Since I am 0 for 3 on running motors with my carb setup (just bad luck with the motors not the carb) I am thinking this time around I'd like to just buy a motor the way it would come in the car and run it with the fuel injection (plus this way I can run a turbo as well and kill 2 birds with one stone). My questions are; which stand alone ECU will be easiest to setup for a sandrail, and what stock parts will I need (i.e. sensors, harness, etc.)? I have tried looking around, but haven't really found much that would apply for what I'm trying to do. I am not looking to go crazy with power, just stock with much shorter exhaust and probably no muffler (though any suggestions that might get me a bit more power would also be appreciated, I am trying to keep it between 200-250hp so my transmission doesn't blow apart). I have my eyes on a Series 5, but I will be paying a few hundred more than I would for an S4, or I could step up to an S6 twin turbo for a few hundred more than that if it would be worthwhile. Which brings me to the last question; is one going to be easier to setup and run than the others?

 

I have an t-3 engine that is going in my little car, the setup that is going on it came from a sand-rail. it is a haltech e6x using lsi style coils and it looks to be easy to instal and set up. is what i have but keep asking as there may well be some much better out there. The local kids in western co. are mostly megasquirt lovers and it could be a more economical and perhaps easier one to use.

 

thanks, I have been looking at the Haltech's but am not sure how well they do and how easy they are to setup. I hadn't looked into the megasquirt because i thought it would make it difficult to run the stock setup with the turbo, but maybe I just don't understand it and it would work.

 

Microtech would honestly be your best bet for ease of use and installation. Good ecu without a lot frills, but you'll be in a offload car soo it wouldn't matter much.

 

I've decided to go with a stock ecu and harness, but now I need to find one. I've tried to post a want to buy ad but it keeps saying it will post later but never does. I found a local place where I can get a motor but it doesn't include a complete harness or ecu, so if anyone has one for an S5 turbo engine then let me know.

 

Your going to run into more nightmares than you want with a stock ecu and wiring in a sandrail.

 

Why do you say that? I spoke with a company that specializes in sand rails and they seemed to think it would be OK, and they're the same company I'm getting my motor through. If there are problems then please let me know what they are.

 

I forgot to mention that one of the reasons I decided this is because I found a guy who does custom harnesses for engine swaps that will do one for me to be able to hook everything up then just hook up 3 wires from his harness and it should be good to go. I am planning on keeping the engine stock other than removing emissions stuff I can and the ps pump and AC stuff and I thought since the stock ecu is already set to run it that way it would work. I am new to this though and if anyone has had bad experiences with it then please chime in.

 

Just due to the extra bs sensors have going to have to find and wire in,baro,boost sensor,afm,idle dashpot, resistor pack and then have to use the unreliable factory ecu.

Doing a standalone is more a reliability mod than a performance mod. If you plan on doing anything to the engine(even a full exh and intake) you will greattly reduce the longevity of it due to having to now run a FCD and more fuel and then having no true way of controlling it.

In all honestly the factory stuff is garbage!

 

I won't really have much for exhaust other than a pipe going out the back since it's a sand rail. If it doesn't seem to work to well then I'll look at a standalone ecu down the road, but for now my budget doesn't allow for an extra thousand or more dollars for it right now. I think the engine comes with all the sensors already, so I should be OK there. I have read on here about an rtek and was wondering if that's the stock ecu just reprogrammed or is it a different unit all together? I haven't been able to figure that out from the posts I've read, but if it is the ,stock ecu then I might go that route if it is better.

 

Rtek is a chipped oem ecu. I can almost guaruantee that the Jdm core your getting won't have the afm,boost sensor or the bar sensor since those are mounted to the chassis and not the engine itself(afm being the exception).

Just saying, by time you spend all the money to get the oem stuff to work( by work, I mean turn on, not really control the engine well) you could have gotten a Microtech,haltech sprint re, or even a megasquirt and have a reliable engine in the long run.

 

What about a megasquirt? I looked at those because the price seems to be around what i have budgeted, are they any good/ easy to setup? Would that be a good feasable option?

 

They're a bit more hands on since it'll be up to you to build and troubleshoot. But they are def worth their place as a base level stand alone.

 

How is the buggy running? I 2 have a project buggy. I imported a cosmo twin torbo. I have mated it to a mid engine 2 seater. Yet to have installed a ECM system.

 

Having worked on, built and tuned several sand rails I would definitely never do a carb turbo setup again. Stock EFI would be a poor choice also, as chances are the car will boost creep with the lack of exhaust system( even with a ported WG). If you are running an S5, or S6 wiring harness you could use the series6/7 Adaptronic plug and play unit here;

Adaptronic Select Mazda RX-7 ECU

If you are a budget, and want to wire it yourself you could run the E420D;

Adaptronic E420D Basic Select Standalone ECU

We have rotary base maps available, and the tech support is bar none.