Electrical What's inside a TFI module? (Gut pictures inside)

[Mustang5L5]

Aftermarket 90s era TFI. Even says “made in USA” on it. No idea who made it but we can compare to the previous pics

Edit: looks like the Filco F0311

 

[Dan02gt]

"...relocated it with the MK3 kit..."
How/where did U obtain that? They say they last forever if away frm the heat.

The McCully Racing kit.
http://www.mccullyracingmotors.com/index_files/Page2271.htm

 

[Dan02gt]

Here’s a picture of the new Delphi that gave me a slight miss-fire on occasion.

 

[7991LXnSHO]

Here’s a picture of the new Delphi that gave me a slight miss-fire on occasion.

That’s disappointing a Delphi part would give you a problem. They have been a premium electrical manufacturer started by GM. I wonder if they made it or if they reboxed the part.

In about 92-93, (1993, not 1893), we received two shipments of genuine AC Delco 4 terminal HEI modules almost straight from the plant in Mexico. They were all bad. After putting two on my Olds, I took a tester to the the rest and warranted them all. At that time, the Accel part was a better choice.

 

[Dan02gt]

That’s disappointing a Delphi part would give you a problem. They have been a premium electrical manufacturer started by GM. I wonder if they made it or if they reboxed the part.

In about 92-93, (1993, not 1893), we received two shipments of genuine AC Delco 4 terminal HEI modules almost straight from the plant in Mexico. They were all bad. After putting two on my Olds, I took a tester to the the rest and warranted them all. At that time, the Accel part was a better choice.

I agree. I've always though highly of Delphi products.

 

[rednotch]

Aftermarket 90s era TFI. Even says “made in USA” on it. No idea who made it but we can compare to the previous pics

Edit: looks like the Filco F0311

Yea that's the same cover that I took off the filko.... Just to show how really ty the aftermarket is now I ordered a new tfi and pip from AutoZone since they claim to be wells and a motorcraft pip is a pita to find these days.. wells is now WVE. The tfi is the same as the one I posted, came in a duralast box with wells paperwork. Now here's the best part. The pip/ stator comes in a duralast box, no paper work, inside a generic white box with 6187 part number from china. Which is forecast/OEM, aka Standards cheapest line kind of like there T series stuff..... The best part, it was drop shipped from standard motor products in Va. Every one is just reboxing these days.

 

[LX Dave]

I agree. I've always though highly of Delphi products.

Same here. This is not good to hear. Hopefully their fuel pumps are having better luck as I just put two of them in my current truck project. Well, good thing there's a lifetime warranty on them. I had a pair of Walbro pumps on order and cancelled after a couple months of waiting.

 

[chrlsful]

The McCully Racing kit.
http://www.mccullyracingmotors.com/index_files/Page2271.htm

thanks Dan. 2, 3 clips, 10 wires, $180...might try it myself @ that cost. Low budget operation here...

 

[rednotch]

Since the pics are dissecting parts, figured this would fit in here. I found a sealed "dead stock" (aka closed auto store) reman. Mass air auto eec IV It was less then a core so i snagged it since prices are down right stupid these days. its BSEs part number for 88-93 auto. They removed the oem sticker and cal catch code but the board tells me its an A9p or equivalent. No idea when it was rebuild as its not dated.


I wanted to check the caps before installing it and see what they repaired so I broke the no "warranty" seal and glad I did. The one closest to the j port is shot, that one typically keeps the fuel pump on when keyed off. Surprisingly there factory caps so I'm not shocked that it leaked after 30 plus years. I gave the board a once over, no burnt traces any where instead it looks like they swap the chips onto good core boards, which explains why they relable them, if you look close will see the white pin connector is scribed e9zf-ca but this is covered by the case so you can't see it without removing it. Time to order another batch of capacitors and get this one back in order as a spare.

 

[rednotch]

For anyone who wants to compare the current buy "motorcraft" tfi..... here's the budget standard lx218T, T series line a lot of parts stores carry but fail to disclose its the cheaper t series line,..... Same boad, same components, 1 less connection on each pad, sadly I don't have a current lx218 none t series to take a part to confirm it has 2 connections on each pad like the motorcraft. Last 2 I order online came in t series boxes and can't find it local.

local advanced has drive works I have no clue who makes it but case mold isn't same as standards , Napa echlin TP31 Is a rebranded standard but at more then a motorcraft im not checking if its a t series or not lol. AutoZone has the motorcraft the cheapest or the duralast from wells, no one local sells the normal lx218, same goes for there ignition pick ups and coils, they are all the t series or even worse forecast oem line here, been trying to find an older blue streak coil and lx222 pick up. quality Ignition parts are getting harder to find, sad when even the perfomance aftermarket is selling you low quality parts store replacement stuff at stupid mark ups, but hey that Holley these days since they own msd and accel..

