PINTO CAR CLUB of AMERICA

Shiny is Good! => It's all about the Turbo... => Topic started by: Pinto5.0 on December 05, 2012, 02:05:38 AM

Title: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: Pinto5.0 on December 05, 2012, 02:05:38 AM
I picked up an unmolested Merkur harness for 100 bucks. I was planning to run an aftermarket harness but was told this is pretty much the same thing for a lot less money.
 
(http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af357/OrangeCrushMustang/1979%20Pinto/KGrHqZlYFCMLvu0hOBQs-G4uw60_57.jpg)
 
Which computer do I need to run & will it work with the inline manifold, the '87 Tbird style or any I choose? Will it work with the large VAM? How radical of a setup will this harness support?
 
I was thinking of an inline intake with a log plenum, big VAM, larger throttle body, turbo & injectors & a good size intercooler. I'm looking for 300-325 HP max out of it & I'm not planning to step up to a Megasquirt or stand alone system right off the bat.   
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: Bigtimmay on December 05, 2012, 12:15:01 PM
Itll support the large vam and any turbo ecu like if you use the LA3 87-88 5 speed ecu you will need to repin the ecu connector cause a couple wires are moved around and a couple wires need added.
I had to repin my merkur harness cause I used a 88 turbo motor and ecu it was pretty simple.
As for How radical will it go thats pretty much up to you cause you can toss a Quarter horse on a stock ecu and tune that way to make the power or yah can just go plug and play squirt and make it a full out race car. Its all pretty much how far yah wanna push it.
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: Pinto5.0 on December 05, 2012, 02:35:11 PM
Do you need to re-pin for the '86 SVO 5-speed ECU? I may be able to lay my hands on one with the large VAM. I also need to get a list of needed sensors so I can start rounding those up. I need to see if I can find a manual for the SVO or T-bird that shows every detail. Trying to do this from scratch is gonna be interesting. At least I have a 20K mile turbo longblock to start with.
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: Mike Modified on December 05, 2012, 03:04:27 PM
This should answer your repin questions:
 
http://rothfam.com/svo/reference/PEtoLA.pdf (http://rothfam.com/svo/reference/PEtoLA.pdf)
 
Mike
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: Pinto5.0 on December 05, 2012, 03:45:49 PM
This should answer your repin questions:
 
http://rothfam.com/svo/reference/PEtoLA.pdf (http://rothfam.com/svo/reference/PEtoLA.pdf)
 
Mike

Cool, looks like I'm good according to that chart. I imagine once I start picking up the missing piecrs most of this should fall into place & make more sense.
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: OhSix9 on December 05, 2012, 10:07:57 PM
You are already on the path to going a little further than what the pe can do stock anyways. the repin data that was supplied above is only if you choose to go with an 87/88 L series computer. it gives you a couple extra sensors such as act which gives post IC air temps vs IAT and a faster processor.  the harness you have will be plug and play on any P series computer PE , PK1 etc.    now the good news is that either of these solutions can be custom tuned with a j3 port adapter and a programmer from moates for under 60 bucks. that costs less than what most will charge for a true PE or LA box where they will give away small vam or autobox ecu's for nothing.  take any p series flash it with a pe bin and its big vam, injector and intercooler ready. same with the auto l series. throw on the flash and they are manual LA ecu's  the nice part is you can custom tune ignition maps and fuel delivery for all rpm and conditions. Also the vam really runs out of steam around 325cfm.  using the above solution, a big maf off a 4.6l car with a known curve add some clicks of a mouse you can take the system to mass air ditching the junk vam. run injectors upto 75Lb/hr, play with rev limits  bla bla bla.   what most people fail to realize is tat the eecIV is a brilliant piece of engine control with more power under the hood than most of these aftermarket systems can offer if you take a little while to really grasp what it can do. add some data logging with a wideband and 3 channels and there is nothing any standalone system costing hundreds more could do better. the qaurterhorse mentioned above is an upgrade to the j3 adapter but doesn't datalog well on the p series and does not support wide band o2 anyways so i don't use it.


moates.net makes the most sense. anyway you cut it.  no need to search out specific computers and gain flex all at a cheaper price
For what you are thinking.  knife edge the lower, take the upper and gut n rotate  it or build one custom  starting from a waterjet copy of the upper flange n make the right size for your chosen throttle body. just be sure to pick one with an integrated iac motor. get some 56lb injectors from a cfi HO tbird and bobs yer uncle. proceed to blow on it as hard as you can .
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: johnbigman2011 on December 05, 2012, 10:15:40 PM
UMMMM WoW!!! OhSix9

Pinto 5.0 when you get that figured out... Share with me please ;D

I have the 85 TC 5 speed in my 79 wagon.. Bigger plans for it later down the road.

