1997 Mercury Mountaineer build date (5.0 powered)

[allmyEXes]

My Merc Mountaineer has a build date of 3-96. Very early. I assume this is the first version of the 5.0 and PCM in the Gen II MMs and Explorers. How long did the PCM stay the same and what is the cut off date? Or at what point did things change for the 5.0s? At some point I had read something about internal and external EGR and GT40 and GT40P. Also two wire and 3 wire camshaft synchronizers... This morning I don't have time to search and dig for the info because shortly I have to leave to go look at a '97 5.0 parts truck and I want to purchase one that all of the parts are compatible with my 3-96 ('97) MM 5.0 powered truck. If someone knows a link to the info on here, post it please and thanks in advance.

 

[allmyEXes]

Where is the 5.0 club this weekend?

 

[BruceExploder]

Where is the 5.0 club this weekend?

I wish I could help. I'm new to the 5.0 club

 

[Turdle]

Basically, if your truck is internal egr, do not swipe parts from a 5.0 with an egr tube on the passenger side manifold.

Lots of things have changed, even between the year breaks mentioned. Too much to list here.

 

[410Fortune]

Sorry I was playing in the snow!!
Super easy to figure out which you have with just a quick glance under the hood
96-97.5 uses GT40 heads, had the EGR inside the intake manifolds
97.5-01 uses the P heads (GT40p, external EGR)

So to see if you have an early GT40 96-97.5 engine there will be NO egr tube on the passenger side exhaust manifold
The GT40p engine (97.5-01) has metal EGR tube on the pass manifold
The 96-97.5 PCM's are very similar
The 98-01 PCM are very similar
There are slight wiring changes, sometimes even mid year
There are at least 3 different upper/lower intakes for these engines

In 98 the 5.0L received PATS security key, this was the big change for the PCM
Later in 98-99 they went from return fuel to returnless (one fuel line instead of 2, injectors work on 65 psi rail pressure instead of earlier 40 psi)
The exhaust manifolds were welded in 96-97.5 and prone to cracking
In 98-01 exhaust manifolds were cast
Somewhere in 98 the PCM also went "digital" and the camshaft sensor went from 3 wires to 2. The MAS air flow sensor went from 5 wires to 7 (air intake temp sensor is inside the mas)
Many of the signals sent to the PCM in 98-01 are digital no longer analog. The DTRS (digital trans range sensor) is digital signal instead of analog, the instrument cluster feeds are different, the transmission wiring and solenoids changed, and instead of 2 speed sensors they went to one. In 96-97.5 there is a VSS in the tailhousing of the t case/trans. In 98-01 only the VSS in the rear axle is used.
That is the basics, lots of things are possible with this platform with a little knowledge