Ok all you smart guys I have a 1992 f150 I just got and it's minus the motor , it had a 302 , and when I called the salvage yards they said only a direct replacement will work ? It's has auto trans and why won't a 90 to say 93 work ?

Thanks
Gordon

 

There were some minor changes to the engines and wiring harnesses over the years so they're right only a '92 or '93 is a direct repalcement but any EFI truck 5.0 from 1987 to 1996 could be made to work with a few parts swaps. Does your truck have a complete wiring harness in it? If so that's half the battle, then all you need is a complete EFI motor with all the accessories and it'll plug right in and work. The major hangups will be with the distributor and IAT sensor since they were moved off the engine to the fender and airbox around that time so you need to figure out what setup your truck has and go from there. It doesn't matter what EFI control system is in the donor vehicle or what trasnmission it has since the flexplate can be changed and you won't be using any part of the donor vehicles controls.

 

Try and get a Mass Air setup if possible....

 

Mass air setup ? I'm sorry I don't know what you mean ? Is that the one with the tall plenum and two hoses ?

 

Ignore that.. trying to add that system to your truck will complicate matters and if you just want a running vehicle it's not necessary.

 

No that's fine conanski if it's a better setup I will be glad to find it and work with it !

 

Well here's the deal. Installing an aftermarket MAF kit is easy but not cheap. Installing it using parts from a donor is cheap but not at all easy. And on a stock motor it will make next to zero difference in fuel milage or performance, so overall I wouldn't put it high on the list unless you have plans to seriously build up the motor.

 

Mass Air Setup would increase throttle response, give you better fuel mileage and leave you open to possible vehicle upgrades without having to reprogram the computer. But, the other dude it right about having to spending about a 1k+ dollars on a bolt on kit. It would be best to find a donor truck that has every thing you need.

Also, what I would do is find a 5.8L and a manual 5 speed....You would have the power of a 351 and the reliability of a manual transmission which are almost bulletproof.

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A mass air flow sensor is used to find out the mass flowrate of air entering a fuel-injected internal combustion engine. The air mass information is necessary for the engine control unit (ECU) to balance and deliver the correct fuel mass to the engine. Air changes its density as it expands and contracts with temperature and pressure. In automotive applications, air density varies with the ambient temperature, altitude and the use of forced induction, which means that mass flow sensors are more appropriate than volumetric flow sensors for determining the quantity of intake air in each piston stroke. (See stoichiometry and ideal gas law.)
There are two common types of mass airflow sensors in use on automotive engines. These are the vane meter and the hot wire. Neither design employs technology that measures air mass directly. However, with additional sensors and inputs, an engine's electronic control unit can determine the mass flowrate of intake air.
Both approaches are used almost exclusively on electronic fuel injection (EFI) engines. Both sensor designs output a 0.0–5.0 volt or a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal that is proportional to the air mass flow rate, and both sensors have an intake air temperature (IAT) sensor incorporated into their housings.
When a MAF is used in conjunction with an oxygen sensor, the engine's air/fuel ratio can be controlled very accurately. The MAF sensor provides the open-loop controller predicted air flow information (the measured air flow) to the ECU, and the oxygen sensor provides closed-loop feedback in order to make minor corrections to the predicted air mass. Also see MAP sensor.

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Speed density uses a Manifold absolute pressure sensor and based on that along with other parameters like temperature, it will calculate the fuel required. Speed density - estimates air mass by pressure vs temp. Then applies this to a 3D map. The "3D" we already have, its Load (pressure or volume) x RPM with a set value in each cell. Every point can be fine tuned so this is really Alpha N with compensation. Any VE changes needs a re-tune, doesn't matter the system. It only knows pressure and rpm not what the true mass of the air is (it has a trim table and most get ignored above certain levels). Speed density can make more power, but the chip needs to be custom made, while mass-air can take more cams without modifications. It cannot determine what mods have been done to the engine. Install a cam, which allows more air to enter the engine, and the computer cannot compensate. This usually leads to problems. Speed density uses engine vacuum to adjust the air fuel ratio of the motor so when you add a larger cam you typically mess up the speed density because you've screwed with the engine vacuum. Mass air uses a meter with a wires in the air flow. Based on the temperature of these wires, the meter sends a voltage reading to the EEC which it translates into an airflow. So, mass air adjusts to changing conditions much easier. Thing to remember, the Pro 5.0 guys run speed density.

 

Thanks guys