What exactly does the ECU control?
 

I am going blow through carb/turbo on my son's 87 TII and I am wondering if the ECU needs to stay to perform basic functions....starting system, fuel system (just the pump since there will be no injectors), tach sensor (even though I will be wiring up two trailing coils to a 1st gen dizzy), etc... I can't locate my FSM or Haynes so I've been digging online with little clarity. I would like to pull the engine harness out, along with the ECU, but I don't want to do this if it will prevent the car from starting/running. Can someone help an old school rotary guy out here.

Please don't chime in about the blow through being a bad idea. My son and I are building this and I am teaching him several things along the way. The parts are already purchased and on the vehicle. Also, I've been building and working on rotaries since 1986 so I'm not a newb. This is the first conversion that I have done converting an ECU car to distributor/carb/turbo.

with a carbie and a distributor, there's no need for a computer. just get a wiring diagram and do what you need to do.

there are links to the FSMs floating around here. won't be hard to find.

I hope you don't think you're running a carb on the stock fuel pump.

Seriously? I figured that me listing that I have been working on these things for longer than many on this board would eliviate statements like this.

No, we will not be running the stock pump. We will be using an Aeromotive A1000 and filter, -10 supply lines and -8 return lines, Mallory 4309 rising rate FPR dialing the pressure down to around 6 psi, and a custom modified stock tank & pickup so that we can retain the factory sensor(s) and filler neck location, and braided liines.

So you have the fuel pump, but havent wired it up? and your concerned the lack of Ecu won't run the pump. So hard wire it to a relay and the ignition, skip the ecu... as for the Tach, maybe someone else can help on that.

You are correct. The tank is out of the car as I am modifying the pickup assembly for the -10 and -8, we are also in process of relocating the battery to the storage bin, so all electrical is down for the next few days, possibly longer (we have pulled all the carpet and are cleaning everything). while my son works on the cleaning portion, I am plugging the injector holes on the block and manifold, plumbing and fabricating the FMIC tubing, figuring out the ignition setup that we will have to run and aboout 32,000 other things.

The only thing I can think of that will be affected is the Tach, although I don't see why you couldn't trigger the tach like the 1st gen does, off of the ignitors.

There are plenty of people who do carb conversions on FCs and GSL-SE FBs... I don't quite see why, but it's doable. (I'm not a carb fan.)

Thanks, Pele, that is pretty much what I was thinking. I've been chatting (PM) with Jeff20B about the ignition and he has suggested what I believe will be the resolution for the ignition and tach feed.