Ok lost my motor this week so I was swapping out with another 4.3 with 50,000 on it. 1st I'd like to say what a huge pain in the rear!!
Now for my pickle i got myself in. I got the new motor in and bolted up to the tranny which was nooo easy task at all. Im plugging up my wiring harness and i notice that my plug the had fallen in between by engine and tranny right before i got them bolted together. (its a plastic plug for a little valve on the back of the engine below the intake and distributer.(on the block)) I have an extra wiring harness that I can use to cut and solder in a replacement for the plug that is sandwiched. Do you see any harm in leaving the old connector in there? Any one who has ever swapped an engine knows that the bell housing bolts are a HUGE PAIN to get to. It is probably only sticking down a couple of inches and all there is between the motor and the tranny is a razor sharp flexplate/flywheel, a starter, and a torque converter so i don't really see any harm in leaving it be. What are your thoughts?
Thanks
Michael

 

If you can splice into the wires and put in another plug, then I wouldn't think there's anything wrong with leaving it. I don't quite get why you can't just pull it out somehow. But if you really must leave it there, at least tape off or cover the exposed wires (even if they're inside the plug). Maybe cut the actual connector off and tape the hell out of the end of that wire so there's no chance of it grounding out against ANYthing. The last thing you want to have happen is have random problems caused by this wire. And if the wire is squished under two pieces of metal you might really consider going through the trouble of getting out of there. But, again, I'm not sure how this wires/connector is squished.. Maybe some pictures?

 

Thanks for the reply, i will try and clarify. The wires are sandwiched in between where the top of of the block meets the top of the housing on the transmission. Connected to those wires is a plastic plug dangling about an inch or so down in between where the engine and trans are bolted together (the area where the flexplate/flywheel bolts to the torque converter). To remove the plug it would require me to re separate the engine and trans and but them back together which is no quick or easy task. And yes i feel like a complete idiot for missing this.
Thanks!

 

Sorry, I haven't played with my engine enough to know where you're talking about (I have an idea but not sure). So I think you gave plenty of information, I just don't know where that is. But I'll give you my view from an electrical standpoint and you can make a decision from there. If the wires are being crushed between parts (enough that it might break the wire if you pulled it hard enough) then there's a possibility that the wires could short out causing many headaches. If that's the case, bite the bullet and take the wires out. If the connector/wires are not being crushed and it's more a case of you just can't get the wires out because the connector can't fit between parts, then there's no harm in leaving it so long as it won't get caught in a moving part or ripped off somehow. SO, if the wires are intact and will stay that way, leave it. If the wires are broken or in danger of being broken, take'm out. Hope this helps you out some.

 

I wouldn't leave it in there. Your transmission is not sitting flat against the back of the block as long as that wiring is smushed in between the two. Even a little difference will cause a misalignment between the two which will decrease the life of the flex plate.

 

i would cut the wires, then loosen (not remove) the bolts on the tranny housing to let the connector fall to the bottom of the bellhousing, then remove the round inspection plug and pull it out. like swarltkk said, its not sitting flush and could cause damage to the crank and/or trans input shaft. then bolt the bellhousing back up to the motor. then obviousley fix the wires. If i understnd what sensor you are talking about, its the oil pressure sensor correct? http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/2228/40996812.png

 

Thank you guys. I wasn't thinking about the possible missalignment but what the plug would do. Thats why i asked, didnt wanna miss something. Ill go ahead and loosin a bit and then cut it and fish it out through the inspection hole, good idea Ryan. And ya, i think that would be the oil pressure sensor. There is two back there one that plugs into a longer black connector that goes into the rear intake manifold mateing surface and one with a white circular connector a little lower on the block. This would be the white one. Thanks again for the help
Michael

 

He said plug that hooks up to distibutor. Thats the cam position sensor. Oil pressure sender and plug are right below it.

 

no, he said it is below the distributer

 

Oh, sorry ryan, Glimpsed right over that man.