85_Ranger4x4
Wallers in rivers
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V8 Engine Swap
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2007
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- 2,001
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- Frankfort
- State - Country
- IA- USA
- Vehicle Year
- 1985
- Engine
- 5.0L
- Transmission
- Manual
<<<<<UNDER CONSTRUCTION>>>>>>
Introduction:
This will hopefully clear up some things while also putting other things on your radar to watch out for. I have not done any other brands of EFI conversions but I suspect there will be some carryover... so you may get something out of this that will apply to your Sniper or FiTech or whatever else you find as well. This isn't really a step by step article more of a heads up if you are thinking about doing something similar.
You will see tons of trash talk about EFI conversions online. All brands, I don't care who. Keep in mind few return online to report success. People with failures will cry from mountaintops. These kits are made by man, some will have defective parts. Some vehicles they are being swapped into are sub optimal. Some people doing the swapping don't know what they are doing. You can't see the blowby and wirenuts from reading a online review.
Difficulty: 7.5 out of 10
This will vary wildly depending on how your truck is set up currently, what engine you have etc. My truck was a long established good running carbed 302 swap with cruise and A/C.
Time to install (or accomplish if applicable)
Possibly a long weekend or two if you have all the parts (which we all know will never happen lol) and can just focus on it and knock it out. Or you could spend three days dropping your fuel tank for the first time in 40 years, your results may vary... Waiting for parts and decent weather it took me two months of a couple hours here and there to get it running.
Disclaimer: The Ranger Station.com, The Ranger Station.com Staff, nor the original poster are responsible for you doing this modification to your vehicle. By doing this modification and following this how-to you, the installer, take full responsibility if anything is damaged or messed up. If you have questions, feel free to PM the original poster or ask in the appropriate section of The Ranger Station.com forums.
Tools Needed:
- Basic hand tools
- Electrical tools (voltmeter, test light, crimpers, soldering iron and consumables)
- Timing light
Parts Needed:
- Aces EFI Killshot Fusion kit (they sell kits with distributors and fuel lines etc, I pieced mine out to save money)
- Distributor with the ignition advance locked out so it can't adjust the advance. Make sure the nothing can move
- Fuel system (pump, filter, lines, regulator, fittings)
Meat and Tators:
INSTALL QUALITY IS HUGE!!!
Take your time and follow the instructions. They suck but they don't lie. This is not a project for wire nut guy! If you have a tired engine with a dead hole this won't be a magic cure all. Also don't get greedy, the Dueces Wild 2bbl kit will be great for many stock engines. I would be curious if it would be easier to tune for my engine actually.
My engine in is a '87 Crown Vic 5.0 with a Mustang cam (essentially an '86 Mustang 5.0 but with cast pistons rather than forged) with the Explorer front belt drive, Wieand Stealth 4bbl intake and shorty headers. In factory Mustang trim a brand new engine was rated 200hp which is right at the bottom of what the Fusion is rated to run. Cooling fans are the A/C compressor fans from a Mercedes C230 Kompressor.
Killshot Fusion (as of 2026) does put the air filter slightly higher than a Edelbrock Performer 4bbl carb.
Fuel System:
I used a 86 Ranger fuel pump assembly with a Kemso fuel pump to get the required pressure with a functional fuel gauge. The regulator is set at 50psi. It is routed per the directions from the pump to filter to the throttle body with the return running from the throttle body to the regular and then back to the tank. It seems to work well. Pump is on a relay with the ground going thru the stock inertia kill switch. A second gen tank is shaped differently and the sender has a different resistance so swapping straight to a single high pressure pump for a first gen isn't an option.
I had to build all new fuel lines, my truck originally didn't have high pressure lines or a return line. I used Evil Energy 3/8" fuel line and fittings and it seems to work well. I have the fuel pressure regulator plumbed in after the throttle body and all seems to be right with the world. Be sure to flush your fuel lines, when you cut steel braded fuel lines rubber powder will get into the lines and it will plug up injectors.
