oddball 5.8 efi questions

[Hal9000]

Can anybody tell me if Ford ever had a 5.8L efi engine that also had distributorless ignition like the explorer engines did?

If I buy the Mercury Mountaineer engine I'm looking at, then build my 5.8L engine using the gt40 heads, mercury efi stuff (with a lightning lower manifold of course), and a stock 5.8L cam, can I run a stock 5.8L ecu?

Also, is there a "best" 5.8L ecu to run? Obviously, I probably can't get away with a mustang ecu if I build a 5.8L engine, I'd like to find out what others have done in the past...

 

[gddyap]

I don't believe there was a stock 5.8L EDIS. I got a '96 5.8 from Ford Racing and it had a remote mount TFI dizzy in it. It was from their leftover stock of engines after moving to the modular family of engines.

I think the 5.8 ECU will work in that situation but I don't believe it's a MAF ECU, but speed density. You might need to have a chip burned for it to run right because of the head and intake changes. Air will be flowing differently than the computer expects.

On my '96 5.8, I use an '89 Mustang MAF ECU. Mostly stock except GT40 intake, Mustang fuel rail, 65mm TB, 75mm MAF, WH shorties, and non-remote TFI dizzy.

 

[Hal9000]

So you are running a stock 5.0L ecu on your 5.8? Or did you chip it?

Well if that's possible then it may be easier to go. I was counting on the fact that the 5.0 ecu wouldn't work right on a 5.8. Most of the 5.8's I've seen are SD, but I figured I could deal with that if I had to run the 5.8 ecu.

Not many chips available for the truck ecu's if I'm not mistaken. If I can't run a stock ecu of one type or another, then I'll probably just program a megasquirt controller to run the engine (which is why I was asking about the 5.8 edis option. If I can find a good set of ignition maps, I could run edis with the MS controller easily enough).

 

[00gyrhed]

My exprience is that SD will work with most intake/exhaust system changes, except way larger throttle bodies and low vacuum at idle cams.

My dad bought a 92 351 SD bronco in 94 that had long tube headers, dual 2-1/2" exhaust, cross over pipe, free flowing intake with someones aluminum heads on it, completely desmogged. I believe it also had an RV cam. That thing ran like a bat out of hell. He had to put the stock exhaust and cats back on it as well as the EGr and smog pump to get it inspected in Dalas. He was able to leave the heads and the intake system.

Thing ran like crap when he started it. Disvconnected the battery and it ran just fine, but no longer a bat out of hell.

Cams with low manifold vacuum at idle are the real killers of SD systems, great big throttle bodies willalso mees them up good because airflow will be way off from expected throttle position.



Most will learn arround the changes as long as they are closed loop.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Ford never built an EDIS 5.8
Price motorsports offers a cam position sensor for the 5.8 if you want to retrofit the system onto a 5.8
generally you would use an EDIS-8 module from an early EEC-IV 4.6 and the crank trigger from an Explorer. There are ways of doing it. Some of the newer EEC-IV modules can accept the signals for the DIS system to work (but you need a custom chip to turn the settings on)

 

[gddyap]

So you are running a stock 5.0L ecu on your 5.8? Or did you chip it?

Well if that's possible then it may be easier to go. I was counting on the fact that the 5.0 ecu wouldn't work right on a 5.8. Most of the 5.8's I've seen are SD, but I figured I could deal with that if I had to run the 5.8 ecu.

Not many chips available for the truck ecu's if I'm not mistaken. If I can't run a stock ecu of one type or another, then I'll probably just program a megasquirt controller to run the engine (which is why I was asking about the 5.8 edis option. If I can find a good set of ignition maps, I could run edis with the MS controller easily enough).

Stock 5.0HO ECU, no chip. Don't remember which one. If I had changed the heads and cam, I would have had it dyno'd and a chip made.

 

[Hal9000]

Thanks for the info Gddyap.

So I just got off the phone with the guy who has the Mountaineer and he's holding the engine till this sunday when I can go get it. It's still in the vehicle (which is a rollover but still driveable) Very nice of him. I'm planning on getting the complete engine, ecu/wiring harness, fuel pump, rollover switch, and just for good measure, the radiator too. For all that, the price is very reasonable (I'll disclose once I have the engine in my hands). I may not be able to use all that stuff unless I follow Dave's example and use the explorer/mountaineer ecu.

On a slightly different note. The donor vehicle is an auto and I'm running a manual trans. Anybody know if I really NEED a manual ecu?

 

[Hal9000]

Just picked the engine up this morning and all is well and good with the world. I passed on the ecu, since there's no easy way for me to use it unless I converted to a different trans, but got the complete engine (he left the complete wiring harness on it) intake system, exhaust manifolds and flanges, radiator, AC pump (maybe for OBA?), and condenser, starter, fan shroud, and a few other goodies for $350. I got to hear the engine run before they pulled it and it doesn't make any ominous sounds, or burn any oil, so I'm pretty happy. The fan is cracked, but I think I can locate another one easily enough.

I also got a pair of Mustang gt/cobra headers for $15 to replace the goofy stock exhaust manifolds (Unless I use my 302 manifolds).

Now I just need to go find an 89-93 mustang ecu, engine harness, dizzy, and fuel rail and I"m in business. Hopefully I'll have time to comb the local pick n pull the day after christmas....