4.0 Auto into a 4.0 Manual Truck

[EricZ]

I've been doing a little research on here about some problems i'm having, but I still have a couple questions, hopefully someone who knows more than me could help me out.

I drive a 1995 Ranger 4x4 5speed, the motor hatched about a month ago, it was ugly. I got a 4.0 out of a 1996 Explorer Auto and was told every thing will bolt up no problem, supposedly I could leave the auto wiring harness on and it would work bolted up to the 5 speed.

So we took the hatched motor out, swapped all of the usual stuff, motor mounts, flywheel, all that junk. After a bad starter and a new solenoid, I got it to start and run. The only problem is that i have to short the poles on the solenoid to get it work.

This leads me to a problem. The neutral safety switch. Auto's need to be in either neutral or park to start, and manuals just have to have the clutch in. I know it has to be an electrical problem somewhere that has something to do with that stupid sensor. Everything obvious has been double checked, and triple checked.

What do you guys think? The usually reputable junkyard I got the motor from has no idea, and some of the info they gave me had to be wrong. I'm lost and about ready to push it off of something high.

 

[AllanD]

There is a sub harness on the earlier (up to 1994) Rangers that connects to the
Oil LEVEL sensor, the oil PRESSURE sensor the cannister purge solenoid
and wanders off the back of the engine to the transmission.

That harness is different between the manual and automatic transmissions

Frankly the Neutral safety switch wires are "jumpered" in the 5sp tranny harness.
they are in the "main" harness on the truck, they just aren't used.

The auto trans harness probably isn't connected to the back-up light switch
on your trans (the auto trans uses a different connector)

I don't recall exactly what that harness connects to on a 1995, but I know it wanders back and has a connector to the cat monitor.

Do you still have that harness?

AD

 

[EricZ]

I do still have that harness, but unfortunately i cut two connectors off of it that were missing on the harness the motor came with. I can piece it back together no problem, can I switch out the harness without taking the motor out?

I guess I should have gone with my gut in the first place.

 

[AllanD]

There is no need to pull the engine to install that sub harness.

It is NOT the entire engine harness.

It is a short harness maber 35" long with a square connector at one end and several smaller ones along it's length.

AD

 

[EricZ]

Could you tell me where the harness is located and what it plugs into?

Thanks AllanD you've been a big help.

 

[raiper]

well from what ive been learnin so far with my manual swap gone wrong to disable the neutral saftey switch thingy jump the red wire with blue stripe and the pink wire on the harness that connects to the auto tranny

 

[AllanD]

Could you tell me where the harness is located and what it plugs into?

Thanks AllanD you've been a big help.

IF you read up you'll see I already did tell you what it connects to.

AD

 

[EricZ]

I am actually using the sub harness that came off of the manual motor, the only harness I am using from the auto motor is the main engine harness. Would it do any good to pull the main harness and put the one from the manual in?