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Topic: TFI (ignition) Module relocation JCassity rendition (Read 6407 times) previous topic - next topic

TFI (ignition) Module relocation JCassity rendition

first extract your TFI harness and notice where it "could" be if you relocate your TFI to the driver strut tower somewhere
doing this effectively reduces single points of failure and you are only adding three wires with this mod.

TFI (ignition) Module relocation JCassity rendition

Reply #1 –
now remove the Air Conditioner support bracket

TFI (ignition) Module relocation JCassity rendition

Reply #2 –
about now you could dial in top dead center then mark your rotor to your dizzy case, then mark the base to your intake or do it later.

Now rotate the dizzy and remove the TFI with our newly modified thin wall 7/32 socket

TFI (ignition) Module relocation JCassity rendition

Reply #3 –
Don't drop your screws,, so do this

TFI (ignition) Module relocation JCassity rendition

Reply #4 –
now select your wire color from all the different colors you have collected and made to store in this neat large round container :)

TFI (ignition) Module relocation JCassity rendition

Reply #5 –
now with your spare stator you have lying around, tone out the connectors molded in the mounting part which lead out to the magnetic part of the stator.

in this step it is important you have continuity not only from the black wire and  "BLACK" terminal but also to the metal tab on the stator mounting bracket.  I tore open one of these a long time ago wondering what was inside all that mooshy rubbery stuff,,,, there is nothing.  just the red and green and black wires transitioning to the terminals.  What I did notice was the black had a parallel branch that is cad welded to the metal mounting.  Upon examination of a failed unit I tore into, I discovered the black branch (which is a bare wire by the way) had corroded and broke.  this meant the stator was not getting a ground to the engine itself so perhaps that's why it failed.
 
Notice that the black and red trade places on the physical stator connector!  keep track of this because you have to deal with it later.

TFI (ignition) Module relocation JCassity rendition

Reply #6 –
now make up your harness extender consisting of three wires.
see this picture and how the colors land in what part of each end of the new harness.

Just solder your ends on, don't bother with crimping because you will pay for that error later , perhaps on the highway or somewhere just a tad inconvenient.
When soldering terminals with plastic ends on them, just slip the plastic end off, slide them up the wire a ways then solder the bare metal terminal to your new wire.
simply slip your plastic end back on then heat it up so it shrinks... or you can let the heat from the car do that for you.

TFI (ignition) Module relocation JCassity rendition

Reply #7 –
its much easier to connect the wiring on the dizzy with the dizzy pulled.
either dial in top dead center then mark your rotor button to the outer case of the dizzy & mark your dizzy base to intake.
now just extract the dizzy and then hook up your new harness.
 

TFI (ignition) Module relocation JCassity rendition

Reply #8 –
I mounted my heat sync here, I will see how it does over the next few days but so far so good.
its just a simple 90deg 1/8'' steel bracket with one large bolt bonding it to chassis to transition the heat to the body, I may add another bolt to dissipate additional heat.
drill and tap you holes to accept the original mounting screws.

I can feel some heat on the heat sync but not enough to worry me.  I may revise this mount depending on the results but 50miles resulted in the same "feel" of heat as was the case at idle and the difference was nothing.

replace your Air Conditioner support bracket.

Dress some grommet on your new harness and your set.

TFI (ignition) Module relocation JCassity rendition

Reply #9 –
revised

TFI (ignition) Module relocation JCassity rendition

Reply #10 –
First thing i do different is i solder the leads to the TFI and PIP and use a metal clip instead of a tie wrap to hold the wires on the dizzy. I have seen Tie wraps chafe wires more times than you can figure . Then i move the heat sync and module further forward past all the engine heat. Far enough from the fans that can possibly add heat to the unit. Then just me i think your heat sync is a little wimpy. But yo have the right idea. Have a great day guys.
I spend money I don't have, To build  cars I don't need, To impress people I don't know

HAVE YOU DRIVEN A FORD LATELY!!

TFI (ignition) Module relocation JCassity rendition

Reply #11 –
I agree with the size of the heat sync.  I let that larger chunk remain because I figured it would help suck heat upward to wick it out.
for the location,, I wanted to reduce the amount of new connections and any possible voltage drop problems.  I found out yesterday the actual ideal location might be on the passenger side which would effectively "shorten" the runs of wire for the tfi main connector.

I will eventually increase the heat sync,, wish I had a way to mill out a large one I have,, like pass a bit side to side to flatten out the mounting area.

either way the intermittent bucking I had did not go away with the new FoMoCo TPS, TFI and Stator.  I haven't bothered to set the tps yet, need to still do that.
usually when you replace all three of those things,, all ignition intermittent symptoms should be cured.  Verified the fuel pres under load and it was fine.

TFI (ignition) Module relocation JCassity rendition

Reply #12 –
soldering directly to the parts like that is very tricky if you don't know how to control the heat.  using a large gator clip or something between the tab your attaching to and the upstream components.  soldering directly to the TFI and PIP doesn't make for an easy de-install.

TFI (ignition) Module relocation JCassity rendition

Reply #13 –
Check spark plug wires…I've had that happen before with the occasional bucking.

Also, the 1988 3.8L cars had the TFI remotely mounted to the radiator core support, top passenger side next to the coolant overflow tank, with its own built-in heat sink:



So…it may cost a little money but if you can scrounge around a boneyard or maybe find one on eBay, that would make things exactly how you want them. Just have to lengthen the wires going over. I'm going to eventually do this on the '86 but for now I have a few good working spare TFI modules in the trunk.

TFI (ignition) Module relocation JCassity rendition

Reply #14 –
I know this is going to make the TFI on my car die but my Thunderbird still has the 27 year old (September of 87) factory Motorcraft TFI module. It's never been replaced (I know this for a fact because I have every repair receipt from when the car was bought at the dealer) and it's working fine mounted on the distributor where it left the factory. When it dies I'm just going to replace it with another one mounted on the distributor. If the TFI lasted 27 years I figure a new one mounted on the distributor should last just as long.
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.