1991 E150 ABS Hydraulic Unit

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Sep 9, 2014 | 02:57 AM

freevan

Thread Starter

New User

Joined: Jul 2014

Posts: 20

Likes: 0

1991 E150 ABS Hydraulic Unit

Hi All, Does anyone know where the ABS hydraulic unit is located in the 1991 E150 Econoline 2wd with an E4OD transmission, or if there is a hydraulic unit; I have had a check light for a long time and just replaced the sensor in the rear differential, but the light is still on. The old sensor did not have hardly any metal residue on it. The brakes work fine with the light on. The real problem I am having is with 2-3 upshift, but now I have the pan down and found the filter lying in the pan. I am going to retorque all the bolts and add a filter clip, change the fluid which is not burnt.

Sep 9, 2014 | 11:44 AM

Little Ebby

Junior User

Joined: Aug 2014

Posts: 73

Likes: 0

Your truck is equipped with rear ABS only correct?

There's an aluminum block (with a wiring harness and a bleeder screw), bolted to the driver side frame rail near the fuel pump.

It kind of sounds to me like your speed sensor is bad.

BTW: the pan is what holds the filter in place on the E40D. Nothing to worry about with the filter in the pan. There's an O-ring on the outlet tube where the filter plugs into the transmission. That is all.

Sep 9, 2014 | 11:10 PM

freevan

Thread Starter

New User

Joined: Jul 2014

Posts: 20

Likes: 0

E150 ABS Hydraulic Unit

Today we finished some repairs on the E4OD transmission. I was able to find the ABS Hydraulic Unit but I am not sure that it is a RABS only.
I replaced the rear ABS sensor unit on the rear differential, but so far I still have the ABS warning light on. I cleared the codes and then started the engine and did a preliminary check on the transmission, which seems to be outputting power to the wheels- they are spinning with wheels on the lift. But I still need to add fluid to get a normal level. There was little metal fuzz residue on the magnet, and only one small piece of a clutch ring tab in the pan. So I am replacing the fluid that was drained- it wasn't burnt, and filter. I made a clip to hold the filter up from falling into the pan. I also re torqued all the bolts on the bottom inside the pan.
When I replaced the rear ABS sensor, before doing the repairs, the Van did not shift for a long time with the CEL on, and when it did I had serious intermittent power issues. Then it began to shift and shifted into higher gears too soon, causing lots of shudder. I had had codes for the MAP and EGR stuff, but replacing and fixing these issues did not get rid of the codes.
Just now I ordered the VSS or Transmission Speed Sensor and will replace it upon arrival, and tomorrow will test drive the van to see if it will shift- it does not shift if the CEL is on. I will check codes again. Normally the CEL goes out after a mile or so or five to ten minutes. Then shifting is normal, and even though the CEL comes on again shifting is normal. Wierd.

Sep 10, 2014 | 11:18 AM

Little Ebby

Junior User

Joined: Aug 2014

Posts: 73

Likes: 0

Quote:

Originally Posted by freevan

I was able to find the ABS Hydraulic Unit but I am not sure that it is a RABS only.

I'm 90/10 it's RABS. (I don't believe 4whl. was available on that model in 1991.)

Quote:

When I replaced the rear ABS sensor, before doing the repairs, the Van did not shift for a long time with the CEL on

Why are we just now hearing that the CEL is on? That changes ... well, everything, at least for me, anyhow. That's where I would start. You gotta get that CEL off.

If CEL is on--or, intemittently "on" you've got problems that have not been corrected. (I know it's only OBD1, but you must trust.) OBD1 is dynamite, too. All of my OBD1 trucks take the check engine light off when the problem(s) are corrected. And the CEL stays off.

Is the overdrive switch blinking? Is the bulb inside the switch known to be working, (i.e., is lit when you take the transmission out of O/D?) Is the overdrive switch loose--or tight against the dash bezel? If the switch is loose, it was improperly removed from the dash bezel at some point and is very likely damaged internally.

BTW: as far as I know, that switch is still available new from FORD. I can come up with the part number if need be. I bought several as that switch always seems to be broken. Reminds me of the wiring harness plug at the E4OD solenoid pack connection (always broken....)

Quote:

Just now I ordered the VSS or Transmission Speed Sensor and will replace it upon arrival, and tomorrow will test drive the van to see if it will shift

Did you check its condition? You can usually feel a bad one (roughness when turning, too much back and forth motion, metal where the pinion rides is scoured, brake warning lamp inoperative etc.)

