been done - little details can make or break the swap - the year XL-7 the H27 came out of determines the complexity of the electronics, which are only important if you're going to use the original ECU to fuel the engine, if it's an automatic then you need to figure out how to shift the automatic, assuming you stick with the automatic out of the XL-7 which, depending on the market could be a four speed or five speed, if it's a manual, an after-market ECU might be easier that sorting out the XL-7 electronics, assuming you have the skills to install and tune it.

All in all, you're asking us questions after giving us very little detail, and so forcing us to make assumptions and guesses.

I take it you realise that anyone who responds is only guessing ...

I'm going to guess that the vehicle has the XL-7 transmission fitted, and that it's an automatic transmission, because manual transmission XL-7s can be difficult to find - if I'm right on that, the answer to the first question is NO, and the second is MAYBE

The Geo speedometer is cable driven and the XL-7 transmission doesn't have a cable output - in theory you could remove the speed sensor off of the transfer case and fit the one off of the Geo, but you'd probably need to get into the transfer case and fiddle with the drive gears to get them to mesh properly - I've never heard of anyone doing it, but you could give it a shot.  In theory, if it's an automatic, you could swap the transfer case from one transmission to the next, but again, I've never heard of this being done.  Regarding the temperature gauge, it depends on the year of the H27 donor, on later models the coolant temperature sensor did not drive the temperature gauge directly, but routed the signal through the BCM (body control module), the Geo temperature gauge was designed to be driven directly from the sensor, and it needs to be a "matching" sensor for it to work properly.

Continuing my guessing game - if it is an automatic, any sloppiness in the shifter is likely to in the shifter itself, this generation of automatics uses a cable operated shifter, so if you have a sloppy Geo shifter, the XL-7 shifter MAYBE in better condition.

Now if I guessed incorrectly my answers MAY also be incorrect - I assumed the XL-7 transmission would be used for a number of reasons - starting with ease of mating the bellhousing to the engine and knowing that swapping the transmission with the engine typically requires little more than custom driveshafts, which is relatively easy to do. 

Personally I would hesitate to buy anyone's "incomplete project", especially one as complex as this, unless I had first hand knowledge of what had been done - little details can make or break the swap - the year XL-7 the H27 came out of determines the complexity of the electronics, which are only important if you're going to use the original ECU to fuel the engine, if it's an automatic then you need to figure out how to shift the automatic, assuming you stick with the automatic out of the XL-7 which, depending on the market could be a four speed or five speed, if it's a manual, an after-market ECU might be easier that sorting out the XL-7 electronics, assuming you have the skills to install and tune it.

All in all, you're asking us questions after giving us very little detail, and so forcing us to make assumptions and guesses.

Sorry I should've been more specific. It's a 2003 xl7 swap. Ecu, auto transmission, t case all from the xl7.

https://youtu.be/iPxR4ImLmRA

That's the one I bought. Sean Devinney is known in suzuki community think he owns aftermarket4x4. They make engine harnesses and mounts for this swap.

He had it for more of a shop truck I want to drive it on the road. To and from trails amd maybe to get some food

I was thinking if the speedo was hard to install I could just plug into the obd2 port and use a scanner app to pull coolant temp and speed.

The shifter is original to the geo tracker. You can swap xl7 shifter but it doesn't fit as good. I guess it's a little sloppy when you do it that way?

I've heard of, or rather, read of Sean DeVinney - Aftermarket 4x4 are I believe competent fabricators, but at the end of the day, it's still someone else's incomplete project and you're still in the dark as to how to put the "finishing touches" on it.

There was a point when engine swaps were "mechanically challenging", stuff like mounting the engine and hooking up the intake, exhaust & cooling systems, but those times are long gone, the challenge now lies in getting the electronics to play nice - unfortunately 2003 was when Suzuki introduced the "body controller" electronics, and we can only guess at how Aftermarket 4x4 chose to deal with that, or maybe decided it was too much of a hassle, which is why the vehicle doesn't have a working speedometer and/or temperature gauge.  Some folks who have done this swap have tucked the body controller behind the dash with just enough hooked up to keep the check engine light off and if this is what was done, it might be possible to build a custom gauge cluster using the guts of the XL-7 cluster - I say might because whilst I know what's inside the 01 & 02 clusters, I've never taken apart the one from an 03.  Using after-market gauges from someone like autometer is another option.

Have you checked to see if the OBD port is connected?  Does the check engine light come on when the ignition is switched on and go out after the engine starts?  Are you required to do air care tests or whatever they are called in your neck of the woods?  I know some states won't allow the vehicle to be used if the OBD system reports any errors, even if they are not "emission related" errors.

Search the forum - there is at least one detailed write-up on swapping the H27a into a two door gen 1, and there might be two.

I've heard of, or rather, read of Sean DeVinney - Aftermarket 4x4 are I believe competent fabricators, but at the end of the day, it's still someone else's incomplete project and you're still in the dark as to how to put the "finishing touches" on it.

There was a point when engine swaps were "mechanically challenging", stuff like mounting the engine and hooking up the intake, exhaust & cooling systems, but those times are long gone, the challenge now lies in getting the electronics to play nice - unfortunately 2003 was when Suzuki introduced the "body controller" electronics, and we can only guess at how Aftermarket 4x4 chose to deal with that, or maybe decided it was too much of a hassle, which is why the vehicle doesn't have a working speedometer and/or temperature gauge.  Some folks who have done this swap have tucked the body controller behind the dash with just enough hooked up to keep the check engine light off and if this is what was done, it might be possible to build a custom gauge cluster using the guts of the XL-7 cluster - I say might because whilst I know what's inside the 01 & 02 clusters, I've never taken apart the one from an 03.  Using after-market gauges from someone like autometer is another option.

Have you checked to see if the OBD port is connected?  Does the check engine light come on when the ignition is switched on and go out after the engine starts?  Are you required to do air care tests or whatever they are called in your neck of the woods?  I know some states won't allow the vehicle to be used if the OBD system reports any errors, even if they are not "emission related" errors.

Search the forum - there is at least one detailed write-up on swapping the H27a into a two door gen 1, and there might be two.

Yes the obd2 port and looks to be a body ecu are still in. You can plug it in like any 96+ obd2.

Where I live if you have a 1995 and under or obd1 you just need a visual inspection. But if you have a 96+ you need to plug in your obd2 port to pass inspection.

I have read through a few of the h25 or h27 swaps on this forum. I will do it again.

I remember reading guys using the xl7 shifter and xl7 cluster but it doesn't fit to good. Plus I've seen guys use the original geo tracker cluster and shifter.

Have you guys seen the app called torque? For gauges and scanning tool? You plug into your obd2 port and connect to a tablet or a cell phone. I am hoping the vss is still in the t case. Then I should be able to do that. Waiting on my Bluetooth obd2 dongle and I will see if that works.

So a update on this. The transfer case is a mix of the original geo and the xl7. So the speedo works was just a loose cable.

Obd2 port needs to be wired in just ordered a port online. Just need to figure out what wires from the ecu/ harness match up to that diagram I found online.