SOOO question

[Soul]

SO I just picked up a complete 2000 explorer motor + trans, body harness, engine harness, fuse block, computer. Thinking of robbing electric bits and putting on my 331 or dropping this in ranger. How hard would it be to put the fuel injection and stuff on my 331 stroker?

[Dave]

Shouldn't make any diffeence if it's a 302 or 331. Chris is doing the same exact thing but with a milder build. He's using the Mustang computer and electronics but lots have gone with the Explorer set-up. Forgot but what year is your truck? You don't need the fuse block and body harness if going in the Ranger.
Dave

[Soul]

Ok, looks like PATS is going to be a major hurdle. I'm not against running a different ecu. Is there another computer I can swap into it and not have to mess with pats?

[Soul]

ok let me start over, I actually have educated myself a little in the inbetween here.

331 is built and in 88 t-bird.
Explorer parts are 2000 which has pats type B

Concerns were
1. Pats and how to bypass if at all possible
2. No distributor, how does crank pickup read and do I have to change timing cover for something?

I seen that Malcolm's blue truck used same year donor and he swapped in some Mustang stuff to get away from the pats. So I see a few options as far as that goes.
Solution 1
I have a 90 mustang donor car I can rob or a 95 mustang donor car
What bits of harness do I need to snag and can I still go no distributor?
Solution 2
On my friends camaro he had the VATS securtiy, after a bunch of changed ignitions (broken lead wires) I spliced in a resistor that was the same ohms as his key before the ignition. Only problem with this is I don't think I have the pats module and not sure what Resistance the key is as I don't have it.
Solution 3
Get an ECU from an earlier explorer with same setup and just do minor rewiring

I would like to run the entire top end off this setup, injectors, intake, coil packs, crank pickup, and the 4r70w I got (I only paid 300 bucks for all this).

OH and another issue, the trans is a 4wd. I know I have to get a diff tailhousing, I heard I can use an AODE tailhousing and shaft, any one know if this is true?

As for the ecu being swapped and the trans, I can either get a diff controller or a full manual no electronics valve body.

[Soul]

Also the left over motor is going to get my c4 out of the tbird and go into the 87 ranger body I have. Me and Dad decided we wanted a track truck to tinker with, he has some 411's in a box for it.

[cgrey8]

When I did this swap, I knew nothing about EEC tuning and even after I learned, the aftermarket support for the Explorer EEC for DIY tuners was well, non existent. However what was known pretty well was the 89-93 Mustang setup. So I retrofitted my Explorer engine to be a Mustang including TFI distributor, 89-93 era sensors, and custom wiring harness. It wasn't rocket science, but it was tedious work. However I think the results came out pretty nice considering it was my 1st attempt at anything like this.

But today, there is better hardware, better software, and support for almost all the Explorer EEC 5.0Ls via the Moates Quarterhorse (tuner/datalogging hardware), Binary Editor (tuning software), and licensable def file gotten from Adam (username POPSRACING on the EECTuning.org website). So if I were doing this same swap today, I would keep the Explorer engine setup almost exactly as it was in the Explorer using the same Explorer EEC, EDIS, and everything. As for PATS, I believe you can simply turn that off in the tune using Adam's def file. That's something you'd want to ask him about before making the investment.

Now the downside is Injection and EEC Tuning isn't cheap. It's still far cheaper to go the carb route for people that just want the simplest setup possible. However if the financial dive and learning curve don't scare you away, it is quite doable.

[Soul]

Financial not so much, I can just stretch it out over time to do that. Learning curve yes, originally I was into 2.3 turbo cars. I built a healthy motor and loved it and kept going for a wilder combo. Eventually I got up into the 25psi range with a hx35 and then it wasn't fun. I don't have any one around to help tune and kinda got in over my head. I decided that for the power goals I wanted it was to complicated and wasn't reliable and that's when I went with the stroker motor. I want a combo I can throw on and have running and not have to tinker with every time I want to drive. I'm kinda scared of EEC tuning mostly because if I screw it up I feel like I'd be stranded and not able to go back (new territory). If I could get a base tune and go from there I think I"ll dive in. I appreciate the help guys, I said it once before and I'll say it again, this is one of the friendliest forums I've been on. Most of the forums I'm a member of I don't post much as they are as likely to flame you as help you.

