Gary Lewis

Dave - True, HEI modules are plentiful. But if the HEI module quits you in the back of beyond it is a long hike to/from a parts store. However, you could carry a spare. As for the wire, there is a W/LB wire that goes to the coil and doesn't appear to go through the resistor. (That bit confuses me.) However it is a fairly small wire and everything I've read says you need at least a #12, if not a #10, to get full output from the HEI. In fact, Bill/85LebaronT2 said in this post that most GM's have a #8 or #10 to them. So while the W/LB wire would probably work, I'd be safe and use it to trigger a relay and put heavier wire from the battery to the relay and on to the HEI.

Just as I thought - the ECU has the ignition locked into limp-home mode. As for the mark not showing I'd guess that someone has bumped the initial timing up some to get a little bit of power back. But you can't go too far or you make it hard to start. Some have had bad luck with Chinese parts like that as the modules don't seem to last very long - and fail at the worst possible time. I don't know what other one to recommend. Maybe this one from Summit? But you are right that you need the HEI distributor, a good relay, and at # 10 or 12 wire.

The beauty of going with an AOD, beyond using the same driveshafts and crossmember, is that you can do it w/o changing the ECU or wiring. And then you can decide about the heads and intake later. Do you have places in Germany that rebuild American transmissions? If so they would surely know how to beef up an AOD. But let's see if Bill agrees with me. Bill?

You have two issues. First, your brake booster appears to finally have split wide open and you've gone from a small vacuum leak to a major vacuum leak. So it needs to be replaced and soon as you probably can't even lock the brakes up w/o it working properly. Second, you have an ignition problem. Or maybe an "electrical" problem. Your truck apparently originally had a feedback carb with a TFI ignition system and an ECU under the dash. The ECU requires ALL of the electrical bits and bobs to be in place and working or it gets its knickers in a twist and locks the ignition timing into limp-home mode, meaning no ignition advance and, therefore, no power or economy. So you must either reinstate ALL of the things that have apparently been removed, which includes an elusive feed-back carb, or convert to either DS-II or HEI. Personally I'd go with HEI as it will be a lot easier to do given what you have. But you'll find the engine runs much better and returns a lot better MPG when you get done.

Sorry, I don't have a recommendation on an overhaul kit for the 8.8" as I've not worked on one. Don't miss what Bill said about the E4OD's length as you will not only need a new crossmember but also new front and rear driveshafts. And it is possible that the transfer case will hit the floor of your Bronco. I had that problem in Dad's truck, which you can read about starting here, but ending here. I don't know if the Bronco floor pan would have the same problem, but it is something to think about. But if you are thinking about going to a MAF-based system I wouldn't worry about whether or not your EEC-IV ECU will run an E4OD. I'd make the move to EEC-V and get an ECU that will control that transmission. HOWEVER, also don't miss Bill's statement that "EEC-V computers can be re-flashed (reprogrammed) with the proper software and a "token" to break the Ford protection on it." Both he and I've done that and it isn't a simple walk in the park. And it isn't cheap. So in my estimation the easiest thing for you to do is to keep your EEC-IV system and have an AOD transmission built to handle your engine. It won't require changing the ECU, nor crossmember location, nor new driveshafts. And you'll still get a lock-up torque converter and OD. My guess is that a built AOD won't cost any more than a rebuilt E4OD, and it'll bolt right in.

Since getting Big Blue on the road I've never been impressed with his steering as there seems to be a lot of play in it, even though the previous owner replaced the steering box. But as we all know there are only two outfits, Redhead and Blue Top, that bore out the box and press in an actual bearing, therefore tightening up the steering, and this isn't one of those. Given that I've been thinking about replacing the steering box with a Blue Top - especially after seeing that they have been on the fringe of going out of business due to lack of help. Fortunately their website now says "We will be reducing inventory until we are able to get more help. Please be patient with us as we try to keep up with the demand." Today I realized that I have a leak in the steering system as there is a puddle of ATF in the catch tray over which Big Blue is parked. And looking up behind the steering box I can see that the hoses up there are wet. But it is so tight up in there that figuring out where the leak is and fixing it isn't going to be easy. So I'm thinking now is the time to remove the steering box, which will give me much better access to all of the connections. But if I have the box out it seems now is the time to replace it. As of now I don't know where the leak is, but will be trying to determine that soon. However in the interim I'm toying with ordering the Blue Top. They say they have them in stock, so why not?

You are now on the map.

Ok, I think you mean you've read the guidelines. Right? That's all that is needed as you did introduce yourself in this post. But I'll ask my perennial question - where's home? I ask because we have a map (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map in the menu) and we can add you with a city/state or zip. Maybe someone on here lives close to you and might have the parts you need or vice versa. As for our go-to places, they would include LMC, Jeff's Bronco Graveyard, NPD, etc.

EEC-V is fully OBD-2 compliant so it should be easy to pull data. There are sketches for things like a Raspberry Pi to get data, although I've not tried it. But in theory you could easy log to an SD card and show the data on a dedicated display. So if your device could interface to a number of different EFI systems it could be quite handy.

