1949 sho

[Falconvan]

Hi all,

I've been browsing your forum for a few months as I bought a 93 SHO parts car a while back and have been tossing around ideas of where to use the drivetrain. Mainly I have been working on 1946-52 Mopars for the last 10 years or so but always liked the SHO. I just got a 1949 Plymouth business coupe and have decided to use the 3.2 SHO engine with a Ranger 5 speed trans as the drivetrain. I've got a set of factory wiring diagrams on PDF for the Taurus so that helps. Im hoping to build a stand alone harness for the engine out of the factory harness. Any advice is most welcome, you guys really know your stuff on these cars and Im pretty much a rookie on them. Also, the engine has 122K miles. Oil is really clean and it sounded good; I was thinking just replace the outer gaskets and the timing belt before I install, any thoughts on that?

 

[platoribs]

Definately replace the connecting rod bearings and perform a complete 60K maintenance b/4 engine installing.

James H. formerly St. Louis SHO lives nearby you in South St. Louis. I'd be willing to bet if you left a few Bud Lights in the fridge you could coax him out of retirement to lend a hand after you get it assembled. But I could be mistaken.

Regardless I'm sure there are enough resources left around here and on Facebook to get you over any shallow water shoals... Best Luck with your project and do keep up posted with lots of pictures.

 

[mrecoolgar]

Neato.
There are several alternate-bodied SHO-engined projects on here.

 

[Falconvan]

Thanks, I'll have to try and contact James once I get to that point. Here's where I am now; first things will be to tear down the rest of the Taurus, change the rear in the coupe to an 8.8 and come up with a set of hanging pedals. Ive already got discs on the front.

 

[gmail]

Not sure but I used a ranger trans witha lumina clutch and a 3.0 vulcan pilot bearing. All you need to do is trim a small part off the bell where the rear oil main carrier is and it all bolts up no problem.. also you can use a sho starter or ranger..

Thats in case you didnt know

If you were closer id love to help with the wiring since I pretty much rewired my 92 and used megasquirt.. I got a lot of experience with wiring on these cars so if you run into a snag maybe I could lend some advice

 

[Falconvan]

Not sure but I used a ranger trans witha lumina clutch and a 3.0 vulcan pilot bearing. All you need to do is trim a small part off the bell where the rear oil main carrier is and it all bolts up no problem.. also you can use a sho starter or ranger..

Thats in case you didnt know

If you were closer id love to help with the wiring since I pretty much rewired my 92 and used megasquirt.. I got a lot of experience with wiring on these cars so if you run into a snag maybe I could lend some advice

That would be awesome, thanks! I'll definitly take you up on that. As far as the Ranger trans, am I looking for a certain year or just any five speed that was behind a 3.0? Also, how do you like the Megasquirt? That's the build it yourself controller?

 

[intimdatr]

Cool! Another SHO person popping up in Missouri!

 

[gmail]

The 5 speed 3.0 I got was out of a 94 I believe but the year is not as important just has to be manual behind a vulcan. .

Megasquirt you can buy fully assembled but I did indeed build everything for mine.. honestly if more SHO people would give it a shot they would feel the samr as me... highly impressed.. the possibilities are abput endless.. sry but the tweecer is some of the worst hardware and software I ever seen.
I know some will disagree but its so unfriendly in almost everyway.. **** is hangs in the back of the computer haha.

Anyways yeah I love it and have fun playing with everything. . Right now I just finished up my true sequential coil on plug setup.. no more wasted spark for me.. next im gonna play around with setting up a cruise controo module off a atx

Was also in the middle of building a touch screen in dash computer that ill be able to tune off of

 

[Falconvan]

That's really impressive stuff. So did you use all the Ford sensors, injectors, etc and just wire the Megasquirt to it? How much did it set you back, you got me curious now.

 

[Falconvan]

Right on, go show-me state!

 

[gmail]

I went all out and got all the bells and whistles for my megasquirt so its like 650 for everything.. I think its cheaper now but I bought all the stuff as it came out with upgrades etc so it ended up being more.

Also I am using all the stock sensors etc.. I was even on a stock coil till I wanted to use the Chrysler cops then decided to go fully sequential..

The beauty of the megasquirt is the versatility with the ablility to use anything..

 

[gmail]

I forgot to mention that I wired my megasquirt into the stock computer so I had the ability to put the stock computer back into the car with just one plug.

Also you can have megasquirt for pretty cheap if you go with megasquier 1 or 2 which will still do all you need just isnt fully sequential for fuel or spark but also stock is wasted spark anyways and you only need 1 wire for spark since DIS is configured the same as a one wire distributor

 

[Shovert]

Awesome project. Done some measuring I assume. Make sure the shifter winds up where you want it. Remember the SHO head hangs over the trans and makes the engine wind up forward. This caused me alot of grief getting it to fit in a Mustang.
I would use that as judgement on engine placement and firewall. The other option is use a t-5, 5.0 bellhousing and adapter.
On the wiring. I tried to use SHO harness and modify, What a nightmare. I would up using a 93 2.3 Mustang harness and repin in the extra wiring from SHO harness.
I agree use megasquit or a 3.0 SHO computer to get around the check engine light of the 3.2 computer.
Maurice

 

[Falconvan]

I built a 51 Plymouth with a 318 last year so I'm thinking if I could get a V8 in that engine compartment, I can get a V6. I have a line on a 96 Ranger trans, I'm going to give it a shot first. If I need to do a little firewall surgery it's not a big deal.
The wiring is the part that's new to me so I really appreciate the advice. As soon as I get to that point I know I'll need your guy's assistance. First order of business is to get the rear end changed, pick up a trans, and see how the drivetrain is going to fit. I have a feeling ill have to pull the old 49 steering box and go with a rack n pinion; had to do the same when I put an LS1 in my wife's 48 Plymouth.
This weekend I'll be pulling the drivetrain from the Taurus.

 

[Off Road SHO]

The wiring is the part that's new to me so I really appreciate the advice. As soon as I get to that point I know I'll need your guy's assistance.

This will help a little. http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=115598

Tom

 

[Falconvan]

That lays it out pretty well, Tom. So with wiring it like this am I going to need any kind of reprogramming on the PCM? Since Im going with the manual trans and an auto PCM I think I read that you have to install some resistors so make the PCM think it's in Park and Drive at the same time?

 

[dohcsable]

That lays it out pretty well, Tom. So with wiring it like this am I going to need any kind of reprogramming on the PCM? Since Im going with the manual trans and an auto PCM I think I read that you have to install some resistors so make the PCM think it's in Park and Drive at the same time?

IDk on that one, but you could always go with an mtx wiring harness and ecu.....but that's the easy button.


I approve of this project, keep at it. :thankyou:

 

[3d914]

That lays it out pretty well, Tom. So with wiring it like this am I going to need any kind of reprogramming on the PCM? Since Im going with the manual trans and an auto PCM I think I read that you have to install some resistors so make the PCM think it's in Park and Drive at the same time?

Falconvan, you shouldn't need any reprogramming of the PCM, and you noted the exceptions.

As an alternative - perhaps more involved than above - is to use a manual trans (MTX) PCM in place of the auto trans (ATX) PCM. This is the path I chose for my SHO-engined project. Because the MTX is used with the 3.0L and the ATX is used with the 3.2 there are some harness differences to deal with.

BTW - cool project! Keep us posted.

 

[Shovert]

Falconvan. If I offended in anyway that was not what I was trying to do. I measure and measure my Mustang numerous times. Then went to j-yard and they had a 3.2 SHO motor on the ground. From my measurements it should fit good. Boy was I wrong. That head hanging over the trans made the engine come forward. Guess what smack into the crossmember. Numerous times in and out until it fit. If I had know I would never had touch the 3.2 SHO. Wiring was the easy part after I gave up on modifying the SHO harness. Again if I offended I apologize. Thanks Maurice

 

[Falconvan]

Falconvan. If I offended in anyway that was not what I was trying to do. I measure and measure my Mustang numerous times. Then went to j-yard and they had a 3.2 SHO motor on the ground. From my measurements it should fit good. Boy was I wrong. That head hanging over the trans made the engine come forward. Guess what smack into the crossmember. Numerous times in and out until it fit. If I had know I would never had touch the 3.2 SHO. Wiring was the easy part after I gave up on modifying the SHO harness. Again if I offended I apologize. Thanks Maurice

No, not at all. I appreciate any advice on these as I'm pretty new to them. No need to apologize.