Needing advice about putting an 88 roller motor in an 81

[TimS532]

I just bought an 81 Cobra rolling chasis to build for my first car. My dad has an 88 LX vert 5.0 that we will be using as a donor for the engine and tranny, etc.... The question I have is...should I convert the 88 engine over to carb or convert the 81 body over to be fuel injected? I am getting mixed opinions from my local car buddies, and was curious if anyone on here had done the conversion of the four-eyed foxes and how diffucult it was to do. I would like to keep the fuel injection if it isn't too difficult or expensive to make it work in the 81. Any suggestions or opinions? Thanks in advance!

[allenpul]

Depends on what your going for and what state you live in with its smog laws. If you go carb you will need a 85 dura-spark distributor. If you go EFI you have everything you need in the donor.

[81coupe]

Depends on what your going for and what state you live in with its smog laws.

(x2)

if it were me i'd go carb, for reasons being simple to work on, and also since 81 mustang came factory with carb, the smog police shouldn't bother you either. if you don't have smog testing in you area, then wouldn't really matter if you go carb, or fuel injected.

[Wilson]

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but I may be doing something similar very soon. If he decides to go carbed, aside from the dizzy, what has to be changed? Will the timing cover from an earlier (79-85) 5.0 bolt on to the EFI engine? Is there an eccentric already on the cam nose for a fuel pump or can that be swapped over also? Any other issues/details?

[JACook]

The timing covers do swap over. Other than the fuel pump pad, the '88 timing
cover is identical to the '81 timing cover. Comp Cams sells a fuel pump eccentric
kit.

Staying carb will be easier for sure, but it all depends on what you want to do
with the car. Having an EFI donor makes the changeover much easier that it
would be without one.

[U S Marine]

Well, having owned a crap load of cars, I would NEVER give up fuel injection. Once you understand it, it's way easier. You don't have to re-build it every other year; or mess with changing jets until you get it right. Being able to "plug in" to the OBD computer and troublshoot eliminates a bunch of guess work. Just know that the '88 is a speed density engine. You can convert to MAF if you want to go wild.
No cold weather start issues, no pumping the accelerator to start it, no power valves to go bad, no choke adjustments....ahhh, the good life! My vote is to stay fuel injected.

Tony

[scguy64]

I am doing the same thin with a 1983 convert, was a 3.8 V6...putting in a 347 with GT40 heads and a BBK SSI intake...my question is how do you splice in the ecu/injection harness into the 1983 dash harness, I am putting a 1979 pace car fron clip on the car...making a Pace car convertible

[347BLKCAT]

Fuel injection all the way. To many advantages to give up for a bit of install work. Good luck with your project!

[86capriASC]

I am doing the same thin with a 1983 convert, was a 3.8 V6...putting in a 347 with GT40 heads and a BBK SSI intake...my question is how do you splice in the ecu/injection harness into the 1983 dash harness, I am putting a 1979 pace car fron clip on the car...making a Pace car convertible

The ecu harness does not need to be spliced into the dash harness.
The ecu harness goes into the firewall on the passenger side. The only wire that might need to go to the dash would be the engine light if you wanted.

[JACook]

Well, having owned a crap load of cars, I would NEVER give up fuel injection. Once you understand it, it's way easier. You don't have to re-build it every other year; or mess with changing jets until you get it right. Being able to "plug in" to the OBD computer and troublshoot eliminates a bunch of guess work. Just know that the '88 is a speed density engine. You can convert to MAF if you want to go wild.
No cold weather start issues, no pumping the accelerator to start it, no power valves to go bad, no choke adjustments....ahhh, the good life! My vote is to stay fuel injected.

The factory 4180C carburetor has none of those issues, and if rebuilt properly,
will give 100K miles of trouble-free service. There are lots of advantages to EFI,
but let's not base our choice on worn out, or aftermarket junk.

Also, since we don't know where the OP's '88 came from, it probably is speed-
density, but not for definite. Kalifornia models got the mass airflow system a
year early, in '88.

[scguy64]

then where does the ECU get power.....from fuse block right?

[holtzer1]

OMG, your going to put a newer motor in it? SHAME..youll ruin the "originalit" of the car. you would be better finding an 81 model boa anchor to put in there.

[79Coupe]

Fuel injection all the way. I find it EASIER to work on than a carb, for the fact that you DON'T work on it much at all. It just works!

[bigjason_5]

OMG, your going to put a newer motor in it? SHAME..youll ruin the "originalit" of the car. you would be better finding an 81 model boa anchor to put in there.

100% disagree, sorry.