I applaud your willingness to wire. However, with that amount of wiring it would seem easier to go to EFI and have the benefits of a modern fuel system as well as the ability to get about any information you want. For instance, I'm running Ford's EEC-V system on Big Blue's 460 and have a mass airflow sensor as well as sequential port injection and two O2 sensors. I can get about any parameter I want via the OBD-2 port and a laptop or my iPhone. And I am running Bullnose-style coolant temp and oil pressure senders so my gauges work. Plus I'm running the EEC-V inlet air temp and coolant temp sensors, so the ECU has all the info it needs to do its job. And the AFR sits right where I've programmed it to sit regardless of the conditions, which can't happen with a carb. I'm not knocking your plans with the CAN, but am wondering what the advantages are over an EEC-V system?

Welcome to the forum! Glad you joined. However, you may have missed the email I sent you asking you to make your first post in the New Members Start Here folder. The reason for that is because we house our guidelines there and want you to have had an opportunity to read them since we hold everyone to them. So please let me know that you've read them before we move on to suppliers. And don't worry about having missed that, many people do.

Yep, that looks like the one.

Yes, that's a very nice truck!

I'm not Bill, but I'll comment anyway. The AOD was not used with the 351W in the trucks, probably due to not being stout enough for the torque of that engine, and your 347 stroker probably has at least as much torque as a stock 351W. So a stock AOD isn't a good idea. But I've read that they can be built to be very stout - at a price. And the AOD provides an overdrive as well as a lock-up torque converter - both of which the C6 lacks. Plus it doesn't require a computer to control it. So might be a good choice instead of an E4OD - especially if you stay with the EEC-IV system. Speaking of which, I think EEC-V would be the way to go if you are going to add aluminum heads. The EEC-IV systems assume that you've not changed anything in the inlet or exhaust system so if the throttle is open X%, the engine is spinning Y RPM, and the density is Z then you must be ingesting exactly this much air on each stroke. That's called "speed density" and it works fine on a stock engine. But aluminum heads are probably going to have better airflow as well as higher compression ratio, so the EEC-IV system is not going to get the right answer when it calculates the amount of air that is being ingested. Yes, with the O2 sensor it will realize it was in error and correct, but only to a certain extent. That's where the EEC-V system shines as it doesn't assume anything. Instead it measures the amount of air and, via the two O2 sensors, knows the AFR of both banks of the engine. So if you are going to add aluminum heads you should consider changing to EEC-V. And then you'll also have the ability to control an E4OD. But in reality a well-built AOD will do pretty much everything an E4OD will do, except that the E4OD has a bit lower 1st gear and OD.

Yep, EEC-V with MAF and SEFI.

That is not a "serial number". It is a casting number. And all you can tell from it is that it was cast in 1985 given the E5 in the number.

Glad things seem to be getting sorted out. But how are you and your wife feeling?

Bill - That says it is for an 89 Bronco with an auto, but the MPC says the Bronco didn’t get the E4OD in 89. So it must be for a C6?

Update: There is the following entry in the section of the MPC called "12A650 PROCESSOR AND CALIBRATOR ASSY, (ENGINE ELECTRONIC CONTROL-E.E.C. IV-REMANUFACTURED": E9TF 12A650-AB1B E9TZ 12A650-ABB r/b E9TZ 12A650-ABC But there's no application or parts list that uses that unit. Bill - Do you know anything about it?

I don't know what causes the excess play in the axle, though maybe someone else does or the factory shop manual may say. But we probably need the numbers off your ECU. I say that because Ford's 1991 Master Cross Reference doesn't list either an E9TF 12A650-ABB or ABC. But it does list an E9TZ 12A650-ABB and ABC, and they cross to E9TF 12A650-ABBMR and ABCMR. But the only E4OD-capable units I'm seeing are: Calibration PL 687 for an '89 F250/350 with a 5.8L: E9TZ 12A650-PB Processor and calibrator assy. (E.E.C. IV) #E9TF 12A650-P1B Calibration PL 690 for an '89 F250/350 with a 7.5L: E9TZ 12A650-RA Processor and calibrator assy. (E.E.C. IV) #E9TF 12A650-R1A Calibration PL 691 for an '89 F(Superduty) with a 7.5L: E9TZ 12A650-SA Processor and calibrator assy. (E.E.C. IV) #E9TF 12A650-S1A r/bF0TZ 12A650-AZA

Well done! Was there a filter inside it? I may have missed it if you told us.

I have the last iteration of EFI heads, which I think are F3's. And they are not ported.

E9TF-ABB is an ID #, not a part number. Go see our new page at Documentation/How To Decode Ford Part Numbers to explain why I say that. So in the morning I'll see if I can find that in the cross-ref as the Master Parts Catalog lists part numbers, not ID #'s. So I need a PN to see what the ECU came from and supports. On the axle, I know there's end play in them, but I don't know how much is within specs. However you may be able to find the specs in the Documentation/Driveline/Axles & Differentials.

I mis-typed - the E4OD came out in '89, and I've updated the previous post. So if you have an '89 ECU it might have the ability to control an E4OD. However, according to our documentation the E4OD wasn't used in the Bronco that year. So what did your ECU come out of? Do you have the numbers off of it so I can look it up?

He said the shortblock he built for me should be 360 - 375 HP and close to 500 lb-ft. Mine has good power, so yours should be even better.