69 F250 body on 87 bronco frame

[averagef250]

The whole "rip out the harness and what not" would make life even harder.. Right now everything is plug and play "except" for the ignition.. Which after looking at some wiring diagrams it's going to be cake.. Once I sit down and think about it and look at the diagrams it's all easy.. I tend to look at everything in the hard way and over think it and just make it harder on myself.

And Dustin.. I don't need the harness to interface except for the Ignition and lights.. everything is plug in play.. Why would I make it harder on myself?

I don't get how you can just shrug it off like that. I don't know if you're just 99.5% blind to your wiring situation or if you have some crazy assumptions about the wiring interchanging that just plain aren't true? I'm not trying to be a d*ck, I just cannot understand why you think it's easier to adapt a totally different non-compatible wiring harness into the bump body.

[Spectre]

I'm not sure if you've read all my posts on what I've done...

the motor that was in my bronco has the same 87 harness it was working with,
the front clip has the 87 harness
the frame rail to the back of the truck has the 87 harness (Because it's an 87 frame)
I removed every piece of wiring from the cab of the bump and put in the 87 harness.. (Except the dome light wiring)
I have the 87's instrument cluster in place of the 69's until I do a custom gauge setup.

So.. All these harnesses were in the bronco and plugged right into each other and worked just fine.. Why wouldn't they plug right into each other again in a different body and work the same way?v I'm using the bronco's headlight switch, wiper motor switch.. ect.. I may even adapt the 87's wiper motor to the 69 so I have intermintent wipers...

I've already spliced the tail lights into the wiring harness and they work just fine.. Today I'll be doing the headlights and front turn signals.

Wiring the ignition and turn signals should be to hard.. And for some freak reason it is, I'll just use the 87's steering column and the 87's steering column will plug right into the 87's harness.

This is the same exact thing my buddy did when he swapped a 95 460 EFI motor into a 78 bronco. Unless there's something you know that I don't, I don't know why you think I'm blind to the situation..

Or maybe I'm not explaining it right or something.. You come off like you're trying to say it's never going to work or that it's a huge nightmare.. So far the hardest part has been deciding on which steering column I want to use.

[averagef250]

Maybe I'm just crazy, but dropping the engine in with adding nothing but a FP and EEC relay under the dash and running KAP and key power wires sure seams rediculously less complicated.

I guess we'll just see how it turns out.

[Spectre]

It's simpler yes, but I'm trying to keep everything the way it was.. in the bronco.. I know where yer getting at.. I may at a later time get a complete bronco harness and strip everything out I don't need to clean it up..

[Spectre]

Update:

Today I printed out a wiring diagram for the 69 headlights and one for the 87 headlights..

After everything said and done.. The headlights and turn signals are completely functional. woot! The pass side had a bad bulb in the turn signal, but no worries.. I'll replace it..

And since it went so well.. I decided to hook up the starter wire.. Since it was hooked up I decided to start the truck.. It took a few times cause the pump had to fill the line, but it fired up.. I only let it run for a second because I felt the truck jerk forward just a hair.. I'm assuming it was in gear.. But lucky I have the wheels chalked.. But it does want to live! Plus I didn't want to let it run for few long because I don't have the water hoses or the power steering lines hooked up.. I don't want the motor spittin it all out.

But things are happenin! =)

[Ranchero50]

Both wiring methods have their advantages and disadvantages. Using the Bronco column and gauge cluster is a pain vs. just tieing the wires into the bump parts. I just figured since you were going crawling simpler (as in less wiring) would indeed be better. I would have probably kept the Bronco chassis harness and engine harness and then spliced into the bump harness under the dash. It's really simple once you get into it. That way you avoind the oddball column and having the deal with the custom cluster setup.

Ford was very good about keeping the wiring colors the same up to around 1998, then it went to crap.

Jamie

[Spectre]

Ford was very good about keeping the wiring colors the same up to around 1998, then it went to crap.

