97 Sport, swapped in aluminum head 5.0 with small cam

[LSCR351]

I have swapped a 302 out of a 2wd 97 Mountaineer (that I added aluminum Y303 heads and a Crane 2031 to) into a 2wd 97 Sport.
I just got it started up today, but it is seeming to run like crap.

 

[dasfinc]

Cool Story Bro.

What ECU are you using, and do you have any sort of Tuner/Tuning software loaded onto it?

 

[LSCR351]

I am running the stock 97 5.0 Mountaineer ECU. Tuning none.

I am using the stock Sport underhood harness and alternator harness with the Mountaineer engine harness just plugged in. That shouldn't be a problem should it?

I don't know if I let it idle long enough, but it seems that the temp gauge is not working.

 

[dasfinc]

Explorer ECUs don't take kindly to cams with an LSA of more than 114 degrees, otherwise check your fuel pressure and for CEL lights/codes.

 

[LSCR351]

What are the simptoms of too much cam?

 

[dasfinc]

I had been told poor idle and rough running, but there are many things that can cause that. I just brought it up because those stock explorer ECUs cannot handle anything more than a very mild cam without a tune.

I can an mild CompCam in mine without issues

Here are my cam specs, and they are about the max that an explorer ECU can handle:

 

[LSCR351]

UPDATE: All is well now! I believe the problem was the lack off exhaust. All i had on it when I first started it was the headers. I bolted on the convertors and added a gallon of fresh gas and it runs fine now.

 

[LSCR351]

Oh, and the temp gauge does work too. And the V6 body and underhood harness.

The only issues with the swap now to be worked out is the tachometer needs to be swapped from the V8 truck, And I need to come up with a driveshaft solution.

 

[ahodges]

Oh, and the temp gauge does work too. And the V6 body and underhood harness.

The only issues with the swap now to be worked out is the tachometer needs to be swapped from the V8 truck, And I need to come up with a driveshaft solution.

I read on here somewhere that you can use the stock V6 tach but 2 wires have to be changed in the wiring harness that plugs into it. There is a thread on here somewhere about how to do that. I'll look for it.

 

[ahodges]

I can save you some research.

On the back of the cluster are 3 connectors, 10-, 12- and 16-pin. Look at the short 10-pin and you will see a black/yellow ground wire in pin position #8. Now look at the 16-pin and you will see an empty slot in position #16. Release the black/yellow ground wire from the 10-pin and move it to the #16 slot of the 16-pin. That's all it takes to convert your V6 truck to read V8 RPM.

 

[LSCR351]

^ Thank you so much! I was just begining to think people don't like to help on this sight.
So I am guessing that swapping the cluster wouldn't have even fixed the tach?

 

[ahodges]

^ Thank you so much! I was just begining to think people don't like to help on this sight.
So I am guessing that swapping the cluster wouldn't have even fixed the tach?

You are correct. The tachs for the V6's and V8's are the same part number