Hey guys, I just have a simple question to ask ya'll. So I have a 1989 Ford F-150 XLT Lariat Londbed Pick-Up truck with the Fuel-Injected 5.8 Liter 351 Windsor engine in it. The motor has 169,000 miles on it. Right now it is running straight exhaust manifolds with about a half a foot of exhaust pipe coming from each manifold. The truck only came with 1 oxygen sensor, which was an upstream O2 sensor that was located where both of the previous exhaust pipes connected together. I plan on getting an exhaust with an x-pipe and just having the O2 sensor installed there. My question is my check engine light came on. My two codes where "Insufficient EGR Flow" and "EGO Not Switching, Lean Exhaust (Bank 1). I am going to change the EGR valve and see if that helps, but is the engine code "EGO Not Switching, Lean Exhaust (Bank 1) caused by this O2 sensor not being there. I have no vacuum leaks that I am aware of. My other thing is do I need this O2 sensor? The only reason I ask is because the truck no longer has the smog system on it anymore and all of the smog vacuum lines and such have been capped off. Is there any point in having this O2 sensor? Please let me know guys! I'm heading out of town this weekend and need to know before I put my exhaust on there. Thanks guys!

 

Yes, you need your O2 sensor. There are many reasons for this, and I'm sure you are about to hear them, just wanted to answer your question quickly.

 

Thanks man for doing that and hopefully so. I was just wondering, because now that the exhaust gases aren't being recirculated would that cause the sensor to go bonkers and give bad readings and it would be best not to have one at all, or what.

 

The O2 sensor is the only feedback the EFI computer has to tell it how well it is doing at supplying fuel to the engine, it has nothing to do with the EGR system. So if you want something that could be confused with good fuel milage it must be installed in the exhaust and electrically connected but it doesn't need to see both sides of the motor and it's more important that it be close to the engine so I'd suggest installing a bung for it near the passenger side exhaust collector, do not put it further back where both sides of the exhaust come together.

 

So I can run true dual exhaust and it only has to be connected into one pipe? Does it hurt to have it connected in an x-pipe?

 

Whats the best kind of muffler I should use with my exhaust setup? I plan on doing an x-pipe then side exhaust. What you think? Flowmaster? Glasspacks? I want performance over anything

 

Yes, fueling is the same for all cylinders on this vintage motor so it doesn't matter how many cylinders the sensor sees.

Yes if it's much further back than the stock location.

 

I hate DroneMaster because of the noise they make but performance wise it won't make much difference, just don't go too big with the exhaust tubing.. 2.5" max for duals.

 

Thanks man! So it might be maybe be a half a foot if less farther from its original location. So what do you think?