1997 MM 5.0 TC & WP refresh & ignition coil-near-plug conversion-Temporarily on hold-

[allmyEXes]

Here is what we came up with for the bracket.

 

[allmyEXes]

Today, about half of the time around the MM was sorting through it and separating the '54 and the MM parts. I've had to make room to fold up the wide backseat to get the console out. I must have had this one out before because it wasn't stuck. Cutting the carpet longways only is all that is necessary to get to the access panel fasteners. It would be a waste of time to remove the seats and carpet to uncover the access plate. I'm hoping to get replacement fold over nut clips that broke on every bolt, however I was able to get all of the bolts out. Maybe advance or Home Depot will have some. There are several connectors right under it and O2 sensors too. (No pic)
I ran a 5/16- 18 tap through all of the bolt holes. 2 were plugged with dirt dobber dirt. I have a 302 with a corner blown off of the block right where the tap is screwed in to this block. Maybe RTV was packed in the bolt hole and when a bolt got screwed in, it built up hydraulic pressure and busted the cast iron.

New double roller timing set installed.

A little foil covering the opening for the night.

Today a jack hammer hose with Chicago fittings arrived. We will be able to move the portable media blaster 40 more ft with the 50 ft
hose than where the machine was with the 10 ft hose.

 

[allmyEXes]

Late Friday I glued the gasket to the timing cover and let it dry overnight. Today trimmed the excess gasket from around it. It is ready for Monday.

The left hand valve cover to be is prepped for paint.

After paint. It can dry until Monday before I install it.

Rain delay occurring.

 

[97Sandbox]

Today trimmed the excess gasket from around it.

I should've trimmed mine like that! So many random chunks stick out.

 

[allmyEXes]

@410Fortune In anticipation of having the '97 MM powertrain harness removed, I decided to take some inside time and look at both 104 pin
PCM connector wiring charts having to do with the Mountaineer and the 1999 Crown Vic PCM that will be used. I have ~30 wires to swap including at least 2 to be disconnected. With those two and add 2 more to the truck harness, then I will have enough for 8 coils. I've elected to keep, use and modify the '97 harness because it does fit the Mountaineer and at this point, is not going in to my '54F100/'99 Ranger project. I'll save the '99 Crown Vic harness for that project and 5.0 #2.
I'm sure that Jamie can tell me about my powertrain harness. I have all of the under hood and engine connectors unfastened and I think that all is left to get the retainer popped a loose from the back of the driver's head and undo the big square connector down near the transmission tail shaft.
Also, after removing the bolt in the 104-pin connector and the red retainer block, how do I release the hollow pins? Paper clip, or a piece of
mig welding wire?

 

[97Sandbox]

Also, after removing the bolt in the 104-pin connector and the red retainer block, how do I release the hollow pins? Paper clip, or a piece of
mig welding wire?

I've used small, straight, o-ring picks in similar situations to gently pry the locking tabs away from the crimped terminals. Paperclip would probably work, MIG wire may be too flexible. Make sure the connector plastic is warm so tabs don't snap off--if you're working outside or in a cold shop, hit the connector with a heat gun briefly.

 

[CDW6212R]

Those locking tabs have to be gently moved outward to let the terminal come out, any tiny screw driver or similar thin object that will go down in there, will work. As said work on it when it's warmed up and not freezing. Older connectors had more brittle plastic, the late 90's and newer type are all easier to work with. Older Fords you should expect to break lots of plastic, the later very rarely. Injector connectors are extreme examples, the high heat ruins any plastic.

 

[allmyEXes]

Ok. I have been reading about the early style transmission range switch. If I don't have the 11 pin connector, then I need to change it to it and use the 1999 DTR sensor switch?

Also swap to the newer internal trans solenoid wiring? Will a harness connector need swapped as well and what is it called for search reasons?

ADDED: Maybe that is C-111 I'm curious about? It will need the pins rearranged...

 

[allmyEXes]

@410Fortune I ask Jamie a lot of questions that I know that he knows the answer/s to and there are many of you that may know and have told me the answers or given advice and I thank you too. There are too many to list.
The next question I have is directed towards Jamie because he has been working on the exhaust system on the blue Ranger. For now, I'm going to replace the exhaust system from the (new to the truck) exhaust manifolds to the muffler. Does the kit pictured below have enough pipes to do such? I know this isn't stainless and that is ok for this truck for now.

2.25" muffler pipe kit
I have been studying the transmission pins coming out of the '99 Crown Vic and I assume that I will need to trace every single transmission
wire to make sure that it is going to its upgraded spot. I'll be checking out the range switch as soon as I can get under the truck to undo the
square connector and unplug the DTR sensor.
I also have another issue and yes Jamie, you may have told me. I'm thinking that the VSS on the'97 plugs into the transmission and on the '99,
the signal comes from the rear differential.

 

[410Fortune]

That kit will work for the down pipes and back to the mufflers yes! You will need some more pipe (smaller) to create the two tail pipes depending on how you run them

I use small metal dental picks to open the pins and release the wires. The pcm connector is delicate you do not want to break a pin or you will always wonder if that wire is fully seated (trust me) paperclip or welding wire is not strong enough. You need good forcepts as well for grabbing the little keepers

 

[allmyEXes]

@410Fortune Is my logic correct on the 4R70W wiring upgrades?

 

[410Fortune]

97 vss in tailhousing yes

99 vss signal comes from abs pump which is hooked to rear axle vss yes

Yes you need to update the dtrs and solenoid pack wiring in the 4r70w to use a 98+ pcm
Plus the 98+ solenoids and wiring superior to earlier models

You can modify your 97 trans wiring or you can use a 98+ trans harness

Either way there is some wiring to do at the trans to make 97 trans work w later pcm

 

[allmyEXes]

Out of the 3 solenoids, pressure control (EPC) solenoid, Shift interlock solenoid and the shift solenoid, only the shift solenoid appears to be the only part with a different part number.
Yesterday, a few parts showed up. It turns out that Saturday the 3 RockAuto filters arrived and sat there until Monday during 3" of rain. RockAuto boxes are not waterproof. I dried the boxes and the filters on the wood stove.

