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'86 2.3FI replaced w/ '88 turbocoupe engine


trphinney

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Oct 7, 2009
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The tuboswap website "Stinger Performance" was helful to some point. Now that the mill is installed, and ready for testing, I am needing some real tech assist, as the ECU swap / wiring does not seem to be as simple as they made it seem. They told me to gladly replace the '86 ranger (5-spd manual) ecu w/ the '88 t-bird LA3 ECU. Next came part of the needed t-bird harness. Here, I pulled wires from the ECU plug in the Ranger to make way for wires that were used in the t-bird wiring (a 4 pin VAM plug, the 6 pin plug that feeds the injectors / intake, and 2 others that all went to the SPECIFIC pins they came off of when i was taking them out of the tbird. Install complete, ready for testing. No fuel pump noise when i turn the key on. The local tech helped me find (having oem pin diagrams for both of the vehicles / ECUs), that No. 5 pin on the ranger may need to tie in to #37 and #57 (both vehicle power) in the new wiring, as the new wiring didn't include a no.#5 Key power (red). Still no fuel pump noise, now to find that the 2 or 3 red wires, and it seemed like about every wire (about 8 in the main wrap) in the new harness show they are grounded (w/ the ohmmeter). I ck the plug at the high psi fuel pump, and both the pink and blk wires show direct ground (one should be hot). I pull the plug apart and apply and apply 12V and the pumps run, seems like they should shut off when at pressure, but they continue to run, so I pull my feed wire off. Time to go to my other job - where do I start tomorrow. Seems like the box is throwing out neg. signals that it shouldn't be.
 
Last edited:


scotts90ranger

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RBV's on Boost
Joined
Feb 28, 2001
Messages
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Points
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Location
Dayton Oregon
Vehicle Year
1990, 1997
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
2.3 (4 Cylinder)
Engine Size
2.3 Turbo
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
6
Tire Size
35"
Ok, it's not all that hard but it does have it's headscratching moments...

Use the stock Ranger harness (You got me confused on what you did...), just add in the appropriate wires for the sensors and swap around about 10 wires. When I put mine together there was a handy fuel pump on wire that went to the ECM into the spot for the octane switch, making my engine think it was running high octane all the time and pinging a lot...

I screwed up a lot of things at first with mine and it still ran, try going back to how it was and restarting, there's a couple diagrams in the turbo swap area of the tech library if they help. If I get caught up enough tomorrow I'll try to go through the wiring to help out, I need to do it anyway when I switch to my LA3 from my PC1 ECM, I'm hoping that will help my mileage...
 

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