Just picked up an 84 LTD CV Wagon

[Birdofprey]

Thanks for the info guys, I was just looking at how the linkage was attached, to make sure nothing was hanging or popped off. I haven't seen enough CFI setups to notice the lever wasn't even in the right position.

[DerekTheGreat]

Right on man. Some of us here actually like CFI.

[Birdofprey]

Totally,

The Jeep Grand Wagoneer guys are always looking for alternatives to the carbs (that lasted all the way until the last year in 1991), a lot of them go with GM TBI set ups, but since AMC used all druaspark/motorcraft dist and ignition modules it would make a heck of a lot more sense to go with a CFI.

After I get more familiar with it I'll have to report back on the Full Size Jeep forums about the CFI. Its the mounting base anything standard? My 87 GW has the MC2150 2bbl.

[kishy]

Careful with that. The GMN lynch mob will come for you if you try to suggest CFI could ever belong anywhere other than a trash can. Meanwhile, I'm planning to do the exact same swap you propose...CFI in place of a MC 2150...on my '83 Grand Marquis. The mounting base is the same.

Since CFI is Speed Density, its programming is very sensitive to the displacement and airflow needs of the engine (that is to say, it won't adjust well). I don't know exactly what will go wrong trying to run a 360ci engine on a fuel injection system programmed and engineered to feed 302ci, but I suspect something will go wrong. I'd suggest starting a new thread to branch off that discussion. It's probably a conversation worth having.

If there were such a thing as Mass Air CFI, it would have become a popular retrofit option into tons of vehicles years and years ago. Makes me wonder if there's a way to make a Mass Air + Batch Fire EEC-IV control CFI. Now that'd be something.

[DerekTheGreat]

The GM TBI set-up is superior, for a couple of reasons I can think of right off the top of my head.

1) You can use a scan tool to see live data.
2) PROM chip tuning. You or a third party can custom make your own chips. If this isn't the grand slam winner I don't know what else is haha.
3) IAC valve instead of vacuum dash pot turd thing.
4) Can use 454 TB for set ups exceeding stock output.
5) Most likely cheaper and easier to find as the stuff was virtually unchanged and available from '87-'95 across all GM trucks and some cars.

I've got a 1989 Firebird with an LO3 (305 TBI) set up and that has never, ever left me stranded due to engine management issues. Nor has it ever acted up with weird idle problems, stumbles, extended crank times ect ect.
I have had a 1988 C3500 with a 454 TBI in it and now a 1989 K1500 with a 350 TBI in it. I have had goofy issues with idle on the K1500 but because I can use a scan tool, it was easy to see the TPS was junk. Thanks to point #5, I was able to locate a TPS from a 4.3 powered S10 Blazer since all of the trucks were ransacked or completely devoid of their throttle bodies.

Wagoneers ran carbs right up until the end? Christ...

Oh, the CFI setup used a standard mounting base, so you could retrofit the set-up to anything else relatively easily. Or upgrade to a four barrel manifold with a 2bbl adaptor plate. GM TBI is adaptable too, since at least in the early years the 454 could be had with a carb or Fuel infection depending on the application. So, it was the same intake set up for a Rochester (IIRC) with an adaptor plate in use for the TBI unit. Adaptor plate is a unique job that has coolant flowing through it. You don't have to use that if you don't want.

[Birdofprey]

One of the things that people struggle with on the TBI conversions is all the computer programming that goes along with it, from first look the CFI system is just 'dumb' enough to make it simple, that may mean that its not an option depending how much it can be adjusted...

This is all thinking out loud, last thing I need is another project!, I got the everything tuned well on the GW and got it to pass Colorado emissions last fall. (its held to the same standard as other 1987 cars, I feel for the 1991 guys that have it even worse)

[DerekTheGreat]

Ford CFI being dumb is what makes the swap impractical for most any application. It can't be adjusted short of quarter horse or MegaSquirt or whatever. GM TBI however, is SMRT in the sense that the PROM chip comes right out and can either be swapped or retuned to better match the application. The software to do it is even free. All you need is a laptop and the cables. No finger crossing, hoping it works type of BS. And, short of the knock & O2 sensor, all of the other sensors & "magic" lives right on the intake or mounts up to it (in the case of the dizzy).

[sly]

CFI: when it works... don't touch it. When it doesn't... clean the EGR and replace vacuum lines. If that doesn't fix it... bin it and get something that has some sort of support.

[Birdofprey]

I realized I took photos of when I fixed the driver window but didn't post them.


The driver window motor looked like it had been replaced at some point.



The failure was the gear broke from the outer gear. Kinda weird.


Ordered a rebuild kit.



Good as new. (relatively)

[sly]

yeah.... never seen THAT failure. I've seen every other failure of these motors though.

[87gtVIC]

Nice carnage!

[Birdofprey]

This is the gear kit I got for anyone interested.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002ZTIKF6

I also got a replacement passenger exterior door handle I've got to swap in. It'll be nice to be able to open the passenger door from the outside.

[Birdofprey]

Came across the second wagon to enter a local junk yard since I got mine, both have been CP's, this one still has its wood grain. 1991











There's a weird thing that goes on at this particular junk yard, I've seen mulitple seats that have this cut out in the bottom cushion, its like someone is looking for a drug stash or something...




Not a whole lot I could use, I was hoping to be able to get a full set of wheel well trim but one one of them was worth removing.

[Birdofprey]

I kinda want to get the hitch off it, but I'd have to get it off the wheel stand first...

[DerekTheGreat]

Rust free. Wowsers. That's not scrap. Pity about the seat though, before the asshat all it needed was a good scrub.