I need to get my AK Miller 2.0  installed on the 23 T. first.
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: Pinto5.0 on December 05, 2012, 11:55:22 PM
UMMMM WoW!!! OhSix9

Pinto 5.0 when you get that figured out... Share with me please ;D

I have the 85 TC 5 speed in my 79 wagon.. Bigger plans for it later down the road.

I need to get my AK Miller 2.0  installed on the 23 T. first.

I followed him on most of it. I've been reading everything I can find lately to educate myself but my EFI knowledge is still limited. I'm not ready for laptop tuning & setting up custom maps just yet. At some point I will be but for now I need to keep it fairly simple so I don't abandon the project half way through. After I'm comfortable that my knowledge is significant to dive in deeper I may try a stroker, C4 with trans. brake & stand alone ECU. I'm simply not skilled enough for that kind of build.
 
What I have in my garage so far is a 20K mile '79 turbo engine, T-5 trans, D5 bellhousing, new Turbo Coupe clutch/flywheel & merkur wire harness.
 
What I may purchase: I found an LA3 ECU for under 100 bucks. I can get the big VAM from Advance Auto for about 75 bucks with my discount, I'm looking at the Merkur center dump header, ported T-bird intake with turned plenum & 35 pound injectors. I priced out most of the sensors at Advance & that should set me back 300 or so but they will all be new parts. Turbo will depend on how much of my wish list ends up in my garage & the intercooler will be sized for the turbo.
 
I just need to know this stuff will work together & fire up in my garage without needing a group of experts on call. If that's a pipe dream then I need to know now so I can just locate a worn out 87-88 Turbo Coupe & strip all the stock parts & bolt them all on my engine & wire it in with the Merkur harness to save myself the headaches. 
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: johnbigman2011 on December 06, 2012, 12:02:41 AM
I think the only weekness would be the 79 turbo engine head (Wasn't that like the first setup from Ford with the 2.3 turbo)?... Most people that I have read about use the later model for the mods your seeking.

Although I'm still way behind you in regards to the knowledge. I just go by what I have read and seen.

If you have the 87-88 TC parts available get them for sure!!!
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: Pinto5.0 on December 06, 2012, 12:11:30 AM
Yeah, the engine came out of a '79 Mustang Pace Car & had a draw through system on it. The engine has the forged pistons & the oil drainback hole for the turbo. The head has the factory turbo cam & it's an oval port. As far as I know the head should be fine.
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: johnbigman2011 on December 06, 2012, 12:43:20 AM
Sounds like it will work for sure. Do the LA3 swap, and put all the intake and turbo parts from the 87-88 and make 200 hp easy.
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: Bigtimmay on December 06, 2012, 01:05:07 AM
Yeah, the engine came out of a '79 Mustang Pace Car & had a draw through system on it. The engine has the forged pistons & the oil drainback hole for the turbo. The head has the factory turbo cam & it's an oval port. As far as I know the head should be fine.
there is a difference between that turbo engine and the later ones if it has the original pistonsthey are forged flat tops and arent dished like the later engines and as for the head I cant remeber if they used the special exhaust valves in those heads.
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: johnbigman2011 on December 06, 2012, 01:26:59 AM
I thought that there was a difference, just couldn't remember.

I new that somebody with allot more experience would come through with some clarity.


That's coming from me being a internet readaholic ;D
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: Pinto5.0 on December 06, 2012, 08:43:49 AM
there is a difference between that turbo engine and the later ones if it has the original pistonsthey are forged flat tops and arent dished like the later engines and as for the head I cant remeber if they used the special exhaust valves in those heads.

It does have the flat tops in it. The heads are an open chamber & compression is supposed to be 8.9 to 1 from the factory.
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: Mike Modified on December 06, 2012, 08:57:09 AM

I've been reading everything I can find lately to educate myself but my EFI knowledge is still limited.

Did you find this site?  http://oldfuelinjection.com/ (http://oldfuelinjection.com/)  It was originally fordfuelinject ion . com, but Ford objected and the site name was changed. 
 
Lots of good info there.
 
Mike
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: Pinto5.0 on December 06, 2012, 09:39:32 AM

Did you find this site?  http://oldfuelinjection.com/ (http://oldfuelinjection.com/)  It was originally fordfuelinject ion . com, but Ford objected and the site name was changed. 
 
Lots of good info there.
 