Wires you have to have by group:
Batt+
Batt-
Key
Fuel Pump
They want Batt+/- straight to the battery so the battery can act like a buffer with electrical variances to make life easier for the ECM. ECM happiness is key. I swapped to battery cables that had extra leads molded into the post terminals for a simple sealed connection. I used plain metal butt connectors soldered with heat shrink to stretch them a bit to go to a sealed connector so I can easily disconnect the battery either to charge it or if I need to remove the throttle body assembly for some reason. Pins for the connector are also soldered, you want as good of connections as I can get.
On that note I read if you need to charge your battery you need to disconnect the ECM or you will kill it. It is stupid but that is the way it is.
Key power is what turns the system on and off. I have read this works best on a relay so it is "a clean" signal and not tied to everything else you have getting power with the key. I already had my Duraspark module on a relay so it was a non-issue and I was already inadvertently planning on it.
Fuel Pump wire from TBI unit is positive power, supposedly can run a fuel pump if draw is low. Life is short and so is the lifespan of electronics so why risk it? Put that sucker on a relay. Pump also will not run after an initial prime if it doesn't see engine RPM so keep that in mind for troubleshooting down the road.
Don't twist wires or have them wrapped up with other wires or especially spark plug wires. Interreference will mess things up.
Now you need to sort out what you want for ignition.
I opted to use the built in coil driver. Just run the VR cable over to the OE TFI style "E-Coil" style coil on the fender. You need a locked out distributor and the harness has a MSD style connector. I ran into some cheaper distributors (Speedmaster) saying they were locked not actually being locked so buyer beware. They can be locked but they ARE NOT out of the box. The quick start instructions mentioned it, the big main ones did not. If you are using the coil driver in the ECU in the software go in and lock the ignition and check it with the timing light. If you have it set to 15* in the system and real world it is 11*, the timing isn't where the computer thinks it is. The dizzy needs synced to what the computer is looking for. Also as you rev it the timing should not change, this is how I realized the "locked" Speedmaster distributor still had a centrifugal advance... which I therefor tore apart and locked by removing the weights and tying it together with wire.. and now it works great.
I chose this ignition route because with a limited number of connectors I have less places for water intrusion when offroad. The locked out distributor proved to be a PITA to acquire. I started out with a Duraspark one that I locked up but the phasing was off between the reluctor and rotor to work properly for this application. To adjust the timing the computer delays or advances when it tells the coil to fire it just jumps a little more or less gap in the distributor cap. With the rotor no being phased right in the DS dizzy it was able to advance enough to start catching the wront post in the cap.
I also swapped the MSD style connector for a sealed weatherpack.
HOWEVER some considerations:
The less you have the ECM do the cooler it runs and the longer it lasts. If the system lays down on you in the middle of nowhere you have to figure out an ignition in addition to carb swapping to get home. But it is easy to reduce connections for water intrusion offroad... there is only one connector and it easy to convert to a weatherpack. Life is all about compromises and this is one.
The default setting for timing is "simple" which is really simple. I am not sure it is hugely better than a standalone ignition. I haven't tried the table where I can adjust it yet. it runs awesome so I am kind of scared to mess with it too so there is that.
If I had it do over again, I would have been very tempted to just run something like a MSD dizzy and box. If the EFI system went down I would just be a carb swap and inline fuel pump away from getting home. Yes, an inline pump can pull fuel thru the in tank pump if you are wondering.
Efans, it has an option to run two fans. There is no consideration for A/C so if you want the fans to run with the A/C you have to do that on your own. The system will adjust the idle for you. Using relays I have mine setup to control the fans by either engine temp or power from the A/C compressor. When the compressor kicks on the cooling fans come on as well. ECM does a great job of keeping the idle in check with both the efans and A/C clutch cycling on and off at the same time. With the carb the compressor would pull down the idle speed which would goof with me as I shifted gears with the manual trans and was incredibly annoying.
There are more options in that "Additional Wires" harness, I think mostly for different gauge setups and ignitions. Aside from the obvious not all are clearly marked what they are for or what their purpose is.
