DS I vs DS II conversion

[ArdWrknTrk]

Oh...I wasn't paying attention, but now I see what's going on here!

It's those pesky Canadians!!!

Hey, out of curiosity, while you're all here discussing DSII and all, I had been meaning to ask before about the failure modes of the modules. I've read previously that they typically work 100% until they don't work at all. That they don't display any weirdness or wonkiness, etc...just that they work one day, and then one day they don't.

Is this pretty much true?

My personal experience is that they might act up a bit, but don't really stop you.

UNTIL you get a backfire, and they are dead as a doornail.

Others report other findings.

[85lebaront2]

My personal experience is that they might act up a bit, but don't really stop you.

UNTIL you get a backfire, and they are dead as a doornail.

Others report other findings.

Much the same, when I first got Darth he had an aftermarket DSII module, when I went to get him inspected, he wouldn't start after I shut him off, shop had one he had pulled from a wreck, plugged it in and everything was fine. I took to carrying a spare.

A number of years later, going up 7 mountains grade on Rt 322W from Harrisburg PA, I got a sudden misfire, tach dropped and the engine quit. I quickly plugged in the spare and continued on.

Interesting side note, while we were checking in to the campout, another man came up and asked what kind of speed I had climbing that stretch (he had a twin to our trailer) I told him 22 mph in 2nd, he did a double take asked what gear I had. His Chevy crew cab DRW with a 454 and 4:10 gear was in 1st at roughly 20 mph, if he tried letting it shift to 2nd, it slowed down. That was when I learned that a 454 in addition to single digit fuel "economy" had no power compared to a 460.

[grumpin]

Much the same, when I first got Darth he had an aftermarket DSII module, when I went to get him inspected, he wouldn't start after I shut him off, shop had one he had pulled from a wreck, plugged it in and everything was fine. I took to carrying a spare.

A number of years later, going up 7 mountains grade on Rt 322W from Harrisburg PA, I got a sudden misfire, tach dropped and the engine quit. I quickly plugged in the spare and continued on.

Interesting side note, while we were checking in to the campout, another man came up and asked what kind of speed I had climbing that stretch (he had a twin to our trailer) I told him 22 mph in 2nd, he did a double take asked what gear I had. His Chevy crew cab DRW with a 454 and 4:10 gear was in 1st at roughly 20 mph, if he tried letting it shift to 2nd, it slowed down. That was when I learned that a 454 in addition to single digit fuel "economy" had no power compared to a 460.

My wife’s Suburban has impressed me. The Vortec 454 has a lot of power. Pulled the Xterra up a 6 percent grade from 1200 feet to 5500 on a U Haul auto transporter.

Only thing that slowed me down was construction, actually had to stop at a tunnel. Took off and was going good!

U Haul wouldn’t rent the auto transporter for my F250, they say their computer is right. Ticks me off.

[85lebaront2]

My wife’s Suburban has impressed me. The Vortec 454 has a lot of power. Pulled the Xterra up a 6 percent grade from 1200 feet to 5500 on a U Haul auto transporter.

Only thing that slowed me down was construction, actually had to stop at a tunnel. Took off and was going good!

U Haul wouldn’t rent the auto transporter for my F250, they say their computer is right. Ticks me off.

This was probably a carbureted 454, the Quadrajets on those typically were into the secondaries at any kind of speed under load. The TBI engines weren't much better. If yours is the Vortec with the nice long runner intake, it is one of the things I wish Ford had done with the 460 EFI engines. Only bad thing is the injector location, inside the "tunnel" the upper half of the intake forms. I had to work on one of them a number of years ago, 7 of the 8 injectors were leaking.

[Danny G]

Here is an interesting discussion that same "gentleman" and I got into over this. I think you will find it enlightening and rather entertaining, to say the least:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1535531-installing-300-6-w-duraspark-in-56-f100.html

Oh boy so this isn't the first time.

I feel like when you get to this point, and have closed yourself down to an actual discussion, it just becomes arguing your point no good bad or otherwise and no one else can have a valid side to the story... kinda like politics.

Its sad when people have lost the discuss, understand and grow aspect of discourse. If you give me solid evidence my point of view is wrong, well hell I'm wrong, or maybe I'm half right and your half right and we come to a better conclusion together. People just aren't willing to do that anymore, its either attack or be attacked mindsets.

[Danny G]

This was probably a carbureted 454, the Quadrajets on those typically were into the secondaries at any kind of speed under load. The TBI engines weren't much better. If yours is the Vortec with the nice long runner intake, it is one of the things I wish Ford had done with the 460 EFI engines. Only bad thing is the injector location, inside the "tunnel" the upper half of the intake forms. I had to work on one of them a number of years ago, 7 of the 8 injectors were leaking.

