3.8L going into my BII, Need help?

STANG3O2 · 02-02-2009, 04:56 PM

I'm ready to start tearing into my BII. I have two motors to chose from. A 104K mile out of a T-bird or a 140K mile out of a cougar 3.8L. Will be looking for a C4 to rebuild to put behind it. My main question right now is what do I use for a Harness? Will some of a 5.0 explorer harnes work on the 3.8? Or will I have to custom make a harnes?

Cougar V6

T-bird V6 on the trailer after the trans blew. I picked this car up for the trans cheap. To put into the cougar well that didn't work!

Beanmachine7000 · 02-02-2009, 05:04 PM

I'd say use the entire harness from the 3.8L... Why are you trying to use part of a 5.0 harness?

STANG3O2 · 02-03-2009, 08:32 AM

I was guessing that a 5.0 harness from an early explorer would work with the bII and in part the 3.8L. If they had the same sensors conections? Just a shot in the dark.

Using the harness, computer for the 3.8L. Do I use the stock bronco harness for the rest of the truck. Like running two harnesses in parallel. One for engine and one for the rest?

Beanmachine7000 · 02-03-2009, 01:28 PM

If i were doing the swap I'd use the engine harness from the 3.8L... The Bronco harness will not work with the 3.8L, and neither would a 5.0L harness... If you're talking about using the engine bay harness and connecting it to everything else in the truck, you're going to have to do lots of research and custom work to make all your gauges and stuff work correctly... There is an article on it in the tech library, I know when I was planning on swapping a 4.0L in my BII I was going to use a 4.0L engine harness and re-pin it to work with the plug on the firewall...

Doing this swap there is not going to be an off the shelf harness you can use, it's going to be an amalgamation of the 3.8L, the BII, and some custom work...

02-02-2009, 04:56 PM	#1
STANG3O2 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: osceola, WI Year: 1989 Make: FORD Model: BRONCO II Posts: 48 Rep Power: 10 iTrader: (0)	3.8L going into my BII, Need help? I'm ready to start tearing into my BII. I have two motors to chose from. A 104K mile out of a T-bird or a 140K mile out of a cougar 3.8L. Will be looking for a C4 to rebuild to put behind it. My main question right now is what do I use for a Harness? Will some of a 5.0 explorer harnes work on the 3.8? Or will I have to custom make a harnes? Cougar V6 T-bird V6 on the trailer after the trans blew. I picked this car up for the trans cheap. To put into the cougar well that didn't work!
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02-02-2009, 05:04 PM	#2
Beanmachine7000 Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Tennessee Year: 1991 Make: Ford Model: Explorer Sport Engine: 4.0L Class: Soon to be 4WD Used For: Soon to be work truck... Posts: 2,007 Rep Power: 14 iTrader: (0)	I'd say use the entire harness from the 3.8L... Why are you trying to use part of a 5.0 harness? __________________ 1991 Explorer Sport 4.0L - 167k - DD/Work Truck "The constitution gives us all the right to be stupid... It's a treasured American right." - Phillip R. Kemmerly Ed.D
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02-03-2009, 08:32 AM	#3
STANG3O2 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: osceola, WI Year: 1989 Make: FORD Model: BRONCO II Posts: 48 Rep Power: 10 iTrader: (0)	I was guessing that a 5.0 harness from an early explorer would work with the bII and in part the 3.8L. If they had the same sensors conections? Just a shot in the dark. Using the harness, computer for the 3.8L. Do I use the stock bronco harness for the rest of the truck. Like running two harnesses in parallel. One for engine and one for the rest?
	Tweet

02-03-2009, 01:28 PM	#4
Beanmachine7000 Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Tennessee Year: 1991 Make: Ford Model: Explorer Sport Engine: 4.0L Class: Soon to be 4WD Used For: Soon to be work truck... Posts: 2,007 Rep Power: 14 iTrader: (0)	If i were doing the swap I'd use the engine harness from the 3.8L... The Bronco harness will not work with the 3.8L, and neither would a 5.0L harness... If you're talking about using the engine bay harness and connecting it to everything else in the truck, you're going to have to do lots of research and custom work to make all your gauges and stuff work correctly... There is an article on it in the tech library, I know when I was planning on swapping a 4.0L in my BII I was going to use a 4.0L engine harness and re-pin it to work with the plug on the firewall... Doing this swap there is not going to be an off the shelf harness you can use, it's going to be an amalgamation of the 3.8L, the BII, and some custom work... __________________ 1991 Explorer Sport 4.0L - 167k - DD/Work Truck "The constitution gives us all the right to be stupid... It's a treasured American right." - Phillip R. Kemmerly Ed.D
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