410Fortune has done many of the 302 swaps. I'm going by what I've learned here from others.
You said this vehicle getting the swap is a 96 Explorer, not your "other" 99, yes?
Eliminating ABS would simplify some things. But the 98-01 PCM's need the VSS signal which comes from the ABS module. Those 98-01 ABS modules are unique, they "condition" the rear ABS signal into a VSS signal. That's also where the speedometer gets the speed signal from, the ABS module.
That's why I suggested swapping the whole dash harness, since you have the matching set from the donor vehicle. If the dash is still in good shape, swap the whole dash. Or else you can make individual wire changes to mix the older 96/97 wiring with the later wiring. Ford made major wire changes during 1997, bunches are different for 98-01 compared to the older wiring. Decide which are the better parts, and what will be easier for you to do, to make the swap work.