Drive by Wire or Cable
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
iTrader: (2)
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 319
Likes: 0
From: Newport News, VA
Drive by Wire or Cable So I picked up a 2003 Tahoe from a salvage website and am looking to put the engine in an 85 T-bird. The truck is drive by wire, but for conversion and simplicity's sake, how difficult is it to throw on a cable TB and a TPS and ditch the accelerator pedal and the electronic TB?
I will be purchasing HP Tuners, so I'll have software if that's all it will take.
Thanks in advance.
I will be purchasing HP Tuners, so I'll have software if that's all it will take.
Thanks in advance.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 732
Likes: 1
From: alburnett, iowa
the wiring on DBW is no big deal to do. make gas pedal fit your car, plug the wire connector in. connect other end same short harness on the tach box. plug the main harness into tach box. throttle done. otherwise if you still want cable go to LT1Swap.com to do wiring conversion from DBW to cable. I did the DBW into my skylark, hardest part cutting/fitting gas pedal.
Launching!
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 245
Likes: 21
What transmission do you plan to use? I struggled with this question for quite a while and decided on DBW with a 4L80E. I prefer the drivability of a computer controlled transmission and the fact that you get cruise control out of the deal. If your trans requires a TV cable then you need to buy a cable kit with the truck TB. IIRC, the early cable throttle bodies are small so flow is limited. If you're looking for better flow you can buy aftermarket but at relatively high cost.
On The Tree
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 147
Likes: 19
From: Mid Missouri
I have a 6.0 out of a 03(4L80) that I plan on using the DBW,I so have the stock harness and ECM, I dont think I have the tach box, I assume this is a must? I plan on keeping it as much as stock as possible for my conversion. Sorry to hijack, seem like a good post to ask.
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
iTrader: (2)
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 319
Likes: 0
From: Newport News, VA
I'm trying to source a 4L80E for this build since it's eventually going turbo.
Looks like I'm going DBW since it's pretty easy.
As far as the tach box, no idea. I picked up the whole truck so I'm going to use the entire harness from that.
Looks like I'm going DBW since it's pretty easy.
As far as the tach box, no idea. I picked up the whole truck so I'm going to use the entire harness from that.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 732
Likes: 1
From: alburnett, iowa
on truck/suv the tach box is on firewall between master cylinder and driver fender. it has 2 plug in holes. 1 is from main wiring harness other goes inside plugs into pedal. you want to have pcm,pedal&tach box from same year so they match(thats what LT1Swap.com reccomends). its ok if pedal to long cause you can cut/bend fit it to your liking. just dont damage the sensor part of pedal.