Jamie

That's what I've been finding out.. colors are pretty spot on...

[Spectre]

Update:

Didn't get anything done yesterday.. I was helpin Marc with his 1 ton swap.. Well while I was there I Swapped my grant steering wheel to the 69's column.. I also cut the little shaft that the tranny linkage snaps into off the 87 and put it on the 69's column

Today I did a little bit.. I'm waiting to see if I can get a camera to take pics.. If not I'll use the phone. =( First I got my room mate to thread the high pressure power steering line.. So I finally got the power steering hooked up. I installed the steering column and bolted it all down.. Then I realized the steering column sits lower where it exits the cab.. So now I have to take the linkage out and remove the extension that was installed for the body lift on the bronco...

I'm going to try and wiring some stuff tonight while I'm here inside watching TV and just be able to plug it all in to the harness.. That way I'm not splicing inside the truck..

Also my neighbor came over and cut the front of my fenders.. It looks waaaay better..

Edit:

I just remembered.. After all that working for the column shifter and what not.. I just scored a B&M floor shifter for $25. Everything I need is there.. However I can't put it in until the bucket seats go in..

[Ranchero50]

So what happened to using the '89 column and key switch?

Another note, the firewall plate that holds the lower column is different for power steering vs. manual. One mounts the column about an inch lower than the other.

Jamie

[Spectre]

So what happened to using the '89 column and key switch?

Another note, the firewall plate that holds the lower column is different for power steering vs. manual. One mounts the column about an inch lower than the other.

Jamie

I wanted to use the 69's column because the gear selector indicator and NSS is on the column. Makes things a lot easier on me..

[zakt]

[Spectre]

I wanted to use the 69's column because the gear selector indicator and NSS is on the column. Makes things a lot easier on me..

Funny.. After all that work and what not on using the 69's column.. I just scored a B&M floor shifter with all hardware for $25 Has a brand new cable on it to.. So after I but my bucket seats in I may be switching to a floor shifter..


Ok update..

Today around 4pm at work I grabbed the 69's column harness and the 87's column harness.. Followed some diagrams and spliced them together.. Came home.. plugged it in and BAMN! I now have turn signals. I was going to hook up the hazard light switch but I couldn't find it and when we did it was on the ground and the back was missing out of it. I'll get another switch.

I normally just do 1 thing each day and call it quits.. (Trying not to get burnt out) However I ended up replacing a door hinge on the pass side and also fixed the pass side outer door handle.. (the hinge was broken and the outta handle didn't function)

I really need to start focusing on the ignition. =) I keep putting it off but I think tomorrow at work I'll sit down and write down exactly which wires to splice together and just come home and do it..

I don't have any plans set for this Saturday so I think I'll be making a run to the junk yard..

[Ranchero50]

It has a brand new cable for a reason... From experience, it will fail when you need it most and from experience, all aftermarket shifters work well on Chevie's and suck on Fords. If you really want a floor shift, get a stocker out of a '80's mustang with the shaft. They are about bulletproof. Only hard part is getting the right tranny shifter selector.

I'd leave it column shift and extend the rod if you did a body lift.

Jamie

[Spectre]

I have to remove the extension because of the bronco having a body lift.... Waiting to get my 220V circuit wired up so I can use my welder before I mess with that..

I plan to run the column shifter for awhile.. And as for them failing.. I know someone who has been running one for awhile with no issues.. However that being said I'll more then likely leave everything mechanical in place for the "just in case" I have it fail on me in the trail then I can just switch back to the column..


I've learned a lot doing this project.. There are things I want to do differently but since I've already done things a certian way they'll stay that way.. Maybe I might go back and change them later.. who knows...

[Spectre]

Update:

Ignition is wired up, put back in the dash and fully functional.. I tested it by starting the motor real quick but I started spraying tranny fluid everywhere. :toothless

Unfortunately I'm getting pretty close to where I can't continue without a welder.. But everything is going good... This weekend I'll be buying as much as I can to get my welder setup...