EFI swap question
 

I've done lots of site and google searching but I haven't found all the answers I need. The final question is: automatic transmission control

I have a customer that would like to swap an EFI engine into his business truck for a variety of reasons with the main one being reliability. The truck is a 1966 Ford Good Humor ice cream truck that's used seasonally and it's hard to "get going again" after it's winter hibernation. Add to that a staff that's not experienced with starting a pull choke carburetor engine and the truck is constantly late or a no-show for events. The truck currently has a 300 inline 6 in it with an automatic transmission that I believe is a C4.

I've done lots of reading around the net and have high confidence I can swap in a late 90's 300 engine and re-use the automatic trans currently in the 66 truck. I'd like to swap the donor transmission too but I'm not sure where (or if) the computer picks up the VSS signal to control the automatic transmission. If it's in the rear axle like the V8 trucks then I'll be forced to keep the C4. The rear axle in the 66 truck is "special" for these ice cream trucks so swapping it out isn't a simple option.

The the question comes down to: Keep the C4 or can I use the donor trans?

The answer depends on what EFI you decide to go with.

The easiest might be to grab a newer EFI setup with Trans and the wiring to go with it. Try for a '96 with OBD II or close to this year as possible. And yeah that VSS thing is going to be a problem. Perhaps there is a pickup that sits on the speedometer pickup?

Or, utilize a 4 barrel intake manifold and aftermarket learning type throttle body EFI and while your at it, use some EFI Manifolds. Then check out Transmission controllers, maybe aftermarket has something rolled into one box?

Sorry I couldn't be of more help...

Oh, and get some pictures! ;)

If the engine in the truck is sound and trans is good, it'd be nice to work with what you have. You are really after dependability. An upgrade to DSII ignition system and a matching carb with Auto choke will keep it pretty simple. No more pts and condenser, no more manual choke.

As per any seasonal piece of equipment there are steps to putting away, for no problems when going back in service. And in the case of this truck, I think just emptying the fuel tank and running it totally out of gas is all that is necessary. If the customer doesn't want that burden, then a good dose of enzyme treatment for ethanol gas may do the trick. Sounds like this truck may work 5 months max. I'd make sure that all gas hose is of the latest spec for ethanol and non permeating, like marine fuel hose.

Just another comment/thought for you

Here are the only two pictures I have so far.

I appreciate the responses. I've had the truck in the shop for a couple days now and have it running really good. It has the typical faint lifter tap but quiet other than that. I know the engine in there is good and has many years of service left in it, but outside a group of us motor heads (compliment intended), the average young person doesn't know how to get it started. The owner has tried training, but what typically happens is the pedal is pumped too many times resulting in a flooded engine that won't start and another missed event. The owner is REALLY ambitious to swap it out completely for a Ford factory EFI engine and for my own obvious reasons I am too :)

I'm tasks with three phases of work for this truck. The first is a complete front suspension swap from a 78 F250 to upgrade to disk brakes, dual master cylinder and power steering. I'm 10% into this phase. The second phase is the engine swap and the third is complete body work and paint. My goal is to get phase 1 and 2 done by early April. Phase 3 will be done after this summer season is over.

The early MAF Mustangs used a transmission mounted VSS, the question is whether the output from it looks the same as the differential VSS signal to the EEC. That Mustang VSS fit an NP208 transfer case, so I'm pretty sure it would fit a C4.

Ford E9TZ9E731-A Mustang Speedometer Sender OEM 1983-1993

There's a company, in Minnesota I think, that can make a speedometer cable that fits with the Mustang VSS on one end and the existing speedometer.

She sure looks good. I and many will look forward to you tackling your conversions. You know this bunch LOVES pictures.

I too would vote for keeping it a 1V carb with an electronic ignition update. That will solve your flooding problems. Or you can reduce the accelerator pump capacity if you want to reduce flooding chances. An EFI conversion will have lots of pitfalls that may be counterproductive to this truck being a money maker.

Consider a late model Crown Victoria front suspension assembly. They are becoming hugely popular for just such updates as they are of modular (bolt-in) design, aluminum, R&P power steering, disc brakes, inexpensive, and a common bolt pattern that has lots of wheel options available.

I installed an '86 EFI 300 into a '78 F-150. I built a wiring harness from a couple harnesses I had. It wasn't a bad job because I've done that before. If you can get the harness from a donor truck that would be a lot easier.

Mine was a manual trans so I didn't have to worry about vehicle speed. The computer I had was from a manual, but it worked fine. I also never got around to mounting an O2 sensor, so it always ran open loop. I had the bung to install it and the O2 sensor, but I can have a lazy streak a mile wide.

I would leave the current trans. Adding an electronic trans adds a lot of work, and highway fuel economy would be the main benefit. That's not going to be a concern on this truck.

Thanks for all the feedback, I've been using it to help steer my searches and the reading I'm doing. I've been looking at the upgrades for the existing engine: ignition and fuel delivery and find the cost to upgrade is about equal to a donor truck ($2,000). I saw the recent thread pointing to the FITech throttle body system, but after all the costs are added up I can buy a 1996 100K mile truck for the price. If the cost to upgrade the existing engine came in at $1,000 to $1,500 then it would be an easier sell to the customer. Please correct me if I'm adding up my numbers wrong.

I'm also looking into aftermarket VSS bolt on generators. These have a toothed ring that's pressed onto the drive shaft yoke and a pickup with a bracket that bolts to the transmission tail housing. My reading indicates the Ford signal is 8,000 beats per mile driven. This may be the solution for running the later model trans versus the C4. If not then we may just stay with the C4.

I'm no stranger to engine swaps, I've done a couple EFI 460 engines and several 7.3 Powerstroke diesels. I used ZF5 transmissions in those swaps so VSS never came into play. I have a personal build going right now of putting a 78 F250 body onto a 96 F250 frame with the 7.3 PSD/E4OD and all of that rides on an 05 F250 4x4 suspension. I'm about 50% through this build. It sits on the back burner and gets worked on when time permits. This project is where the 2wd suspension parts came from for the ice cream truck.

Here's a short video of a 7.3 PSD/ZF5 that I swapped into a 58 Chevy C60.

When I was at Ford we put an E4OD into an off road race truck. It didn't have a VSS pickup in the axle, we made one of these. I didn't know there was one available in the aftermarket.

That is correct. It's a square wave signal with 8000 pulses per mile.

Isn't the open loop strategy far from optimum ideal steady state strategy? I would dare say it will not even perform as well as an archaic 1V carburetor at part throttle conditions. Or did you hack into the ECM box to jack spark and fuel curves around?

I used a stock PCM without touching anything. The truck ALWAYS started within one second. It even sat at the airport for two weeks at a time while I travelled, and even when I came home to below zero temps it fired up in one second.

Starting is ALWAYS open loop. It doesn't go closed loop until several things reach certain temperatures. When warmed up, open loop isn't far from ideal, but the entire purpose of closed loop is to become ideal. Unless your customer is very concerned with squeezing the last possible tenth of a mile per gallon out of this truck I don't think it's really important.

But if you have the ability to put the bung for the sensor in the exhaust, you should do it.