87 GLHS Wiring Harness Swap Q's

[90Spirit2.5]

The harness in my Dad's 87 Charger GLHS has seen better days. The idea of doing a SMEC wiring harness swap, or even a SBEC wiring harness has crossed my mind. Has anyone ever done this with a SMEC or SBEC harness? Is it that much more work to do a SBEC harness conversion opposed to a SMEC conversion? If I were to remove an 89 TII harness from a GTS car(fuse block is on pass side car), would it be harder than a swap from a GTC or Daytona where the fuse block is on the drivers side? I am not even sure If I would need anymore than just the engine bay (http://www.turbododge.com/forums/#) harness and than just modify where it meets the cabin stuff. IDK!!! So please feel free to tell me all about a similar conversion if you have done so! Thanks in advance!

[trannybuster]

Id keep what you have, just clean and fix and spend the time and money to upgrade to 87csx 3 bar setup, the sbec look like a real pita for diy tuning, the lm stuff is everywhere...you could use the engine front and rear harness with the glhs, may have to swap a few wires but at least that portion would be up to snuff....

[cordes]

Id keep what you have, just clean and fix and spend the time and money to upgrade to 87csx 3 bar setup, the sbec look like a real pita for diy tuning, the lm stuff is everywhere...you could use the engine front and rear harness with the glhs, may have to swap a few wires but at least that portion would be up to snuff....

I'm with you on this one.

Unless you're going to pull out the harness and totally rebuild it I would just keep the LM stuff in the car. Otherwise, going with a SMEC may not be too bad. Don't fool yourself into thinking that it's anything less than a total rewiring though. Done right it's a lot of work and effort.

[90Spirit2.5]

I am fully aware that it is a major electrical conversion project. I converted the car years ago to the 87 electronics/underhood map. I just don't like the early two piece computer setups. Three wire O2, and so on. They don't run as smooth or burn as clean. The later systems are refined and provide smoother running in my opinion. I am looking for someone who has done one of these swaps who has details on what was done. Thanks for the replies so far!

[trannybuster]

Well as I stated Shelgame revised the LM's running fuel to match the SMEC..it does idle better....as well as other aspects.....converting to 87 electronics is pratically doing nothing compared to going to smec, not a good comparison...If I remember correctly there use to be someone making a hraness/kit for lm to smec, I dont have a name tho....whichever way let us know how it went.

---------- Post added at 06:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:32 PM ----------

or are implying that while doing the conversion you got an idea what it would take to do the swap..?

[90Spirit2.5]

Seven years ago, when I rebuilt the engine for the car, I converted it to the 87 electronics. Yes it was a pretty simple process. No I wasn't comparing it to doing a SMEC conversion. Yes I know the SMEC conversion would be difficult. There are problems in the wiring harness that is currently in the car. It had fusible links blow before we owned it and someone jerry rig fixed them, and recently the large red wire in the fusible link bunch got really hot, for unknown reasons as I don't know what this wire feeds, the insulation smoked and it now looks like a burnt, wrinkled hot dog. But the problem never came back and the wire hasn't got hot since that first and only time it did. I have been meaning to check the factory service manual as to what the wire is. SO, because of these weak spots in the harness, I have thought about doing a conversion.

[tryingbe]

http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/electrical-links.html

Get ride of the fusible links. I did.

http://www.thelostartof.net/tryingbe/dodge/omniproject/fusebox.JPG