What makes an A4LD shift? Duraspark related question

[85_Ranger4x4]

I have an '85 Ranger that seems to have originally had a 2.3 (or at least the cab did, I think it was a rollover) but now has a cobbled in 2.8 and the A4LD out of my 1986 parts truck. Rereading through one of the writeups in the tech library it mentions that the A4LD needs the EGR to shift. It seems to shift fine as it is, I can't help but wonder how this hack job of an engine swap left the EGR system still perfectly functional without everything hooked up. I am mainly wanting to know if anyone else has tried durasparking an automatic 2.8 before, and if so any problems they had doing it if in fact my EGR is still working and making my truck shift.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I think I found my answer, going to order the stuff Friday and see how it goes.

http://home.att.net/~performance2800/ConversionSpecs.html

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I have been thinking on this, does the EGR somehow control the TC lockup then? That could explain why my TC won't lockup even rigged manually with a toggle switch. It has never been a huge deal since the truck rarely goes above 45 mph but if the duraspark helps it out, I might as well get as much stuff working as I can.

 

[MAKG]

EGR has NOTHING to do with TC lockup. Not all A4LD equipped vehicles even have EGR (e.g., behind 1988 2.9Ls).

Like all mechanically controlled transmissions (excepting the TCC), it is controlled by a combination of RPM, throttle position (kickdown) and vacuum. If you ripped off all the vacuum lines, THAT'S why it won't shift. Same deal if you never adjusted the kickdown cable.

It had DANG well never go above 45 MPH on the trail. And this thing is illegal on public roads. Clean Air Act and all that. You aren't allowed to tamper with emissions devices such as feedback carburetors or electronic ignition in North America. And a swap to larger displacement is questionable.

And all transmission shifting problems should be preceded by engine condition tests. If your engine has low vacuum, your transmission will shift incorrectly.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

It was just the first line in that duraspark writeup that got me concerned about it, I don't trust the existing driveline to go very far away from home base anyway. I mainly just putt around on weekends with it now, go to my dad's shop, and a couple erronds is about all the road time it really sees, maybe 20 miles a week max. My F-150 and A/C and cruise, so it is naturally the weapon of choice for long distance drives as well as everything throughout the week.

As I said in my first post I am deleting previous tampering, it should be much more enviromentally friendly when this is done. If I leave it as is I think the black smoke and spraying the car in the stall next to me with soot at startup would get me in more trouble than merely upgrading the ignition. The feedback system is next to impossible to either understand or find parts for, especially when it has been hacked up like this. We have all kinds of extra plug ins on both the cab and engine, along with vaccum lines plugged with bolts/screws. I am not really sure what they were trying to prove when they put the engine in.

This is just a step to prolong this engines existance and to allow me to clean up the engine compartment before I get a chance to get my 289 done and into the truck, which I realize may still not be "correct" but that is not really related to this discussion.

The line that concerned me is in red at the top:
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/DurasparkII_2.htm

 

[MAKG]

Umm, Duraspark is a DOWNGRADE.

You may not like the feedback carburetors (they resemble Rube Goldberg machines), but adaptive computer control is always an upgrade. They require a lot of effort to keep running, and with fuel injection costing less than $1000 for a complete running 4WD vehicle in good condition, the approach to that is obvious...

The Duraspark conversion IS tampering. That it says things like "remove the smog pump" should make that obvious....

And though it may not make much sense, the worst you'll get for a complete but broken emissions system is a fix-it ticket or lapsed registration. No five figure fines like you get for tampering.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

To each their own I guess, I would really rather not fix this mess of a system that I think it requires most of the sensors to be hooked up to actually be adaptive, plus the engine is probably not in the best shape from running rich for so long. The body and frame are in really good shape yet, which is why I am reluctant to get a different truck. It is going to be Durasparked when the V-8 goes in so it might as well happen now. I have been driving it in its sorry shape for 7 years (only as a dd for 2, weekend warrior for 5) and I am pretty sure nobody in my area will give me grief about it if I fix it, modifying a 20+ year old truck in this way isn't exactly unheard of but actually rather common.

 

[Totalled]

Umm, Duraspark is a DOWNGRADE.

You may not like the feedback carburetors (they resemble Rube Goldberg machines), but adaptive computer control is always an upgrade. They require a lot of effort to keep running, and with fuel injection costing less than $1000 for a complete running 4WD vehicle in good condition, the approach to that is obvious...

The Duraspark conversion IS tampering. That it says things like "remove the smog pump" should make that obvious....

And though it may not make much sense, the worst you'll get for a complete but broken emissions system is a fix-it ticket or lapsed registration. No five figure fines like you get for tampering.

Have your owned and driven an 2.8L powered RBV...? If not. STFU.

Duraspark is an upgrade when you drop $300 on new sensors, remanned carb and show no codes yet it smokes like a bombed diesel at 12 mpg with the feed back Bull shit and goes to passing the sniffer test and 18 mpg after the duraspark conversion.

My lungs thank the guy who does this mod "illegally" yet retains functioning EGR and AIR... as apposed to the "legal" guy who's driving a gross polluter.


All you need to know: http://www.broncoii.org/techpages/duraspark/index.html

 

[MAKG]

Totalled, I HAVE driven a 2.8L, with Duraspark. That it wasn't an RBV is really not particularly relevant. Truck chassis do not affect smoking, idle quality, or any of that BS.

If you drop $300 on sensors without fixing your problem, the problem is the technician. That's not competent. It's not SENSORS that go out (at least not nearly as much as people assume). It's wiring, vacuum lines, carburetor tuning, and so on.

I'll say it again. If you can't keep it in good running order, a FUEL INJECTED RBV that works a whole lot better is less than $1000.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Have your owned and driven an 2.8L powered RBV...? If not. STFU.

Duraspark is an upgrade when you drop $300 on new sensors, remanned carb and show no codes yet it smokes like a bombed diesel at 12 mpg with the feed back Bull shit and goes to passing the sniffer test and 18 mpg after the duraspark conversion.

My lungs thank the guy who does this mod "illegally" yet retains functioning EGR and AIR... as apposed to the "legal" guy who's driving a gross polluter.


All you need to know: http://www.broncoii.org/techpages/duraspark/index.html

Thanks for that link, I almost like that writeup better than the one in the tech gallery. The pictures are a nice thing to have, especially about the special to 1985 part.

MAKG, I appreciate your concern but I really think if nobody has hassled me by now I doubt they will when the truck isn't smoking like a chipped diesel.

Only the RBV 2.8's were feedback, so it is no the same as whatever you drove that wasn't an RBV.

 

[Bent Bolt]

Totalled, I HAVE driven a 2.8L, with Duraspark. That it wasn't an RBV is really not particularly relevant. Truck chassis do not affect smoking, idle quality, or any of that BS.

If you drop $300 on sensors without fixing your problem, the problem is the technician. That's not competent. It's not SENSORS that go out (at least not nearly as much as people assume). It's wiring, vacuum lines, carburetor tuning, and so on.

I'll say it again. If you can't keep it in good running order, a FUEL INJECTED RBV that works a whole lot better is less than $1000.

+1. Who ever is working on this thing is guessing.

I'll say this once --- IF THE ENGINE DOES NOT RUN PROPERLY, THE TRANS WILL FEEL LIKE IT DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY !!!!

Garbage in- garbage out.