Stand Alone Link ECU

[Celsiorous]

Hi,

A local performance shop has recommended that I go for a standalone ECU [Link LM5 I beleive], my 1990 Celsior and 1UZ are pretty much stock. Im wondering how much more rwhp I can expect/hope for from only tuning with an aftermarket ECU. The reason im wanting to go to a standalone first is so I can get the most out of any more modifications I make. Also this car is my daily driver and at the moment forced induction is out of my price range and impractable due to fuel economy. I am planning on headers and exhaust when I can afford it.

Any advice or experiences with standalones or modifcations in general would be great.

Thanks in advance

 

[Lextreme II]

How much it is? and how many hp will u gain.

 

[lsk12]

hi ive got a link on my 1uz with w55 5spd stock headers with 3inch y pipe and pod and im getting 253hp at the wheels

 

[Celsiorous]

Thanks for the replys, Lex I dont know how much HP it will give me, I was hoping forum members could tell me how much to expect.
lsk12, thanks for your post, im stoked to find someone running that setup. Do you recommend the link setup? Was the install and tuning long and involved?

 

[gloverman]

Hello

The link is a easy to use ECU. I have fitted a few and tuned many. I tune cars for a living. The standard ECU has a lot of features, so which the link cannot do. It can't ran the standard idle speed controller so this will need to be changed ( link plus XLEM can). LEM uses only uses group injection but in all is still a great computor. I will either use a LEM or XLEM on mine.
The standard ECU has about 120 wires from memory and the LEM has 17 + 2 extra outputs. What else won't work.
Luther is a great man to talk to as he has had awesome results with his silvia.
It pays to remember that aftermarket management will any allow the engine to make more power if the standard management has something lacking.
As for how much to fit it the price can vary. I have seen some cheap wiring jobs and they look like crap and the cars ran poorly as a result. I was thinking about the best way to wire a link onto a standard 1UZ powered car the other day. Trying to ensure the trans still works and hopefully not cause faults with traction control if fitted. I believe if you unplug the injectors and cut the ignition outputs to the ignitors so you still have the ignition feedback to the standard ECU, then tap into the neccessary inputs it should work quite well. Will take someone to do it though. The ECU may sense a change of resistance and display the engine check light.
Tuning can vary. I have good success road tuning with the laptop or hand controller. If you have good knowledge and can read you could almost do it yourself. I would gladly give some pointers.
What else are you wanting you ECU to do and tell us more about your car. Is it still an auto or have you converted it to manual? Traction control?

Thats enough to think about for while
Cheers

 

[Celsiorous]

Hi Gloverman thanks for all the info, my celsior has the stock auto and traction control, removing the traction control is fine with me though if it makes things easier. So the link cannot fully replace the stock ECU, is this the norm as far as aftermarket ECU transplants go? Apart from the idle controller can the link not handle things like the aircon etc or are they more engine and tranmission based functions?
As far as the tuning goes I work in IT and will have no issues with the software based part, for me it will be more of a problem knowing what to adjust and how much. Can the link work with the stock knock sensors?
Thanks again for your help its awesome being able to ask someone questions like this before me and my wallet go diving in

 

[Lambo]

hi Celsiorous, the man to talk to is Tmiller on this forum, he has a link in his Rally car and Mountach at http://www.1uzquadcam.co.nz/

Best Regards
Lambo

 

[gloverman]

Hello

LEM do not have knock control in the wire in series. XLEM has knock control. LEM does not have a idle up for A/c but the XLEM does. I have talked to link regarding this sort of job and are unsure if the standard ECU will handle having the injectors and ignition outputs unpluged and still be able to run the Transmission well. With what you want to do I think the link plus will give better results. The guys at Link are good to talk to. Maybe you should call them and ask some questions.
With many conversions we are not trying to run the trans so aftermarket computers work really well. It can also make installation easier as most aftermarket ECUs delete the air flow meter and run a map sensor.
I don't want to put you off Links as they are a awesome kiwi product but maybe you should also see if Apex-i do a replacement unit but I think even they have problems with Autos. Someone in here is bound to know about Apex-i units.
I hope this helps.

