87 ECU swap

[edsz31]

I want to use my 87t ECU to reprogram with a ROMulator, Why does everyone say I need a 88-89, I wont need to install resistors with the 87 ECU, and I have one. Has any one reprogramed a 87 ECU? thanks Ed

[onefast87]

edsz31 wrote: I want to use my 87t ECU to reprogram with a ROMulator, Why does everyone say I need a 88-89

the 88 to 89 ecu's are just easier and as far as i know about reprogramming an 87 ecu, only certain ecu's can be done!
im not 100% on this but im looking for some information!

[Dan-TSS]

If you can just hang in there a little bit longer, you wouldn't need to worry about even swapping ecu's.
Nistune will work on the exact ecu for your application and will save you literally a TON of time tuning because of the features..
*Being brand new to Nistune, and having thoroughly read the infomation about romulator/Live Edit...I thoroughly appreciate the map tracing feature for tuning with Nistune.
8)

[JustinCase]

Will Nistune work with any ecu? I have two 84T ecu's and one 89NA ecu. Currently running a 89NA2T with 84T parts.

BTW, what's the 10-26 on Nistune?

[Dan-TSS]

yes, the 84 ecu will work, but it has already been noted that there is two variations of the ecu. The earlier version doesn't like or work with Nistune. What exactly is the differences?(Russ84na might be able to better fill in the blanks on that note, I'm referencing what he just experienced)
Personally, I'd recomend the original ecu that was on the car(89n/a) to be used with Nistune.

[Russ84na]

I sent Matt two 84na ECUS. The first was out of my AutoX car which Vin# 256. I noticed when I was working on it that it has some differences in the wiring harness from my 84 2+2 which was mid year. Any way the ECU ran the car fine, but Matt couldn't get it to work with NisTune. I sent him another later 84 ECU and it is comming along fine. ORZMAN also has an 84 ECU with NisTune so most of them will work. Just check with Matt before you send it in. The 84's apperar to be the ones that are difficult as they have two chips. The rest I believe are the same with one 28pin chip
I am currently using an 89na ECU in the 84 with Nistune and a romulator. I tried Liveedit and the Romulator and Dan is so right. Wait for NisTune. I was able to do in about 10 pulls with nistune what I couldn't do in 80 pulls with LIve edit.

[edsz31]

My 86t has one of those funky 2 chip board in it, I installed a 87t board it has a single 28 pin chip. Seens to cold start, fast idle better. Does any one know how much nistune charges to update a ECU ?.

[Russ84na]

NisTune doesn't "update" your ecu. Nistune is a daughter board that is placed in the ecu in a socket where the eprom chip was located. It has a socket on top of it that, depending on the version you have will accept either a Romulator/eprom chip or a NVRAM chip.
The romulator version uses a romulator to tune the ecu. When you are done the file is burned to an eprom chip which is then inserted into the NisTune socket to run your car. With the NVRAM version, the chip stays in the ECU and tuning is done via a usb cable from the laptop with new tunes burned directly to the chip.
From what I understand the test versions were mainly the romulator versions. The final versions will all have the NVRAM chips.
I am sure that Matt is very close to releasing the final version of NisTune. Once he is ready I am sure he will have costs available.
Be patient, It will be worth the wait.

[OR-Zman]

BIG 2nd to the info Russ and Dan have posted.

My 2 cents:

NVRAM chips are dirt cheap. I think I paid about $10 + shipping. The only situation I could even begin to imagine not using the NVRam chip is....well none.

One of the best things, IMO, is that you can use the ECU for your specific car and not have to deal with the BS of finding an ECU from an 88 or 89 which were the two years with the lowest production numbers for the Z31. Look around for ECUs and you will see the difference in pricing. :shock:

Hang in there guys. Nistune is real and will be ready for mass consumption. :wink:

[edsz31]

88-89 ecu

My understanding is the 88-89 ecu's have a removable chip, the older boards have a sodered in chip. im still a little confused about the nistune, because the socket has to be removed, meaning the ECU will still need to be sodered in, except a 88-89. And you still need a Romulator. For $20.00 I can have my 87t socketed, thats faster and cheaper then installing 6 resistors. and you can always just remove the o-2 adaptor in the exhust dump pipe to use the correct 0-2 sensor maching the ECU.

[Russ84na]

All the ECU's have eproms soddered in place. They have to be unsoddered and have a socket soddered in its place. From there you install the Nistune board into that socket. NisTune has a socket on top of it. That is where you install the romulator and the new chip when you tune it.
As for the rest of what you are saying I suggust that you got to Jason's site and reread about which ecu's go with which 02 sensors and why you can't just swap 02 sensors.

[edsz31]

02 swap

yes you must use the correct 0-2 sensor the the ECU, But very easy to swap around.

[Russ84na]

Please read completely and carefully: (From Jason's site about Romulators)

To install and use the Pocket ROMulator or burn your own 27C128/256 chips for your ECU, you will need an 88-89 ECU to install in your car.
All early (85 and prior) turbo cars use a zircomium type oxygen sensor with a 22MM nut, so they will require use of an 88-89 NON TURBO ECU to use the oxygen sensor.
All late (86-89) turbo cars use the titania type oxygen sensor with a 17mm nut, so they require use of an 88-89 TURBO ECU to use the oxygen sensor.
All non-turbo cars except 86 use the zirconium type sensor, so 84, 85, 87, 88 and 89 non-turbo cars can use an 88-89 non-turbo ECU, but 86 will have to use an 88-89 turbo ecu.
The vehicles engine wiring harness, sensor bung and ECU are all oxygen sensor specific!
So, say you want to put an 88 Turbo ECU into your 85 Turbo car. You would need to swap the sensor bung (PITA to remove) and sensor to the zirconium type 17mm units. Then you would have to figure out how to re-wire the oxygen sensor wiring in the harness, because the sensors do NOT use the same wiring. You would be better off finding the correct ECU instead of trying to swap everything else to make O2 feedback work! Now, if this is a race car or you don't care at all about fuel economy then don't bother; just unplug the oxygen sensor and let the car perpetually run in open loop.

Read and understand or do it your way and then when it doesn't work read and redo it.

[Lance]

Russ84na wrote:
So, say you want to put an 88 Turbo ECU into your 85 Turbo car. You would need to swap the sensor bung (PITA to remove) and sensor to the zirconium type 17mm units.

I'm told that the dealer makes an adapter to put the titania in the zirconia bung for pretty cheap.

[ackion]

I read Jason's article. I have a 86NA that I am converting to turbo. I purchased a 88tECU(they are hard to find and come at a preminum price. This is where I stop till the Nistune comes out. Confusing to say the least, but correct on the o2 sensor. for what its worth