O/T Fitech EFI (for FE)

[bw_kc]

So I've been contemplating upgrading to EFI for a few years. Last year I discovered Fitech EFI. I like this system for several reasons - price, nitrous control,
option for timing control, handheld controller, positive reviews, etc... I forced my decision to upgrade as I sold my Demon 850 to a buddy.

I've got nitrous so I'm intrigued by their nitrous control. Three of their units can manage power adders:
Go EFI 4 600 HP Power Adder http://fitechefi.com/products/30004/
Meanstreet EFI http://fitechefi.com/products/30008/
GO EFI 8 1200 HP Power Adder http://fitechefi.com/products/30012/

GO EFI 4 600 and Meanstreet EFI can retard timing when nitrous is activated. You still use your distributor for timing.
GO EFI 8 1200 can manage nitrous plus has the ability to "fully manage timing". To use this system I'll need to upgrade to a "magnetic" distributor - i.e. MSD Pro Billet.

Here's my question - is full timing control that valuable when running EFI? Engine is street/strip - not an all out race engine (about 550HP). My distributor is a very old Mallory Unilite with a Pertronix conversion. It's supposed to advance 24 degrees but the advance is only advancing 12 degrees so I've been considering replacing it anyway.

I can get the "Meanstreet EFI" for about $1,100. The "GO EFI 8 1200 Power Adder" is about $1,500 plus I'd have to purchase a $300 distributor to get timing control.

Anyone running this EFI or another EFI that manages nitrous?
Werner Bartels
69 R code Mach 1

[My427stang]

I answered this on the old forum, but cut and paste here too

Timing control does matter, but it depends on you how much.

For instance, my 489 FE Mustang with EFI, cranks at 10 BTDC, but then goes to 20 BTDC as soon as it fires, it also can adjust based on heat, air pressure, load, and I have does all of that and tweaked it over the 9 years it's been on

However, I cannot say I NEED it, because if you like the way an engine runs with a carb, the TB EFI will likely run better in cold start, transition, in traffic, etc, and it won't have any additional requirement for timing control based of the EFI. I have installed a Powerjection, 2x Holley Annihilators, 2x old style Holley EFIs, and they did not control timing and all did very well

But, I have never used one to control nitrous, but that would be a good reason to control timing at the same time
One important thing, on any FE, be sure you think about where you are getting your temperature information for the ECM. The "right" answer is add a bung to the intake so you can have a gauge and temp sender that work from ambient temp to whatever the engine temp is. Another alternative is to put the gauge on the thermostat housing, but the temp sender for the EFI has to use pre-thermostat info

[bw_kc]

I'm ready to buy a new distributor so for another $400 I'll get full timing control and the ability to program with a laptop.

If anyone on the forum is interested I can chronicle my install and post the results.
Werner Bartels
69 R code Mach 1

[Pentroof]

 
Now I'm pissed. I've been waiting for the "GOPort EFI" port injection unit and keep being told "soon". Their website even has a teaser page for it http://fitechefi.com/products/goport/. I've been running my motor with a Holley 4V on top of a Victor EFI with rubber plugs in the injector ports.

I've been waiting over a year while other products have been introduced. I just looked at their website and saw a complete LS port injection unit!!!  WTF???

So, does anybody know the difference in intake port spacing between an LS and an FE?

Hey Jay! We need another intake adapter!

[Pentroof]

On a positive note, the FiTech fuel delivery system is very cool  . No need to add an electrical pump if you don't already have one or add or change any lines. Simply have the existing pump (mechanical in my case) feed the reservoir within the engine bay and their pump feeds the system. A float inside the reservoir acts just like the float in a carb, stopping flow from the mechanical pump when the res is full.
It should also allow guys to leave their stock fuel line in place instead of having to upgrade purely for size constraints.

A very simple and well designed solution.

[jayb]

Now I'm pissed. I've been waiting for the "GOPort EFI" port injection unit and keep being told "soon". Their website even has a teaser page for it http://fitechefi.com/products/goport/. I've been running my motor with a Holley 4V on top of a Victor EFI with rubber plugs in the injector ports.

I've been waiting over a year while other products have been introduced. I just looked at their website and saw a complete LS port injection unit!!!  WTF???

So, does anybody know the difference in intake port spacing between an LS and an FE?

Hey Jay! We need another intake adapter!

Jim, the LS idea won't work because the stagger on the banks is wrong.  On the LS engine the left (driver's side) bank is further forward than the right bank, whereas it is opposite on an FE.  A lot of the LS stuff is really cool, and when I first thought about doing my intake adapters I was hoping to be able to use an LS style intake, but the bank stagger killed that idea...

