I have a 96 E350 van with the 351 engine. This old thing will acquire "antique" status next year and it's to the point where the electronics are deteriorating so bad that nobody can figure out why it just does not want to run much of the time. It's my work van and I need it to run reliably, and unfortunately I don't have 50K to buy a new one. I hate to replace it because the body is in mint condition.
What I would like to do is treat this as a racing conversion, ie, strip out all the emissions controls and electrics, and replace the computer with a newer programmable aftermarket system. I am assuming this is what someone would do if they wanted to use this engine in a race car. Where can I get information on how do to this?

Thanks

PS I know some government statist out there is going to lecture me about legalities of removing emission controls. I don't care! Both the van and I are so old that it's not going to make one bit of difference to the environment. The way it's coughing a sputtering right now is far worse than any improvement I can make to get it to run smoothly.

 

Putting an aftermarket EFI system on the motor isn't that big a job but.... your truck also has a computer controlled transmission(unless it has a manual) which is controlled by the factory PCM so it cannot be removed or disabled if you want to use that trans. That vastly complicates this job so you may be better off putting a bit more effort into fixing the factory system.

 

Oh man, that did not even cross my mind. Guess I may have to just start replacing parts one by one. I only wish I had a substitute PCM as a loner so I could swap it out just see if it's the computer that's messing up. For me it would be a major disaster to spend 2K on a new PCM only to find out it's not the problem.

 

$2K on a PCM ??? !! You need a new shop if they priced that much ..... You need a good shop to properly diagnose your issues .

 

I don't know if you have an active thread discussing these problems so can I ask exactly what problems you are having and what you have done to diagnose it? I'm pretty knowlegable on these engines and that generation EFI so I'd be more than happy to make some suggestions.

 

Yes , post your issues , codes , Etc . Allow Conanski and others here to help you through .

 

The dealership is the only place that sells them and yes they want 2K for them. Also, the dealership is the only shop that may have the special analyzer that they connect in line with the PCM to monitor all the inputs and outputs in real time. I have exhausted every diagnostic test in the full set of shop manuals for this vehicle. When I got to the end of the list this special analyzer was the only remaining option. I even searched the internet to see if I could find one for sale. I did find one but it was missing the vehicle specific overlays rendering it useless. Bottom line is I don't know of any competent mechanics around here and that is why I have always done all my own repairs. These idiots around here, including the dealership, could not even figure out that the OBD plug under the steering wheel isn't connected to the PCM. I have to show them where to plug in their tester next to the battery. I don't know what I'm going to do.

 

You need an old Ford guy . Not a kid with his nose in his phone . Someone that knows pre obd 2 diagnostics . If he does not know what a break out box is , go somewhere else .

 

So your truck uses the OBD1 EEC4 EFI system right?

 

Where are you located ? Someone here ( on this site ) may be close enough to help ...

 

OK here goes. Like I said the problem is very intermittent. It can happen when I start in the morning or after I try to start it when it's all warmed up good. The only thing I noticed is that it seems to consistently start better in the morning when it's colder outside. When the issue happens at the first start up in the morning the engine will cough and sputter with a bad miss. If I goose the gas pedal and race the engine a bit it will settle down. If I don't catch it in time the engine will die. I believe it's flooding because I have to wait a minute for the excess fuel to evaporate before trying again or it will not start at all. Something is telling the computer to pour on the gas. Same thing will happen if I drive somewhere and turn off the engine for a time where it's still warm. Sometimes starts right up no problem but other times I get the same thing where if I catch it and rev it up it will stabilize. Generally while I driving it runs perfectly, although lately, while siting at a long red light, I have noticed the engine surging a little, as though the computer is search for a value or getting one that does not compute.
After eliminating a couple of other codes I am left with 334 and/or 328. EVP high or low. I think it was high at first so I replaced the whole assembly, then it was low so I filed just a tiny bit off rod that pushes the diaphragm so now I think it's low again. I may have that reversed, but either way, according to the specs this EVP has a vary wide operational resistance range. Both the old one and the new one are both within tolerance but you can see that by my changing the resistance the slightest amount it caused an error code in the opposite direction. I've gone through every test related to those two codes. At the end it refers me to connect the EEC-IV Monitor Box, which I am trying to get my hands on.

 

No it's a straight EEC-IV. It was the transition year. They were installing the OBD-1 plug on the assembly line before they were installing the OBD systems so my year has a bunch of vans with the OBD plug installed but the harness ends at the fire wall.

 

If I could add........

A lot of your problems could be from a bad ECM, if you can pull that out, from the front, and open the case up, and see if any of the compactors are leaking green, that would be the cause of a lot of your problems.
This is also a very common problem.

A re-man ECM runs under $100, with core exchange.
Do not let the dealer do this for you

There are topics on here you can search for additional information on this.

Also, if you post what you have, we know the age, and the engine, but what transmission does this have, and the mileage, then we have a better understanding what your dealing with.
EX: 1996, 5.8, E4OD, XXX miles

This should be OBD 1, EEC4.
A typical scanner at the auto parts stores only do OBD 2.

 

Yeah that is the old EEC4 system and if you don't already have a code reader the Equus 3145 is the one to get at $25.
Swollen or blown out caps are a common problem with these old PCMs or any electronic component with electroylic capacitors, but they aren't that hard to change if you are at all handy with a soldering iron. Here's a thread on this subject.. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...e-problem.html

 

Isn't the ECM just another name for the PCM? My manuals make no reference to an ECM.
I have not found any typical scanner that can read the codes from this system. I ended up purchasing an old Snap-On MT2500 that was able to read the codes by entering the VIN number. I have not been to any shop that was able to read the codes from this PCM. And I'm talking scanners that cost these guys thousands of dollars can't read this thing because the companies did not take into account the snafu of this transition year where they continued to sell some straight EEC-IV ignition systems. The vehicle is too old for them to be concerned about such details.

96 E350, 5.8, E4OD transmission, 280K miles