Which ECU for Griff
Discussion
Which is the popular ECU ad coil packs to replace the Lucas box and dizzy ? It seems each engine builder has his own favourite and generally they seem to like either Omex or DTA. Emerald it seems appeals to the home modders and to me because of the obvious support directly from the manufacturer and you can actually take the car to them for any mapping issues. Then there are the MegaSquirt and other open source ones or build one yourself (not that complex really just to get the fuel and sparks in the right place). Suppose one thing to consider is driving the existing instruments although that is probably not the most important thing. The Emerald programming software seems fairly easy to understand and slightly more polished than the Omex that I have briefly seen, the serious modders and race car people seem to favour the DTA. What initially seems a simple choice becomes more complex the more you look at it.
What are your experiences and opinions please.
What are your experiences and opinions please.
The DTA has really good software and is easy to use plus you get launch and traction control included. The Omex may be more sophisticated, it has a knock sensor input but no launch/traction control. I can't comment about emerald. I lean towards the DTA as a stand alone knocklink could be used/purchased seperately.
I am a HUGE megasquirt fan having recently completed my MS install with EDIS coil packs on my 96 Griff. I can't really compare MS with another ECU, however I love MS because you really get to learn how your car works... by doing EVERYTHING yourself. MS is the ultimate DIY ECU.
I choose to make my own(read solder it together!!), make a wiring loom from an old 14CUX plug (so I could revert back to the original if need be) to plug into the harness, install and tune myself. I choose a TechEdge Wideband contollor with Bosch EGO sensor too($USD400).
The forums are useful and the documentation is extensive. It's very cheap (approx $250USD) however it was the DIY/learning aspect that got me. The ECU is reliable, has good data logging and more importantly, allows you to analyse your car. It's interesting the nummber of PH threads asking for assistance.. when looking into an OEM ECU's diagnostics show up problems immediately.
MS is a great a learning tool.. if you don't really care about understanding how your engine works and operates, then maybe MS is not the correct choice.
I choose to make my own(read solder it together!!), make a wiring loom from an old 14CUX plug (so I could revert back to the original if need be) to plug into the harness, install and tune myself. I choose a TechEdge Wideband contollor with Bosch EGO sensor too($USD400).
The forums are useful and the documentation is extensive. It's very cheap (approx $250USD) however it was the DIY/learning aspect that got me. The ECU is reliable, has good data logging and more importantly, allows you to analyse your car. It's interesting the nummber of PH threads asking for assistance.. when looking into an OEM ECU's diagnostics show up problems immediately.
MS is a great a learning tool.. if you don't really care about understanding how your engine works and operates, then maybe MS is not the correct choice.
Boosted LS1 said:
^ With respect MS is how the electronics work, not the engine which is mechanical and would work with a mechanical carburettor.
I interpreted the comment as being about the engine management system; the original 14CUX is pretty inaccessible and hard to diagnose and more or less impossible for the average DIYer to tune. Pretty much any aftermarket system is going to be a breath of fresh air after that, even if they are not as capable in some respects as the original ECU.Boosted LS1 said:
The DTA has really good software and is easy to use plus you get launch and traction control included. The Omex may be more sophisticated, it has a knock sensor input but no launch/traction control. I can't comment about emerald. I lean towards the DTA as a stand alone knocklink could be used/purchased seperately.
If you consider knock sensing important, then Emerald is probably not for you. Mr Walker does not seem to be an advocate.The more ECU's I look at, it still seems that VEM's has far more capabilities and standard features than any of them (whether you choose to implement the functions or not is still your choice). Even with the Euro exchange rate it is still in the 'budget' price range.
spend said:
The more ECU's I look at, it still seems that VEM's has far more capabilities and standard features than any of them (whether you choose to implement the functions or not is still your choice). Even with the Euro exchange rate it is still in the 'budget' price range.
Nice to have another advocate of VEMS. I've installed it on a few different makes and models of cars now and mostly it's been straight forward. There are some "rough edges" with the product, but they tend to be in the areas where it doesn't matter beyond initial installation (eg sensor calibration). However, there are some areas of brilliance in the ECU. A mechanic friend (and generally an accomplice in my crazy schemes) drove a new build 2.5 Impreza for the first time the other week, expecting it to be - in his words - "shunty like a rally car with a Pectel ECU..." where it was in fact quite smooth and progressive. I had spent very little time on the actual mapping - certainly nothing more than ensuring it idled and didn't stall.One more vote for the Emerald from me. I run an Emerald on my SC450, but have also played with the DTA software a fair bit and I have to say it is pretty horrible to use. I was shocked at how old it looked when I first saw it and it really made me glad that I had gone Emerald on my car. It's just so much better layed out and is a dream to use. If you like to tinker, get the Emerald. It will also support traction control though not to the extent of the DTA but I never intend to use either traction control or launch control anyway being that it is for girls 
I've put emeralds in two cars now, the original one that went in my chim and then transfered to the tuscan racer, which we then replaced when we went wasted spark.
The only trouble with emerald is they can be a bit slow on the supply side, but if you have a problem they are quick, with repairs or checking
G
The only trouble with emerald is they can be a bit slow on the supply side, but if you have a problem they are quick, with repairs or checking
G
Key point is.... who is going to do the mapping/setup? It is often easier to select the ECU that the guy know rather than get one that he doesn't and then pay for him to go up a learning curve.
I've used a DTA on my Wedge V8 right from single throttle to the current supercharged state. I've also used the MBE stuff which is incredibly sophisticated but can be daunting to set up. So many variations....
I've used a DTA on my Wedge V8 right from single throttle to the current supercharged state. I've also used the MBE stuff which is incredibly sophisticated but can be daunting to set up. So many variations....
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