Motor swap need help asap

[oldyeller]

Hello all I have a 1994 plymouth acclaim 4 door, it was a 2.5n/a that is until a valve seat let go. Grrrr So i got my hands on a 1989 plymouth acclaim LE 4 door. Its a 2.5 Turbo 3speed auto So i am trying to switch the motors over in someone elses drive way I need the car running soon. I Had big plans but the got put on hold since we took a family vacation for a long time so that = no money or time for the car this year!)

Any how the problems I am running into are the harneses are different I just got the turbo acclaims harness threw the fire wall and am still running it threw and I just started taking it out of my 94 (with more care mind you). So would it be plug and play under the dash? What I ran into was that the 94 is a I think SBEC and the 89 is the SMEC.

Now since I may have gotten that wrong I will dumb it down for me! The 94 has one single 60pin connector and the 89 has one signle 60pin connector plus another I think 14pin connector.



Any edvise would be great and ask anything you Like I would love to get this beauty rolling again!

[prepared]

You are correct. '89 = SMEC. Newer = SBEC.

You will probably need ALL the wiring.

[oldyeller]

Wait you mean allllllll of the wiring under the dash????

Could I get a computer from a 1990? and a wiring harness? I really dont wanna replace the whole dash harness! The problem is that the car it came out of has one stack on the steering coloum for lights and cruse and everything else but the 94 has two! I hope I odnt have to switch the steering stocks as well.

[bfarroo]

When I swapped my 95 dakota over to 88 Daytona SMEC I labeled all of the wires in the SBEC harness and SMEC harness. Then used two wiring diagrams for a smec and sbec and started putting the correct wires into the smec plugs. Should be pretty straight forward with the two spirits. The dakota has the SBEC on the passengers side so I had to shorten every one of the wires. The only wire I missed was the 12v supply for the smec as I don't think the sbec had one.

This site has the diagrams I used.
http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/ecu/index.html

By doing the swap this way you get to keep the fuse block and get rid of the fuseable links. Your other option would be to try and find a SBEC harness and swap that in.

Here's a few pics of the swap

[oldyeller]

Man this site is help full!!!

But I must say even the harness for the 94 acclaim looks different since I have a lockup tourqe converter, the clutch on the A/C cycles and also I ahve an airbag on the 94 acclaim! And the big one where I am not understanding is that the 94 acclaim has one big 60pin connector but the turbo computer has two!

How would I mesh these? And what harness should I use?Transfer all of the wireing harness for the turbo motor but mesh it with the 60pin connector?


Big thanks bfarroo for the links!

[oldyeller]

I cannot find my 1994 TBI SBEC diagram!

[turbovanman²]

You need to find a SBEC turbo car, 93 anyhow, not sure if 92 will work. If you can't, then your going to have to rewire and run a SMEC, which as you know, has 2 connectors, SBEC's have one. If you dont' care about airbags, then rewire and run the SMEC wiring.

[oldyeller]

No I odnt car for now I just wanna get the car running right now for the time being! I can figure all this out over the winter! Could I just get the computer from a 93 and harness?

Also Would I have to rewire under the dash or could I just splice the connectors that connect to the stereing coloum? Cuz the big connector for the instramint cluster looks the same to me and the same plug for the parking brake but not sure about the others.

[turbovanman²]

No I odnt car for now I just wanna get the car running right now for the time being! I can figure all this out over the winter! Could I just get the computer from a 93 and harness?

Also Would I have to rewire under the dash or could I just splice the connectors that connect to the stereing coloum? Cuz the big connector for the instramint cluster looks the same to me and the same plug for the parking brake but not sure about the others.

Newer cars are not my bag, lol, but I am sure someone can chime in. 93 turbo SBEC car's are rare, so you might luck out and find one, pretty sure its simply plug and play.

[oldyeller]

I think I just need a harness and computer no?? Part number anyone!! I already have two full cars

One a 1994 TBI acclaim
and the other a 1989 MPI turbo acclaim but could I not just go to crysler and order a computer and harness for the car?

[turbovanman²]

I think I just need a harness and computer no?? Part number anyone!! I already have two full cars

One a 1994 TBI acclaim
and the other a 1989 MPI turbo acclaim but could I not just go to crysler and order a computer and harness for the car?

Harness and computer. I doubt you can buy them new and if you could, it would be in the $1000's.

[oldyeller]

Hmmmmmm good point used then if someone werked there car???

Ok ok here is what I am thinking of doing (is there a place that I can get the wiring diargrams for the wires that connect under the steering coloum?) I woudl like to take the connectors ither from the 89 and unwire them and rewire them to the wires coming outta the coloum on my 94 so that my turn sig and horn and high beams and key will still all work!


Any ideas on that? AM I smart or dreaming?

[oldyeller]

Could I just take my 94's computer to a dealer and get it flashed to run a turbo motor?? That way I keep my harness and other goodies?

[prepared]

Nope. The TBI SBEC and turbo SBEC are different. I PM'd Rob about this. Wanted to send him a TBI SBEC to have him socket and flash for turbo use. No can do.

I think your easiest thing to do would be find a donor SBEC turbo car.

[oldyeller]

So what the turbo car I have now is junk or you mean just for the harness?

