I'm helping a friend do a auto to 5 speed swap. We found a super clean, low mileage donor that we got cheap because it had been rolled. Problem is his truck is a 97 auto and the donor is a 95 5 speed. All the mechanical bits fit no problem. Except the clutch/brake pedal, which was an easy fix.
The computer is a little harder because the donor has the older eec-iv in a different location than the eec-v in the 97. Just buying a 5 speed pcm is way harder than I thought because they are sold by calibration code. All the swap forum posts gloss over this by saying "got a free on from a friend" or "grabbed one at a junkyard", but I don't seem to have those kinds of friends or junk yards around here.
I've been digging around for a few weeks and have several huge speadsheets and forum posts I've found, but none reference the vehicle options with which they correspond. From what I can tell, there are about 50 calibration codes per year covering every option combination from engine size/trans/axle ratio/ac vs non-ac/fed vs CA emission and probably other things as well.
So... If anyone has a Ranger with a eec-v computer and can tell me their calibration code, that might help. Or, if anyone can recommend a tuner that can reprogram mine for a reasonable price, I'd really appreciate it.
The project truck is a 1997 4.0L 4x4 with AC and 3.73 gears

 

Welcome to the forum


You are getting some bad or incomplete information on the computer issues

You have a 1994 or earlier Donor if it is the 60-wire EEC-IV computer, all 1995 and up Rangers used the newer 104-wire EEC-V computers

You CAN USE current computer, for now, you will just get a CEL(check engine light) because computer can't connect to solenoids in automatic trans,
Idle may wander a bit and be higher than normal, but it will drive fine.

1997 used speed sensor on transfer case(4x4), as did 1995.

So there is no "calibration" except for the driven gear on that speed sensor, just like old speedometer cable setup, pull it out and change the gear if you change tire size or rear axle ratio, computer or GEM Module was not part of that calibration but both do need the speed signal from that sensor, which is part of existing wiring.

You do want to use a 1995 to 1997 manual trans computer for a 4.0l engine, 2wd or 4x4 doesn't matter to computer, in your model year

With or without EGR Valve matters, but I think 1995 and up 4.0l all had EGR
AC or no AC matters but only for Turning OFF AC when driver has throttle WIDE OPEN, so not a big deal

Fords part number for ALL computers is 12A650
The number preceding the "part number" is the year and model of vehicle
F7 = 1997, F5 = 1995, F8 = 1998, so F = 199, and then the year

7Z = Ranger electrical/engineering

So you are looking for part number F77Z-12A650

The letters or numbers after the part number are Revisions, AA would be first , then AB, and AC ect......
Ford never released any info about what theses Revisions actually mean, or cross reference to, so disregard a non-match

There is also a number Stamped on the label, it will also be on a sticker in the engine bay and maybe passenger door jamb, at the front, white sticker with black number
That is the final software loaded into the computer when it was installed in the vehicle.
Its important, but just because it will denote automatic or manual, egr or no egr, ac or no ac, ect.....
BUT..........again Ford never released any info on these numbers, and there are not just 2, lol.
So they don't matter if seller knows the computer came from a 4.0l with manual trans.

You can use a 1996 or 1997 4.0l manual trans computer, I wouldn't use 1995 model, but you can, because Ford didn't use the exact OBD2 protocol that year so they can be hard for some OBD2 readers to connect to.
Can't use a 1998 or up 4.0l computer because of the speed signal issue

Call up Local Speed shops, they often know of local guys that can program these EEC-V computers, a programmer can delete automatic trans software, also tune computer for better MPG or power, whatever you prefer.

 

Thanks for the info, and the welcome!
I figured things like air conditioning didn't make much difference, thanks for the details there and the speedo info. So, despite the pages of configuration codes, I'm super pleased there's just a few differences in real life.
I also knew it would start, but having a CEL won't work for my buddy because he lives in PA. His annual inspection expired while the truck has been as my place. So as soon as he gets it back, he'll have to get that done and a CEL will fail.

Here's what it comes down to though. The original is definitely a eec-iv. It has 60 much fatter pins and is a different location. And now that I look at that computer, the part number starts with F74F. So it's a 1994 as you pointed out. It would be a ton of work to transplant all the wiring from that truck because the large firewall connectors are different shapes and locations. So I'm sticking with the 1997 stuff.

As for the part number, you lost me there. Wouldn't all the 1997 calibrations, auto or manual still be F77Z-12A650? This doesn't help. I need to figure out how to buy the proper one. Places like rock auto list several computers for 1997. They have calibrations 7-57F, 7-57T, 7-57H, 7-57S, 7-58S, 7-58F, 7-58H. I don't know which one is for a 5 speed. I can rule out 7-58H. Because that's the one already in the truck. Which is obviously for the auto trans it came with.

And snooping around speed shops sounds fun, but there really aren't many in my area. I know of a diesel place or two that does Fords, and I'll follow that lead on Monday. But just having the right one shipped to my house sounds really easy in comparison.

 

Yes, F77Z-12A650 is the part number for all Ranger computers in 1997 model year
It does not denote engine size, manual or automatic or egr/no egr

The letters after this number "can" denote engine size and manual or automatic, but there is no published Ford document that cross-reference that info.

Try this website: https://www.fs1inc.com/

Select
Ford
Ranger
1997
4.0

I have never used products from here but it looks like they specialize in these computers so should have match for 1997 4.0l with manual trans, but you may need to call them to see if they can match manual trans since you don't have that number on your automatic PCM


Try F77Z-12A650-AEC

I found that on line here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-OEM-For...Model%3ARanger

Says it's for M/T manual transmission 4.0l
All manual trans 4.0l in 1997 won't end with AEC, lol, Ford used many endings for 4.0l M/T in 1997, like they do every model year, its a Revision code as said earlier

 

Thanks again Ron! That site is very promising. Even if no one else chimes in, I'll post what info I get from flagship one.

Again though, if anyone owns a 4.0L with factory 5-speed, I'd really like to know what calibration code you have.

 

1997 4.0l with factory manual trans, other years won't apply to 1997

1996 4.0l manual suffix would help if you used a 1996 model PCM which you could

But the codes are year specific, it is very muddy waters when dealing with these suffix codes

 

you seem to have a good amount of knowledge about rangers I could seriously use your help and input