My only experience with a 454 was in a Class A RV I had, that thing got 10MPG no matter what, up hill down hill sideways, 45mph 70mph. Had it inspected before driving from WA to TX thinking it had a head gasket leak, mech said it was all good. He was wrong, started having some over heat issues tried to push through (was on a deadline to reach TX). About 20 minutes from the TX Border lost all power, coolant flooded the cylinders and locked up the engine, sheared the crankshaft. That's how you get a $400 tow bill and a boat anchor.

[Gary Lewis]

This was probably a carbureted 454, the Quadrajets on those typically were into the secondaries at any kind of speed under load. The TBI engines weren't much better. If yours is the Vortec with the nice long runner intake, it is one of the things I wish Ford had done with the 460 EFI engines. Only bad thing is the injector location, inside the "tunnel" the upper half of the intake forms. I had to work on one of them a number of years ago, 7 of the 8 injectors were leaking.

My only experience with a 454 was in a Class A RV I had, that thing got 10MPG no matter what, up hill down hill sideways, 45mph 70mph. Had it inspected before driving from WA to TX thinking it had a head gasket leak, mech said it was all good. He was wrong, started having some over heat issues tried to push through (was on a deadline to reach TX). About 20 minutes from the TX Border lost all power, coolant flooded the cylinders and locked up the engine, sheared the crankshaft. That's how you get a $400 tow bill and a boat anchor.

With regard to "discuss", I'm not sure I agree that "People just aren't willing to do that anymore, its either attack or be attacked mindsets." But I do agree that some people aren't willing to do that. And that's a huge shame. It shuts down others that are willing to discuss and makes people afraid to say anything. That's NOT what we are about here.

As for the 454, that's a real bummer. An expensive situation, all the way around.

[85lebaront2]

My wife’s Suburban has impressed me. The Vortec 454 has a lot of power. Pulled the Xterra up a 6 percent grade from 1200 feet to 5500 on a U Haul auto transporter.

Only thing that slowed me down was construction, actually had to stop at a tunnel. Took off and was going good!

U Haul wouldn’t rent the auto transporter for my F250, they say their computer is right. Ticks me off.

That is one of the problems with U haul, their computer doesn't go back far enough. When my daughter was moving from one part of Chesapeake VA to another, she had stored a lot of stuff at a storage lot in Virginia Beach. When I went over to help her move it to their new place, the U haul site I went to gave me the "well we need to inspect your truck to see if it can pull the trailer". The kid (probably around 20) who went out with said where is it, I pointed to Darth and said "right there, and I guaranty it will pull anything on your lot including that low boy." he took one look and said, I think you're right. I did buy a plug-in adapter from them because I didn't want them cutting into my wiring and the truck had a factory trailer package with the harness.

Trying to get their system to understand that, yes, it's a 33 year old truck, but was built for towing and spent the first part of it's life pulling horse trailers from Suffolk VA and has a V5 receiver built into the rear bumper.

[grumpin]

That is one of the problems with U haul, their computer doesn't go back far enough. When my daughter was moving from one part of Chesapeake VA to another, she had stored a lot of stuff at a storage lot in Virginia Beach. When I went over to help her move it to their new place, the U haul site I went to gave me the "well we need to inspect your truck to see if it can pull the trailer". The kid (probably around 20) who went out with said where is it, I pointed to Darth and said "right there, and I guaranty it will pull anything on your lot including that low boy." he took one look and said, I think you're right. I did buy a plug-in adapter from them because I didn't want them cutting into my wiring and the truck had a factory trailer package with the harness.

Trying to get their system to understand that, yes, it's a 33 year old truck, but was built for towing and spent the first part of it's life pulling horse trailers from Suffolk VA and has a V5 receiver built into the rear bumper.

Yes, at one point they would inspect the truck, it is my understanding they don’t anymore. That’s what irks me, you’re right it’ll tow anything on their lot!

On your RV, was it a head gasket? The 454 is notorious for intake manifold leaks and it goes in the crankcase. Happened to me once. The last time the Nemesis (my name for the Burb) broke down on my wife away from home, we used a shop my SIL and her husband knew. They said the infamous intake manifold was leaking, I said fix it!

[Danny G]

Yes, at one point they would inspect the truck, it is my understanding they don’t anymore. That’s what irks me, you’re right it’ll tow anything on their lot!

On your RV, was it a head gasket? The 454 is notorious for intake manifold leaks and it goes in the crankcase. Happened to me once. The last time the Nemesis (my name for the Burb) broke down on my wife away from home, we used a shop my SIL and her husband knew. They said the infamous intake manifold was leaking, I said fix it!

Yes sir, I suspected it was starting to leak weeks prior but was not sure that's why I paid to have it checked. They didn't do a very good job. As I worked that engine up and down Mt. Rainer it got a bit worse, then through the Colorado Mts etc got worse. I had to spray it to turn it over a few times, kept a bottle of coolant on hand, had no time or money to stop and get it fixed was on my last dollar heading to a good job (current company) down in Texas making nearly 15 times/month what I was in Washington during the recession. If I missed the start date window I would loose the job. Was just hoping to make it until I got to San Antonio. Almost did.