Aces Killshot Fusion EFI Swap

[85_Ranger4x4]

I did slip the dizzy back apart since it was only two screws to take a couple pics of how I locked it up.



Showing the bushing I used to tighten things up.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

its simpler than any 80s carb underhood disaster of wiring and vacuum egr thermactor controls.

with modern fuels.....you are fawked with a typical carb. i swear they made it just to murder carbs.

My whole issue with EFI over carbs boils down to the fact atleast for me its harder to diagnose issues.

With a carb its usually pretty easy to tell whats happening and especially on older EFI systems youre not having to chase miles of wire....because it can hardly ever be the actual component

 

[bobbywalter]

you say that. but its not true. true in a sense total failure to run. not in terms of drivability issues.

 

[Curious Hound]

My whole issue with EFI over carbs boils down to the fact atleast for me its harder to diagnose issues.

With a carb its usually pretty easy to tell whats happening and especially on older EFI systems youre not having to chase miles of wire....because it can hardly ever be the actual component

EFI talks to you. You have to understand how to listen. 2 types of people.

People type 1. "O2 sensor, bank 1 lean". Ok. What gives me a lean condition on bank 1? Let's gather data and see what's wrong.

People type 2. " O2 sensor , bank 1 lean". Ok. I'll replace the O2 sensors, spark plugs, wires and air filter. Hmmm. That didn't work. What should I replace next? Dang this truck costs a lot of money.

I'd swear that when some of those type 2 people get a fuel level sender low warning on the dash, they want to replace the sender instead of filling the fuel tank.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

EFI talks to you. You have to understand how to listen. 2 types of people.

People type 1. "O2 sensor, bank 1 lean". Ok. What gives me a lean condition on bank 1? Let's gather data and see what's wrong.

People type 2. " O2 sensor , bank 1 lean". Ok. I'll replace the O2 sensors, spark plugs, wires and air filter. Hmmm. That didn't work. What should I replace next? Dang this truck costs a lot of money.

I'd swear that when some of those type 2 people get a fuel level sender low warning on the dash, they want to replace the sender instead of filling the fuel tank.

No i agree with that. Im kinda a level 1.5....i try to do the whole proper way but i get quickly frusterated and jump to replacing shit because i just want it fixed. Im trying to learn it lol.

But with a carb its just alot more point and shoot if that makes sense

 

[Curious Hound]

No i agree with that. Im kinda a level 1.5....i try to do the whole proper way but i get quickly frusterated and jump to replacing shit because i just want it fixed. Im trying to learn it lol.

But with a carb its just alot more point and shoot if that makes sense

If a carb is what you're used to, it makes sense to you and it is wonderful. Carbs are simple and they work.

My brain doesn't get along with carbs. There is always compromise and inefficiency. And I always want it perfect. So, you set your carb on saturday morning. It's 75 degrees outside. You're at 737ft elevation. You've got 89octane fuel and you dial it in perfect. You take the wife out driving all afternoon, cruising along within a few hundred feet of yoir set elevation. Visit an antique store, stop at a local car show, take her out for dinner and go home. Beuatiful day. Car performed flawlessly.

A few days later, you have to drive to Denver for a work trip. There's a low pressure weather sytem in the area, it's only 50 degrees and damp. And your trip involves getting up to 5500ft elevation. Does the car work? Yes. But does it work as well as the first day? No. You can readjust, maybe even install a different jet or needle or something. But you have to fiddle with it.

With EFI, our squirrel is educated and caffeinated. He's under the hood fiddling with the mixture for us in hyperspeed. He looks at the amount of air coming in, adjusts it for temperature, calculates the fuel per fire, monitors coolant temp, looks at the exhaust and adjusts for the next burn. And leeps fine tuning it continuously as the day warms up, as we gain or lose elevation, as load changes, etc.

That little squirrel satisfies my OCD/ADHD and I like him. I'm happy to give him some wires. AND, if I'm offroad and bump hard against a rock or tree, or if I'm leaned way over off-camber or steep up/downhill, he doesn't let the fuel slosh out of the bowl and stall the engine.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

If a carb is what you're used to, it makes sense to you and it is wonderful. Carbs are simple and they work.

