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92 5.0 Aod Swap To 93 5.8 E4od

I am doing an extensive rebuild of my 1992 F-150 XLT long box. I purchased this truck with a weak 302 and a slipping AOD automatic. I was offered a deal that I thought I could not refuse. I think now, maybe I should have taken a longer and harder look at what I was setting myself up for.....I purchased a low mile, unmolested, 1993 5.8 and an E4OD, complete with the original drive shaft, exhaust system, rear end with the ENGINE wire harness. At the time of purchase, I figured, "It's only 1 year difference. Both vehicles are V-8/automatic, both engines are computer controlled. Mine: no air bag The donor wrecked truck: airbag vehicle...no big deal, I am changing motors, not steering columns." I have not found this swap scenario exactly, but what I understand now, is that I may be required, (when using the E4OD), to not only replace the main computer.... AND the MAIN wire harness at the fuse panel AND the harness under the dash that goes to the instrument cluster. I do have the tachometer optioned instrument cluster from that wrecked donor 1993 truck. Unfortunately the rest of the truck was sold to another party, and it is no longer available for parts. What are my options for this conversion? I do not want to break up the engine/trans set. I want to avoid the cost of an aftermarket controller. Can I modify my '92 AOD wiring? Or...do I put my wrecking yard duds?
 
If you do actually have an AOD in the '92 then there is no wiring to the trans it is all mechanical with a TV cable connecting to the throttle linkage. But if there is wiring down there then it's a 4R70w which looks just like an AOD on the outside but is computer controlled.

You're right about the wiring harness thing on the '93, the powertrain and chassis wiring is all interconnected and seperating it will require some work and time studying wiring diagrams.

So what are your options. The engine wiring is identical on these two, and the trans wiring will be very similar assuming the '92 has the 4R70w, so I'm not sure a wholesale harness change is really worth it. I think you best path forward is to dig up accurate wiring diagrams for both trucks and then do a comparison. Once you know what the differences are then simply move or add the necessary wires using the donor harness where possible.. splicing in sections or connectors if necessary.
 
E4OD 5.8 in AOD 5.0 out

Thanks conanski, for responding to my E4OD 5.8 conversion question. The first thing that I did when getting your reply was check what trans my 92 had in it. It does have a AOD trans. Also there are no wires evident in the existing harness that would indicate that it ever had an electronically controlled trans. I am glad to hear that the majority of the existing wiring harness can be used with the 93 motor and trans. If it is as easy as just adding the needed connections and replacing the computer with the one from a E4OD vehicle and it doesn't create any other compatibility issues elsewhere, that should not be too difficult a task.. I am probably not the first guy to make this modification. I wonder if there is anyone out there that has made this swap that has the specifics on this mod? I would sure like to hear from them. I just would prefer not to have to reinvent the wheel, if someone else has already been down that road. Do you have any other ideas where I may find a source for any additional information to add to yours? What are the odds of causing any other issues elsewhere within the system by integrating the two harnesses? I would also like to add the wires necessary to use the factory tachometer instrument panel from the 93 wrecked donor truck. I will not be adding the air bag. I will not be using the cruise control option, nor will be using power windows.
I have had a bit of electrical experience over the past 30+ years mainly from doing full restorations of older cars. Last count I have completed 8 frame off restorations. Quite a wide assortment of makes of cars, but all of that work has been on vehicles from the 70's or older. My experience with modifications to computer controlled vehicles is minimal. If I seem at all skeptical of what those changes may cause, I am. I don't mind dealing with Pandora....I just like to see her box before I open it. :))
Thanks again for any assistance you may offer.
 

Truckin4life

Texas Chapter Leader
as Paul (conaski) stated, get a wiring diagram study it closely, see what you need to add and or remove to get the swap to work. It will not be an easy swap, but it is doable... Just takes time and patience.
 
Hey Thanks Don, As You Can Tell, This Issue Is Keeping Me Up At Night! I Am Going To See What I Can Find On Line In The Way Of Wiring Diagrams And I Am Going To Head Out To The Shop To See If My Shop Manual Has Some Good Diagrams In It. Like I Said In My Last Post, I Would Like To Talk To Someone Who Has Made The Merge Of The Two, Just To See If There Are Any Bugaboos...or Down There You May Refer To Them As Bubba-boos??
Any Other Thoughts On The Swap Are Certainly Welcome.

Don't Mess With Texas!!

Allen Wright
 

Truckin4life

Texas Chapter Leader
I lol'd at that one...

You sir are correct, dont mess with Texas. Then you have to deal with a state full of people like me. :D


As for the swap, i cant think of anything off hand.
Do you have a junkyard near by?
If so they could become a good resource for what you need.
But in all reality, for the simplest swap a standalone comp will do you much MUCH easier.
 
Yea, There is a fair variety of bone yards around here. Most of which like to get 3 prices for parts. I guess I can not blame them most of the time with the cost of doing business these days. I usually have a friend or two that has a parts rig . Trouble with this one, none of my parts trading buddies have the right combo that I need. I did find a good price on what I need at a local yard this time. Computer from a 5.8 E4OD truck and the harness...$100.00 for the whole setup. I won't get excited about that till I verify that it is the right computer and harness though. Anyone have part numbers? Maybe the year range if by application? Does anything like tonnage matter? Does c.i.d. make any difference? (on the computer). I have seen references made to a Bauman controller, I just don't like the idea of throwing $400.00 + or what ever they are if I can get around it with a combo of original parts for 100 or 200 bucks. I got laid off from the cement terminal several months back......I am setting raccoon traps to keep my food cost down so I can continue working on my Ford.... I won't even think about starting my Corvette till I go back to work. ;-)
 
Another possibility here is to use the AOD, you said it is curently slipping so a rebuild is probably necessary but check the condition and setting of the TV cable before writing it off. This cable has to be set with a certain amount of preload or the trans won't have enough line pressure to hold gears. A rebuild on this trans can be done fairly inexpensively with upgrades applied at the same time that would make it more than capable of handling a 5.8, my truck has an AOD that lasted 10years behind a healthy 5.8 and it is nothing more than an updated rebuild with a shift kit.

