We have got a test car here that has been running a pinto, we are considering converting to a 2.0 blacktop zetec, but before we make a final decision i just want to find out what the installation needs.

After looking about i have seen some guys are saying that you can use the black motorcraft ignition box (edis 4??).

What i want to know is, if converting to carbs can this be used and if so does the engine still require an ecu present?

Also, i have heard that, with some mods the 1.8 flywheel can be used with the pinto clutch, if using the 1.8 flywheel can a pinto starter be fitted when using a type 9/ 4 speed bellhousing?

Thanks in advance for any help

If you are going bike carbs then go with the nodiz ecu. Whatever you do you will need an ecu (oem or third party) to give you spark.

Rememberr the exhaust/inlet will be on the opposite side to the pinto.

Water pump needs to be sorted as removing ac and powersteering pump makes it turn the wrong way without a new idler pully, loads on info in here to sort that.

Need new mounts as well.

A carbed engine will run on just the edis4 but not well. The edis4 is designed to be controlled externally with somthing like a megajolt ecu but there are newer choices. If you just want somthing mega budget to get it running there is a unit that looks like the Edis with a red top called the Esc. This can advance and retard the ignition based on map and coolant temp. This is still an 8v map so isn't great.

Better still on a very tight budget is the standard ecu and fuel injection as it comes out of the donor.

Seconds for using the Nodiz Pro. Good value for money I reckon at under£300 squid. Just installed my blacktop with bike carbs and it's literally plug and play. Plenty good enough until I can afford to get it on the rolling road.

As above you'll need some kind of ECU to control the spark - there are quite a few choices here depending on your budget....


Omex, emerald and most other aftermarket ECU's are available as a spark only version, these aren't cheap but sometimes offer a way of upgrading to the full aftermarket EFI later (I think megasquirt can do this too)

As above the EDIS4 module on its own won't be enough without an ECU to tell it how to advance the spark it will just stay at the default 10° fixed timing (ford used this as a limp home feature)
The ESC module will adjust itself using a built in vacuum sensor, but the map it uses is not adjustable and not ideal either. (also multi carb setups can be difficult to get a good vac signal from)

I believe some folk have got stock ford ECUs to do spark only, again not adjustable and possibly as much work as fitting the whole stock EFI...


As above nodiz seems to be getting a good reputation and should be easy to fit too

Megajolt is a bit old fashioned at the moment as it needs the EDIS4, but its tried and tested and sometimes comes up for sale second hand at a good price so don't write it off completely (its only £130 new, so as long as you can find an EDIS4 with a plug at a good price its much cheaper - but these are getting a bit harder to find now)


Whichever option you go for you will use the coilpack, leads, and crank sensor that come with the engine, the 1.8 flywheel isba fair bit lighter than the 2.0 one (and still has the trigger pattern for the crank sensor) and can be modified to fit the pinto clutch but I believe its also possible to mix and match the clutch cover / friction plates (using escort &mondeo bits) to get a bolt together soloution that fits the 1" 23 spline input shaft on the type9 / MT75 boxes
(lots of old threads on this)

For the silvertop there was an EECIV oem ecu that could be used with the EDIS to give a decent setup with webers as this I believe was used as a homologation system for the old formula ford engines. Not sure how this would work for a blacktop though.

Info here courtesy of Fisher Sportscars -