Mike

Looks like a lot of info that should help. I really need to learn everything I can.
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: OhSix9 on December 06, 2012, 05:31:12 PM
You really only need a few sensors to make this all work. Note the ECT sensor. there are two available aftermarket. one has a plastic tip covering the sensor and the other is brass...  take the brass only, accept no substitutes. ( 99 percent of the time if your turbo car is running like crap at random this is the culprit)   and it is not a cheap or easy sensor to be replacing. this sensor is located between 2 and 3 on the lower intake and is different from the temp sensor that runs the gauge. Dont bother with the boost control solenoid as it is junk anyways and i will forward you info on making your own manual boost controller that will let you crank er up to where you want if ya like.  there are a few other items you can skip too, like the overboost buzzer and the knock sensor.  (you will be disconnecting it anyways to get more power) you will need a distributor. go reman. it will come with a new tfi and the shaft bushings will be tight.  you will need to adapt the tps from the stock tb to whichever one you go with. also ensure if you buy new they give you a bap sensor not a map sensor.  they appear identical except the bap has a little filter thingy on the port opening where the map has a port to plumb it to the intake.

spend the dime and get the head magnafluxed. early heads (even up to the 86) are notorious for cracking in the chambers between the valves. 87-88 motors have hardened seats and are not nearly as crack prone. if you are doing a motor build anyways go down to the local boneyard and scoop a ranger cam and roller followers. more jam and less chance of scrubbing a lobe (common on non roller flat tappets.)  if it isn't cracked pay the piper and get hardened seats installed. if it is cracked find an 87-88 head. not a service part as they are different and junk.  you ma have to go in for a couple extra bucks to put in dished forged slugs if this is the case. ( or run 100low lead if it is not a daily.)

make sure you get the right pcv valve. available only from ford. all the generic ones listed are wrong and they typically leak under boost. allowing the crankcase to see pressure = bad

Now on the making power front. If you have the bucks send your head to the guys at boport for the baddest porting job on the planet

I'm pretty decent with the eecIV and happy to answer questions or help out.  just post or pm me
read everything you can here  http://www.rothfam.com/svo/index.asp      and check ou t the reference documents link.   he has several evtm (electrical vacum troubleshootin g manuals) covering different years and many other goodies once you start to grasp the internal operation of the voodoo box. oldfuelinjecti on will cover the basics for sure
piecing one together is not always easy....   Good luck.

OhSix'
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: Pinto5.0 on December 06, 2012, 08:19:19 PM
Thanks OhSix9, I'm leaning towards picking up a worn out or locked up '87 or '88 TC engine if I can find one because I have no clue about sensor locations. I can use the worn out engine as a base for future upgrades once I get a grip on the basics.
 
I was thinking of installing larger valves in my head anyhow so the magnafluxing & hardened seats will be part of that. That oval port head of mine looks to have massive intake ports already so I may just clean & smooth them & the chambers up with cartridge rolls. Boost overcomes minor flaws on the intake side anyhow.
 
The exhaust side looks like it could use some hogging out but I seem to remenber reading somewhere that huge exhaust ports actually slow velocity & increase lag at low RPM's. I know they help on a race engine at higher boost levels but this will be a daily driver which is why I'm trying to keep it simple & set a max goal of 300 HP. If I come in around 250  right outta the box I'll be happy for awhile.
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: OhSix9 on December 07, 2012, 12:31:38 AM
Honestly if the longblock is solid I wouldn't bother. you already have the key part in the harness and all the sensor locations are either on the intake manifold, distributor or just on the firewall with one plug for the 02 sensor that is on the turbo.  for what you want to make powerwise just get a cheap p series ecu. buy  a j3 and ill flash the pe bin to it and mail it back if you want.    this will give you big vam, intercooler and big injectors with no wiring modifications. for the most part  rob a 2.3L na mustang for the whole intake as it will have most of the sensors you need, fuel rail all the bits.tb tps iac it is all self contained and there is nothing on the head or block.  Really the 88 will be more pita than help unless you feel confident clipping wires at the ecu plug and back stripping the harness. For what you are thinking on the hard parts side. yup go to town. but if you where gonna big valve the head and spend some real coin just ship it to boport..  doesn't matter how good the local guy is.this is THE place to get a proper 2.3 head.  Turbo sizing is far more important than exhaust port oversizing with regards to lag and spool. To make 300 the factory ihi is a waste of time and money too.   so for the cash you would spend on an 88 you get the ecu and a used big vam with 35# injectors that probably need cleaning anyways.
Title: Re: Merkur harness works with which engines?
Post by: Pinto5.0 on December 11, 2012, 04:56:45 PM
I have a local guy that has pretty much everything out of an '83 Turbo T-bird that can be had cheap. How much of it will I be able to use or is the non-intercooled stuff a waste of money?