2.3 Swap Advice

[ltbenji]

Would anyone be willing to either chat or talk on the phone with me? Someone who has done this?

I have to go back to school Tuesday and I need the truck running by then....

 

[chilsam]

Crank sensor?

 

[upnsmoke]

the intake manifold will get in the way of the distributor if you aren't wanting to swap things around too much.

This is something I am not familiar with, but I am curious. I would much appreciate if you could expand on this a little. Itbenji, I don't mean to jack your thread. I don't know much about DIS, but I am fairly sure of two things. A bad or disconnected crank sensor can cause the engine not to run at all, and a dead or disconnected cam sensor can cause the engine to take a few tries to start.

 

[ltbenji]

Thanks for the suggestion about the crank sensor..

I started checking it and realized it did not have any power because it was not grounded

I grounded it and it fired right up

Another question, it backfires once each time it starts....

Ideas?

 

[Mark_88]

Backfire is usually always timing...but it can be caused by a few things...here is the wiki explanation...

A fuel-injected engine may backfire if an intake leak is present (causing the engine to run lean), or a fuel injection component such as an air-flow sensor is defective.
Common causes of backfires are:

• Poor or unregulated engine timing is often a cause of intake backfires, but can also be responsible for exhaust backfires
• Improper wiring in the ignition can also lead to timing issues and backfires
• Low fuel pressure, clogged fuel filters, and weak fuel pumps could cause a severe lean air-to-fuel ratio during fuel injection
• Missing or damaged catalytic converter can result in backfires out the tailpipe

so if you haven't put on a sensor or it is wonky...the cat is damaged or missing...et al...

 

[ltbenji]

Backfire cleared up

Now to just clean everything up and work out all the little bugs

First one is the starter seems to be pulling a lot of current, interior lights go dim when I switch the key to run.....
The starter was good when I took it off, could the wires just be on wrong?

Thanks for all the help

 

[chilsam]

How long did it sit?

Backfire cleared up

Now to just clean everything up and work out all the little bugs

First one is the starter seems to be pulling a lot of current, interior lights go dim when I switch the key to run.....
The starter was good when I took it off, could the wires just be on wrong?

Thanks for all the help

Batt mite need a full charge also check the main cable for corrosion or other probs.Batt clamps clean them and posts is where I'd start.Which alt did you use?

 

[ltbenji]

I used the alternator from the 89 engine....
And my problem was the battery cables were not tight :/

So far it's running alright....
Need to get a couple intake sensor hooked back up
And my EGR plug is hopeless, need to get one from the junkyard...

Now I just need to drive the wheels off of it to make sure it will run fine

 

[ltbenji]

Another question...

The 89 has a sensor on the intake by injector two and one on the underside of the intake

Can anyone tell me what these two are?

 

[ltbenji]

Upnsmoke, does what I've learned and described helped you any?

 

[chilsam]

my 87

Another question...

The 89 has a sensor on the intake by injector two and one on the underside of the intake

Can anyone tell me what these two are?

The one by the injector is for coolant temp and the one on the upper intake is the ambiant air temp both send info to the ecu ON my 87,the one on the bottom is for the electric fan "Mustang motor"I don't use it on mine.

 

[upnsmoke]

Upnsmoke, does what I've learned and described helped you any?

Every correct diagnosis for every issue is knowledge gained, as is every mistake made and remedied. For every piece of knowledge gained, one is that much more able to simplify any problem presented them. It is good to hear that you got this thing running.
My greatest curiosity with all of the information presented in this thread was what intake manifold interferes with which distributor. I have heard of this being an issue, but it was a while back and I can not specifically remember which parts work with which, nor have I been able yet, to find the thread in which it was mentioned. I am curious now and such information would be a very useful addition to a potential article or sticky thread that some of us are compiling 2.3 related facts for.

 

[ltbenji]

I can't help you with that fit. I didn't even try to bring the distributor over.....

Another question though

The truck runs pretty well, it sometimes starts a little funny, stumbles under throttle, or dies when returning to idle....

Is this something the computer will learn to correct?
Or are there some small tweaks I need to make?

I use the Air sensor from the 88 and I brought the fuel injector harness over

I do not have the coolant temp sensor for the ecu plugged up yet or the EGR

Any ideas to solve the little bugs I have so far?

 

[Mark_88]

It could be that it is wanting the warm air on startup...did you install the small tube that that goes up from the exhaust manifold to the air intake? It has a vac line attached that controls the warm/cold air flow to the engine and it should be open when cold and closed when when the engine reaches operating temps...

Not that it is too cold right now, unless you are still in the low temps where you are...but my engine, although carbed, runs and idles great when it is warm...but getting the engine warm does involve a few rough idle symptoms...

Putting the block heater on mine cleared most of that up, but the colder the weather the longer the heater needs to be working...

 

[ltbenji]

I installed the EGR valve and the metal tube but I do not remember a small vac line

I'll take another look today....