I ran Fan1 one to control both fans
I used Fan2 to run a light on the dash and set the temp somewhere higher than I like but not high enough to cause main reactor meltdown (in theory) so I have an attention getter I have an issue and it starts to get warm.
Then I ran tach out to the tach adaptor for the tach.
That is all I used from that big cluster of "additional wiring"
Oxygen sensor, they want it 6-8" downstream of where the different exhaust ports meet. I also read that they are picky, it needs to have some tailpipe on it too. I have a full exhaust on mine so it was a non-issue. They are also EXTREMLY picky about exhaust leaks, exhaust out also means extra oxygen getting in. Whichever exhaust you put the oxygen sensor on has to be tight. Also watch the angle, they have a diagram in the book. Mine is on the downpipe from the DS header and the pipe is running nearly vertical so the angle wasn't an issue.
They are a young company and constantly trying to improve things so expect some variance between what I have typed here and what you see in your book. They keep up to date manuals on their website. Every engine will tune differently as well.
The kit IS NOT SELF LEARNING. None of them are, all could benefit from a knowledgeable tuner. The "self learning" is this system is it auto adjusting to keep the A/F mix right but many other settings piggyback off the base setting. You need to adjust the base setting so the "self learning" table isn't self learning very much. And when that happens everything else in the background pulling off the base table is closer to being accurate. There are some other tweaks I had to do and with some research and youtubing and an unknown amount of luck you can get it close. I did anyway, and IMHO if I can do it most can do it. I will delve more into this soon when I update to the new software. I can tell you what did but the way I did it no longer exists. Every engine will tune differently as well.
Conclusion:
I mainly did this conversion to help off camber while off-roading and for elevation changes. Mine runs awesome and works great with the A/C (unlike my carb which ran great but needed a $200 solenoid kit to maintain idle with A/C) but really in a lot of ways (simplicity mainly) it is hard to beat a carb... but if you are like me and want upgrade to EFI, this system is working great for me. If it was just a bomb around town rig like it was the first 10 years it had a V8... I couldn't justify it, now, I really enjoy it. As much as I like it... on a stockish engine I wouldn't pull a working factory multiport EFI off for it.
Introduction:
This will hopefully clear up some things while also putting other things on your radar to watch out for. I have not done any other brands of EFI conversions but I suspect there will be some carryover... so you may get something out of this that will apply to your Sniper or FiTech or whatever else you find as well. This isn't really a step by step article more of a heads up if you are thinking about doing something similar.
You will see tons of trash talk about EFI conversions online. All brands, I don't care who. Keep in mind few return online to report success. People with failures will cry from mountaintops. These kits are made by man, some will have defective parts. Some vehicles they are being swapped into are sub optimal. Some people doing the swapping don't know what they are doing. You can't see the blowby and wirenuts from reading a online review.
Difficulty: 7.5 out of 10
This will vary wildly depending on how your truck is set up currently, what engine you have etc. My truck was a long established good running carbed 302 swap with cruise and A/C.
Time to install (or accomplish if applicable)
Possibly a long weekend or two if you have all the parts (which we all know will never happen lol) and can just focus on it and knock it out. Or you could spend three days dropping your fuel tank for the first time in 40 years, your results may vary... Waiting for parts and decent weather it took me two months of a couple hours here and there to get it running.
Disclaimer: The Ranger Station.com, The Ranger Station.com Staff, nor the original poster are responsible for you doing this modification to your vehicle. By doing this modification and following this how-to you, the installer, take full responsibility if anything is damaged or messed up. If you have questions, feel free to PM the original poster or ask in the appropriate section of The Ranger Station.com forums.
Tools Needed:
- Basic hand tools
- Electrical tools (voltmeter, test light, crimpers, soldering iron and consumables)
- Timing light
Parts Needed:
- Aces EFI Killshot Fusion kit (they sell kits with distributors and fuel lines etc, I pieced mine out to save money)
- Distributor with the ignition advance locked out so it can't adjust the advance. Make sure the nothing can move
- Fuel system (pump, filter, lines, regulator, fittings)
Meat and Tators:
INSTALL QUALITY IS HUGE!!!
