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will my 3.0 be fine untuned?

S

S2Knott

Hard-core CEG'er
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Jan 29, 2005
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just want to see what the consensus is on this issue, i was originally going to do it but then Greg told me it wasnt necessary so i got headers instead.

now ive got people telling me bad things about untuned 3.0L, spridget (not sure if hes a member here, met him on fordcontour.org) said to save money for a new engine or for an xcal.....

so is my engine going to be alright w/o a tuner?
 
You should be fine but I'd definately go for a tune ASAP. You will gain about 70 tq down low from a tune. Without the IMRC the 3L is a dog down low until you get a tune.
 
definatly get a tune, 3L without tunes are dogs down low and pigs with gas mileage because of no IMRC. I would say it would be your first thing to get done after the swap.
 
Get a tune - wont hurt anything without one.. I've been driving mine without a tune (due to complications) since Oct of last year. I get 25mpg no matter how I drive.
 
Why not simply leave the IMRC functioning? Every single 96-99 3.0 Duratec I've seen in the junkyard has an IMRC. I'd guess that Ford dropped it due to cost issues.
 
I have no IMRC - secondaries FTL. Hold it open with a spring to prevent CEL's, get it tuned out when you decide to get it done.
 
I would also vote tune, but more importantly what kind of swap do you have?

KyleQ said:
I have no IMRC - secondaries FTL. Hold it open with a spring to prevent CEL's, get it tuned out when you decide to get it done.
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And the secondaries were designed for a reason, more low end torque without sacrificing fuel efficiency at low rpms. So with them wide open you are getting worse gas mileage when they wouldn't normally be open (and will be getting worse low end torque until you get a tune)
 
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Ive run mine for 600 miles without a tune. It still has secondaries, but im getting horrible gas mileage. There is deff some leaning out to be done.
 
Over a year with no tune on my 3L. And yes, I need to get one, my gas mileage is terrible in city driving. But as soon as I get moved in and settled, then I will be saving to get the tune. It's nothing a few hours of overtime can't fix.
 
posthuman63t said:
Over a year with no tune on my 3L. And yes, I need to get one, my gas mileage is terrible in city driving. But as soon as I get moved in and settled, then I will be saving to get the tune. It's nothing a few hours of overtime can't fix.
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You're dumb :laugh:
 
Hooray, i'm gonna spend a bunch of money on an engine swap and not 400 bucks to actually make it work right.

Seriously... think before typing or acting... or maybe all your thinking is taken up reminding yourself to breath.
 
It isn't possible to run secondaries in the 01+ 3L engines unless you port the heads out. If you have an older 3L that has split ports than it would be possible to keep the secondaries. The newer engines have oval ports so the lower intake with the secondaries would not bolt up.
 
I'd rather not deal with the IMRC problems - one less system to fail, cost money, and pop a CEL. I get 25mpg driving 80+ MPH for 35 min and another 20 min of bumper to bumper rush hour. I peg 25mpg every tank - I dont think that is bad. I know my car is running insanly rich - dyno proved that. Every car is different, along with every build -
 
You can run any car un tuned for a while but as soon as you tune it is when things get 10 times better cause the car ECU lets the car run how it is made to run.
 
s2Knott will be running a Hybrid, still have all the secondaries, etc... in his SVT Contour....There are quite a few people running hybrids, 3L, whatever without a tune, and he just needs the car running to get to the school he will be attneding very shortly...I explained that it is a very Good idea to get the tune, but wasn't necessary at the moment to get him up and running. His current stock svt engine spun a bearing and he needs the car running.
 
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