2 x 4cyl ECU's

[Freakazoid]

Just another thought. After reading the 180 header thread for about the 5th time the comment re the 2 x 4 cylinders making a flat plane V8 got me thinking if you could run the VH in a similar manner. Is it conceivably possible to run the VH with 2 x 4 cylinder ECU's, using same engine speed sensors but with say the O2 from one bank feeding the one ECU and so on. Wherever required use the same sensors and wherever there is benefit use the sensors for that specific bank or group of cylinders.

It is just that aftermarket ECU's for 4 cylinder engines that have all the bells and whistles are a helluva lot cheaper than the 8 cylinder versions. I can get a really hot local ECU with VVT, coil-on-spark, launch control etc for about 1/5th of the price of an Autronic or equivalent. I know the OEM ECU rocks, but thought I'd ask the question anyway.

[AntonZ32]

not meaning to s

Just another thought. After reading the 180 header thread for about the 5th time the comment re the 2 x 4 cylinders making a flat plane V8 got me thinking if you could run the VH in a similar manner. Is it conceivably possible to run the VH with 2 x 4 cylinder ECU's, using same engine speed sensors but with say the O2 from one bank feeding the one ECU and so on. Wherever required use the same sensors and wherever there is benefit use the sensors for that specific bank or group of cylinders.

It is just that aftermarket ECU's for 4 cylinder engines that have all the bells and whistles are a helluva lot cheaper than the 8 cylinder versions. I can get a really hot local ECU with VVT, coil-on-spark, launch control etc for about 1/5th of the price of an Autronic or equivalent. I know the OEM ECU rocks, but thought I'd ask the question anyway.

Not meaning to shoot you down, but thats a terrible idea.-you would have to change the engine loom-tuning would be a nightmare-making a flat plane V8 is only possible by changing the crank and thus the timing, you can't just devide it into two groups of 4.

The factory ECU is great, there is seldom any need to change it, and if your going all out on an engine enough to warrant not needing the factory ECU then you won't be too cut about spending 1.5-3k on a standalone

[Freakazoid]

I have to redo the loom anyway, so that isn't any more or less work. I agree that tuning would be quite something. I don't want to turn the VH into a flat plane V8 but seems like you can control the engine as if it was 2 4 cylinders, or not?

The statement, "Buy the ECU that your tuner is comfortable with". Well down here we have no one that has even the faintest idea how to tune the factory ECU. I am also struggling to get hold of an ECU.

So I thought I'd ask the question, I actually prefer to use the factory ECU. On the topic of cost. The engine cost me $700 delivered to my door from Japan, the local ECU is $400 and it can do sequential injection on V8's, just not coil on spark, which I would prefer. So I am actually trying to go the opposite, 1.5-3k is a bit steep for me.

[Mettler]

The statement, "Buy the ECU that your tuner is comfortable with". Well down here we have no one that has even the faintest idea how to tune the factory ECU. I am also struggling to get hold of an ECU.

It's not complicated to set up a tuning rig that allows a tuner to do the job effectively, here's your shopping list:

Pocket Romulator (and the pocket programmer too, for burning chips):http://secure.transtronics.com/I-PKTROM.htm

A consult cable, various types now available on the net, blaZt being one of them.

Nistune tuning software: http://www.nistune.com/ Nistune is as pro as it gets, if your tuner cannot use this, you can't trust him to tune your engine anyway.

Wideband O2 sensor (your tuner should have one of these)

One of my mates is using this method for tuning & chipping RB20 ecus to run RB30DETs with great success. I'll be using this method for my motor as well.

[Freakazoid]

Thanks for that info, I know you have posted it before, thanks again though. I just need to get hold of an ECU now. Anybody got one lying around they want to part with?

[tmorgan4]

I do have one extra ECU but I'm not sure how much of a pain it is to ship to Australia. I believe it came out of a '95 w/ TCS, but I'm using a '94 w/ TCS ECU on my '92 engine without issues.

Ever had anything like this shipped from the US? I don't have a clue what it would cost or if it's worth the hassle.

[Freakazoid]

I'm actually in South Africa. And US Airmail works just fine. I get shocks and suspension components from the US via Airmail. Lat me know what you want for it and I'll see if i can get an estimate on shipping.

Thanks a lot.

[ultrapulse]

I may have a spare as well (from new zealand).There is a vh41 one here in NZ on trademe:http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade...7.htm
Modified by ultrapulse at 2:48 AM 9/16/2008

[WizardBlack]

The factory ECU is well and good but it isn't the correct application for every thing someone might do with the engine. Very very few people have gone beyond bolt-ons, so a reflash/rechip system works OK. The Nistune software looks nice, but you are still simply messing with transform tables for a MAF sensor, etc. I'll take speed density any day, but that's my opinion. You should be able to use a Megasquirt with EDIS-8 quite well on a VH motor.