Quote:

it does not shift if the CEL is on.

See above. The PCM is attempting to protect the transmission from damage? I'm not sure OBD1 was that sophisticated. I know for sure that OBDII is that sophisticated: (transmission line pressure goes to max to prevent slippage and transmission shifts harshly; overdrive switch warning lamp flashing etc.)

Sep 11, 2014 | 01:45 PM

freevan

Thread Starter

New User

Joined: Jul 2014

Posts: 20

Likes: 0

A complete rundown

What is it: 1991 E150, E4OD transmission, 4.9 I6, 2WD, PS, PB ,no smog pump, AC disconnected, RABS, VSS is on transmission tailpiece having the speedo cable go through the sensor, ABS sensor is in rear differential, IAC (idle air control) and TPS(throttle position sensor) are virtually inaccessible under the motor cowling, so not yet checked; don’t know about the MAF, if it is there.
What is the problem: Vehicle engine always starts and runs fairly well; engine temps appear normal-lower gauge reading- at idle and running; CEL light virtually always comes on shortly after engine starts; in gear , vehicle engages 1<sup>st</sup> gear fairly smoothly, but normally does not upshift for 5-10 minutes, so I manually shift to 2<sup>nd</sup> and wait for CEL light to go out; when CEL light goes out after about 5-10 minutes of driving engine bucks and starts to stall, but often giving it WOT causes motor to run smoothly and shifting now becomes normal; after that, motor normally stalls, after a while, if left in gear idling at a red light, etc.; lately motor dies dead while driving at speed- sometimes a restart in neutral is possible, often not even though MLPS has been aligned; after shifting has become normal sometime later the CEL comes on again but shifting usually continues normally until engine is switched off for a minute or so and cycle starts again; sometimes at idle after driving and stopping, gearshift in Neutral, engine begins to over-rev, if I turn engine off and restart, motor idle is normal again, CEL is usually on. So far I always get normal shifting if I cruise in second and wait 5-10 minutes for CEL to go out, however the dying issue at speed is new.

What has been done: Codes were taken: KOEO- 126-MAP sensor; 332-Egr valve; 334-EGR valve position sensor;634-MLPS out of specs, however no CM codes are given; in a KOER test, engine code was correct (3) but no other codes are given and instead about 45 flashes are given in equal cadence; MAP was replaced but code continues even after clearing all codes; EGR valve was removed, cleaned and tested by vacuum as normal but code continues; MLPS was replaced (the unit I bought from NAPA had the almost the same plug configuration having 8 pins and plugging in OK, but new MLPS had connector with tabs which did not require connector replacement) and neutral was aligned on new unit (old unit measured correct ohms for all shifts) but code continues; E4OD pan was dropped, filter was laying in pan (seemed that fluid level was not able to be checked accurately before) but filter was very clean and pan magnet had some metal fuzz, but not much at all and one tab end from a clutch disk was in the pan which was cleaned and one valve body bolt was in the pan so a new filter with locking clip and gasket was installed; all bolts were tightened and retorqued and unit filled with new Merc III fluid (8 qts.), wheels off the ground and shift cycled while adding fluid; some vacuum leaks were found and fixed; new PCV valve; new rear differential ABS sensor installed; EGR valve fixed; fuses all tested good.
Present running condition: Always starts easily and initially idles OK; sometimes tranny will shift normally off the bat, but as soon as CEL light comes on after a minute or so, it will drop back to 1<sup>st</sup> gear and not shift at any RPM; so I put it in 2<sup>nd</sup> and wait for whatever it is to do what it does and then CEL goes out, tranny shifts normally (a tad hard from 1-2) and stays ok for a while (used to stay ok until motor switched off for a couple of minutes), but now has intermittent dying at speed, some bucking, not much, at speed, and more often over-revving after coming to a stop at idle, shift in Neutral (to prevent stalling)
So, problem could be in the wiring, eg. Ground for FIPL-Fuel Injection Pump Lever (FIPL) sensor (if I have that, which I don’t believe I do, it is only Diesel), ground for MLPS and/or TOT (temp sensor) ground, some other connection being bad, OR due to the gibberish KOER readings, the PCM itself is bad. It is located under the blower cage on the passenger side firewall in the engine compartment. Any tips on removing and opening/ checking it would be appreciated.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w

oNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w

ontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w

ontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority

9; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]-->

Sep 12, 2014 | 12:03 PM

Little Ebby

Junior User

Joined: Aug 2014

Posts: 73

Likes: 0

I gotta ask: are the engine and transmission in the van "known" to be the originals? That's a "yes", "no"--or, "unknown". Additionally, how much of the emission controls have been removed (which is not a good idea,btw.) (You mentioned the A.I.R. pump.) The EGR seems totally inop., like vacuum lines are missing or disconnected--or, a reservoir or solenoid(s) are out of the loop etc. Also, the part about the MLPS having "almost the same plug configuration" ... very disturbing. An incorrect MLPS will surely result in transmission issues.

