Cummins into 1996 E-SuperDuty Bus

dbshelton

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I'm swapping a 12v Cummins into my 1996 E-SuperDuty bus. I got it to run, but the oil pressure, water temp, and voltmeter gauges don't work. The fuel gauge works and it seems everything else works. I used all of the original Ford sensors, removed much of the original wiring from the engine wiring harness, but kept the wires to the sensors. Is there some other wire(s) I should have kept? Not sure what I need to look for. Bus originally had a 460 with E4OD.
 

F350camper

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Since so many arent working, that almost sounds like a fuse or the block isnt grounded. I'd start there if you havent already.
 

snicklas

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Did the 460 have a PCM? If so, that may be the issue. Many of the newer vehicles the PCM controls the instrument cluster, and if it's not getting the signals it expects, then it won't run the gauges.
 

dbshelton

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Thanks.
Yes it has a PCM. how can I tell if the PCM is powered up? I went ahead and added a couple of ground wires just for grins. Still no gauges. Any ideas about what circuits are needed?
 

BrandonMag

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I am in the process of identifying and eliminating wires on my Bronco project. It's one of those things that's not terribly difficult, but time-consuming.

I think your best bet is to get a factory wiring diagram for your bus and start digging in. Reading wiring diagrams can be tedious, but figuring out how the Ford engineers decided to wire your vehicle will surprise you. And you'll be able to solve most of your wiring questions yourself.
 

dbshelton

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Thanks. One of the things I use forums for is for ideas I may not have thought of, or sometimes someone will make a suggestion to make me think in another direction.
I spent many hours going through wiring diagrams, shop manuals, and EVT manuals before I even started this project. The biggest problem I have with Ford and all the others is they don't always tell you what the purpose of each circuit is. It's all about just looking for a problem and then repairing.
I think I am missing a power wire that is needed. There is one that is common to the instrument cluster and the distributor module that is not there. It may be looking for a signal from that saying the engine is running. My next move is to replace the wire and see if it has 12v or needs 12v to make it work.
 

dbshelton

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That wasn't the problem. When I replaced that wire, it has 12v in the start position. Gotta keep looking.
I wish I knew what I was looking for.
 
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snicklas

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If they were run by the PCM, I would say no.

If you find the cluster from a 92-94 IDI van, you could swap it in, it would be "real" gauges, rather than just a stepper motor ran by the PCM........
 

dbshelton

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The cluster in it is from a 1992 F350 IDI. That should work? According to the 1996 van shop manual, there is no mention of the gauges being controlled by the PCM. I'm thinking they only pass through.
 

snicklas

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You should be ok, just use the wiring manual for an IDI Cluster and it should tell you where everything goes.....
 

dbshelton

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You should be ok, just use the wiring manual for an IDI Cluster and it should tell you where everything goes.....

Still no oil and temp gauges. I have power and ground to the cluster but still have something missing.
Everything worked fine before the swap.
 

dbshelton

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Sometimes I overlook the simple stuff! I replaced the new oil pressure sending unit with the old, leaking one. Now The gauge works! Guess I never let it run long enough for the temp gauge to register. I installed a temporary gauge along with the factory gauge. After 45 minutes, the gauge moved at 155 degrees. Moved to the Normal range at 170 degrees. If nothing else, I learned a lot about the wiring on this bus.
It feels good to have everything working. Now I have a slight oil drip out of the turbo exhaust side. How can I tell if it's from the engine or if it is a turbo seal leaking?
 

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Check and re-check the valve covers looking for any leaks. Once they seal, they seal really well, but if they are weeping oil, you cant get them to seal without totally cleaning, drying, resealing, and then bringing them through a heat cycle.
 

dbshelton

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No leaks at all from the engine and no oil from the vent tube on the drivers side. My oil drip is showing up at the exhaust downpipe V-band clamp on the turbo. After idling an hour or so there are 2 or 3 drops on the driveway. Turbo is a used HE351 I bought. Don't really know any history about it.
 
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