Cheapest EFI setup?

[Bitch'nBronco]

I've been fighting with my carb for months and have come to the realization that I'm going to need to buy a different one to get my bronco to run right consistently. Its a holley 4160 with non adjustable floats and they stick constantly no matter what I do to fix the problem. So now I'm researching EFI.

I'd like to go with ford mustang/exploree 5.0 EFI but I don't know if its more cost effective to go that route or just buy a Fitech or something like that. What is the cost difference?

Current setup: 302 bored .030 over with a relatively lopey cam, dual plane intake, shorty headers, carter p4070, holley fuel pressure regulator, holley 4160, ZF5, NP205.

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[Steve83]

That all depends on how much you pay for a junker with a good engine. Personally, I'd never use aftermarket EFI - where will you buy parts for it when you break down on the trail? Junkyards everywhere carry stock parts.

 

[needabronco]

Throw that holly pos in the trash! Cheapest would be a different carb. I may have one, or know someone. If that's the route you want to go John let me know?

 

[Bitch'nBronco]

Thanks man, I'll think about it. I have a U pull down the road from my house with a few 5.0 setups but I just got my turd up and running. The EFI swap would take me a while.... hmmm I may suffer with this thing for a little longer just to enjoy it while the weather is nice. I just dropped it off to have an exhaust put on it this morning so the Bronco budget is going to be tight for a month or two lol

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[rjlougee]

Undoubtedly, the stock Ford EFI setup is going to be the least expensive, IF you can pull decent parts cheap.

At the total bottom end of work/$$ equation would be a '85/86 Mustang/Capri CFI setup. It's an EEC IV setup, high pressure EFI pump, controls spark as well, bolts to a 2V intake, but in the long run is nothing more than an electronic carb that happens to control the spark curve as well (which really is better than 75% of the "aftermarket" EFI setups)(just about NOBODY under 60yo wants to plan/set-up the actual distributor spark curve any more...)[not dissing, I'm near there myself...].

Next up is the truck setup. Easy to find, but overall not great if you have engine mods (read: YOUR cam). Batch fire, spark control, not bad overall, but leaves power on the table.

Next up is the Mustang setup. If you can find one, this should do a good job of controlling your engine. Hard to tell overall, exactly what a "relatively lopey cam" means. However, EFI setups don't generally like more than about 112 degree lobe separation. I have bought a T-boned '93 Mustang for $350. Pull the engine, wiring and ECU and still get $200 from the crusher...

After that you start getting into piecing parts together. Explorer wiring and ECU, EDIS, etc... All comes down to who you can get to help and what you can find.

I did my first EFI conversion in 1998 and I've never looked back. Carbs suffer from the **magic** of the Venturi effect, electrons I trust!
HTH, Joe

 

[Bitch'nBronco]

Thanks Joe, I wish I had the specs from my cam but threw the data sheet out back in high school. Rookie mistake for sure

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[SteveL]

Save some time and $$$. Just throw a q-jet on it. Redneck efi

 

[Bitch'nBronco]

Doesn't the Q Jet require a specific type of intake manifold? I'm sure there is some sort of adapter if there is

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[DirtDonk]

That all depends on how much you pay for a junker with a good engine.

This.
If you buy all the parts separately at a modern junkyard, you could be into the bits and pieces for well over $1000 and then still have to possibly replace faulty sensors, re-work the harness or buy a new one for at least $500 or so, and then go from there.
So it's hardly a shoe-in for best bang for the buck done the junkyard way.

But as Steve said, if you find an entire Mustang, or even better yet find an Explorer/Mountaineer and completely ignore everything else, for under $500 for the entire vehicle, you're into a full setup (including the sought after front accessory drive system) for a great price and only have to re-work the wiring.
Which still takes it pretty close to what you'd pay for brand new aftermarket.
But factor in selling off the unused parts from the Explorer and your old Bronco setup, and you may even be ahead of the game.

So it's not always clear what the winner will be. Up to you and your treasure hunting/swapping/fabbing skills.

Personally, I'd never use aftermarket EFI - where will you buy parts for it when you break down on the trail? Junkyards everywhere carry stock parts.

Doesn't really fly with many of the aftermarket systems. What fails other than sensors and injectors usually? FiTech and MSD and likely Holley and others are using well known GM-based sensors and hardware on their TBI setups.
As easy to find replacements then as any factory piece. Now, the main body and other things of minor import%), like the computer, not so much. But at least the more common things are likely to be readily available.
The hope is that you never have to deal with that though, such as that hope is.

Paul

 

[Tiko433]

Best upgrade I did ... Explorer swap. I tried to keep as much of the stock Explorer as possible. I road trip my truck and like knowing from the Fuel pump to the motor I can stop in at any parts store and get me on the road again.

 

[Rickb1b]

This is a tough call. I have two broncos. One I put on a FITECH and fuel commander. It’s a wonderful system and works great. Much better than the Holley I had on it before. The second bronco was a 5.0 transplant from an explorer. By far the explorer swap is the best of the two. But it was kind of complicated, since I built my own harness and used the 4r70w trans.

So my opinion (for what’s worth) go with the after market system; much easier install and runs great. Also, the main reason I went with the fuel commander is so I could retain the ability to go back to a carb very easy. However, now if I did it again I would just use a efi fuel tank.