Take your time and follow the instructions. They suck but they don't lie. This is not a project for wire nut guy! If you have a tired engine with a dead hole this won't be a magic cure all. Also don't get greedy, the Dueces Wild 2bbl kit will be great for many stock engines. I would be curious if it would be easier to tune for my engine actually.
My engine in is a '87 Crown Vic 5.0 with a Mustang cam (essentially an '86 Mustang 5.0 but with cast pistons rather than forged) with the Explorer front belt drive, Wieand Stealth 4bbl intake and shorty headers. In factory Mustang trim a brand new engine was rated 200hp which is right at the bottom of what the Fusion is rated to run. Cooling fans are the A/C compressor fans from a Mercedes C230 Kompressor.
Killshot Fusion (as of 2026) does put the air filter slightly higher than a Edelbrock Performer 4bbl carb.
Fuel System:
I used a 86 Ranger fuel pump assembly with a Kemso fuel pump to get the required pressure with a functional fuel gauge. The regulator is set at 50psi. It is routed per the directions from the pump to filter to the throttle body with the return running from the throttle body to the regular and then back to the tank. It seems to work well. Pump is on a relay with the ground going thru the stock inertia kill switch. A second gen tank is shaped differently and the sender has a different resistance so swapping straight to a single high pressure pump for a first gen isn't an option.
I had to build all new fuel lines, my truck originally didn't have high pressure lines or a return line. I used Evil Energy 3/8" fuel line and fittings and it seems to work well. I have the fuel pressure regulator plumbed in after the throttle body and all seems to be right with the world. Be sure to flush your fuel lines, when you cut steel braded fuel lines rubber powder will get into the lines and it will plug up injectors.
Wires you have to have by group:
Batt+
Batt-
Key
Fuel Pump
They want Batt+/- straight to the battery so the battery can act like a buffer with electrical variances to make life easier for the ECM. ECM happiness is key. I swapped to battery cables that had extra leads molded into the post terminals for a simple sealed connection. I used plain metal butt connectors soldered with heat shrink to stretch them a bit to go to a sealed connector so I can easily disconnect the battery either to charge it or if I need to remove the throttle body assembly for some reason. Pins for the connector are also soldered, you want as good of connections as I can get.
On that note I read if you need to charge your battery you need to disconnect the ECM or you will kill it. It is stupid but that is the way it is.
Key power is what turns the system on and off. I have read this works best on a relay so it is "a clean" signal and not tied to everything else you have getting power with the key. I already had my Duraspark module on a relay so it was a non-issue and I was already inadvertently planning on it.
Fuel Pump wire from TBI unit is positive power, supposedly can run a fuel pump if draw is low. Life is short and so is the lifespan of electronics so why risk it? Put that sucker on a relay. Pump also will not run after an initial prime if it doesn't see engine RPM so keep that in mind for troubleshooting down the road.
Don't twist wires or have them wrapped up with other wires or especially spark plug wires. Interreference will mess things up.
Now you need to sort out what you want for ignition.
I opted to use the built in coil driver. Just run the VR cable over to the OE TFI style "E-Coil" style coil on the fender. You need a locked out distributor and the harness has a MSD style connector. I ran into some cheaper distributors (Speedmaster) saying they were locked not actually being locked so buyer beware. They can be locked but they ARE NOT out of the box. The quick start instructions mentioned it, the big main ones did not. If you are using the coil driver in the ECU in the software go in and lock the ignition and check it with the timing light. If you have it set to 15* in the system and real world it is 11*, the timing isn't where the computer thinks it is. The dizzy needs synced to what the computer is looking for. Also as you rev it the timing should not change, this is how I realized the "locked" Speedmaster distributor still had a centrifugal advance... which I therefor tore apart and locked by removing the weights and tying it together with wire.. and now it works great.
