Everything olddog just told you is spot on. There are three very good sources of EFI systems that you may not have heard of. All three have been providing them for years although, some have become generally available only in the last few years.
The first is what you will consider an unlikely source — Ford. Ford spends more money designing the hardware and software before getting to the calibration on one system than most of the aftermarket suppliers combined. Their engine management is very complete but does not offer the failsafes the aftermarket systems do.
A good starting point you might consider is the n/a version of the Ford EFI electronics which they sell through FRPP for Coyote's. This is the link =>
Coyote EFI System. You can usually reduce the buy price fairly significantly over Ford's MSRP.
To use the system you need to disable the TiVCT in the software (mouse clicking effort) specify your engine displacement and injector sizing you wish to use. The supplied MAF is already specified in the tune.
The second choice you have is the
Pro-M Racing injection, <= click here. The Pro-M system is the Ford factory racing EFI of a few years ago, that is built for them by the same folks (Visteon) that build all their OEM daily driver systems. The system is extremely high quality and again a stunning engineering effort and investment, way outstripping most all of the aftermarket offerings.
A nice extra added attraction is that this system will actually build its own base tune to keep you going until you can get to the dyno or get around to doing it yourself. You still have to tell it your engine size and injector sizing and MAF calibration. This is a
VERY complete and well thought out system.
The third candidate you should consider is the MegaSquirt Pro package from
DIY Autotune <= click here. Many people have overlooked the MS systems because they didn't want to get involved with a 'Heathkit' type project.
DIY Autotune changed all that. They offer a completely built system just like Ford or Pro-M offers but with a stunning array of tuning features. The completeness of the offering is in large part due to the decades of development the authors have put into it. FWIW it is also the least expensive of the three without giving up any capability. An additional attaboy is an extraordinarily good and complete tuning software user interface that is available in either PC or Mac formats.
All three of these systems are Mass Air systems. Ford supplies a suitable MAF with the first choice. The Pro-M and the Megasquirt systems require you to purchase a MAF. The MAF that I use and highly recommend is the Pro-M 92 unit click here =>
Pro-M MAFs for pics. The one you want is either the Pro-M 80 or the Pro-M 92, depending on your engine size and anticipated mass air flow. The 92 is usually used on supercharged engines but can be calibrated for lower mass air flows. Pro-M can help you select the proper one for your engine choice
As old dog said their are three primary EFI models. The oldest and simplest in terms of management strategy is the Alpha-N model. The Speed Density model is next and is the most popular today because it is easier to understand and lets the end user fiddle with engine V
e in a V
e table. The problem with the fiddle approach is no one seems to know what their engine's V
e is at 4137 rpm or how it has changed by 5962 rpm.
The Mass Air Flow approach measures, with a calibrated MAF, the actual weight of air being injested by the engine at any point in time and informs the EFI controller so it can adjust the injector pulse width to provide the commanded AFR you have chosen for that operating RPM and load with the ambient air available at that particular point in time.
A nice extra added attraction, that the OP was interested in and old dog already mentioned, is the ability of the Mass Air Based systems to adjust the tune on the fly depending on ambient weather conditions. This is the OEM approach used because they have to meet emissions standards anywhere in the country, at any altitude, and any weather conditions all the time — because it is mandated by Federal law.
Ed
p.s. Almost forgot. If you use one of the iconic and stunningly good looking eight stack intake systems it will be all but impossible to use a MAF based system. At the minimum it will be quite difficult to manage the air into the MAF and then out to the eight stacks.
If that is your intended engine configuration you will be best served with a Speed Density approach that obviates the use of a MAF. All three of the systems I have enumerated above have a mode switch in their s/w and can be operated in Alpha-N, Speed Density or Mass Air mode.
p.p.s When / if you go to the FRPP page with the Coyote PCM, scroll down to just below the picture where it says
Overview and then
Similar Parts. Click on similar parts. You will see a listing of all the PCM's they sell. The 4.6L 3V unit will save you about $400 and still allow you to specify your engine, injector and MAF calibrations to work with your engine.
An important consideration if you go the Ford route is you will need to spend about an additional $800 for aftermarket tuning software. If you go the Pro-M or Megasquirt route they come with the tuning s/w.