Misc. 5.0 questions

[Riq21]

Still cleaning parts and buying misc. parts and pieces in anticipation of getting the motor back this week. Also ass deep in wiring diagrams and now just beginning to understand what I am looking at a bit. Couple of questions have come up though:
Will the MAF that I currently have for the 2.3 also work for the 5.0? I realize the 5.0 will require a larger diameter pipe to feed more air into the larger TB, just wondered if I could use the sensor I have.

Also, need to get feedback on what type of tuner I will need to get in order to dump the PATS and disable the automatic transmission garbage in my computor. Any suggestions out ther are welcome.

 

[RangerSVT]

What are you using for your V8 harness and ECU?? I would say you will have to use the MAF that is designed with the motor/ECU, as the calibrations are different, its not the same sensor and different sized piping...SCT Tuners are real good and will do everything you need it to do and more...As far as wiring diagrams, if you use a similar year V8 explorer harness (99-01) it is 99% plug and play...
SVT

 

[Riq21]

I am using an the explorer engine harness and ecu original to the engine. About the SCT scanner....
Can you relate your experience using one of these? I guess what I am asking is how do you use it and do you need to buy specific programming in order to change what you need to in the ecu? More specifically, is this something that I am going to be able to do in my garage after the engine is installed, and then just be able to start the engine if all other things are installed correctly? Sorry to sound like such a dumb shit, but not seeing any write ups on people doing this to their swaps.

 

[RangerSVT]

I have the Xcalibrator 2 from SCT, and I love it. Thing about SCT is, you email them and tell them what mods you have, and they will email you a file with a custom tune, then all you do is hook up the tuner via USB, download the tune, then upload it to your truck. If you want better fuel economy, you got a tune for that, all out drag strip racing, got one for that, towing, gotcha covered...delete the PATS, Auto trans, downstream O2 sensors, EGR stuff, etc....There's not much you can't do with the SCT tuner...Best part is, is if you have another vehicle similar to yours (ford V8 truck, gas or diesel) you can use your same programmer...You can tune up to 5 vehicles with the same SCT tuner...What year explorer harness/ECU are you using??
SVT

 

[Riq21]

Engine out of explorer is a 1999 and the wiring harness is a 1999 along with the ecu. So, it sounds like whatever I want to do, SCT will send me a download. Do I pay every time I want a download or is this a free service.

 

[RangerSVT]

Free tunes with the purchase of the tuner....and the 99 should be plug and play, just need to do the tach mod...
SVT

 

[RangerSVT]

I'm actually looking for a 99-01 V8 explorer so I can V8 my 2002 sport trac 4x4...
SVT

 

[Jbrown1238]

I have the Xcalibrator 2 from SCT, and I love it. Thing about SCT is, you email them and tell them what mods you have, and they will email you a file with a custom tune, then all you do is hook up the tuner via USB, download the tune, then upload it to your truck. If you want better fuel economy, you got a tune for that, all out drag strip racing, got one for that, towing, gotcha covered...delete the PATS, Auto trans, downstream O2 sensors, EGR stuff, etc....There's not much you can't do with the SCT tuner...Best part is, is if you have another vehicle similar to yours (ford V8 truck, gas or diesel) you can use your same programmer...You can tune up to 5 vehicles with the same SCT tuner...What year explorer harness/ECU are you using??
SVT

Wow! Up to five vehicles. That is nice to know. I had a Predator from Diablo Sport for my 03 Cobra and it was locked to one vehicle at a time. I like the idea of being able to work with up to five vehicles from one tuner. Because I use my Ranger for work as a courier vehicle (will be doing the same after the 5.0 swap) I was planning on having a back up PCM on the shelf as a ready to go stand by unit. I wasn't sure how I was going to accomplish that with a custom tune. Thanks for the info.

 

[RangerSVT]

If I'm not mistaken, the only problem with that is the truck V8's use one style tuner, the car V8's use a different model tuner, according to their website, but you can contact them and ask, they may be able to work something out... Check em out here
SVT

 

[Riq21]

RangerSVT,
Did you buy your Excalibrator directly from the SCT site? I see they are also for sale on ebay, but have heard stories about them being locked and such. I appreciate the feedback you have given on this post. You have helped clear the fog in yet another corner of the conversion project! I guess I will call SCT tomorrow and ask their technical staff some questions.

 

[RangerSVT]

Actually, I got mine from another forum, and it was actually never hooked up to a truck, so I still got all 5 vehicles i can link to, best part is, is that I can link up to my dad's 97 powerstroke as well as SVT (97 V8 explorer powered 96 ranger)...
SVT

 

[Riq21]

changing topics a little bit... I finally picked up the wiring that goes from the main engine harness to the transmission. Again, this is all out of a 1999 explorer. Since I am going to just run a T5, I was wondering if I can just eliminate all the wires that pertain to the automatic transmission? I realize that I need to keep my oxygen sensor wires and the reverse wires and I guess the VSS wires. I was just thinking about pulling the pins out of the plug on the transmission side to accomplish this. What do you think?? Is this the way this should be done?

 

[JoshT]

I'm going to say yes to removing most of them, though you'll still may need one or two to rig up a neutral safety switch of some sort and as you said reerse switch. The VSS and O2 wiring may be in the harness but it's not actually wired to the transmission.

I'd recommend getting a EVTM for atleast the 99 Explorer to figure out which wires go to where. Might want to get one for the Ranger as well it may help in hooking it up. They can be had for fairly cheap on eBay. I'm doing a 98 Explorer swap into an 86 Ranger and that's how I'm figuring it out. An EVTM manual for each and sitting down to figure out what I need and what I don't, and what needs to be connected where.

 

[Riq21]

Thanks Josh. I do have the EVTMs for both donor and truck. Makes for interesting reading when no one is at home.... After pouring over these manuals for days, they are beginning to make some sense to me. I think that I will sort from two different directions with this plug. One from the standpoint of 02 sensors which I need and the other from the standpoint of auto transmission shifting functions, which I do not need and see where that takes me. No real simple solution to this wiring, just plowing away until a light bulb or two goes off.