Completely new fuel injection system computer? (Page 6/8)
dobey JUL 27, 07:40 PM

quote
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]:
I want the car to run / drive with the same kind of characteristics as it did when I first bought it in 1995 and it had 52k miles on it. It ran really well. I could spend a ton of time and money trying to refurb and remanufacture every component on the car, and for the most part, I've been doing that... http://www.pontiacperforman...et/car87FieroSE.html

But I really want a system that I can just get in the car and go. But like I said a few times, I'm at the point in my life where I barely have the time to spend 5 minutes in the garage anymore. So burning EPROMs and spending a ton of time logging and tuning the chip just so it runs right... that's not something I really want. I want to be able to get in and go, and enjoy it. It's not about the money, it's about trying to relive my teenage years... minus the constant breaking down, and having 5 cents in my checking account.



Then don't spend $1000 on an aftermarket ECM that isn't likely to run right the first time. Throw the stock Fiero 2.8 harness and ECM in it, and drive it. it might not make the most power our of your rebuilt/stroked engine, but it should run, and it should run fairly reliably. Then do research and do the basic 7730 ECM swap later on. Drive it a while with that. Then think about digital EGR, digital cruise, DIS, knock sensors and the extra stuff. If you spend $1000 on a system and it doesn't just magically work, you're going to be frustrated. With the stock system, it may not run at its peak, but it will run, and you will be enjoying the car instead of getting frustrated trying to figure out why your $1000 aftermarket ECM doesn't.
ericjon262 JUL 27, 08:20 PM

quote
Originally posted by dobey:


Then don't spend $1000 on an aftermarket ECM that isn't likely to run right the first time. Throw the stock Fiero 2.8 harness and ECM in it, and drive it. it might not make the most power our of your rebuilt/stroked engine, but it should run, and it should run fairly reliably. Then do research and do the basic 7730 ECM swap later on. Drive it a while with that. Then think about digital EGR, digital cruise, DIS, knock sensors and the extra stuff. If you spend $1000 on a system and it doesn't just magically work, you're going to be frustrated. With the stock system, it may not run at its peak, but it will run, and you will be enjoying the car instead of getting frustrated trying to figure out why your $1000 aftermarket ECM doesn't.



what he said.^
PaulJK JUL 28, 03:58 AM

quote
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]:

But I really want a system that I can just get in the car and go... I want to be able to get in and go, and enjoy it. ... minus the constant breaking down, and having 5 cents in my checking account.




That's where I was trying to get you . I've had 4 fieros with 2.8s, and right now a 3800SC / auto and 5.7 V8 w/ 5 speed getrag. Those friggin' 2.8s left me stranded so many times the local tow truck driver was giving me a discount (funny but true). Both my 3800SC and V8 run cooler than the 2.8s, get better gas mileage, are GOBS more fun to drive and are a LOT less problems than Any 2.8 I've ever had. GM booby trappped the 2.8s - designed them to be a PIA, but an engine conversion bypasses the OEM design crap.
dobey JUL 28, 09:26 AM

quote
Originally posted by PaulJK:
That's where I was trying to get you . I've had 4 fieros with 2.8s, and right now a 3800SC / auto and 5.7 V8 w/ 5 speed getrag. Those friggin' 2.8s left me stranded so many times the local tow truck driver was giving me a discount (funny but true). Both my 3800SC and V8 run cooler than the 2.8s, get better gas mileage, are GOBS more fun to drive and are a LOT less problems than Any 2.8 I've ever had. GM booby trappped the 2.8s - designed them to be a PIA, but an engine conversion bypasses the OEM design crap.



Ah. Because you had a lot of problems, the whole system is damned?

Sorry, it doesn't work that way. All four of the Fieros I've ever owned, have all been 2.8s. That's over a span of about 15 years. I've had to have tows maybe 5 or 6 times the whole time. And none of those tows were due to a problem with the engine's design.

One was because the transmission (auto) would lock up after a few miles of driving it. That was a car with a salvage title I was trying to get drivable.
Second time was on the second car, and was due to someone (previous owner probably) having damaged the bolt in one of the brackets, which caused the water pump belt to fall off, resuling in overheating.
And the third car I've owned for almost 10 years now has only needed a tow 3 times in those 10 years (though it's been sitting for the last 3 due to head gasket having blown). First time was for the distributor having gone bad, because previous owner had tried to hook up some messed up keyed kill switch that fried things and caused excessive corrosion in the distributor. Second time was because one of the stainless fuel lines vibrated loose and I was leaking gas. And third time was due to the ICM blowing as I downshifted to take a merge lane turn. Last two were a pretty easy fix, and could have been done on the spot and avoided a tow, if I'd had the necessary tools, and a spare ICM, in the trunk. But I didn't. They were both within a couple miles of the house though, and the tows were free, thanks to AAA.
MarkS JUL 28, 12:02 PM
I have to say in around >170K miles of driving across my new 85 GT & my used DD 86 SE V6, I never had to be towed..except the time I wrecked the 85 which was not the cars fault. Not to say there weren't problems of course but never a "left stranded" issue.

Haltech made a GM plug and play at one time but I think the newer GM Haltech's are V8 only?

BR's,

Mark

[This message has been edited by MarkS (edited 07-28-2014).]

sardonyx247 JUL 29, 03:28 AM
To 82-T/A [At Work]

did you hear the last thing I said?.?.?

"it won't even work, we have low impedance injectors"

It WILL NOT WORK!
82-T/A [At Work] JUL 29, 04:58 PM
Thanks guys, yeah... I'm reading the comments, and I really appreciate everyone giving their input. As for the low impedence injectors, can't I simply get injectors that are compatible?

I do want to re-iterate... I neither have the time, or want to fight with creating my own wiring harness, fiddling with an old MS-DOS GM Tuner program and reflashing old ass EPROMS on an old-ass 180 baud 1980s GM ECM.

IF... "IF" I can get a system $500 to $1000 that comes with it's own harness, works with my existing sensors, and will allow me to get in and go... then I will be happy as a pig in a mountain of **** . I'm not looking for a Ferrari. I'm simply restoring my first car, my 1987 Pontiac Fiero. I don't need to race anyone, but I want it to be reliable. The "assumption" here is that this is a simple solution. For all intents and purposes, it should work just fine on a 305 TPI system that uses multiport fuel injection system. We know it works essentially flawless on those.

I've got 3.2 liters of displacement, so while it's definitely not a 5.0, it's also not a 4 cyl.


Honestly, my car is still 4 hours away from me in a storage unit where it's sat for the past 3 years under a white sheet in near climate control. I don't even know when I'll have the time in the next couple of years to bring it down and finish up what I started. But I would like to give it a try. I can at least do that while not trashing the existing wiring and ECM... it is simply plug-and-play.

If I'm not happy with it, and / or if it doesn't work as it should, then I'll install it on my Olds 455 big block.
dobey JUL 29, 05:12 PM

quote
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]:
I do want to re-iterate... I neither have the time, or want to fight with creating my own wiring harness, fiddling with an old MS-DOS GM Tuner program and reflashing old ass EPROMS on an old-ass 180 baud 1980s GM ECM.



Nobody is telling you to do that.

Let me re-iterate. Go find a good manual 2.8 harness and ECM, install them in your car, and drive it. Anything else and you're just going to be spending time and money screwing around trying to make something work.
82-T/A [At Work] JUL 29, 05:19 PM

quote
Originally posted by dobey:

Nobody is telling you to do that.

Let me re-iterate. Go find a good manual 2.8 harness and ECM, install them in your car, and drive it. Anything else and you're just going to be spending time and money screwing around trying to make something work.




I can't do that... my engine is 3.2 liters of displacement now, and I have 17# injectors. I also have an aftermarket cam. It's the shitty Phase-2 Fireball cam right now from ARI, but I plan on swapping in the H272 cam that I bought like 5-6 years ago.

I'm pretty sure the ECM can't exactly handle that? I'm not asking for Ferrari performance, but I want to be able to at least get the benefit of the doubt. I don't want hunting idle, or the slow ECM response.


Not trying to be difficult here, I realize a lot of people have done things cheaper / easier... I'm a cheap bastard too... but I've dumped a TON of money into my Fiero to restore it like it was brand new. Everything, I mean EVERYTHING has been stripped, sanded, painted, replaced, or reconditioned. Down to every tree nut, hose clamp, hose, whatever... I'm only 75% of the way through, just have to do the engine bay now... but I don't want to skimp on the engine management.

IF... and I am saying IF here... this solution can give me solid performance with solid reliability, then I definitely want to look into it.


I do appreciate you guys keeping this thread alive even though all of this has basically been on the back burner while responsibilities have taken over...
phonedawgz JUL 29, 05:47 PM
Is your block/crank set up for the 7x crank pick up?