Cheers
Kelvin

 

[KDog]

You are wasting your time/money. You will be little better in power and much worse of in functions.
For minor mods such as exhaus/headers you do not need an aftermarket ECU. The cost of the ECU and other equipment to get the car running is not worth it.
With the money you would spend on the ECU, install, tuning and other mods you will get an excellent set of headers and exhaust system.

 

[MWP]

With the money you would spend on the ECU, install, tuning and other mods you will get an excellent set of headers and exhaust system.

But without a new ECU, those modifications will not be put to full use.

Every little change to exst or inlet setup changes volumetric efficiency which then needs to be tuned for. Cant do that with the standard ECU.

I know a programmable ECU will be one of the first things i do when i get my 1UZ installed.

 

[Celsiorous]

Ill call Link and get their perspective, thanks gloverman, Kdog thanks for your advice. I have looked into headers and have been quoted at least $1500NZD, because of my lack of experience in these things I feel reluctant to hand that over with no guarantees of good workmanship or performance increases. Ill have another call around and see what I can find.

 

[Zuffen]

KDogs right.

The standard ECu will learn it's way around minor mods such as headers and BFI, CAI.

If you want to change cams you're pushing the limits of the stock system.

Listen to Kdog he knows his way around. He's been driving the 1UZ longer than most of us have known about it.

 

[Celsiorous]

Im not saying that KDog is wrong or questioning his advice, but finding someone who has experience in making headers for a 1UZ who I can trust to make a good product is harder than it sounds. Out of the performance shops I have called few of them have any experience at all with 1UZ's and a few shops were not interested in the work at all.
Can anyone recommend a place to approach regarding 1UZ headers in Auckland New Zealand?

 

[KDog]

Try all exhaust shops, even the most dingy looking ones. Sooner or later you will find a master craftsman who doesn't cost the earth. You don't need one that has done them for the 1uzfe before, just one that does good work, it aint rocket science.
Also check your local machine shops, many of them will do custom work for various projects and may know of someone who does top work for reasonable dollars.
Even your university workshops are worth checking out, a few of there machinists do a bit of foreign work to top up there bank account. Most of my engineering crew checks out to help major race teams at various times of the year and other sorts of projects. For instance I have worked all on things from parts of the injector design for the Uni of Queenslands scramjet to work on the Ligo project for NASA's Jet Propolsions Laboratory.

 

[Lambo]

hi celsiorus, try digging on this site, www.altezzaclub.org.nz theres a guy on the site called Ian Booth (boothy) he has a 1uz in a Altessa in hamilton,i saw it in hamilton think it had extractors, well it must have, it produced 550hp, he is hard to track down does't visit the site often or so i am told

Regards
Lambo

 

[gloverman]

Boothy's car has just had another writeup in the latest REV magazine. My old 'smokey pig' corolla also features. Cheers

 

[TOBES]

I think the exhaust system on that Altezza was built by Herbert Fabrication & Engineering in Auckland. From what I have seen their work is superb...

 

[Celsiorous]

Thanks for all the advice, ill have another look around and see what I can find

 

[nathan]

what other ECU's are recommended for the 1UZ, i am puttin it in a hilux, want to use aftermarket ECU for clenliness purposes, less wires to hide

 

[svpmx83]

Can anyone recommend a place to approach regarding 1UZ headers in Auckland New Zealand?

Give Neil Griffiths a call at Rush Imports http://www.rushimports.com.au/ you may find that the soarer headers will fit a celsior

Through him I organised a set of terry's soarer headers in stainless steel for my cressida - we used the passenger side soarer header and had terry supply just the pipes and flanges in kit form for the drivers side - saved my exhaust shop about a day as the passenger side bolted up without modification
pic of the passenger side:- http://www.reanimotion.com/toymods/images/DSCN0695.JPG