I chose this ignition route because with a limited number of connectors I have less places for water intrusion when offroad. The locked out distributor proved to be a PITA to acquire. I started out with a Duraspark one that I locked up but the phasing was off between the reluctor and rotor to work properly for this application. To adjust the timing the computer delays or advances when it tells the coil to fire it just jumps a little more or less gap in the distributor cap. With the rotor no being phased right in the DS dizzy it was able to advance enough to start catching the wront post in the cap.
I also swapped the MSD style connector for a sealed weatherpack.
HOWEVER some considerations:
The less you have the ECM do the cooler it runs and the longer it lasts. If the system lays down on you in the middle of nowhere you have to figure out an ignition in addition to carb swapping to get home. But it is easy to reduce connections for water intrusion offroad... there is only one connector and it easy to convert to a weatherpack. Life is all about compromises and this is one.
The default setting for timing is "simple" which is really simple. I am not sure it is hugely better than a standalone ignition. I haven't tried the table where I can adjust it yet. it runs awesome so I am kind of scared to mess with it too so there is that.
If I had it do over again, I would have been very tempted to just run something like a MSD dizzy and box. If the EFI system went down I would just be a carb swap and inline fuel pump away from getting home. Yes, an inline pump can pull fuel thru the in tank pump if you are wondering.
Efans, it has an option to run two fans. There is no consideration for A/C so if you want the fans to run with the A/C you have to do that on your own. The system will adjust the idle for you. Using relays I have mine setup to control the fans by either engine temp or power from the A/C compressor. When the compressor kicks on the cooling fans come on as well. ECM does a great job of keeping the idle in check with both the efans and A/C clutch cycling on and off at the same time. With the carb the compressor would pull down the idle speed which would goof with me as I shifted gears with the manual trans and was incredibly annoying.
There are more options in that "Additional Wires" harness, I think mostly for different gauge setups and ignitions. Aside from the obvious not all are clearly marked what they are for or what their purpose is.
I ran Fan1 one to control both fans
I used Fan2 to run a light on the dash and set the temp somewhere higher than I like but not high enough to cause main reactor meltdown (in theory) so I have an attention getter I have an issue and it starts to get warm.
Then I ran tach out to the tach adaptor for the tach.
That is all I used from that big cluster of "additional wiring"
Oxygen sensor, they want it 6-8" downstream of where the different exhaust ports meet. I also read that they are picky, it needs to have some tailpipe on it too. I have a full exhaust on mine so it was a non-issue. They are also EXTREMLY picky about exhaust leaks, exhaust out also means extra oxygen getting in. Whichever exhaust you put the oxygen sensor on has to be tight. Also watch the angle, they have a diagram in the book. Mine is on the downpipe from the DS header and the pipe is running nearly vertical so the angle wasn't an issue.
They are a young company and constantly trying to improve things so expect some variance between what I have typed here and what you see in your book. They keep up to date manuals on their website. Every engine will tune differently as well.
The kit IS NOT SELF LEARNING. None of them are, all could benefit from a knowledgeable tuner. The "self learning" is this system is it auto adjusting to keep the A/F mix right but many other settings piggyback off the base setting. You need to adjust the base setting so the "self learning" table isn't self learning very much. And when that happens everything else in the background pulling off the base table is closer to being accurate. There are some other tweaks I had to do and with some research and youtubing and an unknown amount of luck you can get it close. I did anyway, and IMHO if I can do it most can do it. I will delve more into this soon when I update to the new software. I can tell you what did but the way I did it no longer exists. Every engine will tune differently as well.
Conclusion:
I mainly did this conversion to help off camber while off-roading and for elevation changes. Mine runs awesome and works great with the A/C (unlike my carb which ran great but needed a $200 solenoid kit to maintain idle with A/C) but really in a lot of ways (simplicity mainly) it is hard to beat a carb... but if you are like me and want upgrade to EFI, this system is working great for me. If it was just a bomb around town rig like it was the first 10 years it had a V8... I couldn't justify it, now, I really enjoy it. As much as I like it... on a stockish engine I wouldn't pull a working factory multiport EFI off for it.