I think a roller motor is a great idea, especially since the car is starting as a rolling chassis and you have the motor from a donor car. What I would do is go ahead and convert that motor to carbed instead of converting the car to EFI. It's a lot easier to swap an intake, timing cover and distributor, and install a fuel pump and carb, than it would be to install the ECM, engine harness, fuel pump in the tank, new return fuel line, and wire everything up. You would need to tie in to the dash harness for the gauges to work and for the ECM to get power. Also, the car has a fender mount voltage regulator, but the donor car will have an alternator with the built in regulator. There is some rewiring you would need to do. I'd rather put it back to stock, with the exception of the fact that there is a roller cam in there.

Just my opinion. Good luck.

[JACook]

Those that think you have to fiddle with carbs all the time have obviously never
owned a car that had the right carb. The '85 motor that I put in my old StaWag
Back in '88, ran for about 120K miles before my son packed it into the rear of
a Dodge truck. I never had to touch that 4180C.

Ya know, Honda was still using carbs in '89, on the Accord. They had a pair of
Keihin side-drafts that would run just about forever without any fuss whatsoever,
with driveability that would put any EEC-4 equipped 5.0 to shame.

But If all's you're gonna do is put on a craptastic parts store rebuilt carb, or worse,
a double-pumper anything, then by all means, go EFI...

[79Coupe]

But If all's you're gonna do is put on a craptastic parts store rebuilt carb, or worse, a double-pumper anything, then by all means, go EFI...

I don't think that 4180C would come close to powering my 351W. If you want to just drive it, then I'm sure that carb or the equivalent would be fine. When you start going down the hi-po route, you have to give up some of that stuff.

It's a trade. EFI gives you the opportunity to have both.

[scguy64]

The reason I am going fuel injection, building a show car....Open hood to a BBK SSI intake...it is different and not very common http://www.holyrollerz.org/carpics/c...509_214857.jpg
on a 1979 pace car convertible.

[scguy64]

If You have a speed denisty donor car, upgrade to mass air and A9L computer for a 5 speed or A9P for a auto but more agressive timing curve and no rev limiter, you can use a A9P on a 5 speed but cant not use a A9L on a auto

[79Coupe]

The reason I am going fuel injection, building a show car....Open hood to a BBK SSI intake...it is different and not very common http://www.holyrollerz.org/carpics/c...509_214857.jpg
on a 1979 pace car convertible.

Totally agree!!! I'll be using that on my 86 GT project. Only downside $750!!! Ouch!!!

[scguy64]

great soure for fuel injection
http://www.fordfuelinjection.com/
or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/083...d_i=0837603021
this the Bible for ford fuel injection for 1988 and up

[scguy64]

I got my BBK SSI at the lowes motor speedway swap meet in charlotte for 350 brand new...If you have cash...they will barter
http://www.lowesmotorspeedway.com/ti...fall_autofair/

[Peganit2]

That was a steal! Those are awesome intakes, a little heavy perhaps and pricy but they put down huge, uncompromised power.

I don't know why you don't see more of them. Except maybe the price and weight.

[scguy64]

I had to get a 1979 pace car turbo 4 hood and open up the hole in the hood to get the SSI to fit with a 1/2 spacer

[U S Marine]

Those that think you have to fiddle with carbs all the time have obviously never owned a car that had the right carb. The '85 motor that I put in my old StaWag Back in '88, ran for about 120K miles before my son packed it into the rear of a Dodge truck. I never had to touch that 4180C.

Oh, I understand. I've had very good carbs. Most of which I built for my particular engine. I built one for my Hurst Olds that wouldn't quit! For that matter I bought a brand new carb for the car when I sold it and kept the carb I built for later use. I still own it.

My suggestion comes because building a GOOD carb is a dying art. If you don't know how to build, test and adjust one, your life will be glued to FEP.com tech board and never behind the wheel of the car you want to drive! EFI gives MOST people the ability to drive all the time with limited interruptions.

I've been on these forums since Al Gore invented the internet and I have seen/read the issues someone with limited knowledge of carbs has getting one set up. By the time they buy a good one to start with, the gas and time spent with seat-of-the-pants testing OR a dyno tune, they would have spent less money and time on an EFI set up. So, please don't think I am anti carburetor, because I'm not. I just think in this situation, go EFI. I can only offer my two cents.

Yes, California 88's had MAF.

[scguy64]

If you need a cheap set of 30lb injectors....look in upull it at 4.0 explorers...get 8 and you can get rebuild kits on ebay cheap...and get a C&L mass air meter...flow tube can be changed for 30 dollars