Big Blue's Transformation

[85lebaront2]

Bill - Sorry I missed this last night.

On the engine harness, I have the '96 CA-spec 460 harness so I'm good there.

But on the Lincoln Continental 40 way connectors, my plans for the wires to the ECU are shown below. And that seems to say that I need 43 connections. But that includes 5 regular grounds and 1 case ground. So, maybe I could cut that down to 2 grounds and 1 case ground = 40 pins?

So, can you measure those connectors? Maybe I could make a plate that is attached to the firewall to cover the hole and have one of those connectors in the middle?

Also, are the wires straight into the outside connector or is there a 90?

Ok, Gary, Lincoln Continental 40 way connectors, inner shell, 1.742"/44.25mm wide with two retaining tabs centered on the short sides, .494"/12.55mm wide, 0.151"/3.83mm tall, the latching tabs will compress to that height. The short sides 1.66"/42.17mm. There are 2 to 4 aligning tabs on each that do not interface with the outer shell. I do not remember how these were sealed to the cowl, as the outer shell does not come all the way to the location of the outer side of the panel and there is no true flange on the inner part to seal against the metal. The skirt on the outer portion is 2" X 2.33". Wires enter straight on both sides, on the Lincoln Continental, the inside harness(s) were in that black trough so they turned 90° after (or before) entering the connector.

On your notes on the FPR, either relay, Bosch or Ford proprietary will work, I personally would use the Bosch for readily available spares. No need for the start signal, EEC pulses the FPR then when it receives a signal that the engine is turning from the CKP input at which point it will re-energize the FPR. Some of the EEC-IV modules used a start signal input.

To return to the wiring, circuits 190 & 200 are not needed as they are the Thermactor air control solenoids. O2 sensor numbering convention (OBD-2 requirements) #11 is for bank with #1 cyl, #12 is other bank, #21 is rear sensor (post cat), and if dual, then there will be a #22 post cat.

[Gary Lewis]

Ok, Gary, Lincoln Continental 40 way connectors, inner shell, 1.742"/44.25mm wide with two retaining tabs centered on the short sides, .494"/12.55mm wide, 0.151"/3.83mm tall, the latching tabs will compress to that height. The short sides 1.66"/42.17mm. There are 2 to 4 aligning tabs on each that do not interface with the outer shell. I do not remember how these were sealed to the cowl, as the outer shell does not come all the way to the location of the outer side of the panel and there is no true flange on the inner part to seal against the metal. The skirt on the outer portion is 2" X 2.33". Wires enter straight on both sides, on the Lincoln Continental, the inside harness(s) were in that black trough so they turned 90° after (or before) entering the connector.

On your notes on the FPR, either relay, Bosch or Ford proprietary will work, I personally would use the Bosch for readily available spares. No need for the start signal, EEC pulses the FPR then when it receives a signal that the engine is turning from the CKP input at which point it will re-energize the FPR. Some of the EEC-IV modules used a start signal input.

To return to the wiring, circuits 190 & 200 are not needed as they are the Thermactor air control solenoids. O2 sensor numbering convention (OBD-2 requirements) #11 is for bank with #1 cyl, #12 is other bank, #21 is rear sensor (post cat), and if dual, then there will be a #22 post cat.

I'm not sure I follow what you are saying. But, I think I understood 'the skirt on the outer portion is 2" X 2.33"' to mean that it won't fit in the ~1" wide by ~2 1/2" tall opening in the firewall. Right?

And thanks for the tips on the wiring and relays.

[Gary Lewis]

I'm not sure I follow what you are saying. But, I think I understood 'the skirt on the outer portion is 2" X 2.33"' to mean that it won't fit in the ~1" wide by ~2 1/2" tall opening in the firewall. Right?

And thanks for the tips on the wiring and relays.

As for what I did today, I got the bracket to hold the battery isolator made and installed. Turned out that the way I have it planned this bracket will work for now and when I go EFI I'll have to add a bracket to the air box bracket. But here's a shot of everything back together, and tomorrow I can start on the cables:

And here are a couple of shots of the bracket:

[Gary Lewis]

I would definitely speak to your kids about it if you are planning on passing the truck onto them. Are you sure they would even be interested in it?

I like the idea of the Holley Sniper, and have been thinking about going the same route with my F350.

As for asking my kids, I guess that's a good idea. We hope to get to go see them in March, so that's a good conversation to have with them face-to-face.

But that's really a discussion to have about Dad's truck as I think I've painted myself into a corner on Big Blue. With the EFI intake not really being designed for having fuel in it I think I need to continue with the plan to go with the EEC-V EFI. And, I'm really not that far from having it done. The fuel system is ready, and the electrical system is getting there.

[85lebaront2]

I'm not sure I follow what you are saying. But, I think I understood 'the skirt on the outer portion is 2" X 2.33"' to mean that it won't fit in the ~1" wide by ~2 1/2" tall opening in the firewall. Right?

And thanks for the tips on the wiring and relays.

Gary, the "skirt" is on the part that screws onto the inner portion, the part that would go through the firewall. Here it is with dimensions.

[Gary Lewis]

Gary, the "skirt" is on the part that screws onto the inner portion, the part that would go through the firewall. Here it is with dimensions.

Thanks for the explanation, Bill. But unless I seriously mistaken that's not going to fit in that opening. I'm now thinking I'll be better off finding the grommet, running my wires through it, and soldering them to the pigtail that's on the EEC's connector.

Again, thanks for getting the dimensions for me.

[85lebaront2]

Thanks for the explanation, Bill. But unless I seriously mistaken that's not going to fit in that opening. I'm now thinking I'll be better off finding the grommet, running my wires through it, and soldering them to the pigtail that's on the EEC's connector.

