New to the site and just bought a 78 F100. I would like to swap in a late model fuel injection setup but I am fairly oblivious to how to start it, as in what vehicle to rob the setup from and what all I need to take from it. The engine is a 302 and I want to use a let model setup vs a new fast kit mainly just for price. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

Try for a '96 if your looking for a Stock like setup. It has OBD II and a MAF sensor, and large aftermarket support for various mods.
I have a 300 6, so it was the last year for my engine and not sure about the 302. The spark order has changes also, and not sure of the details.

There are many aftermarket EFI setups you can run. I went with back when it was a DIY kit, but nowadays it comes complete and is much easier. Megasquirt is another setup, and then you get into the big names like holley and edelbrock. The more you spend on it now the easier it becomes later.

Basically, Wire in some harness with relays to feed the EFI PCM and plug the rest of the sensors and stuff in and *poof* EFI okay, not quite as easy as that... but hope you get the idea.

 

Yeah, you ain't kidding.

...ECU, injectors, manifold, TB, IAC, TPS, FMU, O2 sensor(s), H20 temp sensor, MAP/MAF sensor, high pressure hoses, return line, compatible fuel sender, filters, electronic ignition and distributor, wiring harness. Oh, a fuel pump block off plate.

Super easy...

 

Was at the Ford vs Buick drags in Noble, OK last weekend, there was a guy there racing a Fox body Mustang that was using the factory computer from a 5.0 Explorer. He had a carb manifold that was drilled for injectors and had some throttle body adapted to the carb mounting pad. It was a pretty slick setup.

 

Short intake runners are good for high RPM horse power (like on a drag strip engine) but, for street/highway use, longer intake runners are needed for producing low end torque at a lot lower operating RPMs.

 

Most engine builders would say on a EFI application runner length is not so much of an issue. Especially since the Fox intake has over 17" of length, its way to long, period.

The simplest this to do OP, is get a donor, and take everything from it. The Explorer mentioned above is a good candidate, as they are dirt cheap to buy, and make good power.

May I ask why you want EFI?

 

hey guys, i have a 79 302, and am wanting to switch it for a efi also, good thread hopefully i can get some info from here also

 

One of the hardest parts of EFI is the fuel supply. High pressure pumps do not like any suction at all on the intake side or they cavitate and fail (been there!). A high pressure pump mounted on the frame rail and sucking through a stock style pickup will not last. The other issue is baffling. With a carb, the fuel in the bowl will "cover" momentary lack of supply when the pickup is uncovered. With EFI there is no bowl.

The best solution is an in tank pump with either late model tank, modified stock tank or custom tank. The in tank pump should include baffling to help keep the fuel flowing.

Another good one is a fuel sump. You use a carb type pump to feed a ~ 1qt reservoir. The EFI pump pulls from the bottom of the reservoir. You can put it together on the frame rail from purchased or homemade parts or Edelbrock makes an engine compartment mounted system that uses the stock carb pump (Summit).

I love my classic EFI hot rod... it has run at 7,000' and freezing temps and sea level and 95 degrees on the same day without hiccup... but it is a bit of a project to get it set all up.

 

mid late 80's rear EFI tank mounts in place of the 78's stocker. Also all the EFI fuel lines and inline pump setup will fit prefectly in the older style. Find a parts truck or a good junk yard. The EFI harness can be seperated from the body harness and really isn't all that complicated. Use stock stuff, then it's easy to get parts when you need them.

 

If you're unfimiliar with Ford EFI systems, you have a bit of a steep learning curve to learn what the various parts of the EFI system are comprised of, what they do and how they work in relation to each other.

If you're talking about a 5.0L based EFI system, all non-H.O. (High Output) 5.0L engines will have the old 289/302 firing order of 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8.
H.O.5.0L engines will have the better firing order of 1-3-7-2-6-5-4 --same as all 351w/5.8L engines.

In the Fox chassis Mustangs, the '86-'88 5.0L models had Speed Density EEC-IV engine processors. The '89-93 5.0L models had the much better Mass Air EEC-IV engine processors ---A9P engine contoller for an engine with an automatic transmission, A9L processor for an engine with a manual. --1988 California built 5.0L Mustangs were the first to get Mass Air. Mass Air engine processors are receptive to head, exhaust, cam, induction changes. Speed Density is not.

Easy way to identify a Mass Air 5.0L is to look for a chunk of aluminum (mass air meter) in the rubber tubular intake tract between the air filter and the throttle body on the upper intake. No mass air meter present means a Speed Density engine.

Best advise I can give is to do all the research/reading you can on the subject and learn as much as you can before jumping onto an EFI engine that may not really be what you want.

I got all my EFI engine/parts/engine processor/wiring, etc. from a totalled '90 5.0L Mustang GT. Having a single donor vehicle to get all the parts from is much simpler than trying to piecemeal components from multiple vehicles. --I initially started out trying to get parts from various 5.0L Mustangs, before deciding the smart thing to do would be to get a complete donor vehicle for the parts.

Here's a good link on the subject to help get you started.

B.C. Broncos Fuel Injection


If you're going to go fuel injection, I would also highly recommend getting a copy of this book.

 

Runner Length

"Runner length also affects the rpm range where an engine makes the most power. Longer runner lengths have a “ram” effect that helps keep the air moving forward as the intake valves open and shut. When an intake valve opens, there is a short lag before the cylinder starts to pull air through the runner into the combustion chamber. A longer runner helps maintain the inertia of the air column so it will fill the cylinder faster.

When the intake valve slams shuts, the momentum of the incoming air hits a roadblock, and a pressure wave rushes backwards through the intake port and runner. A longer intake runner tends to keep the air moving in the right direction in spite of the reversionary pressure pulse that is trying to push it backwards.

Shorter runners, on the other hand, usually flow better at higher engine rpm. Reducing the length of the runners may allow the engine to make more power at the top end, but the trade-off may be a loss of power and torque at lower speeds. When choosing an intake manifold, therefore, the runner length should match the engine rpm range where the engine is built to make the most power. If you are building a low rpm torque motor, you want an intake manifold with longer high velocity runners. On the other hand, if you are building a high revving motor, you will probably want a manifold with shorter runners or runners with a larger cross-sectional area to flow more air."

Full context of the article at following link.

Intake Manifolds, Fuel Injected Engines, Carburetors

 

Just get a self-learning TBI system and be done with it.

True, the more it costs the easier it is to install. Pick your poison... time, old parts & a steep learning curve versus... opening a box with everything ready to install... your call.

The E-street even has gauge readouts so that "saves" money because it's money that need not be spent. The only gauge that I will be adding is for oil pressure. Otherwise, voltage, RPM, and coolant temp (among others) is provided through the wireless tablet.

 

The initial learning curve may be steep at first but after you have an understanding of the components, it's really a very simple system. Understanding the systems components also makes it easier to diagnose and correct any potential problems that may arise in the future.

Ford EEC-IV engine control also has adaptive learning.

 

... assuming that is the system used with the lil 302.

Megasquiirt, as suggested above, would be relatively low buck. However, tuning is required for subsequent configuration changes.

... I'd like to see someone run an EEC-IV on an FE to see if it can adapt.

 

The EEC-IV processor was used on the Ford/Cosworth 1.5L turbo Formula 1 racing engines. As long as all the sensor inputs and components could be integrated into the FE, I don't see why it wouldn't work.

Probably one drawback would be the intake. Obviously, no factory long runner EFI intakes available for an FE. That would mean having to run a carburetor style intake with a throttle body and injector ports, which would lose some of its torque at lower RPMs.

It could be an interesting project though.