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Alternate ECM option

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Old Dec 12, 2012 | 06:26 PM
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Default Alternate ECM option

So as I look at the pro efi and the aem affinity they look very similar to a factory ecu. Like the ls1 units and etc. So my question is with the availability of things like hp tuners and etc, why couldnt the inline 6 community use a I6 ecm from like a trailblazer, make a harness that would be relatively simple to make from ecu plugs. Considering this ecu retails used for about $80 the plugs would be $12-15. You would use the same inputs cam,crank,ect,iat,tps and map. You would have stock like driveability with the ability to tune. This is just a thought what do you gurus think?
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Old Dec 12, 2012 | 06:27 PM
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Default Alternate ECM option

So as I look at the pro efi and the aem affinity they look very similar to a factory ecu. Like the ls1 units and etc. So my question is with the availability of things like hp tuners and etc, why couldnt the inline 6 community use a I6 ecm from like a trailblazer, make a harness that would be relatively simple to make from ecu plugs. Considering this ecu retails used for about $80 the plugs would be $12-15. You would use the same inputs cam,crank,ect,iat,tps and map. You would have stock like driveability with the ability to tune. This is just a thought what do you gurus think?
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Old Feb 3, 2014 | 02:24 PM
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What do some of you tuners think of this,?
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Old Feb 3, 2014 | 04:38 PM
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I dont have enough knowledge or experience to help out but i think this idea is a pretty darn good one. One thing is will the ecu be able to read the factory toyota sensors?
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Old Feb 4, 2014 | 10:03 AM
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You could use any gm ecu that has the open source capability, you just have to figure out the trigger setup. Which may or may not be cheap. Who's tuning your car, who's building it? Ask them. I know someone who's used an lsx stock ecu on a 1uz, there were some custom machined parts to make the trigger setup work. Not that it can't be done, but it may be about the same cost wise after all is said and done as going with an off the shelf ecu
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Old Feb 4, 2014 | 12:11 PM
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Vrank is correct it usually does not use the same type of cam/crank trigger setup, and you may have to retrofit some of the GM coolant or other sensors onto the motor which all in all isn't that hard to do but will be time consuming, I am sure none of the wires are in the correct places and I foresee a lot of extensions and re-wiring of the harness. The trickiest part would be setting up the cam/crank triggers and integrating with the body harness, but shouldn't be too bad. you would still have to tune after all that. hopefully the ecu uses coils because if it has a distributor it will be even more complicated getting it to work right on a JZ.

Personally I would try and find an open source honda ecu but I am not sure there is one cracked yet for a 6 cylinder. In general the honda ecu's are more compatible with the trigger setup, I know honda uses different resistance values on their pickups but there are ways to pick up a toyota signal with their ecu's via some resistors or something. many people run toyota 4 cylinders on the honda ecu's when going na-t (you don't hear about it as much) and supposedly pick up power from just the regular honda tune.
example http://www.mr2.com/forums/threads/21...a-ECU-on-3SGTE

Last edited by Ali SC3; Feb 4, 2014 at 12:15 PM.
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Old Feb 5, 2014 | 05:57 AM
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And if you're looking for stock like driveabilty, make sure your tuner knows what he's doing. I've driven cars with every ecu possible that Justin Nenni tuned from cold starts to hot starts to cruising on road tests and wide open throttle pulls that worked as I the car had come from the factory, even on big cam supras with no iacv. It all comes down to competency of the tuner and the effort they put into your tune.

Remember, its not the ecu that makes those vettes fast out of the factory, its the person who wrote the tune.
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Old Feb 5, 2014 | 10:03 AM
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^ exactly. there are a lot of variables that will come into play, either you or someone will have to spend alot of time ironing them out.
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