ZF6 swap 98 Expedition

[SourMashII]

Question:

For all practical intents and purposes, Monstro is now a manual trans SuperDuty.

He no longer has the amazing wizardy of the 44-06, or the convenience of the e40d.

A mannie SD takes its VSS input from pumpkin.

An early SD has no security code.

A SD has 2 cats, slightly different emissions parameters.

Monstro is geting rear cat delete.

Monstro needs his VSS to come of Pumpkin, not t-case

Monstro is getting his security programming silenced when he has DP tuner give him a lobotomy.

So... $100 question:

Can I just run a SD ECM, and have the truck be happy?

$102 + tax +shipping to acquire a pick n pull ECM,($27 + 6%) and have it flashed ($75)

$100 + 6% tax to buy a Junkyard (not pick n pull) SD ECM.

Reflashing, puts me a week ~ out.

SD is an hour deal. Drive two miles, lay out $106, drive 2 miles, wrassle old out, wrassle new in.

Done.

 

[panda24619]

i would think if you can find an ecm from a SD with the 5.4 and 6 speed then i dont see a problem. except that some sensors might not be able to read properly now. might when you get it reflashed to be able to turn on and off some sensors and what not. if there are any problems.

 

[SourMashII]

that was kinda the drive behind the SD ECM, I was trying to avoid reflashing.

 

[99 Expy]

Clyde, make any more progress on the truck yet? Isn't it funny how you can do all that work to put a tranny that was never intended to be put somewhere, and make it all work, yet its something little that holds you back..

 

[toms89]

that was kinda the drive behind the SD ECM, I was trying to avoid reflashing.

I think you are the pioneer of this swap! Your the guinea pig that gets to figure these things out... Makes it much easier for the next guy who follows in your footsteps.

I think the worse case scenario would be if the wiring harness was different and would not mate up the the sd ECU. But if it does obviously there are differences between the sensors, ect on your harness for the auto and ones on a manual super duty. I think your best bet would be getting ecu and wiring harness out of a manual tranny sd.

Just my thoughts.. never having done this swap.. lol.


.

 

[Bolt-on]

What's happening now?

Hey Clydesdale - I just re-read your entire post. Awesome! I'm the guy who found your project on FSB and said I was just getting started. You did the pioneering and showed the way. I got mine running yesterday:

http://expeditionforum.com/showthread.php?t=13262

It feels a lot faster! I love it! It is snappy and really pulls. I think the auto wastes tons of power. I ran through the gears and it seems to have a rev limiter at 5,200. Why would an OHC V8 redline at only 5,200? Should be good for 6,000 to 8,000 like a SBC! Not running on limp home mode anyway.

I didn't connect the rear O2 sensors. I have no VSS. I left the 4R70W electrical connector off the ECU. I do have long tube headers feeding into the stock muffler. I found a horrible restriction in the air inlet inside the right fender. Took that off. I got a CEL after driving for a while. Could be anything.

The idle is a little wild when I first start it but smooths right out. The engine wants to rev without that draggy nasty slush pump.

I took the VSS sensor off the 4R70W and looked in the hole. There is a big rim with six 1/2" holes drilled in it. I think that means six pulses per drive shaft revolution. There is no VSS on the T/C or ZF 650. I couldn't find a pulse generator on the rear diff after pawing it for a while.

I put an LS1 in a Jeep JK and used one of the ABS senders for the ECU VSS input. I like ABS as much as auto trannies. The LS1 ECU can be programmed for any pulse rate. At least that's what the guy who programmed it told me. Don't know about the Ford. I have also seen a digital converter that changes the ratio of the pulse frequency.

I am thinking of making a ring to go on the ZF output shaft and drilling a hole in the housing for the Ford Hall effect sensor. I kinda miss my speedo. I think I could make a disk out of nylon and screw a steel rim to it for a pulse generator, then press it onto the splines.

I found a manual trans SD 5.4 ECU for $75. It should be here this week. If all else fails I may try that.

My clutch is disengaging and engaging pretty close to the floor. I am using the F150 master with the F250 slave. I am going to try a F250 master if it fits.

My expy feels like a whole new beast. Way more responsive! Even the suspension feel tighter!

 

[SourMashII]

Totally agreed.

So recapping a whole bunch of my other posts in other threads into this update, and assuming all of you except KWT2000 are Idaho highway clueless, I moved from Nampa to Kellogg ID. Took a job up here selling for Dave Smith Motors. Worlds Largest DOdge dealer, and the Western US's largest GM dealer.. CRAZY HUGE operation.

this is important, to give a parameter of judgement for mileage. If I set my cruise at 5 over, and ran this way:



My 97 Maxima did 27.2 mpg.

If I went this way home:



THe Max did 23.6

THat second route is how she moved up. The poor lil Expy we call Monstro, had a trailer (3000#?) and his entire interior crammed, I had to dig to find the kids, thought she left them....

No rear O2, her tailpipe would make you think she is running MY IDI... and she pulled 14.2. Monstro NEVER gave us 14.2 in an ideal enviroment.

140k+ on I am sure the factory plugs, Lord knows when the air breather was changed, and... it is in a "rich" running mode. Pretty happy.

I wholeheartedly agree the rig just feel more correct, and is half the reason I keep watching our used car line for the right 5.4 manual SD to come in....

I was told by DP tuners, that if you find a SD ECM with the correct series as your auto ECM, you'lll be fine. If the series is off, your AC might be glitchy, or this or that may be glitchy.... Let me know how it works out for you.

 

[SourMashII]

I guess where I was going with the mileage comments, is plugs, dialing in the 02 sensors, and cleaning up the breathing, GOTTS mod (spelling?) etc.. I bet I flirt with or pass 20 in this 5.4 3.73 equipped truck.

 

[SourMashII]

Well, SOld the avatar rig, and bought me a DD wheeler/alt family cruiser.

Monstro can get torn down and reflashed, made 4x4, etc.

Pulling 17 in "sick" running mode with new plugs.. Dying to see what it changes too after I disco the rear 02's and give it whole range of rpm, change the burn parameters, etc. etc. etc. Truck thinks its in nuetral....

 

[workman8505]

i cant wait for my auto to go out and give me the excuse to do this or just go for it and try a 7.3 power stroke swap lol.

great work man love what you have done.