FAST ecu

You know the good thing about the E38/67 is the size of the ECU. Also it is all contained. I am not sure about the new Holley and the DFI is contained in one unit, but the Fast you have use the XFI, then a XIM to drive the coil per cylinder. The E38 is smaller then the XFI and it does fuel and ignition functions.
If space is a problem then that is another check next to the GM stuff.

I have been thinking about trying a E38 in a Ford product. My nephew just bought a 68 Mustang and I am trying to talk him into dropping a real motor in it. I have the LS1 in the race car that looks like it would fit. Would be interesting.
 
Any of you guys do any cal pak tuning that would plug into the olde tyme speed density computers from the early 90's/late 80's.....like '91 F body??

I"m using 1227730 on my vette for years now, need to do some computer mods....

if so, how much....PM is fine....

:thankyou:
 
I bought a chip burner off of ebay about 5 years ago with being able to this in mind. Once I got it and looked at the tunercat website at what I was going to have to do to get a chip apart, I dropped the whole idea. So simple answer would be nope. I would like to, but I don't know if there are enough customers to offset the cost of trying to get into those.
Thanks
Justin
 
J. Abbott said:
I bought a chip burner off of ebay about 5 years ago with being able to this in mind. Once I got it and looked at the tunercat website at what I was going to have to do to get a chip apart, I dropped the whole idea. So simple answer would be nope. I would like to, but I don't know if there are enough customers to offset the cost of trying to get into those.
Thanks
Justin
Click to expand...

Years ago, on the mechanical end of things, SOME of the GM chips were U/V erasable, and so to put them under the light for some time, then to stick the entire calpak in a socket like what is on the mommy board, and dump new program into it.....that's what a fellow did some years ago, right here on my kitchen counter....but I have lost touch with him....he was a retired GM engineer so knew the ropes pretty good on that....I want to say the name was Jim Smith?? only met him once, and that's about 7? years ago....

lived down the coast back then...maybe Orlando??
 
I havent heard of him, but that doesn't mean anything. The tools are out there to purchase to make it all happen, look on the tunercat website.
 
J. Abbott said:
I havent heard of him, but that doesn't mean anything. The tools are out there to purchase to make it all happen, look on the tunercat website.
Click to expand...

Yeh, last I looked it would take about 400 bux of tools to do it, not worth all that much to me since the going rate is like 150 bux/calpak.....

but I wonder what a more modern computer brings to the table....on my old basic TPI 355 roller engine with L98 cam or maybe ZZ9 TPIS cam...without going krazy on this ignition thing....HEI still in the car, to change THAT is a act/congress....

:nuts:
 
Truthfully I don't think there is allot left on the table if you are staying the normal L98 stuff. Keep the came at the ZZ9 and nothing bigger. The other systems start to shine when you are just starting out on a build or you are adding power adders or big cam, big heads etc. I have seen plenty of C4 race cars run the stock L98 computer systems.
 
tunercat is not free..you must pay for it, I have it. TunerPro RT is where it's at, it's free if you don't mind the nag screen and it's so much more refined. If you jsut want to alter some tables, tc is fine.

I do have everything to tune that SD 91 f body ECM in tunercat though. You'll need the ecm def. file and the bin (aujp?)

This is running it's stock ECM, it's a 92 GTA. It's not quite there yet, some lean issues on very light throttle but nothing that can't be fixed. With yours being close to stock? A stock bin would work just fine. Slap in some Bosch III 22 Lbs injectors (throw those multecs as far away as you can -> jsup has the bosch injectors) and take it for a spin. I doubt there's much you need to change. VE table should be pretty close.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOL8g_tx3ts[/ame]
 
Expertise needed

I am brewing up a Rochester EFI conversion and have no EFI tuning/mod experience. I have been concentrating on the mechanical aspects - TB, fuel system, sensor mounting etc. but I eventually have to make an ECU choice. The engine is a 327 + 0.030. No power adders, 4 speed. Moderate hyd cam ~ 232* & 0.5 lift, 195 Alum Heads & Headers.

From this thread I gather that the GM ECU is more capable and less expensive but not as friendly as aftermarket ECUs. Also seems like the new Holley release sparked a competative response from FAST so those systems are more or less on equal ground. Accel Gen8 disappeared. Edelbrock Pro-Flo XT + is also newish.

Is the aftermarket route the most likely to produce a good result for an EFI novice with a mild street engine or is the GM box not that scary.

Should this be a separate thread?

Grampy
 
I noticed the same thing about the Gen 8. I saw a Gen 8 at Sema in 09 and still is not available. You may want to look at the DFI thruster, is is relatively cheaper than a Gen 7 because it does not have the nitrous controls which is sounds like you would not use anyway. The one thing about DFI is that it is user friendly. You could try a GM MEFI, I think that is how it is spelled. It is what was used on the GM performance parts RAMJET 350. I am not sure if it is tunable as delivered from GM, but MAST performace I think did something with them. It is really small.
 
Grampy said:
I am brewing up a Rochester EFI conversion and have no EFI tuning/mod experience. I have been concentrating on the mechanical aspects - TB, fuel system, sensor mounting etc. but I eventually have to make an ECU choice. The engine is a 327 + 0.030. No power adders, 4 speed. Moderate hyd cam ~ 232* & 0.5 lift, 195 Alum Heads & Headers.

