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Author Topic: 2.3L TFI Upgrade into a 1980 Pinto  (Read 2197 times)

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Offline PaulHolcomb

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2.3L TFI Upgrade into a 1980 Pinto
« on: April 04, 2006, 04:42:08 PM »
Can someone please help me with this question?  I was told about upgrading my ingnition to a TFI system.  However, I don't know what cars to get it out of in the junkyards and exactly which parts I'll need to make this work.  I'm putting a ministock pinto together and will be racing in 15 days.  Can someone please give me a parts list of what I'll need to do this swapout?  If the TFI swap is too difficult, which system will give me a good spark curve for around 7000-7500 RPM.  I am running a D Port 2.3L Hydraulic Roller Head with a Johnson 520 Cam.  Please help!!!!!  I can be reached at Holcomb31Racin g@earthlink.net  or HolcombRacing@yahoo.com, as well as here. :text_yb_please:

Offline goodolboydws

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Re: 2.3L TFI Upgrade into a 1980 Pinto
« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2006, 11:50:36 AM »
I know that some of the Escorts and Lynx used the TFI ignition on their 2.3L engines, but these engines weren't rated to the RPM's you're talking about, so I wouldn'tnecessarily trust that ignition set up for your application, at least with the factory parts. For example, distributor gears break, and it can be big bucks worth of damage as a result if anything ends up in the wrong place.

I know that on  a Nissan site I visit, there is a lot of talking going on about a Petronics? flamethrower ignition as being something "great", but Ihave no personal experience with it.

For that matter, I used to run a '67 Mustang, a combo street and daily driver,
with a dual point ignition set up(Mallory, I believe) in the 70's, using a self built Heathkit Capacitive Charge ignition for spark energy that was rated to run faster than my engine, which topped out at about 6,500rpm.... with the cam I had in it last....
That's 30 years ago, wow do I feel old.

There have got to be racing application ignition systems that drop into a 2.3.

Offline 78pinto

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Re: 2.3L TFI Upgrade into a 1980 Pinto
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2006, 12:54:29 PM »
in order to run TFI i believe you have to have the complete EFI setup, not worth doing at all.
** Jeff (78Pinto) is Missing from us but will always be a part of our community- We miss you Jeff **

Offline 78jr racer

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Re: 2.3L TFI Upgrade into a 1980 Pinto
« Reply #3 on: April 10, 2006, 04:54:59 AM »
just keep watching the racing parts on ebay. good distributers keep popping up on there every week. now that racing season is back. that or make a visit to esslinger. but you might as well walk in the door backwards bent over!
merle walter

Offline PaulHolcomb

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Re: 2.3L TFI Upgrade into a 1980 Pinto
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2006, 12:01:30 AM »
I found a perfect distributor for this application... .It's a Mel's ignition.  It's stock in appearance, has all electronic parts internally, has a 2 wire connection harness, does NOT need a seperate module, and comes complete with a coil for 300 dollars.  It is rated up to more rpm's then I'll put out!!!