Will this speedo recalibrator work on a marauder?

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

Hi guys, will this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=280139201023&rd=1

Work on my Marauder? I was thinking of upgrading the gears (after I just changed them -- yes I am very smart) to a higher ratio. I don't want to have to buy an Xcal2 -- yet. If the speedo recal above will work to get my speedo and computer happy with the stock tune, I think I will go ahead on the gear change. Now that I have the Rotunda tool and I found how perfectly it works, swapping gears one more time won't be a big deal.

Thanks!

[RF Overlord]

EvilBrother, I don't know if that device *will* work, but bear in mind that if you change gear ratios without getting a tune, then your shift points will be even lower than they are now (assuming you're otherwise stock).

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

But, if that device corrects the VSS output, then the shift points will be correct since the computer will know the corrected road speed. I've dealth with this issue with older cars that still used a VSS and this was the case. The tune is the right way to give the computer corrected road speed, but this device will accomplish more or less the same thing by modifying the VSS pulses the computer receives to match the difference in gear ratio the computer expects. It won't take advantage of other engine characteristics that will be improved by the gears, but I would think the car would drive and shift normally otherwise.

[CrownVic98]

i dont see why it wouldnt work. but hey, if it doesnt work you can always re-sell it. its only 25(for now) so its not like your taking a huge hit. Also, you may be able to find an X-Cal on ebay if you look arround for pretty cheap

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

Crown vic, I am more than willing to spend the $25 bucks (hell I waste so much money on this car that isn't even on the map). I just don't want to do a gear swap and find out that my only way to correct the VSS is with a tuner that I don't want to spend the money on yet (wife will kill me). I guess I can buy it, plug it in, tell it I have a different gear ratio than I actually do, and see if it throws the speedo off, and shift points off, by the correct amount.

I know the stock torque converter clutch locks up right at 25 at light throttle, so that is a fairly repeatable check I can perform to see if the transmission is modifying its shift points base on the reported VSS reading that has been tweaked.

I think I'll try it, I'll report back

Thanks

Steve

[warren]

Vics,
NO - it will not work - only for 5 speeds. (Brothers factory says so)
Ford RacingPP has a recalibrator coming out next year but it
will not chg. the shift points only the odometer, etc.
The SCT II or LiveWire with a tune will adjust for
the difference and put the shifts at the right points.
Without a tune you will notice little.
The car will stand on it's end with a tune and 410's
Indeed you want it to shift at the right power points.
Or you can get a ScanGuage (15% adjust ) to tell you the correct
mph but the car will still not shift correctly.
Dennis Reinhart has the tunners and did mine with good results
after the 410's went in. His no is 1-904-276-5003.
MY opinion.

Good Luck,
Warren

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

See here's what I don't get. I know with the older non Ford VSS equipped cars I worked on, the VSS output got split to the speedometer and the ECU. Each dealt with the signal differently, but if you modified the VSS output using a translator (like the one I showed), it would be changing the VSS pulses to BOTH the speedo and the ECU.

Is this really not the case with this car? Does the VSS have independent outputs to the gages and the ECU (this would be unusual).
EDIT--
Crap. You're right that it only does 5 speeds, except for a few odd early years, as a retrofit app.

Neeeeeeeeeaaauxx!!!

[Raudermaster]

Just spend the money and get a tune, I think you will like driving the car a lot more and be much happier with the performance gains you get.

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

Grrrrr you are right. The stock transmission routines in this car shift like poop.

[ckadiddle]

Just spend the money and get a tune, I think you will like driving the car a lot more and be much happier with the performance gains you get.

Yes....I still kick myself in the knutz for waiting so long to get my xcal2.

[ckadiddle]

Grrrrr you are right. The stock transmission routines in this car shift like poop.
Yep. It's worth the price of the tune/tuner for the trans adjustments alone.

[gmtech]

buy xcal2 first w/ a 3.55 and a 4.10 tune from AA and then do the gears later...i too waited, 8 months, before buying my xcal2....best mod you can do to wake it up