1993 F-150 Flare Side

[DerekTheGreat]

I remember those stickers, both the Flowmaster and other varieties. I'll never understand why people put stickers that say "Camaro" on their Camaro. Anyone who cares already knows what it is, and those who don't couldn't care less.

It seems like it's running better, definitely not as bad as it was when we first got it. So what about the harmonic balancer or flexplate/torque converter as culprits?

Also, do these things have a knock sensor? Still trying to figure out why it spit code 225 at me.

Lastly, could we move this to the Reader's Rides thread?

[gadget73]

Moved


So far as I know, if its got a knock sensor, it will be screwed into the back of one of the cylinder heads, same sort of area that the thermactor stuff connects to. Whether its there or should be there I don;t know.

[DerekTheGreat]

Thank you for moving the thread!!

Nope! All I saw back there is the thermactor BS, which I left as it wasn't even rusty and already sealed up. You have to look behind the upper to even notice what's left of it.

Maybe this Z2D1 ECM wants a knocker sensor to be there, so maybe also some 351 trucks got 'em. NFC. On that note, how does cruise work on these? Is it controlled by the ECM? Our truck's cruise system appears to be 100% electronic, wave of the future, dude.

The thing is running better!!! Definitely no longer trying to shake the side mirrors off at the RPM "trouble" spots. Just burned through the front tank for the first time with fuel infector cleaner- netted 14.1 mpg and just over 200mi out of said tank. Not too bad considering I beat the snot out of it for a large majority of that tank. Let's not forget the 3.55's, short tires and cob-job exhaust that was on it before. Wondering how much better it'll get and if the manifold leak causes the O2 sensor to report lean or rich to the ECM... Hmm, maybe it is the injectors..

Anyway, saw another FlareSide on the road, err parking lot yesterday. Definitely was/is a garage queen, yet had more rust than our truck. This truck was an extended cab, which I think looks goofy with the FlareSide box. Showed it to Angela and she certainly agrees. Although she wants to put a bumper on our truck after seeing that one. Says the roll pan looks nicer, but because people can't drive, she wants the protection of an actual bumper.

[gadget73]

No idea if or when the trucks went from stand-alone cruise to ECM controlled cruise, but a look at the servo will give a clue what it was intended for. 3 wires is ECM cruise, 5 or 6 (forget) is stand-alone. The extra wires are for what is effectively a throttle positon sensor in the servo, which the ECM doesn't need because it just uses the one on the throttle body.

what the truck came with vs what that ECM is capable of is another story. You'd have to look up the wiring diagrams for an 89 to see what it had. Maybe worth comparing that to the 93 to see whats different.


I did some more looking on the knock sensor, internet info says it screws into the block more in the center, right behind the lower intake.

[DerekTheGreat]

Thank you for the info, gadget!

I dug into my '93 service manual over the weekend. Found mention of a knock sensor, but the manual states "5.0 Only." The engine in that pic looks to be a 5.0, based on the upper intake and it's PCV nipple, which appears to point straight down compared to our 5.8 which points off to the right. Could also be that later years got a knock sensor and that yeah, my ECM is for a later 5.8. When I had my hands back there, I did not feel a hole where that would be or the sensor at all, and my hands were feeling that whole area big time in search of empty bellhousing bolt holes, which I did find. (Never buy someone's unfinished project...) Also felt the thermactor air tubes and related vacuum servo thing. Based on how that tubing runs, it isn't possible for the tubing and knock sensor to exist at the same time.. I dunno.. My Snap-On MT2500 asks for digits off of the VIN, I substitute "H" in place of "N" when entering the 8th digit character so the thing knows it's scanning a 5.8 and not a 5.0. Like you said, I'd need to look at a later service manual, but I am a bit surprised at that code as I enter whatever digit in the VIN that correctly identifies my truck/ECM as a '93. Perhaps it spits code 225 regardless of what year I enter as the ECM ultimately dictates what it's capable of detecting.

I also looked over the cruise control section. Doesn't appear to use the ECM at all. On that note, the VSS sends info to the cluster which then does the computation work and sends that data to the ECM and cruise control module/servo on the driver's side fender. From what I read, my next step is to check for power at two or three wires and see what I've got.

[VicCrownVic]

Telling the tool what year and engine you have will essentially tell the tool how to communicate with the computer (what protocol to use). The computer will set codes independent of the tool. The year and engine selection may give you access to certain functions within the tool (setups, resets, output commands) but it does not mean the computer and engine support those functions. Data reads, such as code scans are basically just the tool saying to the computer: tell me what you have and I'll display it.

[DerekTheGreat]

That's what I'm thinking. As for the knock sensor, I'll have to have another look behind the manifold, it might be down there somewhere...The ECM does not spit the code out unless I provoke it with an KOER. Maybe when they went sequential they gained a knock sensor. Dunno, but that might mean my ECM is later than I thought.

EDIT: I just remembered this truck was originally a 5.0, so it would've had a knock sensor. I didn't see or notice an "extra" wiring harness, so perhaps the PO didn't reuse the 5.0's harness, for whatever that is worth.

I "had" to drive Angela's Tahoe today as she wanted to drive her truck. I'd much rather drive 'Lil Red than the Tahoe. It's finally putting that work in as the spare vehicle. Haven't seen my truck in over a month.

[gadget73]

The year of the truck doesn't matter here, its the harness and more importantly the ECM that will tell you if it needs a knock sensor. If thats an '89 ECM you'd have to see if a 1989 5.8 wants a knock sensor.

[DerekTheGreat]

Per your sage wisdom, the ECM is from 1992 at the least:
"
...my book doesn't have that ECM listed but that's a 1992 engineering number. At least I'm assuming its really F2, not FZ. If it's a Frank Zappa model that doesn't compute.

"

I still haven't ID'd the engine. The service manual states there should be a sticker on the rocker cover, but I didn't notice any while under the hood. Wouldn't these have some other ID cast into the block & heads?

[friskyfrankie]

Is there a casting number just above the stator mount on the engine block?

[DerekTheGreat]

You mean the starter? I dunno, I just replaced that thing too. I wasn't paying attention to the surroundings though. Wondering if the trans is original or if it was part of the donor truck as well.

[friskyfrankie]

You mean the starter? I dunno, I just replaced that thing too. I wasn't paying attention to the surroundings though. Wondering if the trans is original or if it was part of the donor truck as well.

No. I meant right near the distributor.

[gadget73]

err, yeah, not sure why I've got '89 on the brain. Does a '92 5.8 want a knock sensor? No idea why a 225 would appear unless it does.


Head number you have to pull the intake to see. The block casting number I think is on the side down by the starter.

[DerekTheGreat]

Guess I'll have to see about pulling a '92 service manual. The internet digging I did suggests no 5.8 truck came with a knock sensor. Yet some said knock sensors were present on 5.8's installed in boxes. A little confusing.

No. I meant right near the distributor.

I had to go look up what a "stator" is. Could be a casting number there, it's COVERED in oil sludge. I'll peek under the skirt this weekend.

[gadget73]

The MCU setup did have a knock sensor for spark retard but the EFI stuff has very little crossover to the VV feedback crap 351 boxes got.