My brain doesn't get along with carbs. There is always compromise and inefficiency. And I always want it perfect. So, you set your carb on saturday morning. It's 75 degrees outside. You're at 737ft elevation. You've got 89octane fuel and you dial it in perfect. You take the wife out driving all afternoon, cruising along within a few hundred feet of yoir set elevation. Visit an antique store, stop at a local car show, take her out for dinner and go home. Beuatiful day. Car performed flawlessly.

A few days later, you have to drive to Denver for a work trip. There's a low pressure weather sytem in the area, it's only 50 degrees and damp. And your trip involves getting up to 5500ft elevation. Does the car work? Yes. But does it work as well as the first day? No. You can readjust, maybe even install a different jet or needle or something. But you have to fiddle with it.

With EFI, our squirrel is educated and caffeinated. He's under the hood fiddling with the mixture for us in hyperspeed. He looks at the amount of air coming in, adjusts it for temperature, calculates the fuel per fire, monitors coolant temp, looks at the exhaust and adjusts for the next burn. And leeps fine tuning it continuously as the day warms up, as we gain or lose elevation, as load changes, etc.

That little squirrel satisfies my OCD/ADHD and I like him. I'm happy to give him some wires. AND, if I'm offroad and bump hard against a rock or tree, or if I'm leaned way over off-camber or steep up/downhill, he doesn't let the fuel slosh out of the bowl and stall the engine.

Nah i get that. But the way i see it is everything breaks eventually...and id rather spend an hour doing whatever to a carb then 3 months chasing wiires, trying to test sensors, and wondering why it still only runs good enough.

I do like stuff to run right...but frankly id rather have it atleast run.

All the time, money, aggravation, etc ive spent on the ranger, B2, cobalt, crown vic, etc wouldnt of happend with a carbed vehicle. I woulda rebuilt the carb, tuned it, possibly slapped a new dist in, timed it, and had it going in an afternoon.

The ONLY reason ive given up on carbed 70s stuff as a daily is its to hard to find something that isnt total junk, or a museum piece they want a mint for. Its really annoying.

 

[bobbywalter]

No i agree with that. Im kinda a level 1.5....i try to do the whole proper way but i get quickly frusterated and jump to replacing shit because i just want it fixed. Im trying to learn it lol.

But with a carb its just alot more point and shoot if that makes sense

i know what you mean....it just dont apply as widely anymore.

these bastards have destroyed fuel. and the ogallala aquafier by design for no good reason... they want carbs to die. they want everything to die....especially you and me...and the others reading this page...we do shit...for ourselves and others. that makes us less compliant. they need reliability to die. they sell complexity as convenience that turns into demand and dependance. they being the thing george carlin always referred to.

i used to work on alot of boats...and stay away from that now .... but carbs and motorcycles and mowers and tractors and hotrods are still in the mix...though most bikes are efi now.

well fawk.... i stay away from everything now because i am consumed in keeping oilfield equipment over hole...dont have any time for myself...hopefully this gets better...

but. first and foremost...and what seperates the herds

i started with carbs.....i started with high performance....and competition.

i have to have a fundamental base understanding for peak dial in.

if you actually understand exactly how a carb works efi is easy. this does not go the other way initially....though it can with critical thinking.

if you are truly dialing in a carb on a high performance application then using exhaust gas analytics and oscilloscopes and dynoes is part of that scenario....and very difficult to get this specialized access and time consuming.

efi has all of that specialized tuning built in and riding with you. for free.



now....the difference between Bobby and Dustin.

use case scenario.

bobby does stupid shit all of the time....flopped over on his side trying to climb a washed out ravine for no good reason outside of insanity....hoping the door dont get too fawked up ....oh shit the window popped again damn it... but dgaf either way as long as its not -20.

bobby can make a carb handle most of this....since the 80s. that is a base level of understanding that is not in any of the training. you have to make it happen with parts you have to make for reasons you require....at least back then.

bobby wants hi-power and economy and has to cross the country so elevation is a thing. crossing 9-10k elevation in a carb equipped shit power machine from the 80's is pure misery.

thats bobby.

an engine that will fail bobby in a shit state of tune will run just fine for dustin and get around....especially well in michigan.

i would wager....at this point. dustin built a better smarter simpler life than bobby.

dont be bobby....be happy live a life where a bad state of tune 351m fulfils all of your driving pleasure.

because at the end of the day....time is the only currency that matters.

 

[bobbywalter]

Nah i get that. But the way i see it is everything breaks eventually...and id rather spend an hour doing whatever to a carb then 3 months chasing wiires, trying to test sensors, and wondering why it still only runs good enough.

I do like stuff to run right...but frankly id rather have it atleast run.

All the time, money, aggravation, etc ive spent on the ranger, B2, cobalt, crown vic, etc wouldnt of happend with a carbed vehicle. I woulda rebuilt the carb, tuned it, possibly slapped a new dist in, timed it, and had it going in an afternoon.

The ONLY reason ive given up on carbed 70s stuff as a daily is its to hard to find something that isnt total junk, or a museum piece they want a mint for. Its really annoying.

you cant simply rebuild alot of carbs anymore with the damage i have been seeing and have them run correctly. you just buy a new carb.

most of the tuning issues with the older stuff is from corrosion damage in emulsion elements ect...causing improper pull.

best thing to do is buy a methanol unit and set it up for pump gas. price that out.

what your crown vic issues are...i can not say without working on it myself.

if it was an electrical eec system issue i will solve that. i can swap out the system with a known stand alone setup faster than you can swap a carb.

floor starting used engines is something i need to do...and diagnosics is time. if you have more time than money it makes sense to pay....but seems i just keep getting less of both.

anyway... this proves out the eec system.

if it is a mechanical issue i can solve that. sometimes these two things happen at the same time...and overlap. carb or efi these are just big kicks in the ballz you have to get through.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

i know what you mean....it just dont apply as widely anymore.

these bastards have destroyed fuel. and the ogallala aquafier by design for no good reason... they want carbs to die. they want everything to die....especially you and me...and the others reading this page...we do shit...for ourselves and others. that makes us less compliant. they need reliability to die. they sell complexity as convenience that turns into demand and dependance. they being the thing george carlin always referred to.

i used to work on alot of boats...and stay away from that now .... but carbs and motorcycles and mowers and tractors and hotrods are still in the mix...though most bikes are efi now.

well fawk.... i stay away from everything now because i am consumed in keeping oilfield equipment over hole...dont have any time for myself...hopefully this gets better...

but. first and foremost...and what seperates the herds

i started with carbs.....i started with high performance....and competition.

i have to have a fundamental base understanding for peak dial in.

if you actually understand exactly how a carb works efi is easy. this does not go the other way initially....though it can with critical thinking.

if you are truly dialing in a carb on a high performance application then using exhaust gas analytics and oscilloscopes and dynoes is part of that scenario....and very difficult to get this specialized access and time consuming.

efi has all of that specialized tuning built in and riding with you. for free.



now....the difference between Bobby and Dustin.

use case scenario.

bobby does stupid shit all of the time....flopped over on his side trying to climb a washed out ravine for no good reason outside of insanity....hoping the door dont get too fawked up ....oh shit the window popped again damn it... but dgaf either way as long as its not -20.

bobby can make a carb handle most of this....since the 80s. that is a base level of understanding that is not in any of the training. you have to make it happen with parts you have to make for reasons you require....at least back then.

bobby wants hi-power and economy and has to cross the country so elevation is a thing. crossing 9-10k elevation in a carb equipped shit power machine from the 80's is pure misery.

thats bobby.

an engine that will fail bobby in a shit state of tune will run just fine for dustin and get around....especially well in michigan.

i would wager....at this point. dustin built a better smarter simpler life than bobby.

dont be bobby....be happy live a life where a bad state of tune 351m fulfils all of your driving pleasure.

because at the end of the day....time is the only currency that matters.

I would take a poorly tuned 351M over anything else i got currently.

As long as it fires all 8 and makes noise when you hit the pedal.

Thats what i think i have trouble explaining to you guys about why i have trouble witH EFI....i do understand how a carb works...obviously...i also understand (mostly) how EFI works....but the problem is i dont always understand electric.

Amps, ohms, anything past basic check for voltage im lost. Ive spent alot of time reading about how to check wires, grounds, etc etc and it all just turns to jibberish a few sentences in.

I think it bothers me mostly because it is so simple but to me its not.

I would much rather be covered in grease, mud, sweat, grass, dirt whatever swinging a hammer inbetween torch firings on something like a spindle then sit nice and clean with a DVOM in my hand

Oh and...the vic is (mostly) fixed....finally.