The other thing about using the AOD is it greatly simplifies using the 5.8, you won't need to make any wiring harness changes simply plug in a 5.8 EEC for a C6 or manual transmission.
 
Cool thread. :)

What about the idea of existing wires tho?
For sure now, your harness didn't include E4OD wires?

http://repairguide.autozone.com/zne...00c152/80/26/2f/87/large/0900c15280262f87.gif
http://repairguide.autozone.com/zne...00c152/80/26/2f/8e/large/0900c15280262f8e.gif
http://repairguide.autozone.com/zne...00c152/80/26/2f/8f/large/0900c15280262f8f.gif

If you really do have to go with a major re-wiring job I suggest you get some
Ford (paper) wiring diagrams and do it like you mean it. ;)

At work they used colored pencils and they drew right over the black lines on
the "plans" as we called them...
Yellow = Out
Red = Proposed (it was up to the wireman to be sure they were right! :)

Yellow didn't work so good for me tho, so I used a kind of lime-green that
worked out great. I used blue for other things. The system works out real
good in practice, no kidding.

---------------------------------

Among many other things I'm going to add a dash mounted ignition switch
from a '74 C700 to my '91 Bronco. LOL :) So got my "plans" all colored up
pretty! ;)

BTW, swapped in a ZF and its computer from the '90 parts truck after making
the needed wiring changes (very minor, mostly just removal) and that baby
fired right up and idled perfect! :)

...351w that had sat for over a year and a half! :)

Retired railroad Signalape in AZ
 
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Lost

PA Chapter leader
3,288
33
central PA
I spent a week checking out wire diagrams when I did first Maf upgrade . Plus all tine redoing wires harness etc.

But I can swap the under hood harness in less than a day . way less with no motor in way where comparing 2 harnesses and separating will take way longer.

Once under hood is done the trans harness is there . Extra wires under hood would be air bag but a couple wires better than a possible multi wire repin . As for in cab harness diff would be adding a for switch for e4od and its there if i read my wire diagrams right . The tach stuff is there plug and play .Yes you will have to research in cab for issues .

Good luck
 
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gentlemen: Thank you Alvin from AZ for the diagrams. I have been looking at my diagrams in my Chilton Ford P/U Shop manual...with a microscope. These will work out better. As far as wires existing in my 92, no they are not there. I am convinced,(even though this truck has been around the block), that the AOD was it's trans from day 1. I know just a couple things for certain, at this time: I am what you might call "half pregnant", so to speak. another words, committed because 1.)she is sittin in the '92 now, still married up to the original 5.8,
2.)I know there are mixed opinions on the E4OD, but I intend on using that trans, even with the install hurdles required to do so
3.)I have the drive shaft and rear end to innclude in the swap from the donor truck. A low miles truck.
4.)Truckin4life: Thanks again for your input. The stand alone Bauman controller is really out of the picture@ around $700.00 plus harness. Call me old school if you like, but for the cost of an aftermarket unit I can scratch my head a bit more and maybe learn something, to boot, by doing one of the two other suggested methods.
5.) I am setting at 50/50 on whether I modify the original/existing harness or whether I change out the whole unit. It looks like the complete harness change out is a pretty sure bet, but quite a bit more work. Then I am set for the tachometer instrument panel that I have and want to use as well. Modify the existing unit(?) : I am not afraid of the work,. I would just prefer not to do it if the harness is a more efficient use of my time, with the same result.
6) If the harness is modified to accommodate the E4, how many wires could we be talking about rerouting? 5?.10? .Haw many are we talking about adding? 5? When the new computer plugs into the old harness,are we talking about rerouting of a few or a gob (a gob is electricians talk :) of wires to mate wire function to pin? Is there repinning involved?
In an attempt to answer my own question on Item #6. The Baumann website shows the installation manual for their stand alone controller,
"the Baumannator". I count 21 pins used going out of their controller
to various related points. Having not seen the oem harness that I could aquire from the bone yard....How much of the work/time is reduced with the new harness?
7.) Why did I sell my Cheyenne ???....,,,Just kidding, I have never owned a Cheyenne. ( :) ) ( : - ( )
 
Hello so I have helped this person out and have installed 351 efi and e40d with a 92 4 wheel drive computer and front harnees . trans shifts good and runs good.. Now I am in the last step of just adding a over drive cancel switch and light. normaly the truck would have a button on end of shift selecter I am going to use the one out of a 1990 on the dash.

92 has
B/w overdrive cancel switch
R/y power 10a fuse position 17
W.lg overdrive cancel indicator light


I am going to use the one out of a 1990 on the dash.
The 1990 has 5 wiers

I think that the 2 extra wiers are ground and back light

Black ?
light blue red stripe ?
green with wight stripe ?
tan with blue stripe ?
purple with orange stripe ?
 

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