The copper line for the analog oil pressure gauge and 1999 fuel injector connectors arrived.

I'm still waiting on the piece of brass. An Aussie 5.0 part.

The picture below is of a 1998 filter adapter converted to fit the 3/4" threaded filters. I have an FL1A threaded on to it. to the right is the 1997 adapter after I stripped the heat exchanger off of it and the screwed a 3/4"-3/4" fitting in it. The FL-299 is screwed on to it and may fit in place of its original configuration.

I have 2 shift solenoid options.

Which one do I need?

 

[allmyEXes]

Wednesday, I had another one of those parts or supply run trips which last week, I referred to as a road trip. Maybe I should've said short trip. Our little town doesn't always have what I/we need when we are working on vehicles. I went on a 35 mile roundtrip to get a bottle of acetylene. At tractor supply it cost $19- to upgrade a #3 bottle but it was $75 for the gas itself. Ouch! I don't remember it costing so much.
I was able to install the timing cover despite stewing over a misplaced bag of bolts. I like to think of myself as organized and have learned over the decades that if it is a car/truck that is coming apart to be repaired, label the bags and containers of bolts and other hardware. I've misplaced the 4, timing cover bolt and the 4 that go through the oil pan into the bottom of the timing cover. I bet that they are together. On another engine related project, I've even started writing the date on the Ziplock bag/s.
It has been a long time since I have had the timing cover off and back on, on a Ford small block engine. The dowels are good in that you know that the timing cover is in just the right spot. I was able to get the driver's side to start going back on and used a bolt to keep it from coming back off of the dowel pin/sleeve. I had to use a thin piece of wood on top of the cover and because the intake is still on, I could pry against the bottom of the intake beside the gooseneck with a pry bar and get the right side of the cover down enough to start the right-side dowel sleeve to line up and get the 2nd bolt started. I got the cover all snugged up in to position and temporarily installed some bolt in other places to hold the cover while the RTV cures.
Since the cover was going on at a wonky angle, I left the crank snout seal out of the cover for the moment.
A thin coat of Weldwood contact cement is in the groove for the rubber seal.

I used a couple of the water pump bolts with a socket as a spacer to hold the cover in place.

More later.

 

[410Fortune]

Did you figure out the solenoids? I worded that poorly, the big upgrade was the 98+ hard wiring harness and bulkhead connector. The solenoids changed very little if at all

You should be able to buy a “solenoid pack” for the 4r?

Shift solenoids a and b are together then there is a eec solenoid and a tcc solenoid
The eec controls pressure and the tcc controls the fluid flow to the converter

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZV81PW9?tag=seriouexplor-20

I sent you a pm about the timing cover bolts, since the long once snap off all the time I do not have extras of these and I often have to “create” them using 5/16 bolts from town cut some to length and add threads, this way you can get the bolts you need at any good hardware store

I put anaerobic sealant on the outside of the front cover seal before I press it into the timing cover, the new seal comes with some on it ( the red stuff) but I like to add a thin coat of my own. It’s a loctite flange sealant that never hardens
Also I lube the inner rubber lip with Vaseline so when the balancer is pressed in it never sees a dry seal

Great work so far! I am super duper organized too but it never fails I always need to Rob parts from the next 5.0 to finish the current one leaving me always in parts debt lol and I always have to come up with timing cover and intake bolts! I swear the timing cover water pump and lower intake
Bolts (double studded ones ) are always Mia

 

[allmyEXes]

So that's what that little open tube of stuff in one of my old tool boxes leaked out is and does.
The tubing and another part just showed up. The choice of tubing was perfect for the spacer tubes for the c-n-p brackets. The 1/4"-20 bolt doesn't slop around or is too tight. The OD is 7/16".

I'm still trying to decide about the shift solenoid pictured in post #213.

 

[CDW6212R]

Ditto, I love ARP bolts but they suck at making every needed bolt, or the kits. I have a few ARP kits from ages ago to see how many might match, but virtually none are the same as the other SBF bolts(for timing cover and WP).

 

[CDW6212R]

The main difference in the 4R70W changes of 1997/1998 were the connectors, that wiring frame and the solenoid terminals. Be sure to buy the solenoids to match the wiring frame you are using(1998+). That should have them match right. The EPC is the main line pressure solenoid, that's the most critical and old age can create vibration that wears the case for that one. Replace the EPC as often as 60k-100k miles if you can, when doing the filter is a good time. I like to change the main shift solenoid too, it's used constantly also.

Mine right now has a lazy shift solenoid when at high throttle, thus a slower WOT shift, which is slippage. At low throttle it shifts fine.

 

[410Fortune]

Check accumulator springs anytime you go into a 4r pan I’ve seen a few broken bottom and upper springs in there in recent years, probably because the trucks are higher miles now

 

[CDW6212R]

Yes yes, if the VB comes off try to install the popular J'Mod accumulator springs. Those two springs have been on eBay for ages at $22 for the pair, but since 2021 they are harder to find. Those are the two most liked by people doing performance builds, along with the J'mod upgrade.


The Thunderbird/Mark VIII forum used to have discussions about which springs were best, shifted harder etc. But the final end result was those two best liked became the ones parts sellers stocked the most, and were called the J'Mod springs. So there are many other springs, various strengths, but if you don't like having to swap those a few times to adjust shifting, start with the two most liked.