PLEASE HELP: 3sge distributor, 5sfe ecu. Anyway to adapt camshaft position sensors :(

[bajachris88]

I have been stewing on this for a while now
My 1990 pride and joy is sitting there just waiting to get out of that garage.
I'm building a 5s-ge, its ready to go, all is left is this distributor to sort out.

5sfe distributor shaft does not fit in the head, only the 3sge one fits snug. However, the sensors inside are different.

The 5sfe has one pick up sensor, and a cog with 4 teeth
The 3sge has 2 pick up sensors, and a cog with 1 tooth.

In desperation, I initially plugged up the 3sge distributor, ignoring G2 pickup sensor and just running with G1 to attempt to mimic the single pickup in the 5sfe (while being stupidly ignorant to the teeth on the cog) and, car didn't run smooth at all, was backfiring and spitting and everything, regardless if i retarded it heaps, or advanced it heaps. AND CRAZY OF ALL, although the coolant temperature was normal, the exhaust manifold became red glowing hot!. Not good.

So....

I chopped up and modded a 5sfe distributor to have a longer shaft to sit in the 3sge head, along with a longer hold down bolt . At first trial it worked perfect. car ran like a dream. 2nd go, it fell to bits. Taking into consideration the engine was only doing 3000rpm, that means the dissy was spinning at 50 times per second and the non' professionally machined and non-professionally balanced stuff just fell apart. The modded 5sfe distributor just didn't sit right anyways.

So i'm looking into some form of electronic manipulation instead of mechanical. what can i do? if i change to a 1986 ecu (matching yr of head and distributor) than it won't work with my guage console, and will have to change all my other sensors and the loom.

I just wanna plug a flush seated distributor (like the 3sge one) with the right signals going to the ecu. The guts just can't be removed from the 5sfe and bolted into the 3sge without having to hack it up.

IF worst comes to worst, what kinda workshop would be best to help solve this problem?

[Luni]

If youre running a 5SGE you need to run a 3SGE ECU and bits.

Your 5S ECU is not outfitted to take advantage of that larger head, and all the differences. The Distributor is just the beginning.

I mean, Im sure you could find a way to make the dizzy talk, but its always been my understanding if you swap in a G head, you need to use the 3S ECU. I cant see you gaining much with the G head swap without using the other ECU.

[bajachris88]

but than i can't use my 5sfe stock gauges than without the 5sfe ecu?

[mr220v]

The gauges have nothing to do with the ecu. The speedo runs off of a cable, the tach runs off of the igniter, and the oil and temp gauges run off independent sensors as well.

You want to run a 3sge ecu of some sort for sure. I wonder if a gen2 3sge ecu wouldn't be better? That would require different injectors though.

If you wanted, I could make a gen1 3sge loom for you.

[Luni]

Originally Posted by bajachris88

but than i can't use my 5sfe stock gauges than without the 5sfe ecu?

What do you think the guys who swap to turbo engines and electronics do?

Gauges will work. Just have to rewire the sources.