This isn’t a simple swap...

Question:

We have two trucks. One is in better shape than the other one but that one has a better motor. Can I switch the electrical wiring and engine between a 1996 Ford F-150 and 1986 Ford truck? The ’86 is a better truck and I just wanted to make sure that I could switch it out prior to trying it. I was hoping that by changing the electrical wiring it would update the 1986.

Answer:

You won’t be able to simply switch the wiring harnesses from the 1996 truck into the 1986 truck unless you also switch many of the electrical components over as well. I suspect that all of the time and effort it will require does not justify the end result but you may well disagree.

If you do decide to “update” the ’86 with the harness and related components out of the ’96 the first thing you should do is invest in shop manuals for both trucks.