Running Rich

[Festerfly]

When i start the car (85 LTD CFI) she fires up first go. But if you touch the gas pedal and release she starts to run faster (idle increases) like the choke has then kicked in (irrelevant of how warm the car is already) then i backs off, sometimes quicker then others....

But, there is always the constant smell of gas likes its overfuelling..

how do i tell if this is the case? Can you flash error codes out of the CFI units like you can on later models?

AM thining that my Choke thermostat is playing up and as i pay Ford internal dealer prices (advatnge of working for a US parts importer!) a replacement isnt much cost at all...

Cheers

[1987cp]

How's about the legal issues involved in swapping to a carb out there across the pond? I'm told that's the easiest way to solve any and all issues pertaining to CFI.

[Festerfly]

carbs not a big deal.. as long as it passes the emissions carbon tests anything is possible.

plus we keep Edelbrocks and such like in stock here at work..

time for some shopping perhaps?

[1987cp]

Oohyeah. Performer 289 + EDL-1403 FTW! Then you'll be all set to upgrade the heads and cam to make 300hp.

[Festerfly]

failing that, we have a used 5.0 SEFI setup sat on the shelf in our spares dept....... all sensors, injectors etc still attached.. oh and a load of ECU's hanging around in a box too....

Hmm.. can you fit a SEFI setup to an earlier 302?

[nitroracer]

SEFI will bolt up to the earlier cars, the only thing we haven't tried is the wiring. Some fox mustang guys have done that so its all possible.

[Festerfly]

hmm would that be a better idea then the carb and fannymould?

[1987cp]

A guy I know who runs Panthers in demo derbies says it's really not that hard to move the SEFI from one car to another. (he has a SEFI lowpo and AOD he's run in like three different cars last I heard) I think the main thing would be spending some quality time to sort out the factory SEFI wiring harnesses (I think they're pretty scary, myself, which is one reason my '87 is now carb'd) and plan out just how it'll go in there. Or ... if you really want to get phantzy .... you could look into aftermarket fuel injection using factory-type hard parts ... you'd have as much flexibility as with a carburetor, with the exception that it'd all be digital!

[Festerfly]

if you really want to get phantzy .... you could look into aftermarket fuel injection using factory-type hard parts ... you'd have as much flexibility as with a carburetor, with the exception that it'd all be digital!

Hmm, megasquirt perhaps?? again not that diffult at all!

[Grand Marquis GT]

Lee, I have also successfully converted a CFI carb to a 4bbl carb, so if you go that route, PLEASE let me know!

[gadget73]

no no no. SEFI conversion. Please. Nobody has done it yet. I'm completely convinced it won't be all that hard, and everyone and their sister has calibrated vacuum leaks. Have a look on Corral, there is actually a thread about who regretted going from EFI to a carb. You'd be surprised how many people say they wish they'd sorted out their issues and kept the EFI. The SEFi wiring harness is completely self-contained, pretty much like the CFI harness is. There is one small plug were the EFI connects to the body wiring, and all thats in there is a key-on, the idiot light for the alternator, and the fuel pump wires. All the rest of it lifts out complete. Should simply be a matter of pulling the CFI harness and laying the SEFI harness in it's place once you've done the manifold swap on the engine.


About your current issue, yes you can pull codes from a CFI system. Its exactly like the SEFI, same codes too. http://fordfuelinjection.com/?p=14

Its normal for these to idle up when cold, but it shouldn't once its hot. Could be the choke thermostat, could also be a fuel pressure regulator or a vacuum leak causing it to run too rich.

[nitroracer]

If you want to continue pursuing the SEFI conversion look around on the forums at foureyedpride there are lots of early 80's mustangs with CFI and I know for sure there are two converted LTD LX's.

[86VickyLX]

When i start the car (85 LTD CFI) she fires up first go. But if you touch the gas pedal and release she starts to run faster (idle increases) like the choke has then kicked in (irrelevant of how warm the car is already) then i backs off, sometimes quicker then others....

But, there is always the constant smell of gas likes its overfuelling..

how do i tell if this is the case? Can you flash error codes out of the CFI units like you can on later models?

AM thining that my Choke thermostat is playing up and as i pay Ford internal dealer prices (advatnge of working for a US parts importer!) a replacement isnt much cost at all...

Cheers

Yes you can obtain codes from the car's computer, I think 85 is EEC-III which only has the one test connector. It looks like the ones from the newer ones. But not a small pigtail. Screw CFI!!!!! EFI FTW!!!!!

[Festerfly]

Lee, I have also successfully converted a CFI carb to a 4bbl carb, so if you go that route, PLEASE let me know!

Cheers Tom,.

I will be getting you over anyway when we come to remove all the Smog Crap so we can chat about it more then.

The SEFI route i find interesting, but the remainder of the loom, ECU is missing so i would have to take that cost into account....

But i love Neat tricks like that!!

oo im so undecided!

[gadget73]

If you need an ECM, we can ship one to Tom for you. Exactly how much of the harness do you have, and whats it from? If you really need one, I can probably pull a complete harness out of a junkyard car. I've done it before, I replaced the entire harness from my car. Took me maybe an hour to swap the harness that runs from the ECM. I left the small piece on the engine itself. I did the large harness that includes the relays, the plugs for the harness on the motor, and the wiring that goes over to the starter relay for power.