Is it ok to attach the body to engine ground cable to the transmission bellhousing? I think it used to go to the back of the head or block but it looks like it would be easier to connect it to the bellhousing grounds. I was concerned because of the alum. housing and the other grounds there as well.

I could also use an opinion in identifing this black & Pink wire in the photo. I am assuming its for the starter and not another ground through the bellhousing.

Thanks for the help its been awhile.

 

You can ground it there, it will work fine.

The connector with the pink/black and grey wires looks like it used to go to the AIR diverter valve.

Are you still using the computerized carb & dist?

 

As stated above you can ground it there, but it is best to ground directly to the engine block.

 

So try a little harder to the block, if I decide to give up I can go the easy way out and mount it to the bell housing.


The computer (I think) should still be running the distributor but not the carb or egr components.

 

I think that will mess up your car and make it run like crap. I think your best bet is to completely get rid of everything computer controlled. So... get yourself a non-cc distributor.

 

You know, the factory often used one of the unused threaded holes on the back of the cylinder heads as a ground point for those wires. Lots easier to get a short bolt that will fit the thread in the back of the head than to undo a tranny-to-engine bolt.

 

I use a MSD HEI distributor. I guess I really dont have much use for the computer. I thought it still serverd some function for the dist.

It did run like crap prior to the new motor. Is there a chance that I had something hooked up wrong? It sounds like my double check everything plan is going to stay on the list.

 

No more ideas for where to put the wire. I guess the safe bet would be ground? Or tape it back and assume it is to the old AIR diverter valve.

 

If you're not running a computer-controlled carb, and you're not running a computer-controlled distributor, then the computer isn't controlling anything at all, except for torque converter lockup, and you don't need any of its wiring. If you're running a non-computerized dist but still have the stock carb, then the ECM doesn't even know that the engine is running, and can't possibly be doing its job correctly. It's really pretty much an all-or-nothing proposition. Either you run ALL the stock stuff, or you replace it ALL with non-computer parts.

You can just peel that entire wiring harness back, that comes from the right fender well. Just disconnect every wire and hose carefully; take off the various things that are mounted on the firewall that it connects to, and plug them back into the wiring after it's off, so you don't forget what goes where. There's a clip thing on the inside of the car that clips the harness into the kick panel. Unclip that, and unplug it from the wiring in the interior of the car, pull the ECM out of the dash, and coil it all up and put it in a box and stash it away. Don't cut ANY wires, it isn't necessary. Your gauges, alternator, etc. will all still work, none of that depends on the computer for anything. It's 2 totally separate systems.