Emerald ECU users?
Discussion
Anybody on here have much experience installing an using emerald ECU's? Thinking of using one on a project car and I'm unsure of how much of the current fuel injection hardware can be retained and how much needs replacing. Any feedback as to reliability/user-friendliness of these units would also be appreciated!
limegreennutter said:
trackcar said:
I fit lots of them, primarily because they are excellent value for money and very easy to work with. you can't go wrong 
What's the cost of a K series 3d fuel & ignition fitted then, I'll be needing one on my new engine.
lol how long is a piece of string .. could be as cheap as 700 plus vat into an elise, as much as 2500 plus vat say into a V12 jag wasted spark, with 3 maps, traction control, self-learn fuelling etc etc??
I'm using a K3 on my kit car. It's very easy to use and set up and the base map supplied is enough to get the engine running and SVA'd and have it tuned for power later.
The K3 has also got a facility for 3 different maps. One of those maps is enabled with a key switch and sets the rev limiter to 1500rpm to prevent mot stations/garages taking it for a joyride!
The best part is Dave Walker at Emerald is probably one of the cleverest people around when it comes to engines and customer support is excellent.
The K3 has also got a facility for 3 different maps. One of those maps is enabled with a key switch and sets the rev limiter to 1500rpm to prevent mot stations/garages taking it for a joyride!
The best part is Dave Walker at Emerald is probably one of the cleverest people around when it comes to engines and customer support is excellent.
I'm reviving this topic because I'm coming to the conclusion that the setup on my Supra is too far away from factory for the piggyback ECU I'm using to work properly. I was never convinced it would work at all so I'm not surprised . . . and now I'm looking at the Emerald K3 which looks like a good bit of kit with good backup here in the UK.
I have emailed Dave Walker with these same questions but I know he is a busy chap so I may get some more in-depth answers here.
First up, ignition. The 7MGTE engine I have uses three coils, each running two cylinders in wasted spark. Good strong coils, even at 25psi boost I never had a problem with spark blowing out, so I would like to keep them if possible. Will the emerald ECU communicate direct to the coils, do I need to keep the Toyota igniter, do I need to bin the whole lot and buy a Ford EDIS unit, or what?
TPS sensor: The standard toyota one is nominally 0-5V, currently I see a range of 0.4 to 3.5V between 0 and 100% throttle. There are four wires going into the TPS sensor and one of these carries a signal to the current ECU. Can I continue to use this?
MAP/IAT sensor: The car currently has a GM 3bar map sensor (three wires going in) installed, and a GM intake air temp sensor (two wires). I would like to use speed density mapping as I feel it makes most sense on a turbo car rather than determining load from TPS, and I have used it before with success. Will these sensors be compatible with the Emerald?
Idle motor: The toyota idle valve uses five wires going into it, and I think it's a stepper type from memory. Will this work with the ECU? I know some people choose to run without any idle valve; I want the most stable idle possible and I figure keeping it will make this task easier, maybe I'm wrong and I should blank it off.
Injectors: I use Delphi 680cc low impedance injectors. Do I need a ballast resistor pack or will the emerald injector drivers be OK with low impedance injectors?
Crank trigger: The crank pulley is a dual mass design, which is quite deep as it runs three seperate accesory belts off it rather than one serpentine belt. What is "best practise" for attaching the crank trigger wheel? Should I remove the crank pulley, drill and tap some holes in the inner portion of the dual mass assembly, and affix the trigger wheel on the front of the pulley with allen bolts or similar? How do I ensure that the trigger wheel is centred without access to a machine shop, is it acceptable to do it by measuring accurately? Also, the rotating assembly was dynamically balanced when I built the engine, am I right in thinking the mass of the trigger wheel will be too low to affect this noticeably?
I have emailed Dave Walker with these same questions but I know he is a busy chap so I may get some more in-depth answers here.
First up, ignition. The 7MGTE engine I have uses three coils, each running two cylinders in wasted spark. Good strong coils, even at 25psi boost I never had a problem with spark blowing out, so I would like to keep them if possible. Will the emerald ECU communicate direct to the coils, do I need to keep the Toyota igniter, do I need to bin the whole lot and buy a Ford EDIS unit, or what?
TPS sensor: The standard toyota one is nominally 0-5V, currently I see a range of 0.4 to 3.5V between 0 and 100% throttle. There are four wires going into the TPS sensor and one of these carries a signal to the current ECU. Can I continue to use this?
MAP/IAT sensor: The car currently has a GM 3bar map sensor (three wires going in) installed, and a GM intake air temp sensor (two wires). I would like to use speed density mapping as I feel it makes most sense on a turbo car rather than determining load from TPS, and I have used it before with success. Will these sensors be compatible with the Emerald?
Idle motor: The toyota idle valve uses five wires going into it, and I think it's a stepper type from memory. Will this work with the ECU? I know some people choose to run without any idle valve; I want the most stable idle possible and I figure keeping it will make this task easier, maybe I'm wrong and I should blank it off.
Injectors: I use Delphi 680cc low impedance injectors. Do I need a ballast resistor pack or will the emerald injector drivers be OK with low impedance injectors?
Crank trigger: The crank pulley is a dual mass design, which is quite deep as it runs three seperate accesory belts off it rather than one serpentine belt. What is "best practise" for attaching the crank trigger wheel? Should I remove the crank pulley, drill and tap some holes in the inner portion of the dual mass assembly, and affix the trigger wheel on the front of the pulley with allen bolts or similar? How do I ensure that the trigger wheel is centred without access to a machine shop, is it acceptable to do it by measuring accurately? Also, the rotating assembly was dynamically balanced when I built the engine, am I right in thinking the mass of the trigger wheel will be too low to affect this noticeably?
Im on my second emerald installation. both done by jools the first on the chim and the second on the Tuscan racer.
as standard i think the k3 only comes with 3 ignition drivers but thats enough to run a 6 cylinder motor on wasted spark. the K3 on the tuscan is upgraded with the extra driver to run 4 coils. the k3 talks direct to the cerbera coils on my car as i believe the amplifiers are built in to the ecu.
for the other questions Joolz is your man
G
as standard i think the k3 only comes with 3 ignition drivers but thats enough to run a 6 cylinder motor on wasted spark. the K3 on the tuscan is upgraded with the extra driver to run 4 coils. the k3 talks direct to the cerbera coils on my car as i believe the amplifiers are built in to the ecu.
for the other questions Joolz is your man
G
Gassing Station | Engines & Drivetrain | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff