Relocate TFI

[mustang5ro7c]

Ford TFI mods are prone to thermal shutdown at around 250 - 260 degrees. Located center front of the 5.0, next to hi tempature water outlet doesn't seem to help. It is more of a problem here in the Arizona desert. http://www.coolcats.net/tech/troubleshooting/tfi.html shows the different mounting locations V6 vs V8 (cougar/thunderbird). Does anyone know of an aftermarket wiring kit to neatly move the TFI to a cooler location?
Thanks

 

[Shakerhood]

I wonder about this, because I believe they moved them on the 94-95 5.0 Mustangs.

 

[HISSIN50]

yep, on the SN's the TFI is on the pass side fender - under the MAF.

this is a question for Jrichker, TMoss, and the other smart folks who dabble (or more) with this sort of thing. I dont think it would be readily feasible (read worth it) to relocate the TFI, but that is just me. and this is coming from a fellow AZ stanger.

 

[HISSIN50]

and welcome to the boards.

 

[89MustangGX]

It is different on the SN-95's, various other cars (Thunderbirds, small cars, etc.) as well as some later trucks. I don't know of any aftermarket kits, but I believe all it would really take is changing the module in the distributor (your TFI won't plug in there anymore!) or maybe getting the whole distributor, wiring, and a mount. The TFI module itself is different as well I believe.

It seems like it might be work for not sure how much benefit. I haven't looked into it much.

 

[HISSIN50]

yeah, on my 94, the TFI does not resemble a fox TFI, IIRC. when i glanced at it, it looked like a regulator/rectifier on a motorcycle.

i once thought about seeing if i could toss a 94-95 stang dizzy and TFI on, but it looked like kind of a pain (and those guys have issues with the dizzies as it is).

 

[seijirou]

Peep the 302 E series vans. they use the same TFI module as the mustang (at a glance, i was buisly getting the intake and didn't pay all that much attention to it, other than to notice it), but it's on the driver's side under the exterior hood, bolted upto the side there, sitting in a heat sink.

 

[89MustangGX]

Peep the 302 E series vans. they use the same TFI module as the mustang (at a glance, i was buisly getting the intake and didn't pay all that much attention to it, other than to notice it), but it's on the driver's side under the exterior hood, bolted upto the side there, sitting in a heat sink.

That's one of the ones I was talking about when I mentioned the trucks. The module looks the same, but IIRC, it does not have the electrical connections on top (since it doesn't plug into the dizzy that way) they are instead in the wiring harness that plugs into the side.

 

[mustang5ro7c]

I recently spent time in a junk yard studying TFI on cougar/thunderbird V-6's. The TFI is in a cooler place connected to the distributor via wiring and connectors, not direct attachment. I have heard of some local folks moving the TFI module to the drivers side fender (the wiring accomidates this location) and running wire to the bottom of the distributor and filling the distributor opening with silicone.
It works, but I don't something home-made. I am believing (or hoping)somebody makes a cable with connectors and a plug for the distributor.
I use the 86GT to compete in scca events. The TFI has gone thru thermal shutdown on the track and on the highway here in the Arizona desert.
I have read many of the law suit against Ford for TFI failure, but when I saw what they did for the V-6 (in front of the radiator, in a finned heat sink) I was very upset for what they did for us 5.0 drivers.
Thanks

 

[jrichker]

The 94-95 5.0 Mustangs used a different distributor that had a pigtail from that connected to the harness. They mounted the TFI on the fenderwelll. That might be useful to what you want to do.

There are only 3 wires that connect the TFI to the PIP inside the distributor. That would be a simple harness to make. The problem is extending the TFI harness so that you could relocate the TFI to a cooler spot. As it sits, the TFI harness is way too short to go anywhere else. Cutting & splicing it to extend it may pose problems since you don't see the ground shield that is inside the harness unless you cut the harness up. The ground shield protects the computer from EMI coming from the spark plug wiring.

 

[speedytang]

Go to a yard and pull the TFI and Heatsink and harness from a 92-94 E150 302 or 351. The harness is really long and when you remove the TFI from your Mustang the harness plugs right in. I did this 10 years ago.

 

[TheUser]

Go to a yard and pull the TFI and Heatsink and harness from a 92-94 E150 302 or 351. The harness is really long and when you remove the TFI from your Mustang the harness plugs right in. I did this 10 years ago.

any pics? Where did you mount yours?

 

[D347643]

wow great info you have any pics speedy?