[cgrey8]

There are risks with DIY EEC tuning, that's for sure. But I've never been "stranded" because of it. Although the possibility is there if you aren't careful. The closest I ever came to being stranded was writing a "bad" tune to the tuner right when my laptop battery was about to run out. I had to reboot and get reconnected with a good tune before the battery gave out. I succeeded and since then always keep a "good" tune in the tuning device so if I get in this situation again, I can flip a switch and get to a safe tune. Good technique has minimized my risks of getting stranded and I haven't had a "close call" since. It's like keeping a spare door key in your wallet to get you in when you forget to grab your keys out of the ignition. When the key is there, it's a minor thing and is hardly an inconvenience. But without that key, it's a huge ordeal.

So, the only other thing I can say is read over this thread if you haven't already:
EECTuning.org > FAQs > Things to know BEFORE buying a TwEECer or Quarterhorse

As for a base tune, people on the EEC Tuning site always ask for that thinking there's some magic way to do that. But you can get yourself a pretty decent starter tune in about an hour just playing around in the driveway. Each drive you make will help you hone in on the tune to get it better and better. It is an iterative process. I'm still perfecting my tune today. Idle, AFR, and cranking have long since been perfected. But every now-n-then, I hear some ping and have to reduce the spark timing for the offending RPM/Load condition so it doesn't ping. Running premium would fix that, but if I can get regular to work on the daily commute, why not use it since I'm not racing the truck and rarely WOT it.

[Soul]

I guess by stranded, I meant knee deep in something new and completely lost. Think I'm going to piece a mustang/explorer combo of these parts together and find which ecu would work best and go the QH route.

Any one local to Cape Girardeau Interested in the motor let me know. Think I'll use the trans and just swap over a mustang top.

[cgrey8]

That's the reaction most people have when they get into EEC Tuning. It's bad enough when you begin tuning an older EEC-IV. The EEC-Vs step up to about 4-5x the number of settings, functions, and tables. Most of the additional stuff is straight forward info that supports the additional capabilities of the hardware (e.g. tranny controls, PATS, variable speed fuel pump controls, etc). Other things get more opaque like 4-5 different spark tables, none of which can be ignored and must be dealt with in some form.

[Soul]

What would be your recommendation as for a ECU?
I can go 90 mustang, 95 mustang, or the 2000 explorer

[MalcolmV8]

What would be your recommendation as for a ECU?
I can go 90 mustang, 95 mustang, or the 2000 explorer

You mentioned 4r70w up there. I went with a 92/93 ecu and ended up having to get a stand alone aftermarket electronic controller for the 4r70w as they are electronically controlled and not supported in that ECU. 95 Mustangs had 4r70w trannies in the autos. 2000 ECU has other challenges such as PATs and a few sensors to do with emissions on the new cars, I believe some sensors in the gas tank etc. Also a speed sensor on the diff I think it was? It's been a few years, I did that blue truck 6 years ago. It's possible to do a 2000 ECU swap, seen it done, but will take extra work and understanding.

[Soul]

First like to say THANK YOU Chris, talked with Adam, extremely nice guy. From what I'm hearing he can tune my mods in, disable all the non-used stuff (pats eletronic doorlocks etc) and he knows a guy close to where I'll be moving that can finish the tuning up. Sounds like it should be a pretty cut and dry thing. I have the option of keeping the 4r70w shifting correctly, or I can get the manual VB also.

[cgrey8]

Which EEC did you discuss with Adam? The Explorer EEC? If so, that would allow you to keep the 4R70w under EEC control and tunable via laptop as well so if you don't like the shiftpoints, you can change them. You can even setup a tune that has low shiftpoints, and with the flip of a switch on the dash, has higher shiftpoints for a sportier feel.

[Soul]

it was the explorer's eec.