'85 Ranger Restomod

[85_Ranger4x4]

I'm running the HEI with the duraspark distributor and TFI coil.

I know on the 2.8, but in 5 years (knock on wood) I've had no trouble with it.

I've debated EFI, but I'll be hard pressed to abandon the mechanical fuel pump because it just simply works.

My only intent for the EFI would be to increase MPG, but I can live with crap mileage as long as it is dependable, which so far it has proven to be.

Really for the last 15 years I have been happy with what I have. I have driven it farther from home every year beginning in 2019 than I have any of my daily drivers. Mileage is decent, close to 20mpg which loaded heavy for camping/offroading is far from terrible.

Elevation changes and off camber were the main drivers that inspired me to go to EFI. It will also bump the idle for the A/C and control the fuel pump and efans.

I don't have room for a mechanical pump, my current timing cover doesn't have provisions for one and if my A/C compressor wasn't in the way my steering box is also in the way lol.

My big hangup initially with having the EFI control the ignition was I didn't want to get stuck trying to track down a weird brand X distributor cap in 10 years. Then I discovered I could lock up the advance on the dizzy I have and still be able to use DS caps/rotors.

Then thinking I was gtg on ignition I thought I would just get the EFI working first, work any bugs out of that and then convert the ignition over.

Right now after researching it more and more... I think I am just going to do it all at once and be done with it. Its like four more wires and I already have a nearly new Motorcraft TFI coil.

Having the ignition controlled by the computer is the best so the computer isn't always trying to guess what the vacuum advance and whatever is going to be doing next.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The last of the parts I think I will need showed up today:



Its been running beautifully, right now I kinda hate to take it apart lol.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I had big plans on prepping this thing while keeping it mobile to reduce down time but after looking into it more I can't really.

Fuel regulator will probably go where the coil is living currently so I can't really get the fuel lines in it.

I can't swap in the different heater hose fitting and get the temp sensors moved around because I need the spot currently occupied by the existing efan sensor and I don't want to drain it twice.

So aside from the doing the CEL thing and double checking the DS header connection it is going to be all at once.

The thing is still starting/running great, I had it out Sunday and it didn't miss a beat.

 

[Shran]

I think having easily accessible wear items in your ignition system is ideal... cap & rotor, coil, etc. My F250 came to me with an aftermarket MSD distributor that has timing controls and all sorts of shit built into it... no ignition module needed at all... just give it power, ground, and one wire to a round can coil. Easy but it bugs me very bad that it's SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS to have a spare... hopefully IF I ever need to replace the cap & rotor it's not an MSD proprietary part.

Keep us posted with the EFI conversion. I think you're right that it'll all need to be done at once. It seems like a big project but a lot of it is pretty much bolt on and connect some wires.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I think having easily accessible wear items in your ignition system is ideal... cap & rotor, coil, etc. My F250 came to me with an aftermarket MSD distributor that has timing controls and all sorts of shit built into it... no ignition module needed at all... just give it power, ground, and one wire to a round can coil. Easy but it bugs me very bad that it's SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS to have a spare... hopefully IF I ever need to replace the cap & rotor it's not an MSD proprietary part.

Keep us posted with the EFI conversion. I think you're right that it'll all need to be done at once. It seems like a big project but a lot of it is pretty much bolt on and connect some wires.

Yeah, I like having a hope of finding stuff on the road if I ever get back into road tripping this thing. I did find my Motorcraft e coil but the actual mounting bracket is still MIA. Aside from the dizzy advance being locked up it is all going to be regular replacement stuff.

Spare issue is something too, I hope they list spare ECM's at some point. It would be nice to carry a spare one of those rather than a carb and a HEI dizzy if things go south in the middle of nowhere.

 

[SenorNoob]

I hope they list spare ECM's at some point.

If they're as reliable as factory parts, I wouldn't worry about it...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

If they're as reliable as factory parts, I wouldn't worry about it...

There is that... but I have sold a few new OEM PCM's in my day too.

 

[SenorNoob]

How many of those actually needed it and didn't expose the original to liquid or a welder?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

How many of those actually needed it and didn't expose the original to liquid or a welder?

I don't think any of them. None of them had the PCM as a tiny thing mounted on the throttle body either.

Usually by the time people are swamping them and welding on them a dealer can't get a new PCM for it anyway.

When I was in heavy truck PCM's went bad even more often but they are cooled by engine coolant and are a whole different can of cats. They also get a lot more miles too.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Welp, about to get this party started... dropping the fuel tank tomorrow.



If anyone hasn't found it yet but wants to follow along I am trying to keep the EFI swap stuff in its own thread so watch there for updates:

Post in thread 'Aces Killshot Fusion EFI Swap'

Jan 8, 2026

EFI kit is here!





Machine work looks nice





It has a progressive throttle. Kind of like my carb the fronts open first but they are more linked to the rears, having them both open opposite directions makes for a cool visual effect...

• 85_Ranger4x4

• 

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

It got cold tonight so I decided to convert more indicator bulbs to LED's.





I may have a way to get the 4wd indicators to work down the road. While I have the cluster out I thought I would go ahead and get them installed so when I get to it I just have to hook them up.

When the drill bit gets thru the base and hits the glass... it is an extremely satisfying crunch.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Well as an update, EFI conversion seems to be winding down. It has been a long and very intrusive process. For reference the truck has been down over 3 months, I did the V8 swap in a month. Nothing really hard... it just ties into everything, I had to go deeper into the truck than I did even with the initial V8 swap and we had a couple detours along the way. Just tuning and getting things dialed in right now. I drove it to work for the first time today.

Plans for the year...

Right as I was pulling the thing into the garage to begin the EFI swap I leaned over to roll up the passenger side window, bumped the stupid rear view mirror and knocked it off yet again. I am so sick of dealing with that, I need to glue it back on.

Blower motor switch, it binds and the middle position comes and goes, I have a new one to put in I just need to do it.

Drivers door switch is coming apart. It doesn't protrude from the cab like it used to, I bugger fixed it by adding a washer under it to kick it out and several layers of electrical tape to help close the gap, I need to snag a new one.

I also need to connive a way to carry a canoe on the top of this thing... that will probably be the next big project. I am thinking a sort of exoskeleton around the topper, like a ladder rack from a fullsize truck cut down to fit. It would be nice to be have somewhere to mount an awning as well.
Right now the truck is running awesome, I really wish I had somewhere to go with it.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Well today was almost a terrible, horrible, no good very bad day...







We were going to go camping this weekend starting with tonight. It got late on me last night, I was going to have the camper hooked up to the Ranger and park it somewhere under where that mass of tree ended up.

So I dodged a bullet there.

Also that power line over the F-150 that caught the branch... if it had come down on the truck it could have really gotten a party started.

Copious amounts of rain and wind. Wind was from all directions, very strange. Ended up going to the basement so I didn't have to hear crap hitting the house. Currently have no power here. Campground looks like a disaster area and also has no power so not really a haven either.

 

[fastpakr]

Glad you guys are alright!

 

[Curious Hound]

That's nasty. Is that a chicken coop upside-down? Glad y'all are ok.