a4LD to manual issues...No spark?

[raiper]

Hey i just converted my franken bronco toa 5 speed manual well not quite. I changed the PCM and hooked everything up except for the wires that go on the manual tranny. the question is WHY CANT I GET SPARK! ran before the swap what do i need to do now? the only thing i dont have in there yet is the manual clutch pedal and clutch resevoir. would that do it or what? what are the 2 connectors on the manual tranny? Help plz

 

[engdept]

I remember when helping mjones do his swaps that he had to tie 2 wires in the automatic wiring harness to gether. I think it was for the neutral safety switch.

 

[raiper]

would you have any clue what color wires they were? i soo wanna push it into a field and burn the damn thing.

 

[engdept]

I will have to look at mjones' Bronco II later this evening.

 

[90rangersuper]

splice the pink and the red w/ blue stripe together, these are on the round plug, you will need the clutch positioning sensor in for this to work, or with the CPP, you can bypass that

 

[86ford]

there is a harness with 6 or 7 wires that go to the clutch interlock switch. there are 2 pink wires that need to be connected to over ride it or you wont get it to run. the harness normally is under the dash right were the master cyl is mounted on the firewall. now this is the case with a manual trans but i am unshure of the auto as i have never owned one.

86

 

[raiper]

will try right now

 

[cocoasranger]

When I changed my 89 Ranger from auto to manual I kept the original computer, then located the 5 pin plug going into the auto trans. Two wires went to the backup light switch and two wires I hooked up to the neutral sensing switch on the Mazda trans so it only starts in neutral, and the 5th wire (pink I believe) is ignored as was the clutch multi function switch. Truck starts and runs great with no problems.

 

[MAKG]

All this stuff about the neutral safety switch is true, but it doesn't explain lack of spark.

It will prevent the engine from CRANKING. It's a starter interlock, to prevent the truck from lurching while cranking in gear. If the truck already cranks, this is already taken care of. The analogous interlock on the manual version goes on the clutch pedal.

The two connectors are for reverse and neutral. The neutral switch is NOT a safety feature; do NOT make the common mistake of assuming it is. You'll need it for correct idling.

You DO need the PCM or it will complain constantly that the torque converter clutch circuit is burned out. A constantly-on check engine light is just as useless as no check engine light at all.

As for the no-spark issues, you can start by checking grounds. But beware; there are whole courses taught on this issue. It's not an easy diagnosis. You may need professional help.

 

[engdept]

You DO need the PCM or it will complain constantly that the torque converter clutch circuit is burned out. A constantly-on check engine light is just as useless as no check engine light at all.

You don't need the PCM if your truck didn't come stock with a "Check Engine" light. I know Maurice's (mjones) Bronco II doesn't have a factory "Check Engine" light.

 

[raiper]

well i have the fuel pump and the starter set up on switches, but in order for the truck to run i have the turn the ignition on with the keys. Ill tinker around with it later today again when it cools down and report

 

[MAKG]

You don't need the PCM if your truck didn't come stock with a "Check Engine" light. I know Maurice's (mjones) Bronco II doesn't have a factory "Check Engine" light.

EVERY EEC-IV computer has a check engine light. The difference is whether there is a light bulb in the instrument cluster, or if you have to stick one on the STO lead.

You can't run the KOER self test if you're throwing hard codes.

And you're not fooling anyone about your identity. Almost every post you have tells us about mjones' stuff.

 

[raiper]

ok here let me start from scratch.

1991 Bronco 2 converted to the Explorer 4.0 engine as well with the A4ld auto tranny. Everything Bolted right up and harnesses connected right up. It has the same dash and wiring as the the 1991 explorer and connectors. My fuel pump and starter and electric fan were all wired on switches separate systems. You still had to have the key turned on to get it to run.

Blew the A4LD doing posi donuts
Let it sit where it broke down for like 3 months
ripped it out the auto and grabbed a 5 speed tranny.
Took the A4LD out and put the 5 speed in.
Took the pedal assembly out of another explorer that was a manual and put it in as well. Hooked up those pink, green and 2 other colored wires that clips onto the clutch pedal assembly.
Jumped the red wire with blue stripe and pink one and hooked them together.
switched out the PCM from an auto to a manual

Turned the ignition on.
flipped the fuel pump on
cranked the starter
ran a solid ground from the engine to the battery just to make sure the engine was grounded

no spark!

IT FREAKIN RAN BEFORE I TORE IT APART!

what did i do wrong?

BTW i do have a check engine light in the instrument panel like thingy just to clear that issue up. as checking to see is it tries throwing any codes i havent hooked up the reader yet.

 

[rboyer]

Now I don't know how relative this will be but I might as well throw it out there just to contribute. I once had a problem with an ignition control module. The weirdest part was that the damn thing ran fine when I parked it, I pulled the Mazda trans out to install a new clutch, and when I put it all back together it would sit there cranking but had no spark. After a little bit of troubleshooting I finally decided to have the ignition control module tested and what do you know it tested bad and the purchase of a new one fixed the problem. I don't know what could have caused it for sure and for all I know it could have been one of those totally random freak things that just happened, but it is something that shouldn't be overlooked when troubleshooting ignition components.

 

[MAKG]

With the old 2.9Ls, there was an issue that you could crimp the ignition module wires between the transmission and bellhousing on installation, leading to a no-start. But that was because the ignition module was RIGHT there. On 4.0Ls, it's on the radiator mount, very far away. But I wonder if there is another wire that could get crimped.

Just a thought.

 

[raiper]

well i did think about the ignition control module issue last night. Theres no wires to crimp or snag due to the fact it runs out of a huge wire harness. I was kinda thinkin when i was welding i could of fried it even though there wasnt a battery in it at the time and well there was a section i had to weld at like 220 amps(basically used the rod as a torch and cut some metal off). kinda wondered if that amperage did anything to it. I got another ICM around and ill swap it out sice i dont know how to test it

 

[MAKG]

If you didn't remove the computer while welding, you very well may have fried it. There are periodic horror stories about that (and occasional TSBs).

220A? That's enough for 1/4 inch plate. WTF were you welding?

 

[raiper]

no i removed the computer before thewelding. and well maybe i was welding quarter inch plate, but no i was cutting a metal bracket off with the rod. when i redo myt bumper from hell thats another story. well im off to get my full size tie rod ends and new used ICM and other bs. ill let ya know if i made any progress later tonight

 

[raiper]

ok heres another question, but i hooked up a test light to the red wire that connects into the coil pack and the light lit up. it still lights up when i crank the engine. so i know power in my belief is getting to the coil pack, but not going to the spark plugs. is the coil pack faulty?

 

[MAKG]

The coil is continuously powered. It's ground-side switched.