Well, I started in on the engine rebuild and it's a lot of trouble!!! Those GM people couldn't engineer a car if their lives depended on it. Anyway, I've had a lot of trouble with pulling all the electronic connectors from the engine, so here's my thought. What if I cut all the wires going to the engine and spliced in a large connector so I could pull the engine without taking off all the connectors. Do you think it would work and do you think it would be too hard to do?

 

Noy related to your topic but i checked out your website and seen a picture at the bottom with a Gulfstream GV in the far background. Do you come from a well to do family or what?
BTW, I work at Gulfstream in Savannah, GA.

 

My dad's a pilot, so I got a shot with the airplanes. Maybe you've met him. He got stuck in Savannah when the 9-11 attacks were going on.

 

If I made an engine connector, how would it be affected by moisture?

 

Depends on the type of connector you used.

 

I'm not sure about others, but I know that Ford did this with their powerstroke diesels. One big connector, unhook the starter and grounds, and the electrical is done. As long as you use a sealed connector you shouldn't have a problem.

 

What about the connector used a where the engine compartment and the interior meet (at the firewall)? I think it's code named "C100".

 

Ok, scratch that idea. The C100 only has 14 wires to splice and the engine has nearly 50! Any ideas on what connector would have 50 wires?

 

Other than some kind of computer cable (SCSI, router or Digiboard) but those typically aren't sealed. The only thing then would be to get some sort of box to clamp over the wires on either side of the connector. I personally cannot imagine trying to get 50 wires from an engine bay lined up onto 1 connector. I see the advantages if the engine is in and out frequently. I have concerns about the varying voltages and "crosstalk" a single connector would produce. I would try and get all the 12v wires into their own connector (for troubleshooting electrical problems) and leave all the sensors for another. FWIW I thought that under the passengers fender was a very large connector already. Doesn't that help?

 

That's not a connector but a protective covering to prevent shafing of the wires.

 

Yes, I can get 50 pin connectors. Airplanes always use those kind of dissconnects. Weather tight also. Interested?

 

Airplanes huh? I'll check with my dad and several people at the hanger tomorrow to see if there's any leftover. If not, do you have one I could use?

 

Why not use 2 or 3 smaller plugs ?

Re-routing the wiring will eliminate alot of what you would normally have to unplug/move when pulling a motor (& alot of headaches when doing normal maintenance on the motor). I ran a majority of wiring thru my trans tunnel. When I was having lots of motor problems awhile back, I could just pull my intake & lay it on the windshield cowl w/o having to unlug anything.

If you don't mind the curiousity, how often do you plan on pulling the motor to make use of all that rewiring anyways?

 

My recommendation would be leave the wire harness on the engine and remove it as one.
This is how you do it. Disconnect the computer harness and pull it back to the engine compartment (no need for disconnect now), and on the drivers side disconnect the C100 connector. That should be it. Pull the engine. the compartment is almost empty now, time for a good cleaning.

If you really want a disconnect, I can get any size for a few $$.

 

Let me think this think out. Hey John, I got a chance to look at your webpage; is that flame red?

 

Ok, I think I got a plan now. I'll use three connectors and put Induction and exhaust on one, Tranny and Ignition on the other, and Others on the last one.

So one the first one I'll have this:
Induction + Exhaust
T.P.S. (3 wires)
I.A.C. (4 wires)
M.A.P. (5)
I.A.T. (2)
O2 (1)

Total wires = 15

The second one would be this:
Tranny + Ignition
T.C.C. (3)
Speedo (2)
Distributor (6)
Coil (4)

Total wires = 15

The last one would be this:
Others
Oil Sender (1)
Oil Pressure(2)
Water Sender(1)
Water Temp. (2)
E.S.C. (1)
A/C (4)
A.I.R. (4)
Starter (5)

Total wires = 20

Sound like a good plan?

 

Any idea where I can find those connectors?

 

I guess, it's factory paint (1986).

 

Then that's flame red. That's what I'm doing my 86 Z28 in.

 

I left out a few things. I forgot to include the alternator wires and the injector wires. (18 wires) So, that's connector #4.

 

the injectors should only need 3-4 wires because they should be spliced together in the harnes, because it is port fuel inj. not multiport. That should save you some conector space. Also I don't know if you should install a conector in the starter and altenator wires ther might be to much curent and would melt a normal conector.

 

Ok, so here's my new plan.

So one the first one I'll have this:
Induction + Exhaust
T.P.S. (3 wires)
I.A.C. (4 wires)
M.A.P. (5)
I.A.T. (2)
O2 (1)
Left Side Inj. (2)
Right Side Inj. (2)

Total wires = 19

The second one would be this:
Tranny + Ignition
T.C.C. (3)
Speedo (2)
Distributor (6)
Coil (4)

Total wires = 15

The last one would be this:
Others
Oil Sender (3)
Water Sender(1)
Water Temp. (2)
E.S.C. (1)
A/C (4)
A.I.R. (4)
2ND Fan Switch (1)

Total wires = 16

 

SO, any ideas where I can get connectors with that many wires?

 

Well, I found some connectors but they weren't the one I would have prefered, but I got them anyway. I got 2; one has 14 slots and the other has 36 slots, so that will take care of the left and right side of the engine bay. I got the right side done and now I have to finish the left side tomorrow.

 

Do your connectors (plugs) have provisions for different guage wire? Some big 4 ga or 8 ga or 1ga? Just curious..I was looking to do something similar for stereo eqpt so I can remove everything with one plug. See ya

 

No, not really. I guess you could, but it would be harder to get in the connector.

 

A plastic connector would melt from the current those size wires are capable of. Sounds like you would need an expensive aircraft connector.

 

Have you considered using a Molex connector ?

Different types of Molex connectors

Maybe I'll get it right one of these times

 

That's what I used.

 

I don't think that 'crosstalk' would be a problem unless those wires were carrying lot's of and lot's of data in the equiv of around 20 or more mb's a sec. I doubt that the car's ECU transmits that kind of info.

 

Hey Convert, I was just reading your kills/losses list. You should change the name Ford Explorer to Ford Exploder! LOL