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FICM Relocation Wiring Harness Extension

16K views 18 replies 14 participants last post by  DieselFab67 
#1 ·
Has anyone considered building a wiring harness extension so the FICM could be mounted inside the cab of the truck? This would solve a lot of the vibration and heat problems associated with the FICM.
 
#2 ·
I too had this thought. GM 6.5L diesels had this done for the pump mounted driver. Made all the difference. As long as you could find the OEM plugs, pins and proper wire (and crimp tools etc) it sounds like an easy upgrade that might help.
 
#3 ·
DieselSite, are you listening? Easy money.
 
#4 ·
i was just about to mention the PMD in the 6.5L's....but you'll find a lot of the "know-it-alls" on here dont approve of this possibility, i've read this a few times before in other threads and posts....they may or may not comment here but i'm not putting out names since you could find them if you did searches. dont get me wrong, i am thankful for the knowledge they do possess and experience and it has helped me and numerous others out.... But opinions are opinions, and a lot of times sponsors will take it as no interest in such a product or not enough of an interest...Cost v. Effect.....they should atleast do some R&D on this before blowing it off....JMHO
 
#10 ·
The ONLY way to disprove an opinion is with evidence and it sounds like you have your own opinion on the subject. Maybe you should invest some time, money and effort into your own R&D to develop something like this. I'm sure that there is a market for it. :thumb:

I read a thread not long ago that Bulletproof Diesel is actually designing a "Bulletproof" FICM and had considered relocating it but had come to the conclusion that fixing the problems with the FICM itself was a better option. Search "Bulletproof FICM" and you should find the thread.

Judging by BPD's track record ,I'm sure there was plenty of R&D involved in that decision.:dunno:
That's who immediately came to mind for me as well. I figure if those guys have decided not to move it and redesign it instead (which would have been CONSIDERABLY cheaper), there must have been something involved in that decision.
Furthermore, fixing it AND moving it would prove to be an even better option!! And who in this business of 6.0L's doesn't like incremental improvements in things that have some unknowns in them?

Surely...surely...moving the complex delicate electronic thing off the top of the vibrating HOT engine could not hurt...but only help. And it would be easy if you had an OEM style extension harness and some thought on where to mount it to appear OEM. Heck...you could even hang a little white decal with some random numbers on it off of the poly loom wrap to make it look factory. :)

Besides...who wouldn't like to see a little more valve cover? That alone is worth something to me!!
This made me LOL! :hehe: I would absolutely agree! I LOVE me some valve cover...

This seems like a great idea and judging from our automotive history, electronics do NOT like hot, dusty, wet or otherwise unregulated climates. Moving the electronics seems like a great idea on the surface. I know a similar situation with voltage regulators on the early Polaris RZR's were moved in order to get adequate airflow to keep them from overheating. There are a BUNCH of examples where what was delivered from the factory wasn't adequate.
 
#5 ·
Similar issue with the gas engines and TFI modules. Originally mounted on the distributor, and they suffered from heat/vibration issues. Eventually they were moved to the inside of the drivers fender by the firewall, no more problems.

I would say it doesn't need to be inside the cab, but maybe over on the fender would be good.

Adam
 
#8 ·
Silly fox bodies! :thumb::thumb::thumb:
 
#6 ·
I read a thread not long ago that Bulletproof Diesel is actually designing a "Bulletproof" FICM and had considered relocating it but had come to the conclusion that fixing the problems with the FICM itself was a better option. Search "Bulletproof FICM" and you should find the thread.

Judging by BPD's track record ,I'm sure there was plenty of R&D involved in that decision.:dunno:
 
#9 · (Edited)
the conclusion that fixing the problems with the FICM itself was a better option
Furthermore, fixing it AND moving it would prove to be an even better option!! And who in this business of 6.0L's doesn't like incremental improvements in things that have some unknowns in them?

Surely...surely...moving the complex delicate electronic thing off the top of the vibrating HOT engine could not hurt...but only help. And it would be easy if you had an OEM style extension harness and some thought on where to mount it to appear OEM. Heck...you could even hang a little white decal with some random numbers on it off of the poly loom wrap to make it look factory. :)

Besides...who wouldn't like to see a little more valve cover? That alone is worth something to me!!
 
#11 ·
I don't know what all this worry about vibration is all about. My 6.0 runs so smoothly you wouldn't know it was running if you couldn't hear it. Yeah eat may be an issue but a properly designed system with properly sized components, adequate head sinks etc. won't have any problem on the VC. On the other hand I'm all for cleaning up the engine bay. When BPD gets their FICM nailed down one will be going on my truck for sure.
 
#14 ·
All it would take would be a little time. Probably grab an old core FICM and use the female plugs off it and grab on those repair kits for the male ends I've seen and have at it. I think the unit itself probably generates enough heat to screw up the solder inside it, but I could be wrong. There are also many other factors like which flash version you have and its effect on the unit and where you live as to the heat/cold etc etc etc..
 
#15 ·
Most electronics use a type of solder that is called Eutectic solder, which just means that it is a 63/37 alloy of tin and lead. From Wikipedia:

It has the lowest melting point (183 °C or 361.4 °F) of all the tin/lead alloys; and
The melting point is truly a point — not a range.
Basically, this means that your solder junctions will NOT MELT due to the heat of your engine even located on the valve cover directly above your exhaust manifold. While I'm certain the electronic components don't respond well to the heat, the solder won't melt.
 
#18 ·
Good point, Jarrod. On long runs, you can incur copper losses but this isn't significant enough to matter. This is low voltage DC over a relatively short run (likely less than 3 feet) so the voltage drop would be measured in millivolts.
 
#19 ·
Oh, if you guys only knew. Yes moving the FICM would probably help... for a little while. But the end result is inevitable I'm afraid. Fixing it is driving me to drink. LOL

For years we have been debating the ways to fix the FICM issues. 18 months is how long we have been in design and testing on our FICM solutions. It's definitely been a learning experience. Swamps seems to be doing well with their mods to the FICMs and I know we have pretty good luck fixing the stock FICMs. The problem is trusting the FICMs outside of our comfort zones... This is where the real issue is. This is what we are trying to cure.

Relocating the FICM will probably make it better for the short term, but it won't fix the problems. I wish it would. It would be a simple, cheap fix. Relocating the Ford TFI modules to the firewall, fender or core support, in a massive heat sink, did help resolve some of the issues Ford was having with it's TFI modules... Ahh, I'm getting nostalgic. That's a whole different story for another forum...
 
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