FITech EFI ?

[Madgyver]

Happy New Year gang!

First post here this 2017.. Been buzy having fun with my other toys and my broncos is crying for some TLC..

wheres all the FItech EFI posts?
Looking at these TB efi since MassFlo is out..

 

[Godwick]

There have been some good threads floating around. I'm actually interested to see if anyone has done a writeup on power/fuel economy difference between FiTech/TBI vs the Ford method. i'm sure the Ford is better, but I'm wondering how much better.

 

[Skiddy]

Good to see ya Mad, you have to search you newbie;D j/k buddy

 

[Prizefighter]

Lots of them in the tech section. I searched them yesterday when I was deciding if I needed to go with the fuel command center or the inline frame mounted fuel delivery.

 

[Toddpole]

Glad to see ya back Mad. How's the fishing and drone life?

 

[englewoodcowboy]

Well I cannot compare to the old Ford MPI but what I can attest to is the FiTech is an excellent modern system. The fact I have complete tuning control at my fingertips and do not need someone well versed in C+++--- code programming to make it do what I want is a huge plus. All parts are 100% new and available OTC with the exception of the ECM but they are in production unlike the old A9L's etc. In a bronco application would you really notice a difference in a few HP loss going to TBI over MPI, I seriously doubt it. The best part is when I pop the hood, initial inspection things appear period or old school correct which I like. I think the only real way to determine a power loss is by dyno tuning the FiTech rather than waiting on it to learn but doing it on a test mule and pulling numbers with an original MPI system first. It would def. be interesting to see.

 

[DirtDonk]

It's kind of strange-but-true, but around here there seems to be very little interest in testing before and after fuel economy results.
There are literally TONS of threads about EFI swaps of one brand or another, and yet I can't remember but a tiny handful of even casual responses about mileage. It's like we're afraid to find out all that hard work didn't net any gain.
Heck though, even just making the truck run better and have more power is a gain in my book.

There are some that say they "think" or "it seems" like mileage is better, but few details.
I'd be very interested in direct testing. But I'm one of those that has tracked most tankfuls of gas since I started driving. Just to see what makes a difference and what doesn't mostly. Curiosity for sure. Also to maybe find out if something is wrong that I wouldn't have caught otherwise. But it's also kind of fun too, in a strange way.
So when I get mine up and running again (if?%)) I'll definitely be doing some testing.

Paul

 

[hyghlndr]

My Fitech with the fuel command center has been great. Less bogging down, easier start and runs better for me it was a great upgrade.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Economy gains would also be highly based on how bad the old carb was to start with.

 

[bowhunter]

My Fitech with the fuel command center has been great. Less bogging down, easier start and runs better for me it was a great upgrade.

Did you have the infamous "gas fume" problem prior to the Fitech install? Did you keep it in a garage attached to your home? If so, did the new system help reduce or eliminate the "fuming" problem accustomed to these little steeds?

Thanks

 

[hyghlndr]

I haven't had any fuel smell issues with the FiTech.

 

[Attac]

My Fitech with the fuel command center has been great. Less bogging down, easier start and runs better for me it was a great upgrade.

Hyghlndr have you noticed any heat problems with the command center. I talked to the guys at Fitech and they said with the way a bronco engine compartment holds heat it could vaporize the fuel. Since I just finished putting in all new lines and fuel tank I was going to go with the command center when I swapped out my carb for the Fitech but have been hesitant since they told me it could be a problem if it got too hot.
Chuck.

 

[hyghlndr]

No heat issues so far. I located it in front of the driver's sider inner fender, where the horn is. There are some vents in the grill area there. It was a real easy install, getting the hoses fully seated on the AN connections was the hardest part of the whole thing.

