Thread: Engine Swap - '92 5.0EFI/AOD into '66 Ford F100....

Tweet

Originally Posted by 34_40

My only real experience with Thick Film Ignition (TFI) was with a friends pickup truck, that thing seemed to just eat the module on the side of the dizzy. He changed so many of them he kept one in the glove box! One night we were headed home when the truck just died.. we popped the hood and I had him turn it over while I watched for spark at a plug wire. There wasn't any but I did see something spark where it shouldn't have! Turns out one of the injector wires had rubbed bare against the fuel rail! We taped it up and the truck never "ate" another module.. So any short under the hood seemingly will take out that module. Keep that in mind when working with the wiring and maybe disconnect the module first to protect it.

That's a good note, Mike but hopefully, bare wires won't be an issue for many years since they are all brand spankin' new! I've read many posts where the Mustang guys are packin' extra TFI's in their glovebox, though!

Here's an example of distributor pricing List: Search for 'distributor' | O'Reilly Auto Parts

Any of you guys have any experience with any of these brands? Napa also shows a rebuilt w/18K warranty for $98. Pepboys has the ACardone stuff.....

some show steel gear, other show cast iron.....I'm thinkin' mine is steel but all these choices have me second guessing......

Thick Film Ignition??? Who came up with that name, anyway??? Sounds kinda gooey and nasty! Using the acronym TFI sounds much better but I can assure you if left up to me right now, the "F" does not stand for "Film"!!!!!

Originally Posted by randyr

Thick Film Ignition??? Who came up with that name, anyway??? Sounds kinda gooey and nasty! Using the acronym TFI sounds much better but I can assure you if left up to me right now, the "F" does not stand for "Film"!!!!!

So "Fancy", or perhaps "Fantastic"?? On my old truck the module went out as I was leaving the performance shop where I bought my EFI, and one of their guys hooked a rope around the axle and we drug it back to their shop area. New module and it started and ran better than it had in five years!! I had no idea that they got "weak", but the difference with the new one was amazing! Hope your experience is similar with the startup.

R2, my point was intended to keep you from popping the darn thing while you're still playing with some wires!
Even if you're welding on the vehicle, unplug it!

Originally Posted by 34_40

R2, my point was intended to keep you from popping the darn thing while you're still playing with some wires!
Even if you're welding on the vehicle, unplug it!

Thanks, Mike! Makes sense. So, far I've disconnected the battery each time I'm jacking with the wires but you can't be too careful and modules & computers are involved....

Thick film ignition is layers of conductive 'film' to create a control for the ignition. I think it was used because the film changes conductivity with thermal temps and that's why it was used

Geez, fellas!! I can't seem to catch a break of any kind....my parts guys ordered in a new distributor this morning. While waiting for that, I put in the new fuel pump. While dropping the tank I found a weak spot in my tank frame so I welded that up and reinforced it really good. So now the new pump is in, the tank is on, the new distributor is in but still no start. The fuel pressure tester shows zero at the shrader valve. I cycled the pump at least 20 times with the key and still nothing. How much gas is required in the tank for it to pressurize? I might have a little over 2 gallons in there.....thoughts????

Did you hook the pump back up after droping it out?? Don't get mad at me I had to ask.

Randy,
Not trying to be a smart a$$ in any way, but back in post #7 you mentioned that you snagged the fuel supply & return setup from the Mustang and adapted it to the truck. You didn't by chance reverse the connections, getting your "supply" piped to the back side of the fuel rails where it would be trying to backfeed past the pressure regulator, which acts as a check valve? I know it's a stretch, but there's something basic wrong here. Maybe unhook both the supply and return from the fuel rails, turn the key "ON" and see if you get flow from either line?

Sounds like you know me, Charlie!! Yes, I reconnected everything just like I had it before. The pump is cycling because I can hear it when I turn on the key.


Roger, it's a legitimate question....on the Mustang lines, the fuel supply line is larger than the return so it would be hard to mix them up until I get to the section that supplies the fuel rails. I assumed the supply line connects to the larger fitting that has the shrader valve in it and the return connects to the other one. If it's the other way around, please slap me and tell me to fix it!!!

I'm pretty sure they'll only hook up one way at the fuel rails, but the tank end is new. That's where my concern would be at this point.

Maybe it is as simple as the fuel is to low right now... You had pressure before!

Here's a pic of the 2 lines that come into the fuel rails. They also connect to the steel lines coming from the tank down at the frame rail. Down there they are connected via fuel injection hose and injection clamps. It's very possible I had these reversed at that location.


Prior to today, I had the supply line connected to the lower one in the pic that goes directly into the fuel rail. And the return line was connected to the other one. It was connected that way when I got the 35psi pressure reading with the other pump.

After installing the new pump which shows no pressure on the test gauge, I removed the connections down at the frame rail to make sure I had good gas flow and I do. I held my thumb over the test hose and it builds up great pressure to the front of the truck.

As I looked at the fuel rails on the engine I started thinking maybe the fuel needs to go to the upper line in the pic first since that one goes to the fuel pressure regulator. I switched the lines but get the same results, no pressure at the shrader valve. Argh! Thoughts??

oh, here's a pic of the FPR


The engine turns over great. There is fuel to the front of the truck. I have fire to the distributor.

Ok, I just read on a Mustang site that the fuel needs to go directly to the injectors first and then pass thru the FPR on it's way to the return line. I'll switch the lines back the way I had them before....