Anyone have an old (non-working) ECU I can play around with?
Discussion
Toltec said:
Cheaper on eBay if you get one for a Range Rover rather than TVR, at least it was when I wanted one a few years ago. The rom will not be correct,but if you only want one to play with that should not be a problem and it is not difficult to remove and fit a socket.
ROM? Socket? Get you and your fancy hotwire ECU; our chum here is after the older 'flap' system ECU 
No ROMs here mate 
Toltec said:
Ahh, I had forgotten about the clockwork version, I had one on my 350i.
Go Megasquirt
Ah! The old fashioned SD1/TVR clockwork version? The one that still has a small army of experienced advisers and a bunch of good documentation available. Go Megasquirt However, as with all old fashion clocks, they do need TLC in the form of regular cleaning and oiling.
Not unlike the 350i, the engine is as reliable as ever, but the plenum is its pinch point! Neglect the plenum along with its ancillary rubber pipes, tubes and electrical connections, and the result is failure.
Very frequently, more than once at a time, so with co-existing faults, neglect turns to frustration, frustration turns to anger, and anger returns to neglect. Circle within Circles of the Mind!!!! Madness ensues.
Worse! From my experience, many newer owners seem unwilling or unable to put in the effort, nowadays, to keep a traditional "CLASSIC" car on the road.
The switch from our gorgeous RV8 with carburettors to the RV8 injection versions happened in the early to mid 1980's and in the following two and a half decades the dirty arm owner/enthusiasts took the time and effort to learn how their new toys worked.
Now we are into the 2010's it seems today's younger owners come to the RV8 injection engined cars with a "plug and play" mentality bred from the new type of smart phones, USB and bluetooth everything, plus the expectation that the machines will be self healing.
Not only that, but become frustrated there are no professional experts for hire any more.
Well, sadly for those who seek a 350i Flapper Plug and Play. They don't and they won't.
Injection engines from the 1980's era still requires the old breed of Owner/Enthusiast. I'm one, so is A.Q. plus quite a few others who infest this and the SD1 forums.
The oldies however, will always be moving on and the void will be hard to fill.
And Yet, And Yet! It is not rocket science. In fact, it is a pretty cute system comprising just a few simple and very understandable components hooked into a black box (actually a silver ECU) where the irony is that the Black Box rarely fails. Neither do the ancillary components which are generally even more reliable (with one or two exceptions).
The trick is TLC and a quantum of understanding. Cant really be that hard - can it?
honestjohntoo said:
Ah! The old fashioned SD1/TVR clockwork version? The one that still has a small army of experienced advisers and a bunch of good documentation available.
However, as with all old fashion clocks, they do need TLC in the form of regular cleaning and oiling.
Not unlike the 350i, the engine is as reliable as ever, but the plenum is its pinch point! Neglect the plenum along with its ancillary rubber pipes, tubes and electrical connections, and the result is failure.
Very frequently, more than once at a time, so with co-existing faults, neglect turns to frustration, frustration turns to anger, and anger returns to neglect. Circle within Circles of the Mind!!!! Madness ensues.
Worse! From my experience, many newer owners seem unwilling or unable to put in the effort, nowadays, to keep a traditional "CLASSIC" car on the road.
The switch from our gorgeous RV8 with carburettors to the RV8 injection versions happened in the early to mid 1980's and in the following two and a half decades the dirty arm owner/enthusiasts took the time and effort to learn how their new toys worked.
Now we are into the 2010's it seems today's younger owners come to the RV8 injection engined cars with a "plug and play" mentality bred from the new type of smart phones, USB and bluetooth everything, plus the expectation that the machines will be self healing.
Not only that, but become frustrated there are no professional experts for hire any more.
Well, sadly for those who seek a 350i Flapper Plug and Play. They don't and they won't.
Injection engines from the 1980's era still requires the old breed of Owner/Enthusiast. I'm one, so is A.Q. plus quite a few others who infest this and the SD1 forums.
The oldies however, will always be moving on and the void will be hard to fill.
And Yet, And Yet! It is not rocket science. In fact, it is a pretty cute system comprising just a few simple and very understandable components hooked into a black box (actually a silver ECU) where the irony is that the Black Box rarely fails. Neither do the ancillary components which are generally even more reliable (with one or two exceptions).
The trick is TLC and a quantum of understanding. Cant really be that hard - can it?
Im one of the Oldies too !However, as with all old fashion clocks, they do need TLC in the form of regular cleaning and oiling.
Not unlike the 350i, the engine is as reliable as ever, but the plenum is its pinch point! Neglect the plenum along with its ancillary rubber pipes, tubes and electrical connections, and the result is failure.
Very frequently, more than once at a time, so with co-existing faults, neglect turns to frustration, frustration turns to anger, and anger returns to neglect. Circle within Circles of the Mind!!!! Madness ensues.
Worse! From my experience, many newer owners seem unwilling or unable to put in the effort, nowadays, to keep a traditional "CLASSIC" car on the road.
The switch from our gorgeous RV8 with carburettors to the RV8 injection versions happened in the early to mid 1980's and in the following two and a half decades the dirty arm owner/enthusiasts took the time and effort to learn how their new toys worked.
