85 f150 xlt 302/aod. By the vin it said it was a 2bl originally as it has an F engine code but the truck has a bunch of weird things that I don't understand. It had an edelbrock carb and performer intake when I bought it but it has an o2 sensor in the header, a coolant temp sensor, and it has the ignition module on the distributor. Plus a whole bunch of plugs in the harness that go nowhere. But on the carb side it has a mechanical fuel pump, an aod arm that wouldn't work with a throttle body.

So my first question is was this efi or carbed from the factory? And if carbed, what did all these extra plugs go to and can I go through and eliminate most of it?

 

While it was a carb engine, it would have had a feedback carb, so those sensors would've been attached to a computer that helped control a few solenoids on the carb to actively fine tune it

 

To confuse the issue more, I'm pretty sure '85 was the first year for an EFI 302. I know when I was ordering my '85 F-250 new in fall of '84 that if I'd have ordered the 302 it would have been EFI (I ended up with an F-250HD with a 351 2 barrel). I don't know if carbed 302s were available that year as well, but it wouldn't surprise me. It often seems like Ford used whatever they happened to find laying around the warehouse.

 

The way I remember it:

1985 F150 with I-6 or 302

EFI was optional, feedback carb was standard.

1985 F150 with a 351W (at least with the 4V HO variant, not sure about the 2V variant) F250/350 still used DSII.

Again, this is only how I remember it, which may not be accurate.

 

So without the original carb the sensors and plugs I have are useless? I guess I can go through the harness and keep only the necessities.

If I have an ecu where would that be located? It runs fine, I'm doing this for looks as it is a weekend toy that will eventually get a carbed turbo set up.

 

In 1982 wiring for the computer was a completely separate harness and there were separate senders for even things like coolant temp. So the computer and its harness could be taken out w/o impacting the rest of the wiring. And that computer was under the driver's seat, although later they were under the dash. I don't know if the '85s were the same on the harness.

As for 1985 engine options:

• 300 six, still w/a carb
• 302 w/a feedback 2bbl Autolite 2150 carb
• 302 EFI
• 351W w/a carb:
  • Under 8500 GVW: Feedback 2bbl Autolite 2150 carb and DS-II ignition with a grommet of anything but blue and an accompanying computer
  • Over 8500 GVW: Non-feedback 2bbl Autolite 2150 carb and blue-grommeted DS-II ignition, meaning no computer
• 351W w/a 4bbl and blue-grommeted DS-II ignition, meaning no computer
• 460 w/a 4bbl and blue-grommeted DS-II ignition, meaning no computer

[Note: I didn't chase down the proof that all non-EFI'd 302's got a feedback carb nor that all 2bbl 351W's did, but I'm pretty sure that's the case. In fact, I did track down the first calibration code for the carb'd 302 (4-54R-R14) and found in the list of parts "Sensor assy, (engine electronic control coolant temperature)", which means it had a computer.]

 

I could be wrong on this, 18 years after I sold the truck. But I'm pretty sure my '85 F-250HD did not have a feedback carb. In '85 the F-250HD and F-350 didn't need cats or unleaded fuel, and I'm pretty sure they were pretty free of any of the emissions- oriented complexities. But I can't speak at all to the F-150 or standard F-250.

 

Good point. I forgot that. Back to the catalog.......

Ok, hopefully I have it right now. As you can see in the 351W w/a 2bbl there are categories for under and over 8500 GVW. That's the point below which the computer was required and after which it wasn't. I verified that by checking the calibration parts list and under shows to have had a computer and over shows vacuum advance to the distributor, which means no computer. And, I checked the 460 as well on CA vs 49-state, and both show to have vacuum to the dizzy.

On the other hand, the 302 was apparently not sold in vehicles with more then 8500 GVW, so the 2bbl versions of the 302 all seem to have gotten computers and feedback carbs.

 

Well if the harness is completely separate then I don't see a break in the engine bay. Maybe under the dash it has a plug.

 

Mine didn't really show as two separate harnesses, but by cutting the harness at the computer I was able to unwrap the computer's harness from the standard harness and eliminate the wires. But, that was an '82 and yours is an '85, so....

As far as where the computer is, actually known by Ford as an Electronic Control Assembly or ECA, this page of the EVTM says it is "under rear center of I/P", meaning instrument panel.

 

They still had EGR and AIR.

 

I remembered the EGR, wasn't sure about the AIR. But it's because of stuff like that that I said "pretty free of..."

And to Gary's post, yes my F-250HD definitely had a vacuum line to the distributor. And yes, the 302 wasn't available in the HD when I ordered.

 

Yes, they still had some emissions stuff. But, in comparison to the ones with a feedback carb, they were pretty simple.

Hmmmmm, just had a horrible thought. My son wants a vehicle to do "overlanding", which to him means the ability to drive to CO from STL, go up in the mountains and climb some of the steep trails and camp along the way. He's been thinking that'll mean a Toyota Land Bruiser with a lift kit, lockers, etc. But, I'm suggesting a certain era Bronco, maybe with a bull nose? But, it dawned on my that we might have a problem getting just any Bronco to pass the emissions test in STL. Fortunately their web site says only 1996 and newer vehicles need testing.

 

I'm not sure how wide a Land Cruiser is, but my father spends a lot of time doing stuff like that and he's hesitant to use anything except his 1972 Bronco because he says everything else is too wide to fit on some of the trails... might pay attention to that but of course it depends on exactly what trails he's thinking of... it can cost over $1,000 if you need to get a tow truck from one of the towns below with a winch or crane to come rescue you...

 

Lol! Yeah, I know about the tow trucks - the hard way. Years ago, driving our relatively new '72 F150 w/a 9 1/2' full self-contained camper we left Hot Sulphur Springs and headed up into the Arapaho National Forest. It was in the fall and there wasn't anyone up there but one family. We waved at them and went on up - until we rounded a bend and found a wall of snow that we obviously weren't going to cross. So, we started backing down, but got too close to the edge and the rig slid sideways and then stopped against a little aspen. It was all we could do to get the passenger's door open as it was opening up, but we got out.

We hiked down to the others and they took us into Granby to a hotel. I called a wrecker and explained the situation - it was going to take two wreckers, one to keep it from going over and the other to pull it out. He didn't believe me but loaded me up and away we went, getting to the rig at about midnight as the snow flurries hit. And he agreed with me.

Back down to town and he called the next town as there was only one wrecker per town. The next morning we went back up and they extracted the rig and quite a few dollars.

Anyway, thanks for the tip on the size. My son wants a vehicle large enough to take his wife, daughter, luggage, and maybe dogs. So, an early Bronco won't suffice. So, I'll compare a 90's Land Cruiser to a FSB.