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New guy looking for hen's teeth

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Old 09-25-2021, 02:38 PM
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Default New guy looking for hen's teeth

Hey everyone,

Super quickly: does anyone have a Mopar Performance ECU for the 1994 5.9 they would be willing to sell me? Part number P5249546.

Super long version: I'm a new member here, but I've been lurking for a couple of years using the 2nd gen Ram forums to help me with my build. I recently finished installing a 5.9 Magnum from a 1994 B350 van into my 1970 Dart Swinger. I used the full factory EFI system, but unfortunately they guy that sold me the engine wanted to keep the 46RH transmission for his 700+ horsepower big block Duster ("but autopar, that trans won't fit on a big block!" Well, that's another story.)

So I have ended up with the following in my Swinger:
- 1994 Magnum 5.9
- Long tube headers into 2.5 inch exhaust
- Hughes cam SER0814ALN-14 and spring kit (https://www.hughesengines.com/Index/...4&partid=30212)
- Super mild porting on the heads. I only removed the most ridiculous bumps and restrictions.
- Lapped the valves, they all sealed beautifully.
- Fixed the blown out plenum gasket.
- Removed the EGR and EVAP system (I probably would have kept it if it wasn't such a mess of tubes and vacuum lines).
- 904 transmission.
- 3.23 gear in an 8.75 Sure Grip diff with 27" tires.

Since the car is a solid 1200 pounds lighter than a RAM 1500, it goes pretty good. The engine doesn't fall on its face at all, and it keeps pulling up to the 5000 rpm rev limiter. But like Billy Idol's companion in Rebel Yell, I'm crying out for MORE, MORE, MORE. After I had it all together I learned about the kegger mod where you can shorten the runners a little. I'm sort of glad I haven't done that yet, because I'm thinking that would move the power band up and past the rev limiter. I've heard the Mopar Performance computer I'm looking for will move the limiter up, and obviously it will mess with the timing and injector pulse width to give me a little more jam. I'm hoping someone on this forum has one of these computers sitting on a shelf, waiting for a future project that might never happen.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading,
autopar
 
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Old 09-27-2021, 05:44 AM
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Best bet is to keep an eye on ebay.
 
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Old 09-27-2021, 09:28 PM
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Hmm, 94 would be the old SBEC-II PCM, was there a performance version of that generation ? These PCMs are generally not programmable without some hardware modifications, however people have tuned these in the past. If there was a Mopar performance version of this generation maybe somebody has a copy of the eprom.

Lots of info here, it's Jeep focused though (4.0 inline 6): https://nc4x4.com/forum/threads/jeep...-91-95.177279/

Edit: Apparently there was a performance PCM, P5249546 Engine Controller (1994–95 5.9L ATX Ram)
 

Last edited by DerTruck; 09-27-2021 at 09:55 PM.
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Old 10-04-2021, 06:58 PM
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Hey guys,

Thanks for the replies. @Moparite , yeah, eBay is certainly a source for those PCMs, and there's one available right now - for $600. That works out to about $800 Canadian kopeks, and 15 - 20 horsepower just isn't worth that much to me. I was hoping to get one in the $200 - $300 range.

@DerTruck , yup, it's a Mopar Performance unit they stopped selling in about 2015 / 2016. If I can manage to find one of them (at a reasonable price) it will be a super easy swap since I mounted the PCM on the passenger inner fender.

Fingers crossed someone sees this thread and remembers that old PCM they have on the shelf.
 
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Old 10-04-2021, 07:59 PM
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That part will be hard to find, but its not impossible. To find it, you should likely check Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist (or https://www.searchtempest.com/ to search multiple Craigslists outside your area) and Google regularly. You can set a saved search on eBay and Craigslist for that part number and they will contact you via e-mail if one pops up. If you're patient, you will likely find one.
 

Last edited by AtomicDog; 10-04-2021 at 08:02 PM.
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Old 10-04-2021, 09:29 PM
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I fried a hen for dinner last week and it was wearing dentures. Would those do? Seriously, if it's running good, with your power to weight ratio, I'd be more concerned with keeping the tires planted as well as work on the handling. If you're running dual pipes out the back, and the Mounties will let you get away with it, I'd put some remote exhaust cut outs in front of the mufflers. Not that I've ever done that nor have I opened them on the road as I passed someone camping in the left lane driving 5 miles under the speed limit and goosed the throttle as I went by.
 
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Old 10-05-2021, 09:41 AM
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Curious on why you haven't swapped the engine to run a carb? or one of those drop in efi carb set-ups. You can find 46RE/46RH pretty easy lots of wreckers have them sitting in the vehicles. I bought a 46re 2wd for $200 and it came with a 99 360 magnum engine. I'm converting the 46re 2wd to 4wd (you just have to change the output shaft/overdrive housing). My truck is a 01 ram 1500 5.2L 4x4.

Where about do you live, once my project is done, I will have a 46re 2wd available, but it will need to be rebuilt as the clutches are spent.
 
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Old 10-27-2021, 07:18 PM
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Originally Posted by AtomicDog
That part will be hard to find, but its not impossible. To find it, you should likely check Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist (or https://www.searchtempest.com/ to search multiple Craigslists outside your area) and Google regularly. You can set a saved search on eBay and Craigslist for that part number and they will contact you via e-mail if one pops up. If you're patient, you will likely find one.
Thanks AtomicDog, that https://www.searchtempest.com/ site is great!
 
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Old 10-27-2021, 07:51 PM
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Originally Posted by Mike Holmen
Curious on why you haven't swapped the engine to run a carb? or one of those drop in efi carb set-ups. You can find 46RE/46RH pretty easy lots of wreckers have them sitting in the vehicles. I bought a 46re 2wd for $200 and it came with a 99 360 magnum engine. I'm converting the 46re 2wd to 4wd (you just have to change the output shaft/overdrive housing). My truck is a 01 ram 1500 5.2L 4x4.

Where about do you live, once my project is done, I will have a 46re 2wd available, but it will need to be rebuilt as the clutches are spent.
Hi Mike, i had been running a carb in that car since it first showed up in my driveway in the late 80's. I really wanted EFI in that car and the factory setup was available on this 5.9, so I thought I would give it a try. I acquired a magnum carb intake (Mopar M1) in case I couldn't get the EFI working but it was actually pretty easy. Some kind of aftermarket throttle body EFI system was an option on the table, but I got mpfi from the factory setup so that's a plus. Yeah, the factory OBD1 doesn't offer much tuning potential but with the cam and exhaust I'm probably around 300 hp and 400 ft lbs right now, and to be honest that's all I need. I just WANT more, hence this thread looking for the ECU.

I actually just picked up a 46rh last weekend. Seller told me it was shifting fine, so I might just intall it as it sits. That's a little risky though, if it needs a rebuild I'll be pulling it out again. And I'm thinking about getting a higher stall torque converter for it.

Does anyone know what the stall speed would have been on the factory torque converter running behind a 5.9?
 
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Old 10-27-2021, 07:57 PM
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Oh yeah, using that search tempest site I found there are 3 of those ECUs available in the US right now, ranging from $475 to $650. None of them have sold in the couple of months I have been watching, so who knows what they're actually worth. I guess if they're not selling at those asking prices they're only worth what someone will pay, which for me is about $250.

Maybe I'll reach out the the sellers and ask if any of them will come down at all. After all, most people looking to modify their 94 or 95 truck are probably putting a carb or aftermarket EFI on it, so the market for these performance ECUs is pretty small. Maybe just me in all of North America right now 😁
 


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