Hey guys i'm goin to start building a 300 I6. Its in a 90 f150. Planning on putting in a meaty cam, port and polish and bump the compression up on it. Now i was wondering what it was goin to take to get the computer re-programmed. Anybody have any suggestions or experience with this?

 

Haha computer...what computer. lol. Honestly, reprogramming your PCM on that truck wont do much. They just started putting electronic injection on the F150s in 87, so 3 years later in 1990 theres still not much to it. It is basically just controlling your fuel injection, but I honestly dont know if you can even get into it to reprogram it.

 

Pull the electronic junk out and slap a carburetor on a 1990

 

I really would like to stay away from a carb setup. Alot more performance can be gained from fuel injection, and this motor is going to be in an off road vehicle that is going to be put at extreme angles and rough terrain.

 

i'd still do a carb. but seriously best of luck to ya with it

 

Well kinda hard to get started when i can't gain any knowledge on it? Can these computers been tuned? does anybody know?

 

I've seen the computers on the 302's and 351's that have been programmed. what would be so different about the 300?

 

With the mods that you are doing, you'll need more fuel to be injected. Computers have a limited ability to increase the fuel delivery, and honestly, the biggest mods that a tune does is to advance timing, raise shift points, and other things unrelated to the fuel injection.

In order to get more fuel into your engine, the best thing to do would be to get larger (l/hr) fuel injectors. That way, the increased fuel matches up with the increased air flow that the port/polish and cam will give you, and the computer is left to do the fine-tuning based on feedback from the O2 sensors.

 

Quick question, why dump this much money in to 300? you might consider saving your money and getting a 390 or maybe a 428 cj motor. Dont get me wrong i love the 300 industrial 6 all of my fords have them, I really dont like the ford V8 but you can get more power from a V8

 

You might have better luck asking the folks over at:

http://fordsix.com/forum/

They are pretty much dedicated to the Ford straight six and all the various displacements there of.

My first vehicle ('85 F-150) had the 300-6 in it and even though it definitely was no hot rod I still have fond memories of that truck. I can appreciate your interest in doing such a build.

Concerning the fuel injection, I am sure it can be tuned to at least some greater or lesser degree. Back in 1990 I believe that ECM would have read its parameters from a programmed removable I.C. chip, so no tuning on the fly can be done like with today's ECM's. The chip has to be removed, new information "burned" in to it, and then replaced in the ECM. I would start calling a few places that do custom tunes and ask for suggestions. If they do not have the capability to tune an older system such as yours, I bet they will know someone who can do it.

Another option that I always thought would be fun would be to go with an aftermarket fuel injection system. I think Holley offers a system, and there is also:
www.affordable-fuel-injection.com

Yet another possibility is the msefi system. It takes alot of learning to make work, but it is pretty cheap, especially since you can pretty much use all the existing fuel injection hardware currently installed on your truck. It also gives you complete control over the tuning...be that good or bad

www.msefi.com

Hope this helps,
Mike

 

there's a couple reasons i want to do it. one main reason being "torque" not horsepower. Another i want to be different. I think if i can get somebody to just tune my computer to lengthen the pulse width of my injectors i wont have to up the size unless i get rediculously extreme with the motor.

 

That is true, i know they use to put the 300 industrial in school buses dumptrucks etc good luck, let me know how it turns out

 

Our 4.2 is now relegated to industrial duty too.

 

Inline motors are better than "v" configuration motor for torque.

 

I wouldn't worry about the tune, but you will need larger injectors.