So why does a production racer post here to the IT site? Well, as I stated a couple weeks ago, we are the only production car required to run an IT engine specification. Not an enviable position, as I’m sure you realize. We find ourselves monitoring the two sets of rules and two sets of rule-makers and hope that once in a great while, something transpires that benefits us. It must be obvious that the two rule sets are never examined with our particular case, and the impact to us, in mind. Thought engine management is open to the rest of production, until the IT ECU rule, it was not to us.
As I stated, I have done the ECU conversion to three of the Caterham EP cars. It IS a benefit, no doubt. But the figures being thrown around for the ultimate cost by the nay-sayers are laughable. I’m not an EE. Advanced, specialized education is not a requisite. Nor does it require any special skills or tools or insight or magic. If you can wire a relay, or keep your brake lights working, you can do the conversion.
In our case the Ford ECU connector is a 104 pin unit. Daunting?...hardly. Go to the factory manual, find the ECU pin-out and eliminate circuits related to automatic transmissions, warning buzzers, emissions and all the other unnecessary items and you are left with maybe 25 circuits that need to be wired to the new board. In our case we retain; injection, crank signal, air temp, coolant temp, TPS and spark. You may wish to retain radiator fan and a few others.
From there it’s a question of wiring your 20 to 30 circuits from the pins of the new ECU to the pins of the stock ECU. Solder and adhesive lined shrink tubing can be had for 10 bucks. In our case we had to mill the inside of the case to allow fitment within the housing. IF the case were allowed to be modified, then any conceivable aftermarket ECU could be used.
Hard costs:
ECU $800
Doner factory ECU from junk yard: $65
9 pin sub D connector from Radio Shack $5
Sublet desolder of 104 pin connector from factory board $30
Wiring supplies $20
(OK) pencil style soldering iron $30
aluminum and fastners for new chassis support $15
standoffs $5
dyno development of calibration ($2500 split 5 ways) $500
interface cable from manufacturer $80
Total: $1550/car
As mentioned, 10-12 hours conversion time was required.
Come on guys, these are real numbers, it can be done by anyone with any sense. If you can find 3-6 others running the same vehicle, the dyno costs should be as shown above. If not, buy a wide band oxygen sensor (lambda boy) for $275 and monitor real mixture under real conditions to develop your fuel map.
Some say that the “haves” are the only ones that can afford to do this conversion. They hold that they will have to spend the same dollars to stay competitive. I think it is more a question of fear of a new, unfamiliar, technology that keeps us stagnant. Like painting your car, or rebuilding your engine, this is just one more skill set that budget racers should investigate and develop. The “haves” will continue to farm out all the above because their time is worth more than the costs of professional preparation. It will always be that way. You can bet your shirt that someone, somewhere will outspend you. But at $1500, how big of an issue can this be, given the benefits? Oh yes, let me repeat, $10,000 Motec conversions may exist...but so too do Carbon Fiber race wheels at $3000 a set and $80,000 tow rigs.
Keep the ECU rule but allow modification to the factory housing.
Chip Bond
GT Classics
Barboursville, Virginia
