No wonder I dread the ECU swap!

[Safety Guy]

It's been about half an hour since I removed my front seat, put in some comfy pads and started my ECU swap from B3 to B6 computer.

I removed the heater duct and assembled my tool arsenal.

Got the wire plugs out and pushed aside.

Finally got the two 10mm bolts out.

Now I'm on a break after struggling for maybe ten or fifteen minutes with getting the B3 computer past the #$%^&* wire bundles! Still no luck.

Grrrrr...........

Karl

[htchbck]

Its almost easier to remove the dash Unfortunately. I have done it before, but I ended up unplugging most of the wire mess from down there to get the necessary room to wiggle it out. I never bolted the new one back down either lol. It takes patience, and I don't have much of that. A mirror-on-a-stick helps though !

[Safety Guy]

B3 computer out. Just had to find the right cuss words.

Brackets transferred. Not that I'll be able to put it in exactly the same either! I don't think I got the one in Luxstiva in "perfectly." But she runs, and that's all that counts.

Taking another break. Thinking of new cuss words that might help.

Karl

[DriverOne]

A mirror-on-a-stick helps though!

And a small clip-on worm-light.

[Safety Guy]

"And a small clip-on worm-light."

And a sawzall to the dash! :p

Karl

[Safety Guy]

It's in!

I even got one bolt in too. And Aqua started right up. Now I just need to do some cleaning in the interior before bolting in the seat and taking a little test drive.

Thanks for the moral support!

Karl

[blitzbuggy]

let me know the differences in performance, I just picked up my ecm from the Junkyard an hour ago( as well as a b6 VAF and as well as an aspire intake pipe, and a 323 intake pipe), its a 2 plug ecm, and out of a 93, i don't know if it make a diffraction. either way, i am dreading the swap as well

[bravekozak]

Easier to remove the dash. I just removed my dash last night. I am cutting out all of the ECU wiring and in its place wiring for:
power windows
power remote locks
power wing motors
door lights
dash clock
power antenna
door tweeters
cruise control
lighted lighter and console light

It's easier to do it all at once, now that I have the wiring diagrams, split conduit, connectors and terminals.
I admit that I am also doing it to change the colour of the dash from brown to grey. Another reason is that I have to change the heater core.

If anyone is interested, I can take pictures and start another thread.

[Safety Guy]

Oh yeah, a "dash thread" would be great!

I plan on my first dash removal when I rebuild Twinstiva during her swap(s). One of the things I plan on doing is to make the ECU swapping a little easier, if possible.

My test drive went well. Everything works fine so far. I couldn't tell any difference in power, but then it's "rush hour" (slow hour), so there was too much traffic for me to let her loose anywhere.

I hope my mpgs go up! I only have 20 to 30 miles on my last tankful of "B3 ECU" so I should see a difference when I fill up next time. (Even with a heavy right foot.)

Karl

[skeeters_keeper]

It is always a bit of a pain, but I've done it several times now, last time it took almost 10 minutes I know, can you believe it?

Then again, I am a scrawny little feller and I don't need to pull the seat out or anything. I usually put the bottom two bolts back in and say forget the rest...

[Safety Guy]

Hi Nate! What do you have planned for Skeeter next?

Karl

[sketchman]

One of the only things I envy my old car for. ECM in the bay. In and out in 5 minutes or less starting from hood closed.

Shouldn't be an issue mounting the Festy one under the hood. Plenty of room in there for most people.

[thered56]

Easier to remove the dash. I just removed my dash last night. I am cutting out all of the ECU wiring and in its place wiring for:
power windows
power remote locks
power wing motors
door lights
dash clock
power antenna
door tweeters
cruise control
lighted lighter and console light

You'll have to do some wiring on mine! heheh
oh how I dread wiring...but anyways a thread would be great!

btw Karl, good to hear you got it going! I just hope you weren't being to hard on Aqua eh. You don't want Aqua running around with it's tail between it's legs.

[89newb]

i agree. a nice tutorial of all that info would be helpful

[Ghost]

i would love to know what ecu is running in my car but i dont have the time to figure out how to get it out lol