 

[rednotch]

I found some tfi's on eBay for less then $ 9 shipped from a parts liquidation company that wasnt a china drop shipper so ordered 2, I was shipped 2 loose but packed well in a padded envelope both wrapped in a decent amount bubble wrap. They where old stock and had bwd "select" series stickers on them, one was a 218 other was a lighter grey 223 but SMP has consolidated those part numbers these days making auto/manual the same. The Select series where the top line, much like standard they had 3 and are the same parts just bwd branded, z series, p series and select. the select has double connections like the motorcraft, I killed the cover taking this one apart lol.

Order another pair, not sure if they will all be the same but for less then the retail price of one I stocked up. Guy sold around 50 and has a few left, all the parts store ignition parts seem to be getting consolidated into the cheaper lines at least at my local stores Also Grabbed a few standard blue streak made in Poland coils, from other retailers, you can get them in black now with blue streak branding vs the old blue ones.

Standard seems to have also consolidated the lx222 pick up into a single molding now. the moldings for the more expensive old blue lx222's was a bit different from the du30 motorcraft, the motorcraft is impossible to find so that's a crap shoot now that there all black and even the lowest quality ones look the same.

 

[rednotch]

No luck on the second order, got two black lx 225 modules this time lol anyone got an escort that needs a spare if they can't exchange it.

 

[90sickfox]

So...basically...if you take a cheaper one apart and solder another wire on each pin then it would be the same is the later Motorcraft ? Maybe I missed something.

 

[rednotch]

Pretty much, its the same part with way less quality leads on the t series stuff but your not going to have much luck soldering them with the film they use on the boards.. The lx218 you can buy from a few parts stores still with a lifetime warranty like oreillys, just not in my state..... its the same exact part as the motorcraft dy1284 that only has a 2 year warranty.. Funny AutoZone just doubled there price for the motorcraft part lol. The T series stuff is designed to fail out of warranty, look at melted lead in the pic I posted... Weak coils and pickups kill these more often from voltage issues then residual heat from the distributor.

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[Bird76Mojo]

While you've got one gutted, might as well make your own remote mount TFI harness and switch to the SN95 style distributor.. It's easy.

Mine has held up well for over 20,000 miles so far, and it runs at ambient temperature. When it was on the distributor, I checked it with an IR thermometer and it was well north of 200 degrees at all times once warmed up.

Still holding up and functioning well 2 years later...

 

[rednotch]

I've been noticing old reman ecu's with a9l equivalent part numbers having more components on the board then what you see on a standard mustang board, so did some digging.. Both these show components you don't normally see when you crack them open.... Then I found one extremely similar that most have forgotten about... The old town car ecu, guessing that's what they used as a donor...

 

[Trogdor]

I've been noticing old reman ecu's with a9l equivalent part numbers having more components on the board then what you see on a standard mustang board, so did some digging.. Both these show components you don't normally see when you crack them open.... Then I found one extremely similar that most have forgotten about... The old town car ecu, guessing that's what they used as a donor...

I looked up the J0T2 computer you posted and it goes to a 91-93 Thunderbird 5.0 MF engine. I did some digging on that computer and it appears that it has a very similar pinout as a 94-95 SN95 computer minus the transmission wiring, electric fans and a couple of other wires are moved. I'm wondering what they are doing internally to make them work with a Foxbody harness.

 

[rednotch]

I've been ignoring the 3/4 digit catch code and going by the part numbers vs cardone & bse remans, pita to look up on a tablet, need to buy a new pc lol.. F0AF-DA, DB, DC crosses over to a 90 town car, didn't check t birds though. But the first 2 pictures where a cardone 78-4352 which is there A9l/a3m reman but it has a few chips you never see on an oem fox body board, but the jot2 shares. I wish I knew too, fleabay prices are getting ridiculous for some..

 

[Mustang5L5]

Hmm. That is interesting.

So i don't know the entire story behind these ECU's but I do know there are specific "familys" of ECU based on specific coding. The A9L is in the GUFB family, while interestingly enough the A9P (and A9T) is in the GUF1 family. If an ECU is in a specific family, it can accept a strategy from another ECU in the same famiy.

X3Z is also in the GUFB family so you could (if you had the ability) reflash an X3Z with A9L memory code and it will be a functioning A9L essentially.

With that said, i wonder what other ECU's across the product line are in the same GUFB/GUF1 familys? This i do not know.

 

[Mindseye007]

Mine died on me this past summer driving almost 50 MPH. Car just cut off!! I was fortunate that traffic was light and I was able to get over to the outside lane and coast into a parking lot. After about 15-20 minutes with the hood popped it started up and I was able to drive home. Mine had an old looking Motorcraft on it. I relocated it with the MK3 kit and installed a new Delphi but I noticed the tach would jump weird when I started the car and I had an occasional miss-fire. I replaced it with a new Motorcraft and all is good.

how do you like that MK3 kit where did you mount the TFI to? can you show a pic of it installed in your car?I think I am going to get one too, my buddy has one he installed about 2 weeks ago in his 1989 LX Coupe and loves it so far.