Ignition Control Module Info

[80Merccapri]

What are the differences in ICM's, I have a 80 capri that had a 2.3 liter non turbo motor with air pump. Removed air pump and ran for awhile with stock ICM. Does it make a difference on how the engine runs and performs? Im finishing up my turbo motor and have a turbo ICM without air pump for than but what about until I switch to the turbo should I be running a ICM without air pump or is there no series differences between them. Thanks

[ForcedFox]

Are you referring to Duraspark Ignition modules, or the Later TFI-IV? being early 80's i was thinking duraspark, which i believe units from the same generation, or color wiring grommet should have the same operation. TFI-IV (distributer mounted ignition modules) are the same, as long as they have the same color case (grey or black)

[80Merccapri]

Yeah its duraspark, its grey cased and has a blue sticker that says duraspark on it. 2 seperate wiring harnesses on it. I thought the turbo module has an effect on spark for running boost but was not sure. As for the n/a without air pump or n/a with air pump I am unsure of the differences but I figured there had to be some if there are 2 separate modules for each application. Since I am not running any air pump or emissions on the car I didnt know if it would run much healthier if I had the module that was without an air pump or not. thanks for the help

[82GTforME]

As forcedfox mentioned, I think the color of the plastic grommet where the wires come out of the Duraspark have to do with the application. Most of the ones I've seen are blue and as far as I know they would be interchangeable.

[80Merccapri]

Yeah mine are blue, and I know the harness are all the same just not sure if I need to get a module for the non air pump application I am currently running. Than a turbo module for the new setup next spring.

[xctasy]

Four things. Hope this helps.

1. All Durasparks actually have a clever "white wire" (or Red Blue in the old system) function for easing intial start up on low compression emissions cars with often 8 to 12 degrees BTDC advance. If you don't have the Yellow strain relief ICM, you can perform nearly the same task with a Blue strain relief. There is a new wiring schematic for replacement Blue strain reliefs just to complicate things, but the White wire becomes the start retard, which can also be invoked in other situations.

Not having a yellow strain relief ICM isn't going to hurt much, but the MCU will raise a fault, which won't be seen on the MIL light, as its not a GM OBDI type Check Engine light. You have to run the normal EECIV fault code breakout check.

Here is is in living color for the most common 49 states blue strain relief ICM. In terms of wiring, and naming convention, the first system has

blue strain relief bushing,
one 4-pin connector, and
one 2-pin connector.
It can be wired to create a consistent RPM-independent 5 degree retard on start up, using the S pole of the starter relay. Not the I pole on the starter relay.

http://www.mustangsteve.com/conversion.html

2. Yellow strain reliefs are used for Turbo's in CA in the first year (79), and, IIRC, then most other states for 1980-1981. It is MCU controlled. See Note 4 below.


3. Wriing colors and sometimes strain relief/bush colors have changed, and any replacement Blue strain relief/bush module (eg 1U2Z-12A199-AA) will have the wrong color wires.

1U2Z-12A199-AA Duraspark II replacement on MCU equiped F150






Start Circuit White
Run Circuit Red
FoMoCo Start Circuit Red-Blue
FoMoCo Run Circuit White with Blue Stripe

For example, the Airtex 6H1104 Ignition Control Module for Duraspark II # PRD_228760 is black for the four wire strain relief/bush




4. The Yellow Strain relief has an additional other pre igntion or altitiude correction.

Its either called Dual Mode or Universal and has:-

two yellow strain relief bushings
an additional 3-pin wiring connector


If its MCU computer controlled and has the 6500 series carb, as the CA ones do, it has the two Yellow strain relief ICM.

In 1981 (California only, the Turbo was withdrawn that year, but continured in Canada), it was unified into a one wire Yellow strain relief replacement.

Any of those Yellow strain relief ICM modules have 3 wiring harnesses. The allow the distributor to recieve input related power as a result of sensors, such as knock sensors, altitude sensors or MAP sensors. They are designed to control spark timing based on those inputs, to compensate for knock, altitude or engine load. The early MCU fields that information, and controls intial advance to the Duraspark II. Any Duraspark II can do thise, its not just a yellow strain relief feature, but the Yellow strain relief can be staged with an additional few degrees of retart.

A CA a box from a 79-81 Mustang/Capri turbo has 2 step retard, 4 degrees, then an additional 2 degrees, depending how you hook up the pressure switches.

The yellow strain relief has the wire for the a nominal 8 degree additional retard on start up, responsive to the MCU which determins MAP from a sensor.

There Dual mode system for 79 and 80's, or on 81's, a single control by what is now called the White wire. It deals with pre ignition or altitiude correction. It's a replacement for what I guess became the three valve High Altitude Compensation Valve Assembly (HICV) on most High altitude carb engines. (It worked on Primary and secondary air bleeds, and another to the intake manifold). Ford's Turbo Carb 2.3 CA engines used ignition advance verses MAP pressure as controlled by the MCU, rather rather than air fuel mix like 5.0 2 and 4bbl carby V8's.

