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Topic: 5.0 EFI in the Fila (Read 8383 times) previous topic - next topic

5.0 EFI in the Fila

More thinking out loud here, but CFI didn't work for me. Carb is g me off now as well. The current motor isn't staying in for ever. I also have access to a few 85 shortblocks that I can build up.  What I ave or will have laying around is:
A flat tappet cam/lifters/push rods
New water pump
Timing cover
GT40 Heads
Explorer intakes/injecters/TB
Cam change gasket kit
Timing chain
Full set of bolts for the motor, but all stock
Most sensors from the Explorer

Is this a good start for an EFI motor? Just thinkin about doing the swap. Build the motor out of the car first then swap whole thing. Any feed back is nice. Haven't even started this yet, only in my mind. So direct me along here

5.0 EFI in the Fila

Reply #1 –
I see who's seeing the light now finally...

5.0 EFI in the Fila

Reply #2 –
Atleast I saw it man. You wana be part of tis great fun I'm thinking about?

5.0 EFI in the Fila

Reply #3 –
Trying to fix that wiring nightmare in your car ain't my idea of fun.  I'd find another car that's already EFI and then go nuts with MAF and a cam & heads.

5.0 EFI in the Fila

Reply #4 –
Got to find another car first. I can bearly handle the mess I started now. I'll probaly just build up the motor and look at it. Worst case I can swap into the vic for some fun and use the Vic's roller block as a carb build up plan

5.0 EFI in the Fila

Reply #5 –
After really thining this out, the way the car is setup now I may as well keep it carb. I'll just build up the new motor for carb insted of EFI. Same basic idea though, build it right the first time, no more half-assin projects and taking shortcuts. Thats whats killing me with the current motor

5.0 EFI in the Fila

Reply #6 –
Mikey to go EFI it really wouldnt be that hard as far as the wiring is concerned. If you havent already check out this website. The hardest part of the wiring would be the tach and other sensors but most of that wiring would stay with the car. It is very common in older hot rods that do a H.O. EFI swap to use the wiring harness from mustangs. You would just have to make sure you have the proper firing order on the cam which if you are going with an H.O. EEC would be the 351W firing order.

I have seriously thought about doing this and swapping my old SO into my 1980 Celica after a rebuild on it. But it is your car and if you want to keep it carb that is your decision to make. Sorry for rambling. Anyway i just thought i would throw my $.02 at you.

5.0 EFI in the Fila

Reply #7 –
I think carb would be easy because I have everything to do here now. Even most to set up the new HO I'm scoring for $200 once i go get it. I want EFI as it's SOO much eaiser to set up then carb. Then again carb is easy once it's dialed in, only so much can go wrong with a carb. One sensor or code and EFI goes nuts. I'll hold out on EFI for now till I get an EFI car to start with. Then it's just changing what I want for more power/economy

5.0 EFI in the Fila

Reply #8 –
EFI is not easier than setting up a carb if you have to go through all that wiring BS. If you want to build a bad ass 302, and keep it simple.. pick up an edelbrock carb and Victor Jr intake. thats what i've got in my bronco with a mild cam and a little port work and that thing has powaaaa, lol

5.0 EFI in the Fila

Reply #9 –
I had an ebelbrock on it. I just went to a 600 holley. I'm thinking of dropping a Demon 650 on the new motor when I build it. That and my soon to be SVO meduim riser intake. Matched with GT40 heads, good cam, posable roller rockers. Should be an intresting setup that should get me more power. A number I'm not sure yet but sure as hell better then what I got

5.0 EFI in the Fila

Reply #10 –
My point was there really is not alot of wiring BS. The only wiring not taken care of with a harness out of a mustang is the wiring for the gauges. Like this harness,which is basically a substitute for the mustang harness, hook up 3 wires and plug the connectors in and fire it up.

It is still your decision Mikey and thats fine that you want to go carb, I just wanted it to be known that the wiring is not that bad as far as getting the engine running. Of course its not necessarily that simple for people that dont have electrical schooling.

5.0 EFI in the Fila

Reply #11 –
I removed ALOT of extra witing from underhood when I went carb. Since the cars wiring was just about gone when I got it, I romoved everything it didn't need to run. All I have underhood now is horn, lights and duraspark. I'll hold out till next year when I might have another car to put a 5.0 in.

5.0 EFI in the Fila

Reply #12 –
There is no wiring "BS"... If you get a SEFI harness out of an 86 it will require near no modification to interface with your car.  The wiring you removed doesn't matter as it was all stuff that would come out anyway.  The 86 harness uses all old style connectors that are of the same type as your car.  Most would require repining but not the same modifications an 87 or 88 harness would.

I've got an 86 harness for my 83 if I can bring myself to do more than remove the air cleaner lid.

Grab fuel lines out of an 86 to 88 v8 car, the 86 will have the fuel filter in the same spot as your cars efi pump and filter.  The 86 and 87 lines will run near the passenger tail pipe but still out of harms way.  The 88 lines move to the center of the car under the passenger seat and run strait back to the tank.  Even though all three year fuel lines are different any of them will work.

The whole process is nearly bolt in minus a few wiring modification that can be figured out by any monkey with a wiring diagram.  Everyone cries when SEFI wiring comes to their plate.  A ford wiring harness for the engine can be run with 3 or 4 wires.  The rest go to the dash for sensors.
One 88

5.0 EFI in the Fila

Reply #13 –
the point i was trying to get across is.. if it already has a carb on it, it'd be easier to stick to a carb.

5.0 EFI in the Fila

Reply #14 –
Quote from: turbo_88_XR7;152195
the point i was trying to get across is.. if it already has a carb on it, it'd be easier to stick to a carb.


yeah really!

Now that its running,, im curious as to why your not happy.

You might actually have a problem your not aware of.  LIke the other day when you called me about dialing in your carb.  Next thing i knew, you posted a thread saying you found two vac lines not hooked up.  Little things like that which your not aware of make the difference between night and day. 

Now that your coming around to being comfortable with the car world in general smf technical, and i know your anxious to tear open a motor, Id suggest you master what you have and then move on.  It wont take but maybe the next couple months to fine tune what you have working on it here and there.  Once you master it, you'll be even more of a contributor here than you already are because your a do'er kind of person.

Some good advice,,, do the following

Do a compression check and toss up the numbers here
What heads do you have on now?
Intake style
Fuel pump rating
fuel pump presure
exhaust size
header type

Carbs are worth atleast 20hp just as a bolt on,, cant beat that with any single EFI bolt on.
Why do you think the new Boss 302 is carb'd?

Besides, we need a few carb guys around, they are getting fewer far between nowadays and i feel like time is eating up the knowledge base.  No one says you have to stay carb'd, its up to you.  I can see it appears to be a lonely world when your carb'd cause many of the topics here are EFI based so there isnt much to say sometimes if all you know is carb.  Its pretty stright foward stuff.  Knowing both sides is practical and applicable to any vehicle made yesteryear or current. 

Its time to get some testing tools also,, must have.
its time to get an evtm as well.