I hate to ask this since I’m sure it’s been gone over a million times. I did try searching but couldn’t find what I was looking for. Maybe someone has a good link they could share.

I’m waiting for a part to be back in stock to place a RiffRaff order and my cart keeps growing.....

On to my question,
I’m currently running the recall installed version grey CPS and have the original (as far as I know) black one as a spare.
Reading up lately it seems the grey one is less desirable than the other 2.
I have no issues with idle or running condition, or at least it seems fine to me.

Should I
1) Leave well enough alone?
2) Change to the black one and keep the grey as a spare?
3) Add the purple one to my order and use it, keeping the other 2 as spares?

Is there enough difference in them to warrant making a change?

 

1) Leave well enough alone.

If (and only if) failure, then install black one that you carry as a spare.

If (and only if) you do end up having to deploy your spare, you will then need a new spare, and if that should ever happen, order whichever one floats your boat, before your boat needs to float.

When did Noah build the Ark?

Before the rain.

 

Thank you for the quick reply. I may not know which one is “best” but I’m at least smart enough to have a boat in preparation for the flood!

So by your response I’m assuming there’s no real difference in performance? From riffraff’s tech page (or somewhere on here, overload of data in my brain) it said some people have performance issues with the grey one.
Is this an over stated condition?

 

Some people have had issues with the grey CPS affecting perdels and idle smoothness. If you are happy with how yours runs, I wouldn't change it.

@woodnthings did a study on the black/grey/dark blue CPS awhile back [LINK]

 

Thank you BWST. Good read, and the linked thread inside woodnthings post was also a good read.
“CPS” is a hard item to search and find what I want to know since the term is used so frequently.

So after all of that it looks like I just leave it alone until there is an issue.

I know I’m overthinking it but the thoughts of the sensor changing the timing etc due to the pickup location does have me second guessing things.

 

"Performance" has a lot of meanings which can differ between people.

In a camshaft position sensor, key words being sensor and position... I would define performance as the ability to accurately "sense" camshaft "position" with synchronicity at all engine RPMs.

If your current sensor is doing this, I wouldn't give hoot or a holler about what anyone else says or describes about "performance". If your current sensor is counting holes, let it count. Leave it alone.

Magnetic sensor accuracy is as much about position (as in sensor placement) as it is about brand, color, magnet size, or circuitry inside. Here again, the key word "position" comes into play, on a different plane of importance.

Ford and International used to provision copper shim kits to more accurately position the depth of insertion of the camshaft position sensor into the mounting hole, in order to adjust the air gap, or relative position, of the magnet to the trigger wheel.

Example: .020" shim Ford Part # F7TZ-12J072-AA

Several aftermarket CMP sensors include a series of copper shim washers, of varying thicknesses, to dial in this air gap.

There is even a service tool to measure this air gap, in order to determine which shim to use:





In earlier 7.3L / T444E engines (found mainly in 1997 body style), International had a little trouble with trigger wheel run out, which shims obviously can't always entirely fix because of the eccentricity of the gap.

Any more than a .040" gap and the signal might not pick up, causing failure to synchronize. THEN you might have "performance" issues. I think you'll know it too. There won't be any doubt. And some codes will likely be thrown.

If your engine is running fine now, just leave the CMP alone. Disturbing it to change it out for something that some say is "better", may end up with a worse result, simply due to the change in tolerances from the CMP housing, seating, or other minute variances. Just run what you have in there as long as the sensor is successfully telling the PCM what position the camshaft is in. That's all it has to do to "perform" optimally.

 

Thank you once again.
Yes, “performance” wasn’t the best choice of words on my part. From what I was reading some people were having idling or mpg concerns. So what I was trying to communicate was if there is a smoother idle and better mpg condition (or better overall running engine due to better, more accurate signal) with a certain sensor. This was my question which you have adequately answered.

I will leave well enough alone and keep my ark (spare CPS) in the truck in preparation for a potential flood. Sorry, I liked the analogy!

I had also contacted Clay by email to pose the same question and was waiting on a reply when posting this up. Hey I like to take information from multiple sources.
He also said not to overthink it, keep a spare on hand, and don’t touch it until needed. It’s unanimous!

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.