Hi
So, I'm looking for opinions. Here's what I've got going. I've built my Zephyr around swapping in a 1990 SEFI drivetrain/harness/dash. The parts car was a LX 5.0 with an automatic. You might as well just think of it as a 1990 Mustang. Over time, I've upgraded or replaced just about everything except for two things, the shortblock and main wire harness and engine electronics. The A9P is still in place. Among the replaced parts are a T-5, GT40P heads and intake, 24# injectors, 190lph fuel pump, C&L 73mm MAF, and Ford Racing GT40P shorties, and better flowing exhaust. The 5.0L is tired and has never run that well for whatever reason. I modded the engine over the years pretty much out of boredom and to put off deciding what to do to make the thing run nicer. I know I've made things more complicated on myself in the process though.
Well, the time has finally come to do something about it. I'm about to replace the stock shortblock with a new one from TRE Performance. I will take the opportunity to swap in a mild Flowtech cam, and upgrade the rockers to pedestal mount rollers. Not looking for crazy horsepower here, just a nice street cruiser. Anyway, once that is in, it's time to address the electronics. I want this thing to run like new. I want it to start right up, have no problems idling, and not start pinging when I get on it.
I've heard that “calibrated” aftermarket MAFs have their limitations, so I grabbed myself a '93 Cobra 70mm unit to swap in. It's close to the C&L in size, and matches well with what I've got downstream of it. I've also heard that if your MAF and ECU don't understand each other, the thing will never run right. I have been looking at the possibility of adding a chip/programmer to my A9P, but the mismatch with the MAF has me rethinking that. I'm considering getting myself an X3Z Cobra computer. I understand that you CAN modify the MAF curve with a programmer, but that just looks like a nightmare to deal with. I'd really like to avoid that, hence the Cobra computer. Most of my parts on the engine are Cobra spec anyway, except for the rockers. I do also like the fact that the X3Z is a manual transmission ECU, unlike my A9P. I've heard that can cause idle and cruise problems not having the ECU match up with the trans. But I still might be looking at a dyno tune with a programmer because of the cam and it would be nice if the ECU didn't go looking for the AIR system that's no longer there. All the other emissions stuff is in place though.
So, I'm leaning towards going to an X3Z with programmer, but if we go that far + dyno tune, we're pretty much looking at the cost of a PnP Megasquirt. So, that's on the table too. People really seem to like them, and it bypasses the MAF issue entirely.
I'm curious to hear some people's experiences with this sort of thing. Do you think the X3Z will even need to be tuned? What would you do in my shoes?
So, I'm looking for opinions. Here's what I've got going. I've built my Zephyr around swapping in a 1990 SEFI drivetrain/harness/dash. The parts car was a LX 5.0 with an automatic. You might as well just think of it as a 1990 Mustang. Over time, I've upgraded or replaced just about everything except for two things, the shortblock and main wire harness and engine electronics. The A9P is still in place. Among the replaced parts are a T-5, GT40P heads and intake, 24# injectors, 190lph fuel pump, C&L 73mm MAF, and Ford Racing GT40P shorties, and better flowing exhaust. The 5.0L is tired and has never run that well for whatever reason. I modded the engine over the years pretty much out of boredom and to put off deciding what to do to make the thing run nicer. I know I've made things more complicated on myself in the process though.
Well, the time has finally come to do something about it. I'm about to replace the stock shortblock with a new one from TRE Performance. I will take the opportunity to swap in a mild Flowtech cam, and upgrade the rockers to pedestal mount rollers. Not looking for crazy horsepower here, just a nice street cruiser. Anyway, once that is in, it's time to address the electronics. I want this thing to run like new. I want it to start right up, have no problems idling, and not start pinging when I get on it.
I've heard that “calibrated” aftermarket MAFs have their limitations, so I grabbed myself a '93 Cobra 70mm unit to swap in. It's close to the C&L in size, and matches well with what I've got downstream of it. I've also heard that if your MAF and ECU don't understand each other, the thing will never run right. I have been looking at the possibility of adding a chip/programmer to my A9P, but the mismatch with the MAF has me rethinking that. I'm considering getting myself an X3Z Cobra computer. I understand that you CAN modify the MAF curve with a programmer, but that just looks like a nightmare to deal with. I'd really like to avoid that, hence the Cobra computer. Most of my parts on the engine are Cobra spec anyway, except for the rockers. I do also like the fact that the X3Z is a manual transmission ECU, unlike my A9P. I've heard that can cause idle and cruise problems not having the ECU match up with the trans. But I still might be looking at a dyno tune with a programmer because of the cam and it would be nice if the ECU didn't go looking for the AIR system that's no longer there. All the other emissions stuff is in place though.
So, I'm leaning towards going to an X3Z with programmer, but if we go that far + dyno tune, we're pretty much looking at the cost of a PnP Megasquirt. So, that's on the table too. People really seem to like them, and it bypasses the MAF issue entirely.
I'm curious to hear some people's experiences with this sort of thing. Do you think the X3Z will even need to be tuned? What would you do in my shoes?