Now we are into the 2010's it seems today's younger owners come to the RV8 injection engined cars with a "plug and play" mentality bred from the new type of smart phones, USB and bluetooth everything, plus the expectation that the machines will be self healing.
Not only that, but become frustrated there are no professional experts for hire any more.
Well, sadly for those who seek a 350i Flapper Plug and Play. They don't and they won't.
Injection engines from the 1980's era still requires the old breed of Owner/Enthusiast. I'm one, so is A.Q. plus quite a few others who infest this and the SD1 forums.
The oldies however, will always be moving on and the void will be hard to fill.
And Yet, And Yet! It is not rocket science. In fact, it is a pretty cute system comprising just a few simple and very understandable components hooked into a black box (actually a silver ECU) where the irony is that the Black Box rarely fails. Neither do the ancillary components which are generally even more reliable (with one or two exceptions).
The trick is TLC and a quantum of understanding. Cant really be that hard - can it?
It was the 1980's when I was beginning my career (electronics/IT) and the prevalent technology was similar to that of the 4CU ECU's - I am actually enjoying learning about these systems and your site honestjohn is an excellent read ... I have a spare ECU on the way so I can start my experimentation !
earlybay said:
Im one of the Oldies too !
It was the 1980's when I was beginning my career (electronics/IT) and the prevalent technology was similar to that of the 4CU ECU's - I am actually enjoying learning about these systems and your site honestjohn is an excellent read ... I have a spare ECU on the way so I can start my experimentation !
I'm probably slightly younger, it was mid to late 80's when I started getting paid for electronics/optics/IT, I just remember watching the first moon landing. When some git nicked the ignition system and a few other bits off my Suzuki GS750 I designed and built a programmable ignition system for it. I could have just hunted down and bought replacement bits, but I decided to try something different and learn something at the same time.It was the 1980's when I was beginning my career (electronics/IT) and the prevalent technology was similar to that of the 4CU ECU's - I am actually enjoying learning about these systems and your site honestjohn is an excellent read ... I have a spare ECU on the way so I can start my experimentation !
There is nothing wrong with keeping a classic original if that is your thing, I still enjoy learning and doing new stuff as I approach half a century though. As well as swapping from MEMS to MS3 on my kit car I am looking at adding Canbus and replacing the instruments with a screen.
Just because I can.
Besides, I never enjoyed having to keep multiple carbs balanced and points adjusted.
On the subject of Quotes!
"RV8 350i Flapper, frequently, with co-existing faults, neglect turns to frustration, frustration turns to anger, and anger returns to neglect. Circle within Circles of the Mind!!!! Madness ensues. Ramon"
Have you seem my earlier version ripped from Trigger in OFAH?
"Look after your Plenum and your Plenum will look after You. Ramon"
or perhaps
"I dislike Shakespeare. He used too many Quotes. Anon"
adam quantrill said:
Classic Quote! Ramon can I put this on a T-shirt?
Of course Adam, but it needs focus and a byline? "RV8 350i Flapper, frequently, with co-existing faults, neglect turns to frustration, frustration turns to anger, and anger returns to neglect. Circle within Circles of the Mind!!!! Madness ensues. Ramon"
Have you seem my earlier version ripped from Trigger in OFAH?
"Look after your Plenum and your Plenum will look after You. Ramon"
or perhaps
"I dislike Shakespeare. He used too many Quotes. Anon"
Toltec said:
I'm probably slightly younger, it was mid to late 80's when I started getting paid for electronics/optics/IT, I just remember watching the first moon landing. When some git nicked the ignition system and a few other bits off my Suzuki GS750 I designed and built a programmable ignition system for it. I could have just hunted down and bought replacement bits, but I decided to try something different and learn something at the same time.
There is nothing wrong with keeping a classic original if that is your thing, I still enjoy learning and doing new stuff as I approach half a century though. As well as swapping from MEMS to MS3 on my kit car I am looking at adding Canbus and replacing the instruments with a screen.
Just because I can.
Besides, I never enjoyed having to keep multiple carbs balanced and points adjusted.
I kicked off my electronics in CB and ham radio in my teens and have worked on all sorts of kit since, from domestic appliances to industrial x-ray systems. When everyone else was playing Elite and Pacman on their computers I had mine (a VIC-20 There is nothing wrong with keeping a classic original if that is your thing, I still enjoy learning and doing new stuff as I approach half a century though. As well as swapping from MEMS to MS3 on my kit car I am looking at adding Canbus and replacing the instruments with a screen.
Just because I can.
Besides, I never enjoyed having to keep multiple carbs balanced and points adjusted.
) controlling the antenna rotator on top of the house and decoding radioteletype (an early form of text messaging, you might say!).In the 80s a mate and I used to design and build our own hifi amps (he still does and has worked for some of the esoteric Brit manufacturers); we are also bikers and used to rewind our own alternators and build charging regulators because Suzuki's were cr@p
When I had my Esprit it had dual twin-choke Dellortos that are a doddle to balance with mercury manometers; that actually helped me diagnose burned ring lands and loss of compression, with symptoms that would have plenty of people blaming the injection system for
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