efi fuel rail and injectors

[BanditBronco]

I am in the beginning stages of my efi swap and am wondering which of these combos you guys think I should do. I am running an explorer upper and lower intake set up and have both the explorer fuel rail and white injectors along with the mustang yellow injectors and fuel rail. I noticed today that the mustang has a return on the rail and the explorer does not. I am running a modified mustang harness so it has the mustang injector plugs on it currently but I have all of the explorer pigtails to swap over if I want.

So my question is, which set up would you run? explorer stuff with fuel regulator and return by the tank, or mustang stuff with return at the rail?

Also the latter options of mustang fuel rail and explorer injectors or explorer fuel rail and mustang injectors

Thanks!

 

[DirtDonk]

Not sure how much effect it would have, but for consistency with the ECU I'd use the Mustang stuff. Earlier Explorer stuff was return type too, but those last couple of years were returnless, with a fuel pump controlled directly by the computer. I'd expect a standard return type with regulator would be best.
Wait for someone like EFI Guy or one of the others to chime in though. That's all just theory and speculation on my part.

Paul

 

[Broncobowsher]

I have installed a regulator on the firewall to convert a returnless Explorer fuel rail into a return style system. Just think of the regulator as a pop-off valve and you realize it doesn't have to be on the engine. Only reason the regulator was under the hood was to keep the vacuum line short so it would respond faster (more accurate at keeping the pressure delta across the injector)

 

[BanditBronco]

I thought I had read that you want your regulator with your return line as close to the tank as possible? Also, if I run the mustang fuel rail do I still need to run an external regulator?

 

[DirtDonk]

You only need your electric pump as close to the tank as possible. Regulators and return lines are often best up near the business end. All the factory Ford ones that I'm familiar with at least are literally up on the engine itself.

With a Mustang rail (all the ones I've seen anyway) you wouldn't want to use an external regulator because the regulator is actually attached directly to the rail and you'd be reinventing the wheel to change it.
It's the same thing we talk about with old vs new alternators. An internally regulated alternator is just that. Internally regulated. Therefore it doesn't need, couldn't use, and would get messed up by using an external regulator. Probably same thing with a Mustang fuel rail.

If you read that about the return and regulator setup in a fuel system, it might be one of the new generation of integrated setups like Aeromotive and Edelbrock sell. In that case mounting it near the tank is, while not required or necessary, certainly not a detriment. Where doing that on one of our rigs I would have to say would probably be a detriment.
One of the benefits of a return system on any rig is cooler fuel getting to the engine, thereby avoiding old gremlins like vapor lock and funny stuff like that. It's more plumbing for sure, but works really well.
I guess they figured out how to avoid all the old issues in modern rigs with returnless setups, but not sure how well that translates to Broncos. Have to hear more from other points of view.

Paul

 

[KyleQ]

I'm using a pickup rail as the fuel comes in and goes out on the back side of the engine - much cleaner setup.

 

[BanditBronco]

Which pickup are you pulling that rail out of Kyle?

 

[Mountain Ram]

I had both '97 explorer and mustang fuel rails when I converted my '75. The '97 explorer let out behind the intake toward the driver side. Made for a much cleaner install the mustang front of engine version. It has a regulator and return line built in as well.

You can see in this pic where the return line came out- I had to tweak it slightly to keep it out of the firewall.



In this pic you can see the regulator and inlet side back toward the firewall.



And a finished shot for some inspiration!!

 

[KyleQ]

90's F150 - but I run my intake the other direction. Note the regulator position-

I don't know how people are getting away with mounting the intake the other direction - it nearly sits on the master cylinder and the engine rotates that direction under torque...

 

[bigpitbull]

Where did you find that bronco plate on the intake??

 

[BanditBronco]

Where did you find that bronco plate on the intake??

BC Broncos sells them.

 

[Mountain Ram]

Yep- BC Broncos on the plate.

I have plenty of room between the MC and upper intake, but I am running hydro boost with a smallish MC. You can see the clearance here...

 

[KyleQ]

Yeah, way more than I have with my manual brakes. I'm running a camper special mc, but it's not any bigger than stock.