Some blasts from the past . . . by fordman . . .

"They quoted me, worst case, $1500 to unlock and install the computer, new hybrid looms etc."

"As for my gearbox, i have spent several thousands of dollars rebuilding and strengthening it for this very day. It should be quite capable of holding 400-450hp reliably."

Way to kick a man when he's down, where's that AU engine conversion of yours... oh wait.

Lucky you weren't building a house. They are quite relaxed on quotes as well. You sign up for the $130 000.00 house only to hand over the final cheque of over $200 000.00 at the end (if you want a driveway etc.)

A "quote" is simply a chance for the business to win your signature to say that they have your consent to "bend you over" at the end before giving your car back. From your earlier comments defending the price, it sounds like they did a good job at the bendover too !!!

Actually, considering the quality of the install from the photos you posted, the price doesn't seem that bad for what you have got. It is fair that the extra bits have to be paid for. After all if they run at a loss, they don't have a business and nobody else gets to use their experience to do the same.

Admittedly though, I probably would have gone to Pickles auction group and bought one of their XT BA's for around the same money you spent all up. But then that's not what it's all about is it.

I admire your patience, your dedication to the project, your diplomacy and your support for BPT even after you got the bill.

Perhaps BPT will look after you when your prototype E series Barra graces the pages of mags and shows. After all it is a great advertisement for what can be achieved with an old Henry and some quality technicians.

Good luck with the tranny.

sincere regards,

Gee thank's, much appreciated...not. Relaxed_diplomacy those quotes were from the very begining when things were uncertain, and as for my current gearbox, that statement stands correct, yes it is capable of some decent horsepower and yes it has cost me several thousand dollars to rebuild and trick out and i am a bit peeved that i can't use it. At least i'm doing and not talking about it. In future please keep your nasty comments to yourself...cheers.

Anyway, on with the important stuff, i have only just realised that the BA autobox doesn't have a mechanical speed sensor in the extension housing, where as the EL does and currently this is where the ECU is picking up all the vehicle speed data. I'm wondering if the extension housing from the EL box can be swapped over to the BA box, but then came the thought of the worm gear on the output shaft....FECK! I might go see a transmission specialist and see if the BA valve body can be swapped into the EL box with ease.

That's certainly not the way in which i saw it. I didn't even conceive of it being seen that way. Sometimes it's handy the way the internet allows us to go back and have a record of the past. If you look at the past it can help you make current and future decisions.

I actually saw my comments as sympathetic and supportive.

are you for serious? get another ba box, im sure that ba's with 4seed auto and no abs get the speed signal from the transmission. The rest of them get it from the abs systems.

However, are there any ba's without abs? the manual indicates there is a speed sensor in the trans.

edit: call out 2 is :2 Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) (where fitted)"

Hmmm, intersesting. To be honest the gearbox was on a rack and wasn't easilly accessable, so i may have overlooked the speed sensor. Surely a speed sensor would be able to be added if there isn't one present, i can't see that BTR would do two different transmission case castings and not add in a provision for the sensor...

Could you please tell me what can be done to an E-series Auto to make it stronger? I would like to do the same to mine.

Unless the box is from a non abs BA ute it wont have the extension housing hole drilled or the gear on the output shaft. All you need to do is swap over your extension housing and output shaft gear, simple. Its a shame you are over WA, I have exactly the BA box you need but transport would be a killer.

Both transmissions are identical except for the internall wiring harness configuration.
The early 93LE uses a positive switching method for solenoids 1,2, nad 3 with a seperate pair for multiplexing soleniod 5.
The late 93LE uses negative switching in the PCM so there is a common positive 12vdc down to the tx and seperate negative switching for all the other soleniods.
The pinout for the connector is the same also.
One way would to retro fit the tx wire loom into the older 93LE box and all would be ok but then you might as well use the BA box.

The BA PCM goes into a limp home mode 3rd gear with open converter and a limit of 45klm per hour and 3000 rpm if there is more than one soleniod fault.

Barry.

Hey matt,

Don't worry to much about where the speed reference comes from. We can add or use the signal from one of the ABS sensors and configure it through the BA PCM.

Barry.

That's right, i remember you explaining this problem.

Here's a few thing i have been thinking of to try and avoid removing the gearbox (if possible):

-Are the EL shift solenoids themselves exactly the same as the BA items?

-If so, if i purchased a BA box internal loom and any associated plugs etc from Ford spares, would that be able to be fitted and configured to work properly?

-If none of the above is possible, will the BA valve body and internal loom fit/operate correctly in the EL box along with the EL output shaft sensor?

-Or should i just bite the bullet, get the complete BA box from the wrecker, bolt it up, plug it in and get the speed signal from an ABS sensor?



Oh also i'm getting the airbag lamp on the instrument cluster lighting up, i know it's probably having a difficult time reading the EL ECU which is not present haha, but i noticed it is flashing a sequence and repeating it. The sequence goes something like:

[ON...ON...ON...ON......................................ON...ON..ON..........(repeat)]

Anyone know airbag codes of the top of your head?

I will check this out for you on monday. I know tx looms are a good couple of hundred bucks and the solenoid connectors on the BA are different so you would need these to match the loom connectors, solenoids would not be cheap. Might be just as cheap to get the other box for $1000.00

I will check this code out on monday as well.

Barry.

Hey Matt, The ABS might be coming on because of the drivers front wheel speed sensor not connected.
I noticed that this was not connected or missing, the plug is located near the HEGO wiring connector.
Thought you must have revoved this for some reason or another when doing the engine swap.

This can cause the fault lamp to show.

Barry.