I'm not sure all of those codes are active, either. Are you sure about that? Tell me how you cleared the codes.

On the passenger side footwell area below the dash, there's a black plastic panel hanging vertically. Couple of screws along the top lip. Then there's a screw with a ground strap attached at the bottom of the panel. Pull the clip and tray away from the PCM. Out in the engine compartment under the HVAC unit there's one 10mm bolt attaching the wiring harness to the PCM. Take it easy backing the bolt out. Turn it a few rounds and gently pull the harness plug away from the firewall. Turn a few more rounds and repeat. Take it easy. You can break the PCM pins if getting in a hurry. This is an area that could be causing problems (if any pins are broken.) Other than that I doubt the PCM is the problem unless something stupid happened (like improper welding on the vehicle.) How are the battery cables on this jewel? Is the ground cable still fastened to the fender apron like it's supposed to be--or, have the cables been replaced?

Sep 13, 2014 | 12:45 AM

freevan

Thread Starter

New User

Joined: Jul 2014

Posts: 20

Likes: 0

Hi Lil' Ebby, Thanks for the reply. This has been such a confusing saga to get even to here in the diagnosis because, low and behold the PCM is bad. No wonder there are no CM codes and the KOER code is gibberish. So I pulled the unit(somebody had poured RTV all over the plug- lots of fun ahead because the RTV is in the connector pin holes- what dissolves RTV??- and see a burnt PCB and a disconnected pin. See if you can see these photos It was the PCM by freevan | Ford-Trucks So I am repairing these to see if I can use the same PCM. I was wrong about no smog pump. It's there. I will have to still do a lot of electrical stuff to find out why the PCB got hot, and to make sure all the electrical circuits have a good ground. Then I will start afresh with codes and if necessary a new PCM. So thanks for the replies.

Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalytic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

Verdad Gallardo

Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

Joe Kucinski

2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

Brett Foote

Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

Joe Kucinski

AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make

Brett Foote

Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!

Michael S. Palmer

Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home

Verdad Gallardo

10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!

Joe Kucinski

2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?

Brett Foote

2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!

Michael S. Palmer

Sep 13, 2014 | 02:12 PM

freevan

Thread Starter

New User

Joined: Jul 2014

Posts: 20

Likes: 0

I really doubt anyone except a guy like me would repair the pin, but I did it -see the photo It was the PCM by freevan | Ford-Trucks Exactly the same as you one pin stuck in the harness connector, broke off from the PCM. What I did was cut away the metal shroud at the back opposite where the pin normally sits, where the pin has to come through, then I used a very fine drill to get a hole for a wire to come out to the area where the wire/ pin should connect. Then I soldered a wire ( I used a piece of a center solid wire from a piece of Coax) onto the broken pin and pushed back in place. Then I cut it off at the location where it just comes out to the area of the plastic guides of the PCM connector and soldered a flexible wire at that point with a blob of solder so I could put a couple of drops of JB epoxy to fasten it so it won't easily come out again. Then I soldered the flex wire to the proper post on the PCB and checked everything with an Ohm Meter.
I have no way to check if any IC's are bad or such, but the amazing thing is that the truck was running and shifting, after a while, at all. I had no luck crossing the number on the unit I have with any new/ newer PCM, and I have found very few new/ rebuilt units that match the truck/trans/engine.
As far as using your unit as a core, it would depend how much work the rebuilder actually does to rebuild his units. If the connector and pins are unsoldered from the board then they could use any 60 pin (in my case) connector from any old PCM. I suppose that that amount of work is unlikely but who knows. Anyone working with PCB's ought to have good unsoldering equipment.
If you have any experience with that pin/trace #46- the Signal Return which connects to half a dozen sensors ( mostly the ones I was having problem codes from), I would like to hear about it. My plan is to get serious about the ground connections, which I believe was the underlying problem to begin with.