[My427stang]

Be careful with their fuel supply kit too, lot's of unhappy customers along with the happy.  I didn't dig deep into it, because I don't want the additional clutter under the hood, but something to do with the venting and reliability of the system in general.  It's basically a sump that gets filled with fuel for the electric fuel pump to cycle from.

Only my opinion, but I would much rather run a return line and use either an in-tank or external electric pump

[Adam Dice]

I cut and paste some of my posts from the old forum as well.

I have the Fitech Power Adder 600 installed on my 1972 F-100 with 428. I bought the Power Adder version to work with my 100hp Nitrous kit, but I have not used it with the nitrous yet. It's also nice having the fan control and associated stepped idle speed as I have a Lincoln Mark VIII fan installed as well. I started off running timing control from the Fitech, but had an issue where I lost the rpm signal to the ECU. I need to do some more looking at it to see if I have a loose connection or something. I am now using my MSD 6AL to control timing and plan on trying to get the Fitech timing working again or switch over to a MSD 6530 digital 6AL that I already have. There is a little bit of a learning curve to get started as their manual leaves something to be desired, but I could help provide some tips that I have gleaned from many other forums and sources on the internet. I'm still happy with the unit and cold drivability is way improved over the 750 dp I had on before. Throttle response is very good as well. Let me know if I can help with any questions.

[Adam Dice]

Here is the other one regarding the fuel command center.

Knowing what I know now, I would not use the fuel command center again unless they got their venting figured out. The first generation FCC had a rollover ball in the vent assembly. The FCC also has a Holley style float and needle and seat assembly in it that is supposed to work like a carburetor application. Their theory is that you can use the existing mechanical pump to feed the FCC. Since I am wanting to retain the two factory tanks, that was a selling point for me. One of their big selling points is that a return line is not necessary and that the fuel pump in the FCC is pulse width modulated and the vent would take care of any fuel heating or expansion. It all sounds very good in theory. However, I had situations where my pickup would just stall and die and you couldn't get it started back up. If you left it for a half hour or so, it would fire right up like nothing had ever happened.
 The FCC would vapor lock. Here is what I think happened. I think the rollover ball in the vent was too big and didn't allow for enough venting to happen. In PWM, the pump would heat up the fuel and the FCC would absorb any additional engine bay heat. Since the vent wasn't working properly, the FCC would pressurize and keep the float suspended, which shuts your fuel off from the mechanical pump. I finally got mad and decided to "fix" the FCC. I was past the point where I could return anything, so I modified the FCC to be a surge tank. I drilled out the vent assembly and removed the rollover ball. I also removed the float assembly. I used the old vent port and added a new port to the FCC. So now I have an input port that receives fuel from the mechanical pump, an outlet port that pumps EFI pressure fuel to the throttle body, a return port that takes excess fuel from the throttle body back to the FCC and a return port that takes fuel back to the tank. With this modification, the FCC is way cooler and I have not had any stalling problems.
 Supposedly the newer generation FCC redesigned the vent assembly and got rid of the rollover ball design. The newer generation FCC might work plumb fine, but I haven't done much additional research on it after my "fix". Knowing what I know now, I would have started off with a cheap surge tank and used a Bosch 044 pump.
 Just make sure and study up on the FCC before you pony up the dough to use it. Let me know and I can share pictures of what you find in the FCC.

[bw_kc]

I've already got an electric fuel pump with return line as I was running a bypass regulator on my carb'd setup.  I should be able to plumb with the line's I've got and be on my way.

[Adam Dice]

I started off running timing control from the Fitech, but had an issue where I lost the rpm signal to the ECU. I need to do some more looking at it to see if I have a loose connection or something.

I wanted to touch on something from an earlier post.  I went down and let one of my horses out of a pen last night and decided to wander into the shop and start my pickup since I hadn't started it in a while.  It started right up.  I love the cold start and idle on efi.  This timing control thing has been bugging me, so I lightly tried to twist one of my crimp connectors on the trigger output from my 6AL.  To my surprise, it twisted quite easily.  So I crimped the connector a little more so that it wasn't loose anymore.  I then tried the light twist on the other connector that sends the trigger signal to the Fitech and it was loose too.  So I recrimped that one as well.  I unplugged and re-plugged two or three connections to make the change over to the Fitech timing control and changed the setting on the handheld.  When I turned the key, it fired right up.  I could have sworn that I had checked those connectors before.  When I had previously talked to the Fitech tech line, they had told me to re-check all of my connections.  I had even used my multi-meter to check continuity from the 6AL box to the Fitech ECU.  So it wasn't a Fitech issue, it was a me issue.  When the weather gets better and I can drive it, I'll switch it over to full timing control again.  I just need to put my locked out MSD distributor back in.