Went ahead and reset the timing to 15* btdc. She perked right up for me! So I'm going to guess and say that I have a 2000 motor. Which would explain that weird wiring harness with all the open plugs that I asked about when I first got it. I would assume that the motors would take 2 different ECMs.
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The ECM should be for the truck not the engine really.
Its SUPPOSED to be the other way around, but, in practice, especially with a newer engine in an older truck...
If you put the new motor in, IT will have more plugs and wires than the one it replaced...and those go into your TRUCK's harness, to talk to the ECU, etc....
If your TRUCK's harness doesn't HAVE a receptacle for the doohangy off the ENGINE, well, the engine doohangy just ends up hanging there with no where to go...but, the ENGINE is mostly mechanical, and as long as its sent the same spark and fuel the OLD engine would have been OK with, you're good to go, and, no dash lights go on, etc.
If you get the ECU for the new ENGINE, that new ECU is LOOKING for feedback from all sort sof stuff on the NEW engine that was not on the old engine......
..except the TRUCK's wiring harness doesn't HAVE a way to connect the engine's doohangies to the ECU..as those were not IN the older harness.
So, what we have here is a "Failure to Communicate"....and the dash lights go off because the new ECU is not getting what's its looking for.
IE: Use the ECU for the TRUCK, not the engine...for a new engine in an older truck.