98 PCM Repinning Swap Cable
04-09-2018, 10:37 AM
#1
98 PCM Repinning Swap Cable Please - no rants if you think this is a stupid suggestion.
For those of us who are challenged when it comes to automotive electrical wiring, it would seem to me that when repinning/converting the cable ends for a 98 to 99-2002 PCM swap that it would be much easier to make a plug and play cable rather than repin each wire.
By that I mean, make a conversion (bridge) cable where the 98 cable ends (red and blue) are left as is. Leave the 99-2002 cable ends (red and blue) as they are. The swap or bridge cable would be the 99-2002 cable with the wire ends from each plug (red and blue) plugging into the the 98 cable female ends (red and blue). Yes I know the colors change during the swap.
IMO, the swap cable would only have to be perhaps less than 12 inches long if that - compared to a complete new cable that vendors currently sell that is much longer with all of the plug-ins to all of the sensors.
With a short conversion cable one could make the swap in less than an hour (pcm and all). Simply plug and play.
Anyone know if such a cable exists and who sells it, or why not?
Seems to me it would be much cheaper to make and sell and also much easier for the customer to install. And foolproof compared to the current way of doing it (repinning or making a complete cable swap).
IMO I venture to say a run of 500 or so would sell out in a hurry. At $200 a pop that's $100,000. I certainly would buy one compared to the current cost to make the swap.
For those of us who are challenged when it comes to automotive electrical wiring, it would seem to me that when repinning/converting the cable ends for a 98 to 99-2002 PCM swap that it would be much easier to make a plug and play cable rather than repin each wire.
By that I mean, make a conversion (bridge) cable where the 98 cable ends (red and blue) are left as is. Leave the 99-2002 cable ends (red and blue) as they are. The swap or bridge cable would be the 99-2002 cable with the wire ends from each plug (red and blue) plugging into the the 98 cable female ends (red and blue). Yes I know the colors change during the swap.
IMO, the swap cable would only have to be perhaps less than 12 inches long if that - compared to a complete new cable that vendors currently sell that is much longer with all of the plug-ins to all of the sensors.
With a short conversion cable one could make the swap in less than an hour (pcm and all). Simply plug and play.
Anyone know if such a cable exists and who sells it, or why not?
Seems to me it would be much cheaper to make and sell and also much easier for the customer to install. And foolproof compared to the current way of doing it (repinning or making a complete cable swap).
IMO I venture to say a run of 500 or so would sell out in a hurry. At $200 a pop that's $100,000. I certainly would buy one compared to the current cost to make the swap.
04-09-2018, 10:42 AM
#2
Restricted User
Some issues.
1. A complete wiring harness can be had for $200 that would solve this problem..
2. The Female end of the PCM connector isn't made anywhere. Delphi won't sell them. Quotes to have someone else make them are often VERY VERY high.
3. I highly doubt you find 500 people willing to buy these.
1. A complete wiring harness can be had for $200 that would solve this problem..
2. The Female end of the PCM connector isn't made anywhere. Delphi won't sell them. Quotes to have someone else make them are often VERY VERY high.
3. I highly doubt you find 500 people willing to buy these.
04-17-2018, 05:03 PM
#4
Some issues.
1. A complete wiring harness can be had for $200 that would solve this problem..
2. The Female end of the PCM connector isn't made anywhere. Delphi won't sell them. Quotes to have someone else make them are often VERY VERY high.
3. I highly doubt you find 500 people willing to buy these.
1. A complete wiring harness can be had for $200 that would solve this problem..
2. The Female end of the PCM connector isn't made anywhere. Delphi won't sell them. Quotes to have someone else make them are often VERY VERY high.
3. I highly doubt you find 500 people willing to buy these.
so me too not so much on electrical, not completely ignorant but........
Is what you are saying basically is that I can just go to the junk yard and buy a wiring harness from a 1999 Camaro Z28 and just replace mine in my 1998 Z28 with it and then get a newer PCM?
