so i finally got mine swapped, it took about 2 days, the torque converter was just such a pain in the **** to take out.

anyways, once its installed, yo don't have to reprogram it.

you first need to drain the transfer case and take that out, once you take that out, unplug all the wires around the tranny and transfer case.
make sure you first take out the bottom ones and then put the transmission at an angle, once you have at an angle you can use a very very long extended bit to remove to top ones.
once its out the torque converter is still stuck, its has very very thin bolt heads and its also very tight to work with, so grab a super small socket wrench and do it carefully so you don't strip the screws.

once its out, there is a seal you should replace too, i think its called the rear end seal (you have to remove the tranny to change this so its best to do it now). also this gives you time to undercoat under the tranny so it protects it from rusting.


when you want to put the new tranny, empty the oil from the "new" used torque converter and install just a few bottom bolts of the tranny to the bell housing cover. after it is in a bit, remove the bottom pan and check to see if there is any metal slivers in it (this tells you if it blew or not). install a new tranny filter and seal it with gasket sealant and just reverse the process and install everything back. also put an extra magnet in the pan to collect any new stuff that might be in there from the previous owner.

also you're gonna need a box of oil FROM THE DEALER ONLY to pour in. once its in without starting it, run it in p r n d so the oil get everywhere. then start the car.

 

also in the front of the car there are 2 hoses under the front skid plate for the transmission, i added an extra small radiator to cool down the tranny.

this will ensure that the tranny will last for a lot longer.
and the one that it already has doesn't do its justice.

I've heard from a few people that it tends to over heat and be one of the reasons for its malfunction.

 

When in south america I owned a Montero Lomotrf, automatic. One day it would not make up its mind what gear to be in. Found a local mechanic, only one in the town. He said he knew exactly what it was. Turns out that the shift cable going into the trans had started to shred. It had scraped the side and it had unraveled to the point that the cable was unable to go in properly. So while going down the road it would go in and out of housing, thus did not know what gear to be in. If you know where the cable enters the trans housing check there to see. Hope this helps, cheaper than a replacement tranny plus labor.