wiring for 4.0 swap

[RangerSphinx]

ok i have read and read all kinds of 2.9 to 4.0 swap info... but not one of them has really told me what wires to keep and what to get rde of... the closest i have come was steve butlers one in the tech library... but i am still confused... is there any wire bundels that i keep on my ranger (88) or what... if anyone knows please help i need to get this done asap so i can go back to work... lol

 

[abrush]

The wires that you will keep are the ones that will make your vehicle start and run. There isn't too much to it. You will need to use the fuel pump wire and also the wire that runs to the ignition. I also used the green/red wire (if I remember the color correctly) that runs to the alternator. The bigger red/green wire powers everything in your vehicle so you will definetly want that one as well. I would start by hooking everything up that you need for the vehicle to run and go from there. Once you get this done you will have a much better picture of what you will need and what you don't need. I just capped off the wires I didn't use.

 

[AllanD]

That's because a complete list of what wires to keep and which ones to "toss" isn't that simple.

It varies based on:
!)Model year of the truck
2) original engine.
3)Year of 4.0 being swapped in.
4) what systems you are trying to retain
5)what systems you are trying to replace.

On my personal swap, a '93 Explorer 4.0 into a 1987 2.9 supercab
I wanted to swap OUT as much as possible of the original wiring.

HOWEVER I flatly REFUSED to modify any of the cluster of connectors
near the brake master cylinder.

At the same time I needed to retain the headlight wiring and keep the
original chassis harness

I DID NOT retrofit ABS onto my truck
I did however create a "hybred" '93/'87 cruise control system
(I needed the parts inside the truck to remain '87 while everything
under the hood needed to be '93)

I also wanted the power distribution system of the '93

If anyone actually looked at both the circuit diagram
and the actual wiring path execution of the power
distribution on an upto-88 Ranger you'd wonder how
much of the development budget was spent on LSD.

Basically instead of the alternator output being hooked to the battery
like on every other vehicle ever made the power wires make a round
robin visit across the engine bay and eventually wander back to the
battery.

add to that the troublesom slip connector on the worthless and weak
early internally regulated alternator, vs the much more efficient aternator used on the '94-94 4.0.... and the alternator output wire that's all of 22" long....

Basically to tell someone everything would start to look like a bible by the time you wrere done typing...

AD

 

[almostclueless]

maybe this swap isn't the kind of thing you should tackle...