Is it that easy?
04-17-2018, 11:33 PM
#6
so me too not so much on electrical, not completely ignorant but........
Is what you are saying basically is that I can just go to the junk yard and buy a wiring harness from a 1999 Camaro Z28 and just replace mine in my 1998 Z28 with it and then get a newer PCM?
Is it that easy?
Is what you are saying basically is that I can just go to the junk yard and buy a wiring harness from a 1999 Camaro Z28 and just replace mine in my 1998 Z28 with it and then get a newer PCM?
Is it that easy?
04-18-2018, 09:43 AM
#7
IMO - if it is that easy then everyone would be doing it instead of paying to have someone repin the harness or do it themselves.
This is what I saw on another forum.
"The best solution for the 98 to 99 pcm swap is to use your existing 98 harness and repin the pcm connectors to the 99 standard.
You CAN use a 99 engine harness but it is missing wires that are needed to drive the 98 cluster. You will need to add those wires in to the harness and wire them into the pass side kick pannel. IMO its more difficult to adapt a 99 harness to a 98 body harness.
I would (and Have) just do all my wiring in one location (the pcm connectors) and have a nice clean install."
SpearTech used to rework harness's but their site states they have discontinued (2017) with no date when they will start again. It's understandable.
Since the LSX engine family is so popular as the engine of choice when transplanting to other vehicles - their time is better spent mfg new harnesses rather than reworking old used harnesses (now 20 years old) for folks like us who want to convert to the 99-2002 pcm.
I have found one site that does repinning but that means you have to remove the harness, not break any wiring that is now 20 years old, ship, wait for repinning, ship it back, and then reinstall.
So it's clear the best option, for now, is to repin while the harness is in the car - if that's possible. Not sure if you have to remove the harness to repin it.
IMO, I still think a male bracket to hold the male side of the red and blue nylon(delrin) wire holders could be made at a reasonable price. But the naysayers say otherwise - that there isn't the market/demand for such at item.
The pic below is the female side ($20 for the set) C1 and C2 ends. The wire end pins are about $10.
What is needed to make a short plug and play cable is the male ends -C1 and C2. A short plug and play cable would have a male end that plugs into the female end of the 98 harness and the female end of the short cable would plug into the 99-2002 pcm.
This is what I saw on another forum.
"The best solution for the 98 to 99 pcm swap is to use your existing 98 harness and repin the pcm connectors to the 99 standard.
You CAN use a 99 engine harness but it is missing wires that are needed to drive the 98 cluster. You will need to add those wires in to the harness and wire them into the pass side kick pannel. IMO its more difficult to adapt a 99 harness to a 98 body harness.
I would (and Have) just do all my wiring in one location (the pcm connectors) and have a nice clean install."
SpearTech used to rework harness's but their site states they have discontinued (2017) with no date when they will start again. It's understandable.
Since the LSX engine family is so popular as the engine of choice when transplanting to other vehicles - their time is better spent mfg new harnesses rather than reworking old used harnesses (now 20 years old) for folks like us who want to convert to the 99-2002 pcm.
I have found one site that does repinning but that means you have to remove the harness, not break any wiring that is now 20 years old, ship, wait for repinning, ship it back, and then reinstall.
So it's clear the best option, for now, is to repin while the harness is in the car - if that's possible. Not sure if you have to remove the harness to repin it.
IMO, I still think a male bracket to hold the male side of the red and blue nylon(delrin) wire holders could be made at a reasonable price. But the naysayers say otherwise - that there isn't the market/demand for such at item.
The pic below is the female side ($20 for the set) C1 and C2 ends. The wire end pins are about $10.
What is needed to make a short plug and play cable is the male ends -C1 and C2. A short plug and play cable would have a male end that plugs into the female end of the 98 harness and the female end of the short cable would plug into the 99-2002 pcm.