From this thread I gather that the GM ECU is more capable and less expensive but not as friendly as aftermarket ECUs. Also seems like the new Holley release sparked a competative response from FAST so those systems are more or less on equal ground. Accel Gen8 disappeared. Edelbrock Pro-Flo XT + is also newish.

Is the aftermarket route the most likely to produce a good result for an EFI novice with a mild street engine or is the GM box not that scary.

Should this be a separate thread?

Grampy
Click to expand...

For your application I would choose either the Holley or the FAST self-tuning ECU based systems. If you want to try tweaking, then all you need is a lap-top. The GM will require you to buy some software and is not as easy to learn or tune. Yes, Holley has responded to FAST in the capability area...now FAST is going to hustle and catch Holley!. Competition is a good thing! You can continue posting here on my thread...no problems.
 
I think them going back an forth is great, it creates better systems. I would like to use a Big Stuff3 to see how they are. I have not looked at the Holley yet but I am going to. G is right about the GM though, you would have to purchase about $600 worth of tuning software, but you get a really small computer that is cheap when something goes bad. I have only had the DFI gen 6 box's go bad on me, everything else seems to be pretty reliable as ECU's so keep in mind that you may never have one go bad. It is only something to keep in the back of your mind. One of the reasons I pulled my XFI out is because the race series that I would like to race in is all over the east coast. If I were to be say in Watkins Glen and my ECU went out, I am done. If I am running a GM one, then I can go pick one up at a local dealership or even a place that sells used parts or NAPA or something like that. I don't think you will go wrong on any of them, they all have pros and cons.
 
Grampy, stay away from the MEFI. It too is a rugged small piece of electronics that is built like a brick chit house, but the tunes that GM put into it aren't worth a damn. My friend who owns a marine race business purchased MEFI Burn which allows us to recalibrate the tunes, but not on the fly. Major pain in the ass compared to the new aftermarket stuff. I pitched my MEFI in the trash can and purchased the Accel Gen VII a few years ago. It is a breeze to tune compared to the old GM stuff and is now considered old technology. It turned that RamJet 502 into a new engine running like it never did with the MEFI. I have the old Holley Commander 950 setup on the 69 427 "Blue Angel" vette and plan to put my new Holley Dominator ECU on it. That is over kill I know, but part of the fun is playing with and understanding all the capability offered. Avenger or HP is more than adequate and cheaper to boot. I believe even cheaper than FAST with more capability. Sorry Big G, FAST still has some catching up to do in my mind. Don't be discouraged by Holley just because you may have had some bad experience with thier old technology, because that is just what it is, old technology with limited capability compared to today. Time marches on and It's geeks like me that have to have the latest and greatest:nuts: Maybe that's why I am double dipping with this new job. So I can afford my extravagance :lol:
 
Bullshark said:
Grampy, stay away from the MEFI. It too is a rugged small piece of electronics that is built like a brick chit house, but the tunes that GM put into it aren't worth a damn. My friend who owns a marine race business purchased MEFI Burn which allows us to recalibrate the tunes, but not on the fly. Major pain in the ass compared to the new aftermarket stuff. I pitched my MEFI in the trash can and purchased the Accel Gen VII a few years ago. It is a breeze to tune compared to the old GM stuff and is now considered old technology. It turned that RamJet 502 into a new engine running like it never did with the MEFI. I have the old Holley Commander 950 setup on the 69 427 "Blue Angel" vette and plan to put my new Holley Dominator ECU on it. That is over kill I know, but part of the fun is playing with and understanding all the capability offered. Avenger or HP is more than adequate and cheaper to boot. I believe even cheaper than FAST with more capability. Sorry Big G, FAST still has some catching up to do in my mind. Don't be discouraged by Holley just because you may have had some bad experience with thier old technology, because that is just what it is, old technology with limited capability compared to today. Time marches on and It's geeks like me that have to have the latest and greatest:nuts: Maybe that's why I am double dipping with this new job. So I can afford my extravagance :lol:
Click to expand...

Re-read. That is what I implied. FAST WAS on top. Not any more. Holley now has the post position. Now it is up to FAST to catch up. I want them to add trans. control to the XFI. For free......:mad:
 
Thanks for the input everybody.

For a 1 time install it sounds like a draw financially. If you have to invest about $600 for tuning software plus the GM box you are almost at the price of the Holley HP (~$900) which includes the software plus some support. Does the GM tuning software come with any support? The harnesses cost should be about the same.

The new GM box appears to be a better platform technically but I imagine it will have a bunch of chassis functions like auto trans, anti theft and antilock brakes etc that have to be disabled for a simple C2. How about ignition? Would you have to have the expected 60X cranktrigger and COP or can you use a distibutor?

The aftermarket ECU seem to do the job. Do they include error code reporting so you can diagnose problems like OBD-2 ? I just had a sensor lead intermittant short to ground problem on my DD and in made me crazy.
 
I have the DFI Thruster ECU and mine is capable of running I think 3 different nitrous stages. It can run sequential fire and individual fuel for each cyl. It does way more than I use. Nice unit. Art
 
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