Explorer EFI?---Static Compression?

[720Racer]

I've been looking for a complete EFI motor, and I've starting looking at late model explorers for a donor 5.0. What is a good static compression reading? One yard has one with 150 lbs, and another has one that's 185 dry and 190 wet. Both have less than 30,000 miles.

Besides wiring harness and distributor issues, what else will I have to address? From what I understand the last explorer 5.0's run real well. The thought of putting in a 2001 motor with 25,000 miles sounds good to me.

Thanks,

Galen

 

[67ster]

Make sure the throttle body butterfly is wide open on any test , and beware of big variations between cylinders . Sometimes used engines have been subjected to weather , moisture , dirt or upside down or worse ,burned or submerged . A reputable dismantler will normally stand behind his engines and you can usually check out the vehicle it came from . A lot can be learned by the vehicles overall condition even though totaled , check the lube stickers to see if it has been regularly serviced . Check the pedals for undue wear and tear . Pull the dipstick and look at the oil and take a look at the PCV valve and inside the oil filler , should be clean and not smell burned . If it has been laying around for a long time, any fuel left in the injectors or lines could turn to varnish requiring cleaning . Good Luck!!

 

[Broncobowsher]

The later engine from mid ’97 and newer have the GTP heads. The spark plug angles are a bit different and expect to find issues with header clearance if you run bronco headers. Not sure if stock exhaust (early are headers, late are manifolds, both flow about the same for stock parts) will clear the bronco.

Get all the explorer drive on the front. That fan is the best you can get.

Sounds like you will be doing a mustang computer and harness swap. Be prepared to swap injectors. The later ones have 17lb and not the 19lb injectors that the mustang computer expects. The 17lb are white body.

The later engines are a no return fuel system. Either swap in mustang fuel rails with a regulator and a return fitting or T the supply line into an MSD-2222 fuel pressure regulator going back to the tank/accumulator.

Early engines (pre-GTP) have internal EGR that uses an EGR position sensor that should work just fine with the mustangs computer. Later engines with the GTP heads have externial EGR that use a PFE to control the EGR. I think I found a cheat around this but have not tried it yet. Basically involves using 2 EGR valves. The non-feedback that is on the motor to actually control the EGR and an early EGR with sensor that is tapped into the EGR vacuum line to give a signal back to the ECM. Never tried that but it should work.

The distributor needs to be rotated slightly so the TFI module will clear the P/S bracket. Keep the plug wires correct to the #1 located on the cap. This way the ECM still knows where #1 is and you can still do the cylinder balance test as needed.

That’s most of it.

As for the different yards motors, I am a little suspect about the 190PSI one. That actually is a bit high. Even numbers are more important then how high they are.

 

[720Racer]

Broncobowsher,

The guy from one of the yards called back today. 1999 Mercury mountaineer 5.0, 21,000 miles, all cylinders were 145 to 150 psi, 45 lbs of oil pressure at cold idle, 20 inches of vacuum. All drive accessories, intake, exhaust maniflolds, wiring harness and ecm. They don't want too much for the core, so for a low mile roller rocker efi motor it seems affordable. I didn't know about the p-head spark plug issue, or the injectors and return line. I was expecting to have to find a mustang harness and ecm.

If I have to do the injectors and ecm, is it worth while to put in 24 lb/hr injectors and a aftermarket ecm while I'm at it?

Can I still run the DIS, or will I have to get another distrubutor?

I called five yards and found five motors (one didn't have any, one had two), but it was pretty close to quitting time, so I don't know very much about two of them.

I was told this motor runs as good or better than any other 5.0 HO that ever came factory, with a lower power band than a mustang HO motor.

Thanks for the insight,

Galen

 

[lars]

Broncobowsher,

The guy from one of the yards called back today. 1999 Mercury mountaineer 5.0, 21,000 miles, all cylinders were 145 to 150 psi, 45 lbs of oil pressure at cold idle, 20 inches of vacuum. All drive accessories, intake, exhaust maniflolds, wiring harness and ecm. They don't want too much for the core, so for a low mile roller rocker efi motor it seems affordable. I didn't know about the p-head spark plug issue, or the injectors and return line. I was expecting to have to find a mustang harness and ecm.