 

[bteutsch]

I have my command center located on the core support, it's probably 3-4 inches from the radiator generally above where the horn mounts. I can say as far as around town town driving I've never had an issue, but honestly I've been fighting an issue, I thought from the beginning was related to the original vent system in the command center causing vapor lock. It never happened on the street while plenty of fuel was being used. It only happened at times when it was really hot outside and I was driving really slow. My example was repeated many times and only at bronco events. I would be driving in 4 Lo and crawling on the trails and the bronco would just die. I eventually came to the conclusion that the pump was overheating and just would just quit running until it cooled off. At first with the original vent, it would cause the pump to empty the command center when heat built up, but wouldn't let the mechanical pump refill it. After sending the command center back twice, they replaced the fuel pump twice, and replaced the old vent system I still have a problem that persists. Instead of running the command center dry and overheating the pump, it just simply overheats the pump and it quits. It's all heat related I'm sure 100%. It's obvious to me now, but since it runs so good on the highway and around town I've spent quite a lot of time chasing this issue. FITECH support has been great. They helped me when I burned up the first pump on the trail and needed an over the counter replacement. They showed me how to bypass the original vent system. That helped, they've replaced my pumps under warranty and tried to work with me every time I've called. Now for my next attempt at a solution I've hooked up a return system, just using the port on the FITECH throttle body, in my case I have dual tanks, which is one reason I went with the command center in the first place. So I came up with the idea to use the electric fuel change over valve that all the vendors sell. I just used it in reverse and mounted it on the frame. One line coming in from return port from throttle body, one line out to main tank, second line out to aux tank. Hooked the wiring to my factory gauge switch in the dash just like the instructions say. I'm still using my manual change over valve to change tanks for a fuel source, but use the electric switch to change the return destination. So far it works as planned. Haven't got a chance to drive it yet to test it. I have high hopes that this will solve my problems. I could have used a 6 port electric valve that had built in return ports to switch everything electrically, but I kind of like the manual valve.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[.94 OR]

Mine seems to get hot there. I am thinking of installing a baffle plate between it and the side of the radiator to maybe help a little bit.

 

[blubberfet]

Adding a return line to the tank from the tb has fixed the problems that I was having with the command center. The pump creates a lot of heat and it will get hot all on its own. I tested this by setting the command center outside of the engine compartment and with it running it didn't take long for the command center to start to heat up. After adding the return line it feels cool even after running for long periods of time. Since adding the return line I have not experienced any problems at all.

 

[ChrisC74]

Adding a return line to the tank from the tb has fixed the problems that I was having with the command center. The pump creates a lot of heat and it will get hot all on its own. I tested this by setting the command center outside of the engine compartment and with it running it didn't take long for the command center to start to heat up. After adding the return line it feels cool even after running for long periods of time. Since adding the return line I have not experienced any problems at all.

I understand your FCC was getting warm and now with the return line it is not. Can you please share what problems you were having due to the warm FCC?

Thx,
Chris

 

[WheelHorse]

There have been some good threads floating around. I'm actually interested to see if anyone has done a writeup on power/fuel economy difference between FiTech/TBI vs the Ford method. i'm sure the Ford is better, but I'm wondering how much better.

A mpg or two at best.

 

[DirtDonk]

Now that's a result worth the trouble of testing blubberfet!
Glad you went to the trouble of running the return line. Will you keep the CC in the system then? Sounds like since it's already plumbed in, you might as well. And keep testing.

Glad yours is running better now.

Paul

 

[blubberfet]

I understand your FCC was getting warm and now with the return line it is not. Can you please share what problems you were having due to the warm FCC?

Thx,
Chris

I had experienced problems with it stalling randomly on the street but it would restart after pulling over. I couldn't figure out why because it would never do it when I was data logging.
Then I went to Bronco Safari and it stalled 10 feet into the first trail. It took a few trys to get it to restart and it continued to stall and would go super lean due to low fuel pressure. We could hear the fuel boiling in the cc each time it stalled and after pulling the vent hose from the cc it was spitting fuel out the vent.
I turned around to go back to camp after a few hundred yards of the trail. As soon as I was back on the pavement it ran fine all the way back to the campground. In camp tried to get the cc as isolated from heat as I could by making a heat shield around the cc with a stuff I found at the hardware store and gorilla tape. It helped enough that I was able to minimize the stalling as long as I didn't let it idle and opened the hood when stopped. (The efi worked so well that I broke the pass side ujoint and the rear axle shaft at the same time) The cc was hot to touch during most of the trip to moab. After I added the return line it has only stalled one time that I can remember and it was my fault. I was coasing down a really big dune and jumped on the brakes when it was defueled. But it fired right up and I have no worries about it in Moab next year. I like having the cc because of the sump but if I was going to do it again I would probably go with a in line pump.