[xctasy]

In your case, I'd suggest talking to Gr79 and pacecartodd, and copying the VECI and ignition systems they use.


IIMHO, You'll get away with just the blue strain relief if you have a way of keeping your air fuel ratio rich, your fuel octane quality high enogh and peak advance low enough. Having an abilty to use the white (old code Red Blue) wire to peg back maximum advance on its own would do the trick.

Ford used the MCU to trim spark advance in two steps. The ICM then should be the Yellow strain relief.

The 1982 MCU for the last of the 6500 Holley Webers (they went TFI and YFA 1-BBL for 1983 on) will work on a Turbo.

Most of the 2.3 Carb Turbo grief is totally gone...


1.the available 93 AKI fuel quality is up o the old 87 aki
2. and the understanding of the Vehicle Emissions Control Information and
3. the electronic igntion systems and
4.carbs Full jetting info is on the 2.3 Turbo FAQ's http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthre...ine-%28carb%29

Each is way ahead of the way it was in 1980.

I think people now realise there were a whole bunch of clever FoMoCo engineers on the Carb Turbo project, they did a great job in making a 19.5 second carb 2.3 take over a 2.8, 3.8, 4.2 and almost equal to an early 79 5.0, with 17.0 to 17.8 sec 1/4 mile times and 109 to 113 mph top speeds. That shows the 132 hp was the likely figure, and even the few automatic C3 turbos they made were likely to have been much faster than the nominal 114-120 hp 3.8's, and 4.2's.

VECI issues, probably service related, induced Fuel and ignition problems and resulted in those Con rod failure, piston burning sprees, and the old issues of the turbo clocking oiling ways did the rest.

Ford really did know what it was doing, it was just a little, advanced for the market. Like the 215 cube F85 Jetfire, Corvair Turbo, Regal Turbo 231 V6 and Turbo 301 T/A were. Only Ford's first turbo trusted that good pistons and ignition and carburation would look after runnign 9.5:1 compression on 87 AKI. No Anti Detonation Injection.

[80Merccapri]

Great info like always xctasy. When I go to rockauto I noticed alot of the 80 non turbo module and the 80 turbo modules were the same part numbers. Mine is blue strain with green black orange and purple wires for the 4 pin connector and red and white for the 2 pin connector. Car has no mcu on it. Module was the cheapest I could get from the local auto parts store when I re did my entire ignition system. Which they list turbo modules and non turbo modules the same part numbers as well. As for my air fuel ratio my car now runs fairly rich I have the carb jetted out and a 105 gph fuel pump and regulator and with running the 2.3 with nitrous I can confirm it dosent run lean. And I run 93 octane with the system on the car anyway. Now for peak advance i believe is around 38* Btdc but depending on the timing I set it can see over 40* at times. When I set my timing with the advance unplugged I usually set around 14 to 16 degrees and the car starts smooth does not diesel after shut down. And the nitrous system keeps the spark plugs in one piece there. I see 34* timing when I leave the advance unplugged though and tried running both at the strip and the car likes more advance. The dizzy does need replaced though because its the 80 original so that is happening shortly. But I am assuming I can just run this same module with the turbo from the info you sent me. As for the 19.5 second quarter mile 2.3...mine saw 20.2 n/a and i kicked it down to a 17.6 i believe n/a after alot of work (would have to dig up time slips) and a 16.7 on nitrous with a 3.2 60 foot due to traction problems but trapped 85 mph. With a small 30 shot with bottle pressure down below 800 psi. Ran a 16.6 at 81 mph with a 50 shot and a 2.3 60 foot missing 4th gear and coasting through the trap. Bottle pressure was much lower than 800psi than because it was at the end of the night and after that pass I could not even get a nice white purge out of the bottle. Dropped the tire pressure and added some weight to the car and got a full bottle for this Sat so we will see if the weather holds off. I have ran up to 100 shot on the car. But I will try to make a good clean pass on 50 than 75 than 100 if I can so I can see the differences in HP levels. If traction is still a problem I will stay on 50 shot most likely. Keep in mind I am not launching on the bottle, launching getting traction than hitting the WOT switch. Tried launching on the bottle once and ran a 2.2 60 foot with zero traction with weight in trunk and a passenger in the car ended up with a 16.9 and 3 out of 4 spark plugs. Where the pcv vac line goes on the intake came off when I was changing jets and number one ran lean and didnt make for a healthy sounding engine. I will write up a post on mods and time slips after the season on my nitrous results, stock bottom end is still holding up with well over 1000 miles on it using nitrous and around 6 10 pound bottles this year. Got a little off topic here but makes for an interesting read im sure. If you think I can get away with the module I have now I will not buy a turbo specific one, like I said n/a and turbos have the same part numbers anyway. Thanks for the info. Very good stuff I didnt know