If I have to do the injectors and ecm, is it worth while to put in 24 lb/hr injectors and a aftermarket ecm while I'm at it?

Can I still run the DIS, or will I have to get another distrubutor?

I called five yards and found five motors (one didn't have any, one had two), but it was pretty close to quitting time, so I don't know very much about two of them.

I was told this motor runs as good or better than any other 5.0 HO that ever came factory, with a lower power band than a mustang HO motor.

Thanks for the insight,

Galen

Buy it. Then convert it to EEC-IV. Not that difficult. I have one, with the gt-40p heads. That can be dealt with also, even with a manual tranny. I'm using a distributor from a 5.0 Mustang for now, but I'll be converting it to EDIS fairly soon. That can be done, even with EEC-IV electronics. A friend of mine did that several months back. Runs fine. The wiring mods are simple. Swapping fuel rails to lose the returnless fuel system is easy, and used 19 lb. injectors are easy to find cheap. Youl'll need an EEC-IV wiring harness, but you can either scrounge a used one from a junkyard or get a new custom made one from Ryan McCormick at www.fordfuelinjection.com. If you want to see mine, PM me. I'm not too far from Sac.

 

[720Racer]

Lars,

Where did you get your motor? How many miles, and what price (PM me if you don't want to say out loud) if you don't mind me asking? How did you deal with the p head/spark plug/header issue? Also, how about the egr issue?

Thanks,

Galen

 

[Broncobowsher]

Broncobowsher,

The guy from one of the yards called back today. 1999 Mercury mountaineer 5.0, 21,000 miles, all cylinders were 145 to 150 psi, 45 lbs of oil pressure at cold idle, 20 inches of vacuum. All drive accessories, intake, exhaust maniflolds, wiring harness and ecm. They don't want too much for the core, so for a low mile roller rocker efi motor it seems affordable. I didn't know about the p-head spark plug issue, or the injectors and return line. I was expecting to have to find a mustang harness and ecm.

If I have to do the injectors and ecm, is it worth while to put in 24 lb/hr injectors and a aftermarket ecm while I'm at it?

Can I still run the DIS, or will I have to get another distrubutor?

I called five yards and found five motors (one didn't have any, one had two), but it was pretty close to quitting time, so I don't know very much about two of them.

I was told this motor runs as good or better than any other 5.0 HO that ever came factory, with a lower power band than a mustang HO motor.

Thanks for the insight,

Galen

Motor sounds like prime material.

The DIS can be worked into the system from what I have heard, but not completely easy to do. If you get a tweecker and the right ecm there is a setting to turn it on. Some have had luck not doing this. I am not an expert with DIS (EDIS) at this time, but I will work on it after getting my 5.0 running.

24 lb injectors are the same price as the 19s but you need the ecm to know the injector slopes of the 24s to get them to work right. If you are keeping it stock and there is no reason not to, just do 19s as that is what the computer expects to be firing.

As for computer, I would ditch the Explorer 104 pin EEC-V unit and swap in a mustang 60 pin EEC-IV. That goes with the swap to a mustang distributor.

While you are swapping stuff you will notice the small explorer injectors are of the EV6 style and the Mustang is EV1 style. Don't worry, they still fit the manifold and fuel rails just fine. But swapping to the mustang harness will require the swap in injestors so the plugs match.

The fuel rail on the '99 will be the no return. Either find a mustang rail to get a regulator or I am going to try an MSD-2222 remote regulator.

Also pick up some books on Ford fuel injection and study up. Nothing hard but printed reference material is so nice.

 

[720Racer]

Broncobowsher,

Thanks, now I just have to get off work early enough to go to the wrecker and look at the motor. This seem like a good way to go, and I'm sure I'll have some questions. Looks like it's time to become a contributor, so I can post a pic or two. I'll let you know what I find.

Thanks,

Galen