Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

Technical => Engine Tech => Topic started by: bossman on November 14, 2006, 05:33:24 PM

Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: bossman on November 14, 2006, 05:33:24 PM
all right, stupid question. what is the little gadget mounted on the brace right in front of the radiator that looks like a heat sink. all it says is ford on it. :birdsmily:
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: 84 Fila on November 14, 2006, 05:37:49 PM
Heat Exchanger? It's for the ac
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: Dansbirds on November 14, 2006, 05:43:03 PM
TFI Module?
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: nirvanagod on November 14, 2006, 10:17:20 PM
On a 3.8 it's the TFI Module.
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: 84 Fila on November 14, 2006, 10:24:11 PM
Can you get a picture of what your talking about. Or a better discription please. I'm getting a different pitcure of what your seing then the others are.
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: Beau on November 14, 2006, 10:54:54 PM
It's the TFI...
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: 84 Fila on November 14, 2006, 11:05:38 PM
"mounted on the brace right in front of the radiator that looks like a heat sink."

Is it this ( Coil)
(http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/6/web/2322000-2322999/2322669_141_full.jpg)


Or whats here? ( Heat exchange for the A/C?)
(http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/6/web/2322000-2322999/2322669_142_full.jpg)
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: CougarSE on November 15, 2006, 12:22:07 AM
Mike give it up!  Its not what your pointing at in any of those photo's!

3 people (the only other people to post in here aside from yourself) have said TFI!  One of them for sure has an 88 with a v6! I also have a 88 3.8 and I'm 100% sure its the TFI as well.  So I'll be ed if you don't know what the hell you are talking about!

Oh and guess what, thats the coil in your first picture not the TFI.
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: Ifixyawata on November 15, 2006, 12:28:04 AM
The only cars to get a remote mounted TFI were the '88 3.8's right?
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: CougarSE on November 15, 2006, 12:36:42 AM
Correct!  Minus MN-12's and later pickups that came with "black" TFI's instead of "grey" TFI's
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: Ifixyawata on November 15, 2006, 12:50:39 AM
I was speaking, of course, within the realm of our own cars.
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: ipsd on November 15, 2006, 12:54:15 AM
My 84 T/c coupe has the heatsink TFI up front. Ofcourse I made it that way with the heatsink from an 88 3.8.
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: 84 Fila on November 15, 2006, 06:50:56 AM
I know claude, the TFI in on the distrubitor. I'm trying to learn here as well. So i'm asking questions
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: MasterBlaster on November 15, 2006, 09:33:52 AM
Quote
I'm trying to learn here as well. So i'm asking questions
There were so many problems (and lawsuits) that Ford said "This TFI thing keeps failing because of the heat from the distributor. Find a way to keep it cool."  Mister Designer Guy suggested mounting it away from the heat, maybe right where air would blow on it, attached to a big heatsink to keep it really cool.

And it ended up looking something like this:
.
(http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/medium/0900823d8014d147.gif)
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: Ifixyawata on November 15, 2006, 05:49:44 PM
I'd love to have a remote mounted one for my car.  Maybe I can con Eric into selling me the one off the old '88 max, if it's still there.
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: CougarSE on November 15, 2006, 06:54:40 PM
Quote from: 84 Fila
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m167/CougarSE/annoyingofficepaperclipwx8.jpg)

..
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: 84 Fila on November 15, 2006, 07:03:22 PM
Claude , have you taken your "Anti Asshole" pills today. I treid to help, found I was wrong and learned somethng from it.
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: *MAYHEM* on November 15, 2006, 07:11:43 PM
Wow. Tough crowd today. :dunno:
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: 84 Fila on November 15, 2006, 07:29:59 PM
Quote from: CougarSE;113689
Correct!  Minus MN-12's and later pickups that came with "black" TFI's instead of "grey" TFI's

Whats the difference in color's? Just that they are from 89+ birds or something more?
Title: more 3.8 troubles
Post by: Jonathan Phillips on November 17, 2006, 11:55:12 PM
My 1992 Ford Ranger is set up the same way but having a 3.0L engine. So many Ford products have the TFI upfront.

 The TFI modules are sensitive to more than just heat. Unless you know what your doing do your Duraspark/TFI troubleshooting by the book.