AE71 20v ecu options.

[Devans]

Hey guys,

Im doing a 20v conversion into an slant front AE71, I've managed to pick up a 20v engine package including pretty much everything I need except a ecu (comes with a loom for a Haltech e6x I'm fairly certain).
Ive talked to some locals and they reckon that the e6x is too old and that I'm better off getting something else? I only have a budget of around 600 though.. so secondhand is what im looking at. Was just wondering if there any other options that people have used before, I'm relatively new so any help would be appreciated.
Cheers,
Danton

[Sam-Q]

the 20v is a very simple engine, so long as you have a switched output that you can use for the VVT your most of the way there. However with a pure TPS tuning it does help to have more than 500RPM increments in load tuning. Or something like that, I don't know much about the subject

[Devans]

Yeah I dont know much either, so Im leaning towards trying to get hold of a e6x so i can just plug it straight up.

[Sam-Q]

see if you can download the manual and see what the specs are in load resolution and aux outputs

[Devans]

Just been having a look around and the new Haltech sprint 500 is relatively cheap and seems alright, problem is I dont really know what to look for when looking at the listed outputs and such.

[Cerby86]

to be serious though, there's all of two tuners down here you would use. Go and talk to the the one your going to use and see what he reckons you should use.
On the other hand it could be ages before the ecu your looking for comes up secondhand so either grab what is out there now and make do or wait, save up more then buy whatever you like.
Can't you run a standard 20v ecu? Cos unless your actually tuning the motor up then I would stay standard if possible!

[Sam-Q]

from my own experience and others the standard ecu is a highly restrictive unreliable piece of crap. It's the single reason why 20V engines are known to be peaky

[Cerby86]

ah okay, i've only got experience with the 16v and I honestly wish that i had stayed single throttle and standard ecu. Cos then I would have had the money to start building a gze basically straight away lol

[Devans]

Yeah well I'm most likely going to be using Andrew Kuc form Pro Automotive, I know him through go kart racing and my dad knows him quite well. He's a haltech dealer so that why im leaning down that path, and I would much rather go after market than standard so it is easier when I decide to tune the motor up.

[FoldKing86]

Mate nothing wrong with e6x, im using an even older e6k and it does the job just fine on my 20v. If you look hard enough you'll get a e6x easy enough, may need to wait a little.

Basically if your using wasted spark (twin coil) then 5 main outputs is the minimum and try a ecu that has at least 32x32 mapping. If running individual coils then you'll need minimum 7 main outputs.

Just because its an older model ecu doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it. Newer ecu are easier to tune and tweak, well as far as i can see. But as far as i can tell total power and seat of the pants feel there wouldn't be much difference in older ecu to newer ones.

Do some searching and im sure the e6x can use the halwin software for tuning so id assume the e6x would be easier to tune then my e6k which is a dos based ecu.

My rant over