DFI and M+A heads questions

[t-typinator]

I've recently looked at 2 cars for sale + both have DFI systems + both have M+A heads,one i know was put together 20 yrs ago + the other looks like it was probably done about the same time.

How good or bad are the DFI setups,I know 1 is a version 5.0 + has the little laptop with it.the other is probably from around the same timeframe + no laptop.
I'm just wondering how hard they will be to tune or any other problems i might run into with the dfi being that it is now 20 yrs old.

Also i have heard about problems with the old M+A aluminum heads, cracking etc.
Are these setups i should avoid + just wait for a car with newer technology, like champion heads,T/A heads,Fast xfi or even stock computer car.
Both cars should be 10 second cars.

 

[tom robison]

I have had no trouble likes from my M&a heads. I went 9.33 at 148mph with them. At bowling green this past year. Heard the champions crack sometimes.

 

[Turbo-Archie]

I still run the Gen 6 DFi and love it.
If you add a stand alone wide band you would be set.

One thing I always thought was odd for guys paying $1200 for a DFI 20 years ago is they didn't have a laptop hooked up and never changed the tune. They had some one put a basic tune in and never changed it. Defeats the point of having the system IMO.

..

 

[Kip]

Are these setups i should avoid + just wait for a car with newer technology, like champion heads,T/A heads,Fast xfi or even stock computer car.
Both cars should be 10 second cars.

I think a big part of the question could be answered by how nice the cars are and price.


Take care, Kip

 

[pacecarta]

not too dificult to pull the dfi and convert back to ecm
be aware the dfi were generally run with 55 low ohm injectors , heated o2 sensor and were speed densitity (mafless with a 3 bar map)
the heated o2 will work fine
you'll need a modded ecm and a chp
a translator maf setup
and the map sensor was plugged into (or spliced) to the ecm maf sensor input wire (under the hood was common) so you need to undo that
and being a chip youll want a scanmaster and logging (powerlogger + laptop)

better and almost as cheap is pickup a fast B2B setup ,with harness , an older (or newer) laptop and keep it mafless

 

[KevinB]

Gen 6 or 7 dfi?

 

[t-typinator]

Gen 6 or 7 dfi?

Gen 5

 

[t-typinator]

I think a big part of the question could be answered by how nice the cars are and price.


Take care, Kip

Thats part of the problem both are overpriced in my view because of the older,outdated parts,one for sure was put together 20 yrs ago,going by the receipts,the other one has NO receipts +the owner is saying it was just done a couple yrs ago,just before he bought it,but everything is old and outdated also + looks older then the 20yr old one.
I would like to have both + am considering making offers,thats why i am asking questions first,i don't want to buy 1 or both + then find out i should have stayed away from that older outdated stuff, + then cost thousands replacing them.
Compounding the problem is one is on the other side of the country + the person selling it doesn't know alot about it other then the receipts he has from a couple owners ago.

 

[t-typinator]

not too dificult to pull the dfi and convert back to ecm
be aware the dfi were generally run with 55 low ohm injectors , heated o2 sensor and were speed densitity (mafless with a 3 bar map)
the heated o2 will work fine
you'll need a modded ecm and a chp
a translator maf setup
and the map sensor was plugged into (or spliced) to the ecm maf sensor input wire (under the hood was common) so you need to undo that
and being a chip youll want a scanmaster and logging (powerlogger + laptop)

better and almost as cheap is pickup a fast B2B setup ,with harness , an older (or newer) laptop and keep it mafless

Thanks that was my next question,Would i run into problems going back to a stock ecm if the dfi turned out to be a problem?

Ps,in the original post when i said one of them has a little laptop,I'm not sure if thats an accurate description,I think it came with the dfi when new,i only saw a pic of it,it resembles a very small old laptop. Did the dfi come with that when new?
Also,Thanks everybody for the info.

 

[KevinB]

Replacement of the engine harness may be the worse case scenario in switching ecms out. It all depends on if it was hacked up or not. Used ones go for about $200 new ones from caspers are $700+. Real easy job if the car doesn't have an AC box anymore. Removal of the pass side inner fender well is needed if AC box is still in the car. Hopefully they used some sort of jumper harness and nothing is cut.