Again, thanks for getting the dimensions for me.

No, it won't. If it was me, I would open the oval wide enough and maybe go up a bit, make a small plate to mount the connector to and blank any unused portion. I just like the idea of having a plug between the engine harness and body harness.

Other suggestion, since the normal 1996 42 way body to engine harness is on the PDC mount, take it off of there and when you run the wires from the EEC through the grommet, relocate the 42 way connector to a bracket near the grommet as the later Explorer 5.0L models did or in the E-series it was on the cowl area over the front of the engine (Explorer location is probably best) so there is still an easy way to disconnect the engine harness from the body if any repairs are needed. Doing this, the existing wire bundle that would go to the left side, should reach back to the rear and plug in there.

I have worked on those French trucks and called their engineers/designers and bean counters some choice words as there is not a separate engine harness and the underhood wiring looks like they threw it in and said "Ok, that's good enough". It makes doing anything (like changing injectors on a 454) a royal pain.

[Gary Lewis]

No, it won't. If it was me, I would open the oval wide enough and maybe go up a bit, make a small plate to mount the connector to and blank any unused portion. I just like the idea of having a plug between the engine harness and body harness.

Other suggestion, since the normal 1996 42 way body to engine harness is on the PDC mount, take it off of there and when you run the wires from the EEC through the grommet, relocate the 42 way connector to a bracket near the grommet as the later Explorer 5.0L models did or in the E-series it was on the cowl area over the front of the engine (Explorer location is probably best) so there is still an easy way to disconnect the engine harness from the body if any repairs are needed. Doing this, the existing wire bundle that would go to the left side, should reach back to the rear and plug in there.

I have worked on those French trucks and called their engineers/designers and bean counters some choice words as there is not a separate engine harness and the underhood wiring looks like they threw it in and said "Ok, that's good enough". It makes doing anything (like changing injectors on a 454) a royal pain.

I'm confused, Bill. Maybe I'm missing something. Why can't I keep 42-way body/engine connector on the PDB and still run the wires to the ECU through the grommet? Don't all of the wires in the engine harness go out to the engine?

I know I have a lot to learn about that setup as there are three different connectors:

• Engine: The 42-way that is shown in the pic below at the back end of the yellow arrow which, I think, goes to the engine and some sensors

• Body: There's the body connector, circled in red, that takes circuits to/from the in-cab fuse box as well as other things

• ECU: Circled in green, this is cut off on the '96 harnii and is where I'll have to lengthen and solder the wires back together.

I'm thinking that the vast majority, if not all, of the Body wiring can be stripped out. And as we've discussed, much of the wiring to/from the ECU won't be used and can be removed. But I was thinking that most of the engine harness will be used.

What am I missing?

[85lebaront2]

I'm confused, Bill. Maybe I'm missing something. Why can't I keep 42-way body/engine connector on the PDB and still run the wires to the ECU through the grommet? Don't all of the wires in the engine harness go out to the engine?

I know I have a lot to learn about that setup as there are three different connectors:

• Engine: The 42-way that is shown in the pic below at the back end of the yellow arrow which, I think, goes to the engine and some sensors

• Body: There's the body connector, circled in red, that takes circuits to/from the in-cab fuse box as well as other things

• ECU: Circled in green, this is cut off on the '96 harnii and is where I'll have to lengthen and solder the wires back together.

I'm thinking that the vast majority, if not all, of the Body wiring can be stripped out. And as we've discussed, much of the wiring to/from the ECU won't be used and can be removed. But I was thinking that most of the engine harness will be used.

What am I missing?

Gary, lay things out with the EEC plug located just behind the left side of the engine harness and figure out how much rewiring is going to be needed to get from there to the existing 42 way connector on the PDC mount. Weigh that against having that all moved to being connected right in front of the EEC mount. BTW, in the picture the small rectangular plug between the two circles is the electronic speed control plug.

See picture with notes below:

[Gary Lewis]

Gary, lay things out with the EEC plug located just behind the left side of the engine harness and figure out how much rewiring is going to be needed to get from there to the existing 42 way connector on the PDC mount. Weigh that against having that all moved to being connected right in front of the EEC mount. BTW, in the picture the small rectangular plug between the two circles is the electronic speed control plug.

See picture with notes below:

Bill - Thanks for the notes on the pic. And I think you are telling me something I'd not realized. I think you are saying that the engine's 42-way connector doesn't have to be on the PDB but can go to the firewall. I'd assumed that there were many things in the engine harness that comes from the PDB, but now that I think about it that's not true. Essentially everything in the engine harness comes from the ECU.

Is that what you are trying to get me to realize? That it is something like this simple drawing?

As for what I did today, I got the power wiring essentially done. Here's a shot and you can the red #2 wire coming from the aux battery and going to the far side of the battery isolator, with the yellow wire on this side being from the main battery. Then there's another red #2 going from the isolator to the megafuse, then another from the megafuse to the aux power relay on the firewall.

But what you can't see is that not everything is connected at the isolator. In the pic below you can see that there is one connection to the isolator but another is hanging in the breeze. My buddy Scott said it best: "Magnalugs are great, but boy are they thick!" Yep, two magnalugs won't fit on one stud.

So, I took a page out of Scott's book and ordered two STARTER OR SOLENOID TERMINAL REPAIR STUD - AB-506D, as shown on the left, below. Unfortunately the soonest I could get them here is Feb 11th, so I ordered some 5/16-24 coupling nuts, shown on the right, that will get me by until then.

But, I fear I'll have to move the isolator a bit as the stud extension or coupling nut will be too close to the fender. Guess I'll get to make another bracket.