LM to SMEC conversion

[86-89 Lancer]

Last night I finished modifing the dash and engine harnesses, I have to say it was the hardest electrical project I've ever done but worth it.

The car is an 86 Lancer ES turbo 2.2 5sp. The goal was to upgrade from 86 lodic module to 89 SMEC which requires mating the 89 SMEC engine harness to the 86 dash harness. I first thought it would be fairly simple but the further I got the more changes I had to make; furthermore I know for sure that I would not have completed this without both (86&89) factory wiring diagrams- it's just overwhelming.

Here's a list of differences. Note- this may not apply with other body styles.

1. Bulkhead in different spots: 89 engine harness at steering colum- 86 dash harness at firewall had to cut dash harness back to the colum (~14")

2. Both harnesses have female ends so one has to change to male. Since dash harness is cut back it's the one going from female to male. There's 2 good reasons to mod the dash harness and leave the engine harness alone: (a) SMEC harness has more than 50 wires so bulkhead can be at firewall. (B) having bulkhead by colum gives better protection from the elements.

3. 89 engine harness has a grommet at firewall and many wires branch off that don't pass through bulkhead -eg. ign switch, dimmer switch, brake switch, cruise control. this causes the situation where wires have to both added and removed from the bulkhead. for example the ignition switch wires used to go firewall/ bulkhead to the colum but now they go firewall/ grommet to colum and come out of the bulkhead connector, while ignition wires to the fuse box (by glove box) now go into the connector that weren't there before

What I did:
Step 1: Remove the engine and dash harnesses and spread out on bench.
lay new engine harness over old ones to measure how much to cut back dash harness bulkhead.
Step 2: start modding wiring one circuit at a time, remembering that (A) Any wire from the fuse box to the colum now must go through the bulkhead and (B) any wire to the colum from the firewall now must be out of the bulkhead.

I hope this helps
Jeff

[GLHNSLHT2]

hehe, been there done that. Althought I did mine a bit different. Going from 87 T2 daytona LM to 88 T2 daytona SMEC. I got an 87 T1 J/G body bulkhead connector with about 10" of wire on it since I didn't want to cut my T2 engine harness up. Then I cut and soldered all the wires on the SMEC harness to the 87 T1 bulkhead connector. Then it was just plug it right into the T2 daytona's bulkhead connector. That kept me from having to pull the dash and work with all thoe wire routings back there. Even though the smec harness was out of a daytona as well there were a couple differences. The Headlight motor plug was a different shape and didn't work, the Charge Temp Sensor was a different shape and the plugs for the sub harnesses were different. So I had to splice on my old plugs for the CTS and wipers and then removed the wires in the subharness out of the old plugs and put them in the new plugs.

Good work though. It can get overwelming. I had 88 FSM's which I thought would work but even then didn't contain everything. Like that green plug with the yellow ignition wire that goes into it, loops back and goes back out. WTF is the point of that!? Oh and then to find out that green plug is for the foglight switch! Then I fould that 88 Daytona's are wired on the engine side for Foglights!

[banger68]

How well did the round grommet fill in the square hole of the 86 bulkhead connector in the firewall? Mine was converted keeping the 86 bulkhead connector.

[86-89 Lancer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by banger68 How well did the round grommet fill in the square hole of the 86 bulkhead connector in the firewall? Mine was converted keeping the 86 bulkhead connector.

I have to use a 2.5" hole saw to make it fit. The connector won't go through the hole.

[86-89 Lancer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 86-89 Lancer I have to use a 2.5" hole saw to make it fit. The connector won't go through the hole.

Correction 3 & 1/8 hole saw, I learned last night.

I've also decided to add a clutch start safety along with the cruise disengage to the clutch pedal.

[cndnGLH]

I got a question in regard to this. I have an '85 or '86 GLh (not sure) that is totally stripped to be a race car. It has a wiring harness, however, if I wanted to switch to '89 SMEC, since I am not using any of the dash wiring as this car will not be street driven, could I just get a complete harness out of an '89 car? Would I need the dash side & the engine side, I guess I would just have to wire it to the engine, the only thing inside the car would be ignition switch, maybe headlight switch, what else am I lookin at?

[86-89 Lancer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cndnGLH I got a question in regard to this. I have an '85 or '86 GLh (not sure) that is totally stripped to be a race car. It has a wiring harness, however, if I wanted to switch to '89 SMEC, since I am not using any of the dash wiring as this car will not be street driven, could I just get a complete harness out of an '89 car? Would I need the dash side & the engine side, I guess I would just have to wire it to the engine, the only thing inside the car would be ignition switch, maybe headlight switch, what else am I lookin at?

I think as long as you have a factory wiring diagram you can do without the dash harness and make your own. If your engine harness is 89 then get an 89 FSM because I tried to use an 87 FSM on my 86 dash harness and it was different, I wound up having to buy an 86 FSM. Remember, where there's a will there's a way.

good luck
Jeff

[cndnGLH]

Thanks for reply, Pardon my ignorance, but what is an FSM? OK basically if I got a COMPLETE wiring harness out of an smec car, engine & dash I should be good. There is no guages etc on this car, just a roll bar and a dash pad, no heater or nothin

im talking in my head ..is it factory sevice manual? if so what do i win.

[86-89 Lancer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cndnGLH Thanks for reply, Pardon my ignorance, but what is an FSM? OK basically if I got a COMPLETE wiring harness out of an smec car, engine & dash I should be good. There is no guages etc on this car, just a roll bar and a dash pad, no heater or nothin im talking in my head ..is it factory sevice manual? if so what do i win.

(FSM) = Factory Service Manual, you're right - but sorry no prize other than pat yourself on the back. I wouldn't bother getting a dash harness because it will all be deleted other than ignition, starting, and lighting. If you use a factory fuse box you can still make your own dash harness

Jeff

[cndnGLH]

Thanks for the info. The ignition/lights will probably just be on dash switches, so that will work. Ill let you know how I make out. Thanks again

[86LaserXE-XT]

I pulled the engine harness from an 89 spirit the bulkhead connector under the dash.
I don't have a 89 FSM. but I pulled the ignition switch and headlight switch with the harness as it's attached but not through the connector. it all came out with the rest of the underhood harness. didn't really think about any fuses wired through the bulkhead connector. thought maybe I could just hook up power to the harness and plug it all in to my engine and make it run.
guess you could do the same but seems there might be just a couple fuses you'd need to wire in. but looks to be a pretty simple harness to modify for your race vehical.
since the ignition and headlights are part of the underhood harness.


I'm hoping to make this harness work on my 89 turbovan as it's harness is all kinds of messed up from it being new and someone installing a interesting alarm/fuel shutoff thing. they cut back alot of the wires to probe them and never sealed them back up so I've got tons of corroded wires breaking and making crappy connections.
hoping I could just wire this harness in without to much trouble.
anyone have the 89 FSM that could E-mail me the diagrams for a spirit?
don't really have the funds at the moment to bid one from E-bay or anything.