finished wiring for TFI ignition, and fired it up. It runs, but no road test yet until I get it back on my insurance policy. The module I used had a tach wire with a resistor on the - side of the TFI coil, and a condensor(?) on the + side of the coil...for less radio noise??? Also, I over researched this to the point of getting conflicting directions on wiring. I wired the coil and module to battery power via a solenoid triggered by the old resistor wire for the old coil. (1)Is that too much voltage for the module and coil? It idled for 10 minutes and the module got about as warm as my hand. (2) What plug gap should I run? I think they are set at 35 currently. (3) The points were set at 28*. Should I make the point gap smaller? I ran low on daylight, so I dint check the timing yet. I am assuming it might be different that what I last set it to, but I dont know that either. Picture doesnt show much, but seems like more fun to have.
Well since it runs you must have it wired correctly. Dwell is controlled by module, referenced by RPM. The TFI coil & module operate from 12v, no resistor necessary. Points gap is mostly irrelevant, but if the rubbing block wears reducing gap, timing will retard same as with conventional points system... I think mine are set around .012"... Plug gap can be widened, something in neighborhood of .045 is good... I don't have a resistor or suppression cap wired to mine, haven't noticed any noise in radio...
Stu, whats up with that funk-a-delic power steering pump bracket? I have been considering a Saginaw pump like that. What is your p/s setup?
lol....that is from a 78 E100 van that had a 351. It probably adds about 12-15 pounds of front end ballast, but I didnt have a pump, or a bracket, and this is what the junkyard presented me. It is very easy to adjust and gives me a convenient spot to mount my coil. The Saginaw pump was over boosting the steering, but there is a check-valve that was easy to get out and disassemble that I added a .062 washer (outer diameter adjusted with bench grinder) to supposedly lower the output pressure. I did that after the end of last driving season and havent road tested that either.....but the pump is quiet and doesnt leak. I also had to go through the GM section to find a suitable PS hose end that had a 90* bend with enough extra metal tubing to flare a union onto that the Ford hose would attach to.
Thank you for your reply Tom. I knew you had done this conversion and was hoping you would weigh in. I realized later that I forgot to remove the condenser from my points as some advise to do. I will also pick up a spare module to give my glove box something to hold.
With condenser still in place you probably won't get a clean pulse(or at least the amplitude will be reduced), I'd guess there may be a misfire at higher RPMs...
