TFI advice needed

[cactusjack]

My Cobra FI2000R fuel processor arrived yesterday, and I plan to get up early Saturday morning and install it before it gets too hot in my garage. Does anyone who has already performed the installation have any tips or know of any "gotchas" that might make my installation go smoother or faster? Any advice on adjusting the 3 pots? Thanks!

I would not use the "snap on" connectors they give you. They will either eventually cut your wires in half or loosen up and quit working.

I soldered female terminals on little pig tails and soldered them in to the harness with shrink tubing. I soldered male blades on the TFI. Now I can just plug it in and out.

Before I put terminals on the TFI, I ran the wires through some vinyl sleeve to protect it. I actually used vinyl drip irrigation tube. The + & - wires through one tube & the injector wires through another, since they have to wind up at different locations under the seat.

When you put the computer back in it is possible to plug the white plug in the black socket & vice versa. (Ask me how I know this!) It won't blow up, but it won't run either.

If you have stock intake and just debaffled stock pipes, I wouldn't raise any of the pots above zero except the yellow one to maybe 3, and the 4th pot (the one without a light) to 9 o'clock. Try it like that and tweak with the yellow pot to make the bike accelerate correctly. Maybe raise the green pot a smidge, but no more with the stock equipment on the bike.

[cactusjack]

Thanks CQ, I should have been more specific...my only engine mods are the K&N air filter/Spectre 9" air filter assembly on the LH side and debaffled stock exhaust.

The FI2000R doesn't require splicing into the FI circuits, it is a plug 'n play set up. All I have to do is plug the harness inline at each injector.

I guess what I was looking for was tips on getting to the injectors themselves and any adjustments to the pots I should make. I am at about 1100' elevation if that matters.

I suspect that removing the right air cover and backing plate, then raising the tank on a 2x4 might get you enough clearance without removing the tank completely, depending on how fat your hands are. A bent tip pick might come in handy for unlatching the little plastic hooks on the connectors.

I'm not sure that's a lot easier that just removing the seat & soldering 4 little wires, assuming you can solder; but what you see is what you got.

With that lefty air mod & the de-baffled pipes on a 1600, I'd start out about 1:30~2:00 on the green, 4:00~4:30 on the yellow, zero on the red, and 9:00 on the pot-with-no-name. I'm assuming of course that they haven't changed the electronics since they developed this "plug-in" version of the TFI.

I sure wish I'd had more time to check out everybody's bikes when I was at Mesquite. I don't really know who has what.

Oh, yeah, about the elevation thing.

Once you get it set up to run well, it'll run fine at all altitudes. I've been from sea level to 9500 ft and never needed to make an adjustment.

However I do tend to tweak the yellow pot up a little if I'm going on a long hot ride on the freeway (like hundreds of miles), and down a little if I'm just doing my normal 10 mile rides across town. That probably won't be an issue with you since you haven't unshrouded the air temp sensor on the right side.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by caddmannq

I suspect that removing the right air cover and backing plate, then raising the tank on a 2x4 might get you enough clearance without removing the tank completely, depending on how fat your hands are. A bent tip pick might come in handy for unlatching the little plastic hooks on the connectors.

I'm not sure that's a lot easier that just removing the seat & soldering 4 little wires, assuming you can solder; but what you see is what you got.

With that lefty air mod & the de-baffled pipes on a 1600, I'd start out about 1:30~2:00 on the green, 4:00~4:30 on the yellow, zero on the red, and 9:00 on the pot-with-no-name. I'm assuming of course that they haven't changed the electronics since they developed this "plug-in" version of the TFI.

I sure wish I'd had more time to check out everybody's bikes when I was at Mesquite. I don't really know who has what.

I thought there were only 3 pots? Is there one that isn't obvious? I might not have had my spectacles on when looking at it.

OMG!

You mean Cobra is still selling that obsolete 3-pot version of the TFI?

I thought those were history years ago!

OK, the first two pots whould be the same as I previously described. The 4th doesn't exsist. Just leave the 3rd one turned off unless you think the bike is lean when cruising at 100+ MPH. I doubt it will be because the total airflow won't be different from a stock bike. It's limited by the cams and valves more than intake & exhaust. The difference between a stock bike & one with modded intake & exhaust is how easily the airflow can change in volume & velocity. That's where adjusting the 2nd (yellow) pot comes in. Concentrate on getting that one right.

OK, forget everything I said here. This is a totally new design from Cobra & the settings are completely different. I'd leave the green at 3 & red at zero and concentrate on the yellow pot, setting it no higher than 6 to start with.

[johnr475]

I put an FI2000r on about a month ago. It can be done without removing the tank, but you do need to lift it a few inches. It is a simple plug and play procedure once you get the tank up. Be sure to watch how you route the wiring so it doesn't tangle with anything. Also, when you put the fuel tank back down make sure you don't kink the fuel line. I set mine to recommended setting from Cobra 3-5-0. I have not touched them since. The bike runs great. You might have to fine tune it a little bit, but those settings should at least put you in the ballpark. Overall, it's not that hard to do. Just follow the instructions and take your time. If you can do it with the bike on a stand(wheel chock) you won't have to do a balancing act with the tank.

JohnR

Originally Posted by johnr475

...If you can do it with the bike on a stand(wheel chock) you won't have to do a balancing act with the tank....

That's a good point. Before I lift or remove my tank I also try to nearly run the bike out of gas. It's a whole lot easier to handle when empty and you won't scratch it up if you tip it a little and the gas all suddenly runs to one side.

[cactusjack]

I'm down to the last bar on my fuel gauge and am going to go run some more out of it tonight. Those full tanks is heavy!

[macmac]

Why is the tank needing to be lifted at all? I am kinda lost. Maybe i did mine different because i pulled the battery, which on the 1600 is a Royal pain in the A$$! I soldered to the wires I wanted right there with the ecu pulled. If I recall pink and gray, and pink and green??? These would be injector wires.

I put a dog collar on the battery so next time I could get my greasy mitts on it.

The hard part is each of 3 main connectors are clipped in odd ways... To each half and to the battery hold down. Royal Pain...

This time I left maybe 4 inches of extra harness to the top tool box area where i glued velcro to the bike and to the back of the TFI. That wasn't as much harness as I wish for now.

It might be nicer if I could pull the TFI out far enough to hold it in one hand and so maybe see better to set it.

Yeah, I left enough wire on mine so I can pull it out & duct tape it to the nose of the seat and ride the bike 'til I get it adjusted.

[rewindgy]

Lifted tank up - put 2 X 4 under - plug and play -done in 10 minutes - setting Pot 1 - 2.5 Pot 2 - 4 Pot 3 - 0 If I stay at around 100 - 110 KPH I get 45 - 48 MPG on Cdn gallon which is 4.5 US gallons anything over 110 and it starts to suck fuel which is what it did before the Cobra. But it does run smoother and appears to run cooler when in town sitting in traffic.

[cactusjack]

The Cobra FI2000R is installed. I left the stock settings on the pots and I am going to take it for a ride and go from there. Thanks for the advice!