AS OF NOW! I will slice and connect the harness' from the steering coloum for turn signles and high beams and horn and all the other stuff since thats different. The fuse box connector looks about the same.

So is my plan good or should I be going in a different derection?

Prepared I will be looking for that over winter (I need this car running for school now and can research and look for parts over the winter months!) But yes what you are saying and what others have said that I think doing that is the smartest thing! Did any of the turbos come with lock-up tourqe converters?


My mission for next year is to try and rig a 4 speed auto to the turbo motor!

[turbovanman²]

So what the turbo car I have now is junk or you mean just for the harness?

AS OF NOW! I will slice and connect the harness' from the steering coloum for turn signles and high beams and horn and all the other stuff since thats different. The fuse box connector looks about the same.

So is my plan good or should I be going in a different derection?

Prepared I will be looking for that over winter (I need this car running for school now and can research and look for parts over the winter months!) But yes what you are saying and what others have said that I think doing that is the smartest thing! Did any of the turbos come with lock-up tourqe converters?


My mission for next year is to try and rig a 4 speed auto to the turbo motor!

If you can do wiring than splicing is a the best way as turbo SBEC car's are rare and hard to find.

Why does is matter if you someone else has to work on the car, if your doing this, won't you be?

4 speed, unless you can get someone in Mexico to send you a case, your SOL.

Yes, the turbo cars did come with a LU or you make your own, like I am, just need to hook up the wiring and turn it on in the computer-we can do that, dealers can't, add the LU converter and input shaft, matching v/b or retrofit a non LU trans.

[oldyeller]

If you can do wiring than splicing is a the best way as turbo SBEC car's are rare and hard to find.

Why does is matter if you someone else has to work on the car, if your doing this, won't you be?

4 speed, unless you can get someone in Mexico to send you a case, your SOL.

Yes, the turbo cars did come with a LU or you make your own, like I am, just need to hook up the wiring and turn it on in the computer-we can do that, dealers can't, add the LU converter and input shaft, matching v/b or retrofit a non LU trans.

Ok vanman Got a question for ya
(Why does is matter if you someone else has to work on the car, if your doing this, won't you be?) << What are you trying to ask? I am doing all the work on the car and need it running. I cannot finish all the plans I have for this car this summmer so it will be finnished next summer. I have a list and thats it once its done its done!

Also what is LU? And do you mean I can transfer the guts outta my 3speed auto and replace it wth the turbos auto?? But how will the computer understand its a lock-up?

Also are you saying I can make it a 4speed? easily??? Please give me more info!

[turbovanman²]

Ok vanman Got a question for ya
(Why does is matter if you someone else has to work on the car, if your doing this, won't you be?) << What are you trying to ask? I am doing all the work on the car and need it running. I cannot finish all the plans I have for this car this summmer so it will be finnished next summer. I have a list and thats it once its done its done!

Also what is LU? And do you mean I can transfer the guts outta my 3speed auto and replace it wth the turbos auto?? But how will the computer understand its a lock-up?

Also are you saying I can make it a 4speed? easily??? Please give me more info!

You said earlier about splicing the harness that "what if someone else has to work on the car"?

LU is lock up converter.

If you have a turbo tranny, you can add the LU by changing a few things and drilling the hole for the solenoid connector like I just did OR you can swap your turbo guts into a LU TBI trans, simply reuse the LU input shaft and valve body and do the common mods.

Only Mexico got the 4 speed A604, no one else so in order to run a 4 speed with a 2.2 or 2.5, you gotta get a case out of Mexico, then you can build one. There are some aftermarket controllers to run it or you can run factory electronics but then you get the crappy shifting routine and limited by the crap factory programming.

[oldyeller]

Oh sorry I did not know I said that I was not even sure I said that must have came out wrong. I will be the only one fixing the car. Will the TBI axles be able to take the power?
I think I will just get the car running and keep looking for one outta mexico. Cant I just pull one outta a van or a V6 acclaim? Only the mexican ones will bolt up?
Do you have more info on making it a LU?
So whats with the shift points I thought that the computer controlled one "learns" how ppl drive the car and addapts? Or was I miss informed?

[turbovanman²]

Oh sorry I did not know I said that I was not even sure I said that must have came out wrong. I will be the only one fixing the car. Will the TBI axles be able to take the power?
I think I will just get the car running and keep looking for one outta mexico. Cant I just pull one outta a van or a V6 acclaim? Only the mexican ones will bolt up?
Do you have more info on making it a LU?
So whats with the shift points I thought that the computer controlled one "learns" how ppl drive the car and addapts? Or was I miss informed?

TBI axles are just fine, unless they are 86 and older, then they are small spline.

The bellhousings are different, hence why you just can't bolt one up.

To make it a LU- swap input shafts, use a LU valve body and drill the hole in the case, buy a LU turbo converter then you can either use a toggle switch for the LU or find the wiring and solenoid off a car that's equipped and put it in, then socket your computer, run a chip and turn it on.

Even learning, the 4speed programming is for comfort, not performance so it won't take much abuse before burning up. Sebring LX is running a slightly built one in his Sebring and he's having trouble, he has also tweaked it with a programmer but that's not possible for us unless you run the 2003 or higher wiring and computer.