Bullet Bob wrote:

Well, like I said to MS when he said, "Evans, why don't you just bolt on a carb?", it took me about one minute...I'm slow as I'm just starting to get a handle on this stuff...to add 9% fuel to my Wide-Open-Throttle air-fuel mixture and ....my hands didn't stink like gasoline for a week.  Tuning is way easier for a guy that doesn't own a dyno or just wants to dial in the car for normal street/highway work.  Just plug in the lap-top, take it for a drive at the conditions you want to tune for and datalog what's going on.  Come home and go through the data log with a tall or short cool one and see what changes need to be made.
Yes, the curve is steep.  I've been reading on the subject for over two years just working up my nut to give it a try.  But, you really have to try to screw it up.  The Ford EECIV system will take a lot.  You might go lean at WOT but it will still be perfect at normal cruise since it runs in "Closed Loop" and the O2 sensors keep AFR near perfect.  You might hose up hot start but it will still start with your foot on the floor which turns off the injectors and clears a flood.  It might not idle perfectly but a little reading an a couple of minutes of tweaking will get you dialed in.  And, you won't stink like gasoline for a week.
And, unless your engine is heavily modified you can always pull the ECM and replace it with a stock unit that will likely get you home.

Personally, I got into this hobby to learn how to do new stuff.  This is just one more aspect of the hobby in the modren woild.  Don't be skeered, it really ain't brain surgery...but based on what they were doing in 1969, it IS rocket science.

BB1

X2, well said BB.
 

As I said, we can talk ourselves into anything.  Lines are meant to be crossed, and over the years I've crossed every one I've ever put down.  Not due to any desire to "break the rules", almost always due to financial factors, or a lack of finding people I consider competent to do the work.  In the end, its really had to get the results I want from someone else at any price.  Almost every time I've paid to have something done I eventually end up unhappy with the results.

I learned to rebuilt automatic transmissions because I couldn't find a local shop that thought a TH700R4 was a good transmission.  I researched it, found a company run by a guy I trusted to sell me the right parts and I rebuilt it.  Its lived behind a 500HP engine in a heavy truck for years and shifts amazing. 

Body work is my next endeavor.  This is going to include building a spray booth.  I simply have too many projects that need it and am tired of being either ripped off by shops that do nice work, or disappointed by shops that don't see the value in the cars or trucks I need worked on. 

That said, I do at times buy things I know I could fabricate, but its not out of a lack of desire to learn; that's simply a time call, because I wouldn't be learning anything (I already know how to weld, check pinion angle, etc).  Sure, could spend 2-3 hours making a transmission crossmember for a common trans swap, or I cold just buy one and spend 2 minutes installing it.  I do that because that 2-3 hours can be better spent on other things.  I get where you're coming from with that aspect of it.  The sticking point for me is that what I'm buying needs to be of the same quality as something I could build.  Crossmembers, bracketry, etc. its usually not an issue.  Gauge clusters, and other stuff where the stuff on the market is plastic crap with which I want nothing to do; I build my own. 

Where there's a new skill to learn or knowledge to gain I want to get into it hands on.  I want to know how everything works, especially when I depend on it.  Again, that's also due to being disappointed with the tech and customer service I've received in those situations in the past. 

I think the primary reason I was so taken aback by your decision Daze is that you seem to think along the same lines.  Guys with significantly less knowledge or willingness to get into stuff I could understand.  I guess I just know you have the ability and kind of feel like you're selling yourself short. 
 

Bullet Bob wrote:

Day,
My comments about getting into the hobby to learn stuff and the relative easy of tuning as compared to dealing with a carb were not offered as critical of you or anyone.  That was simply a response to Rudi and BB2's response to TKO's post about how to tune the EECIV. 
.....
So if I offended I do apologize...never was my intention.  

Bob, No need to apologize I was not offended and I didn't think you were being critical at all.

Bullet Bob wrote:

Like most threads, this one started focused and sort of meandered around a bit 

​That it has, but the journey I think has been fun, I mean if we can't share, debate, and learn what is the point of coming here.  If I wanted to show what I was doing with no feedback or discussion I would set up a youtube channel or blog.  This is much better, growing the hobby with a group of good friends.

Bullet Bob wrote:

Day,
I hope to see you again soon or at least next year, Day.  Good luck with the project and please keep the pix coming. 

I agree I would love to see you as well.  I was planning on being at the last bash but we all know what happened there. I will post more as this project develops.  Have had no time to get back to it lately... there is never enough time

 

There is a lot of insight here on what motivates people in a hobby, I guess it depends on where you are at a particular stage in life.
Over the years people go in and out of many varied interests. The social interaction with the people in these hobbies has been a big factor in most of the $#/t I have been involved in. I tend to loose interest when there is no one to share a hobby with.
In my case learning complicated new things is becoming a pain in the derrière, I can remember in extreme detail things I learned and did .back in my teens but damned if trying recall what the hell happened yesterday.

I don’t know if other people as they get older feel the same. Having access to all the accumulated equipment and tools I got over many years let’s me do projects that interest me but  I really appreciate reading and seeing the things you guys are doing and it is very informative.
  Keep up the good work but for me right now I’m sticking with what I can remember.

Just one old guy rambling. 

Not at all Rudi.  Where you are in life definitely makes a difference.  When I was young I had a very limited budget and limitless time.  I'd spend hours or days making or fixing things that today I would just buy, or throw out and buy new.

As I got into my 30s and there were more demands on my time, and money started to become more plentiful I started to pivot tot where I am today.  An hour spent fiddling with something that's probably junk anyway is wasted.  The demands of running my own business, being a father, etc. mean my free time is very limited, and thus significantly more valuable than it was in previous years.  Today I typically say that my time is worth more than my money.  I can always get more money, but I can't get more time. 

Learning wise, I suppose I'll see as I continue to get older.  At this point I still actively seek new things to learn and I still have my uncanny eidetic memory.  Hopefully that sticks for a long while. 

Started working on this install (351W is still on the run stand, man I love that thing)  I had to make a pigtail for the one plug on the terminator X that was not a direct plug and play.  It was for the TPS.  The kit comes with a wetherpack connector on the EFI harness and the corresponding loose end to either wire directly to the TPS or like I did to make an adapter from the Ford TPS connector to the wether pack connector.  I also reconditioned the 5.8 fuel rail and installed it with some 24# EV6 stile injectors.  I then plumbed in a pressure transducer for the fuel and one for the oil.  I also installed the ATS and CTS into the manifold.  This got me to the point where I could install my EFI to Carburetor adapter and fire the engine up with a carb.  The result of this test was both amazing and an epic fail.  Please the my update to the adapter thread for more details.  The only other thing I got done was to plug in the injector harness into the injectors.  The terminator kit I purchased was for a Foxbody so it came with EV1 plugs but my injectors are EV6 so I had to use adapters.  I will probably pick up EV6 ends and wire them directly but for now the adapters will do the trick.

Its just like any construction project.  The last 10% takes 90% of the time.  This is also why I fully dress out an engine on the stand before I install it.  That way, when its time to install it there's a bare minimum of time spent of anything other than getting it running in the vehicle. 

UPDATE:

I finished the install and fired the engine yesterday.  The install was truly plug and play and simple.  The hand held walked me through setup and was easy to do.  This kit gives you a setup wizard but it also allows you to go into the settings and make other adjustments for the more skilled tuner.  It was what wanted as far as tuning.  I can let the system do all the work, but I can also teak things and make changes if I decide to.  The only issue I had was the initial startup.  It was a timing issue and easily corrected.  Still a few bugs to work out but over all I am happy with the results.