Wiring jimmy jamble

This is quite a story, but IMO you need it all to make sense. So, I do apologize, but appreciate it.

I bought a 93 town car from a friend... cartier trim. Mint, btw. He just put an 80k, 93 marquis engine/trans in. But here's what got mixed up. He used the engine/trans wiring from the merc, and the harness on the firewall from the lincoln. They all match up except the trans, which is the same connector, but both male. I got wiring diagrams for both merc and lincoln, and they match up very similar, except a lot of colours don't match, some do, but the odd ball colours don't have that-whatever on the lincoln. So it's become a bit of a mess. This is a motor swap never finished, and I'm picking up the pieces. I am not a ford guy, I am GM, so that just compounds the mess. Right now, the wiring harness is wired in for the trans sensor switch and gear selector switch. Hoping the ECU would think it's in park, but it still doesn't turn over [no click, nadda, like it's in gear ya know?]. We tried cleaning starter cables and everything, but they were all clean and the motor started in the donor. So what I want it to do is turn over now. I'm assuming that once it's turning over it'll run, it's all there. This motor has never even turned over in this car. There are a few grounds to take care of, and the SES light doesn't come on for a bulb check, except when i go to turn the ign off... it's flashes for a split second right as i'm turning it off. Not sure if that's a ford design [honestly this is my first one... so... ], GM has bulb checks... all the other ones come on, including ABS.

$250 for a mint town car.. not bad.. hopefully someone can help me descramble this..

Hello

Sound like one of my basket case projects, It wouldn't be a project if it wasent. Well I would think the wiring diagrams would be helpful to have. Do you or your buddy still have the doner car? Might be able to trace back some of the wires. Never the less you got it for a good price, with some tinkering you will get together. Those grounds connections are important. I sometimes find problems like this when I do an engine swap, it always seems to be something simple that I over look at first. Have you double checked the connections on the starter solenod? Let me know if you need anything, I have several Town Cars from 91 to 93 e mail me [email protected]

Good Luck
Mike

Projects are my name. I've been driving for one year [17], and have owned 5 cars, all of them their own projects, and have driven for free all year [yeehaw]. Anyways..

Donor car is long gone. I have the ground wiring as well, it really isn't the best, but I have it for both the marq and tc, and they are all the same, but just different lengths on different locales on the fender. No biggie. I have 3 complete harnesses, and bits and pieces from who knows what. None of them get me further than where I am at [came with car].

I have not tested the starter connections with a voltmeter, but all the connections are clean, and all the battery-starter stuff was off the marq which worked when pulled [1yr]. I have only done one engine swap [3800, GM], which all made sense.. this ford stuff is tough, I am sure you know :).

What I am thinking, is just hooking up a starter button, but only get the motor to turn [no solenoid]. Need some help on that one. I'm not sure, but everything looks there ready to go, so I think finishing some grounds it'll start, obviously it'll need that trans wiring to drive; but that'll justify springing for it.

I would like to get a haynes manual for this sucker, but does haynes suck just as much on GM as they do ford? Would it help a ford noob like myself better than a chiltons? That's really what I need the assistance on, getting myself in a ford state of mind. But I don't want to throw my money by the wayside.

I've got more project cars than I know what to do with right now, all basket cases too. I'll haul a junker in and see something I like about it and mark it as save (project status). 5 cars and 17 impressive. You got me beat, I was only on 3 when I was 17. I'm more of a GM man myself, but I do like my Lincolns.

Don't wast you money on the Haynes or Chilton they both suck no mater what car they are for. A good OEM book will suit you well. I must say the engine swap in these cars is a pain, the most difficult and time consuming one I've done. Lineing up the flywheel to the torque converter was the worst, there's no room in there. I had to walk away from that several times, to cool down.

Any way you found a good forum, lots of good info and people here. I'll try to help any way I can.

Mike

I've got more project cars than I know what to do with right now, all basket cases too. I'll haul a junker in and see something I like about it and mark it as save (project status). 5 cars and 17 impressive. You got me beat, I was only on 3 when I was 17. I'm more of a GM man myself, but I do like my Lincolns.

Don't wast you money on the Haynes or Chilton they both suck no mater what car they are for. A good OEM book will suit you well. I must say the engine swap in these cars is a pain, the most difficult and time consuming one I've done. Lineing up the flywheel to the torque converter was the worst, there's no room in there. I had to walk away from that several times, to cool down.

Any way you found a good forum, lots of good info and people here. I'll try to help any way I can.

Mike
Hi do like I did on me 93 f150 swap .I just run me a manual starter button. From the starter clyn. to the battery. Been working fine for 2 years. Danny