Ford Racing Performance Parts New Engine Harness - Bumpside Build-On

OK, here's the heart of my '68 Ford F-100--a new '08 Ford 4.6L three-valve SOHC engine. When I started this build several years ago, Ford had plenty of these successful Mustang-based engines on hand, but they, nor anyone else in the aftermarket, knew how to control them in a non-stock vehicle--not any more.

Here is the main engine harness from an '07-10 Ford 4.6L engine; the '05-06 harness can't be used. It looks like a big harness mess, but once it's hooked up to the engine, it'll all make sense.

This is Ford's Cowl Wiring Harness (CM-14A005-A) that makes running one of these small, lightweight, yet powerful modular V-8s a possibility. The black box here is what Ford calls the Power Distribution Box (CM-14A068-A), or PDB. The PDB holds the relays and fuses required to run the engine, electric fan, electric fuel pump, A/C, and intercooler (for supercharged 5.4L engines).

The brains of the operation are inside the Power Control Module (CM-12A650-463V), or PCM. Lots of people refer to this item in an EFI application as the ECM or ECU, but Ford calls it a PCM. The PCM for this kit is programmed specially for running a 4.6L or 5.4L engine in a non-stock vehicle; you can't use a stock PCM and vice versa without getting a "no-start" code. This PCM won't work with a Mustang-style return-less fuel system, either.

The engineers at Ford Racing decided to base this kit off of their '08 Shelby GT500 drive-by-wire gas pedal (7R3Z-9F836-A), which is included. This will ensure proper throttle operation and eliminate the need to try and route a traditional throttle cable.

Here we have the 85mm Cold Air Kit (CM-9600-V605 CAK) that was originally found on the late-model Bullit edition Mustangs. The filter and airbox mounts in the driver side front corner of the engine bay. The air tube holds the MAF (mass air flow) sensor. This and the previous parts all work together in a Ford Racing kit to get optimal performance from your crate motor.

Here are a few things that have improved over the last two years as Ford Racing has worked to upgrade and downsize this kit. Originally I was shipped the second prototype kit that came with a stock and bulky production Mustang PDB (right).

I received an email straight from Steve Bandy, the engineer who was designing the harness, on how to install it along with the hand-written labels on the wiring. Now, you can see how much tidier the package has become--it currently comes with an excellent 19-page installation guide as well.

Even though I've been working on two separate late-model EFI engines, I'm no electronics wiz--yet! To wrap my head around the main '07-10 4.6L engine harness, I laid it out on the ground first to get familiar with it and how it might go on the engine. Here's the basic layout of how it should fit on the engine.

With it actually installed on the engine, you can kind of see how and where the connections on the harness and the ones on the engine line up.

Besides the variable cam timing of the three-valve SOHC engine, Ford uses unique plugs in their harnesses that they don't sell to anyone else. This is another reason there haven't been any other aftermarket harnesses developed for these engines.

The black plugs for the coil packs and gray plugs for the injectors are fairly straight forward. There are four of each per side and equally spaced in the harness. You'll get a positive "click" when each plug seats.