TFI issue?

[Swiftkid]

My 2.9 only runs good cold, as soon as you let it get to operating temp it will start to sputter and die. It will do this while driving or just idling. Is this the TFI issue? I have a extra TFI i'm gonna put on it this week hoping that will fix the issue.

 

[bfiakas]

I had the same problem and remoted the TFI in a Aerostar heat sink.I also relocated it to the interior on the bottom of the plemum box(there's a flat spot there to mount it)Also replace the distribitor,the hall effect failed on mine.

 

[adsm08]

It's likely either the TFI or the oxygen sensor.

 

[Swiftkid]

What do you mean by remoted the tfi?

 

[unoleisu]

The stock location of your TFI allows it to get too hot, which results in failures. Explorers, ect. have the TFI remotely located (away from the hot engine) to deal with this issue. You can remove the TFI from it's current location, mount it into an Aerostar TFI heatsink (an aluminum block with cooling fins) and then mount it remotely from the engine. You will have to splice some extensions onto the harness, and be sure to use the foil wrap (forgot what it's called) RFI shielding. You will also need to "blank" off the hole the TFI left at it's stock position.

There is a writeup somewhere on here about how to do it. It's not difficult. You do need to solder the wiring extensions.

Also, there are at least three different types of screws mounting the TFI in it's current location. You will need to use a mirror to see into the holes to see what you have. There are torx screws, phillips screws, and metric blot type screws, That I have run into. The holes that the screws are inside, are very narrow, and if you have the metric boltheads, you may need to go get a ford "special tool" at autozone, or the like. It IS a metric head, but the mounting hole won't accept many metric sockets, because the walls of the socket are too thick.

 

[fordfan]

Woe is me, I got rid of a good Ranger because of the same symptoms, only to find out it had been a bad alternator when I swapped THAT over to my Bll! I knew the brushes were good, I didn't draw a connection between diodes and heat. I NEVER associated it with the alt, as it only ran poor when warm, seemed an oddity, but then.. I once had the same problem with a voltage regulator. I still have yet to have a TFI problem, hopefully it stays that way!!