new vs old crank sensor

Alright fellas, here's the question:
My project car is a 97 LX chassis with 89 SC running gear and mostly 94+ wiring. The most recent problem is the crank sensor. They appear to be quite different on the 89 vs. the 94/5. So how do I make that work out? I think this would be the second to last under-hood wiring headache. I'm guessing I end up needing a 94/5 balancer and pick up ring. Is the mounting bracket for the sensor different too? I suppose the EEC won't work with the new wiring. Christ this thing is a nightmare. Good lord, Mr ford musta been bored.

Thanks for any help,
Kurt

The timing chain covers are different on the 89-93 and 94-95 where the sensor mounts. You can use a 94-95 on a 89-93 but not vice versa.

Not entirely true. The '89-93 sensor mounts on the front of the block and all years have those mounting holes.
94-95 timing covers have the mounting holes for their sensors.
Any timing cover will go on any block, and any block will mount the early sensor.

Nick

nickleman60 said:

The timing chain covers are different on the 89-93 and 94-95 where the sensor mounts. You can use a 94-95 on a 89-93 but not vice versa.

Click to expand...

The block is an 89, but if the newer style mounts to the timing cover, then the distance from the block face to the signal ring is probably also different. So to modify my bracket to accept the newer style sensor won't do it.
It would also appear that the old style generates a field on one side of the slot and senses it on the other. So if I just spliced into the blue wires, there isn't a signal to pick up. Right?

To make that work, you will need a 94-95 sensor, timing chain cover, and harmonic balancer.
The later sensor (IIRC) uses 4 wires instead of the three on the early one.

Nick

The sensor that's on the motor has four wire now, but the connector for the new style only has two.
Does anybody know off hand if my EEC is then going to have an issue?
Thanks, Kurt

NickM said:

Not entirely true. The '89-93 sensor mounts on the front of the block and all years have those mounting holes.
94-95 timing covers have the mounting holes for their sensors.
Any timing cover will go on any block, and any block will mount the early sensor.

Nick

Click to expand...

Not entirely true, I've got 3 timing chain covers from 3 '90's and they do not have the mounts for the 94/95 setup. It was obvious when I put the new style and the old style side by side before the new went into the car.

Frit

BlkBirds said:

The sensor that's on the motor has four wire now, but the connector for the new style only has two.
Does anybody know off hand if my EEC is then going to have an issue?
Thanks, Kurt

Click to expand...

Early style sensors have a seperate 1 wire connector along with the main round shaped connector.

fturner said:

Not entirely true, I've got 3 timing chain covers from 3 '90's and they do not have the mounts for the 94/95 setup. It was obvious when I put the new style and the old style side by side before the new went into the car.

Frit

Click to expand...

I think we are saying the same thing here. 94-95 sensors mount on 94-95 timing covers. Earlier sensors mount on the block, but all years of the block have the mounting holes for the early sensor.

Nick

bumpity bump bump for more info

I'm dealing with a similar problem. I have an internally balanced (via machine shop) engine out of an 89. It's in a 94 Mustang with all the 94 Mustang wiring, which is very similar to the 94 SC. I had the balancer from the 89 SC zero balanced to match the engine. Then I became aware that I need the Mustang balancer to trigger the crank sensor. To have that balancer zero'd for the rest of the engine requires the engine to be torn down to pull out the rotating assembly. Their are neutral balancers available for $450 bucks. The machine shop said that I'd have that into it from him, not to mention hassle, gaskets, time, etc. As far as adapting the reluctor ring from the 94-95 to the 89-93 balancer, good luck! I had a friend machine me a spacer, but the ring is indexed slightly differently from damper to the other, which throws off the timing, and won't allow the engine to run. The machinist told me to go buy the neutral balanced damper to save money. The 94-95 and 89-93 balancers are completely different. The reluctor wheel is .500 inches out of plane with each other. So besides the different wiring, this would be the other issue to deal with.

More good to know info, thank you. I also spent some time with the wiring diagrams from both cars, and literally half of the pins are different on the EEC. Just keeps gettin deeper.