Mach 460 HeadUnit Replacement Help Needed

[Live Life Fresh]

My Mach 460's head-unit has had a failed CD changer/player for about 2-months now and I'm finally fed up with it lol

Looking to replace the head-unit with a basic CD-Stereo with a Built-In-Amp (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kenwood-KDC-148-CD-MP3-200W-Receiver-with-AM-FM-Tuner/16451450) I work for Wal-Mart and get a discount so I'd be paying $80 out the door for the unit and some Kenwood 6.5" speakers as well (package deal).

Now I've searched around for a simple, clear "how-to" with a parts needed list but haven't had any common guidelines. I've heard a need of either built in cross-overs and even a need of multiple outputs (2 from what I remember), to successfully retain use of my stock amps/speakers.

Anybody know of a sure-fire, semi-simple way of installing this head-unit and retaining use of my stock amps/speakers?

If not, I have 4 aftermarket 2-ways that I can use on the four corners of the car (2-doors/2 rear-deck) and simply wire them directly to the new stereo, if that's an option (although i hate the idea of having the tweeters there just for show lol).

Any suggestions, tips or especially complete how-to's will be greatly appreciated guys! :D

---------- Post added 05-10-2011 at 06:17 PM ----------

To add to my confusion, my car apparently was either originally packaged with the older style 460 head-units or was replaced (along with harness apparently) with one

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y233/BrownBaller1989/IMAG0291.jpg

[Blind]

there's lots of ways to do it, the simplest would be to get an integration harness to use the mach460 amps.

what it does, is it takes the RCA pre-amp outputs of your new stereo (need front and rear), and converts them to plug into the factory amps. All the crossover stuff is built into the mach460 amps.

you can replace the speakers if you want, but I wouldn't use anything short of a component system with new tweaters in the pods.

---------- Post added 05-10-2011 at 06:36 PM ----------

here's the harness -
Amazon.com: Metra 70-5510 Factory Amplifier Integration Harness for Select 1986-2000 Ford Vehicles: Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41rVoOEPa%2BL.@@AMEPARAM@@41rVoOEPa%2BL

write up here -
http://forums.corral.net/forums/audio/531026-mach-460-head-unit-hu-replacement-info-within.html

[BISKIT]

There you go.

Kevin for the win!!! :cheers:

[Live Life Fresh]

Sweet! :D Thanks a lot dude! After the reserach it seemed this was the simple way but some articles added some other issues I should worry about that confused me a bit. Now the only headache I'm facing is finding an affordable head-unit I dig, with 2 sets of pre-amps lol this Kenwood unit has its pre-amp outputs listed as "2-Channel", I'm assuming that means it only has a pair of RCA cables coming out the back side right? The equivalent terminology I'm searching for is "4-channel" pre-amp outputs (aka 2 pairs of RCA connections out back). Does it matter if one of the pre-amp is a sub pre-amp? I'm assuming the frequencies are set differently?

[Live Life Fresh]

Would an RCA Splitter type cable work if the stereo I bought had only one set of RCA Pre-Amp outputs?

[Live Life Fresh]

I'm ready to buy what I need tommorrow and do the install, even found a Sony stereo I really dig with the 2-preamp outputs (front and rear/sub with a built in filter/mode switcher feature) but I'm worried that adapter harness is for 2003-up units like this one:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y233/BrownBaller1989/IMG_4937.jpg
Just because they look like they fit the outputs on this type of 460 (this is a unit directly off an 03 Mach).

[reivaxtorres]

I'm ready to buy what I need tommorrow and do the install, even found a Sony stereo I really dig with the 2-preamp outputs (front and rear/sub with a built in filter/mode switcher feature) but I'm worried that adapter harness is for 2003-up units like this one:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y233/BrownBaller1989/IMG_4937.jpg
Just because they look like they fit the outputs on this type of 460 (this is a unit directly off an 03 Mach).

those plug-ins were on the 04+ models, 01-03 got the plugs you posted on the 1st pic (black connectors). and i dont think that was off an 03 mach, unless it was a really late model 03 or early 04 model (tho i havent heard of anyone with an 03 having those connections.)

[Blind]

the grey plug in the integration harness I don't think you'll use, just the black one with the RCA plugs on it, you'd need to get constant 12v, switched 12v, and ground to the new headunit, plug in those rca plugs to the pre-outs, and you'd be good to go, other than worrying about a turn-on wire for the factory amps. The article I linked did mention some people need to add a resister to the amps power lead to give it a delay to avoid hearing pops, if I were you I'd read through that some more, the guy that wrote that up looks like he has a 2000, your mach460 may be different.

if you just use the front pre-amps from a deck, then your back speakers wouldn't work, not a big deal if you have a sub and a good front stage, I don't have back speakers in my `97 at all, just a nice JL 6.5" component setup up front and a boston 10" sub in the trunk. I tried rear speakers but they just screwed up the imaging to my ears.

If the deck's rear pre-amp is actually a sub out, then your rear tweaters wouldn't do anything, and I'm not sure how the factory mach 460 rear speakers would sound with only getting signals under 90hz, which is the typical cutoff on a sub-out from a deck, probably would sound pretty good and eliminate the imaging problems.

[Live Life Fresh]

Wooooo!! Got it all done today and I couldn't be more satisfied with this new setup! :D thank you for the mad useful info Blind. Led me on the right track. I ended up using a Metra harness but for the 2002-2003 its harness 70-5519 but it wasn't plug and play on the RCA side of the harness. I had to do some simple splicing but with some useful wiring diagrams my bro pulled of the Mach 460 system it was a breeze. If anyone needs help let me know, very easy process. Ante'd up for a doper unit with Bluetooth and ipod built-in functions, so gracias again! Owe ya a:beer: