Are 93-auto wiring harnesses suitable for upgrading 88/89LX-manuals to FI?

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

My long term plan is to upgrade at least two (I have four) 88/89LX manuals from carb to FI.

I've recently acquired two clean (but not running due to engine/transmission issues) 93 automatics which I intend to disassemble for parts.

Will the 93-automatic wiring harnesses be suitable for the 88/89LX-manual upgrades to FI?

[Rick the Quick]

-What about swapping the engines and transmissions from the 88 + 89 into the '93 bodies? And of course swapping the needed parts, intakes with injectors, exhaust with correct O2 sensors from the bad '93 engines to the good '88+'89. All things being equal the '93's should have 5 years less of our worst enemy : rust.

[Studebaker]

There is some minor differences between auto and manual wiring. But since you have whole cars it should work. Petal wiring is different. Trans wiring is different. All differences are easy fixes. Good luck

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

RickTheQuick -- cars don't rust here in the Rain Forest! The 88/89LX bodies are both perfect. The 93s aren't LX ("Luxury"?) models; the whole purpose of the upgrading is to have LXs without all the nasty emissions control nonsense.

Studebaker -- Right .. the automatic wiring won't have anything for the clutch pedal switch. Do you have further particulars on the wiring differences?

[Studebaker]

Look at the auto to manual swap threads to see the differences.

[WmWatt]

Can we assume you've considered just replacing the feedback carburettor with a simpler non-feedback carburettor?

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

Studebaker,

Thanks, I'll review those threads.

WmWatt,

My plan is to convert the LXs to FI. I've read on here that there are carbs that dispense with much or all of the emissions control plumbing, but I don't see any reason not to switch to FI, even if it means transplanting the complete engines from the 93s (or other possible donors I have here and at another location in WA) into the LXs. It's just about impossible nowadays to find anybody who will do engine compartment work, even just AC stuff, on cars containing carbs. With no rust (except some isolated stuck bolts like the one at the bottom of the battery tray or the ones holding the exhaust manifold heat shield), my fleet will be running for a long time to come. All of my LXs have moderate to serious hesitation/stumbling problems.

[Studebaker]

I know you are planning on replacing / switching the whole wiring harness.

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

Another reason I like the LXs (over FIs) is that they have "normal" shoulder belts. I hate those "track" belts that self-activate on door closure -- particularly when they stop working!

[Studebaker]

I would think changing the wiring harness to be the hard part. And the first think I would do.

Also the wires may be different between the orange and white

cluster.

[ricko1966]

My auto to manual swap was a cake walk You do have to swap the pedals,axles and the shifter ,flywheel clutch transmission and starter. splice the two wires for the neutral safety switch together,splice the backup light wires in. that's it ez peazy. When you get there P.M. me I'll go look at my car and tell you which wires swap where but it was dirt simple.

My long term plan is to upgrade at least two (I have four) 88/89LX manuals from carb to FI.

I've recently acquired two clean (but not running due to engine/transmission issues) 93 automatics which I intend to disassemble for parts.

Will the 93-automatic wiring harnesses be suitable for the 88/89LX-manual upgrades to FI?

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

What is this orange vs. white instrument stuff anyway? Aren't all LXs orange and everything else white?

[rickbz28]

88 and 89 are all orange 90 on up are all white.

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

All of my WA 88-89 Festies are LXs; that's why I associated orange with LXness!

One of my two AK Festies is an 88/89 4-speed (so not LX), but it has a busted gearbox, so I don't spend much time looking at its instrument cluster.

I prefer orange over white.

[WmWatt]

Most of the wiring diagrams at the back of the Haynes manual are labelled "1993 and earlier" or "1994 and later" with some labelled "1988 and 1989" or "1900 to 1993".