Picked up an LT5 and ZF

[spork2367]

Originally Posted by klork

Al lot of these issues really dont pertain to the op since all he has is the engine and trans. He can get the latest pro series megasquirt with a wiring harness for around 1400. For the over 2k for the plug n play zr1 computer he could get a holley dominator computer

This is not completely correct, or at the very least misleading.

No, he can't get an ECU capable of supporting the LT5 with a wiring harness for 1400 that can support the engine with stock sensors.

He may be able to get the generic unit and a generic wiring harness for 1400, but the cost to put that on his engine will far exceed 1400. It would also require him to be a wiring pro and have extensive experience setting up and programming ECUs. Same applies to the Holley unit. He isn't going to get something plug and play for 2k.

OP's cheapest easiest route is to buy one of the many OEM NOS harnesses that is for sale if he doesn't have an engine harness. Then either buy a stock ECU or megasquirt. He will then have to find someone to build him a standalone dash harness if he isn't capable of building one.

No matter how he approaches this, he's easily looking at 5k to integrate this engine into another car.

[-=Jeff=-]

Biggest thing to keep in mind is most aftermarket systems will not support the OEM crank sensor, so you will need to add that into the mix as well

[klork]

I didn't say it would be plug and play. Yes you would have to finish the wiring harness and yes the computer would have to be tuned but that is the case for any aftermarket computer. I am not sure what the guy is comfortable with doing and am just trying to give him options.

[rbidwell]

I purchased my Mega-squirt ECM thru Ron Hanselman in June of 2014 that was designed as a plug and play system. When Corey Henderson of Henderson Performance of New Braunfels,TX received the item he told me he had to put on connectors . To the best of my knowledge there has been no issues with this unit. Ron Hanselman has recently informed me he has no longer any involvement with Mega-squirt. I have not seen or have had any personal experience with the product.

[Bob Eyres]

I love my LT5, but Considering the power to weight ratio, and the expense of integrating it to other cars, and the expense of modding it to modern levels of horsepower. It doesn’t seem like a great choice for an engine swap, no. Matter how cheap you buy it.
For a street rod with an exposed engine, and no real demands for mega power, sure. For a vintage Corvette, I’ve seen a few, very cool.
But otherwise, an LS kind of blows it away, doesn’t it?


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[spork2367]

Originally Posted by klork

I didn't say it would be plug and play. Yes you would have to finish the wiring harness and yes the computer would have to be tuned but that is the case for any aftermarket computer. I am not sure what the guy is comfortable with doing and am just trying to give him options.

This is a HUGE understatement.

To put this into perspective for the OP...There are less than 20 of these engines running in cars that they didn't originally come in. Of those, less than 5 use aftermarket ECUs.

This isn't a matter of "tuning." The ECU has to be programmed to receive and understand every input from the engine. So if he doesn't have an understanding of the signal coming from every sensor needed to run this engine, then this won't happen. It's not likes it's as simple as using autotune for ignition and fuel maps then tweaking them a little on a dyno.

The development work that went into the Megasquirt ECU to make it run the LT5 was significant, and not something the average gear head is going to do.

This is coming from someone who has a megasquirt, several engines, a stand alone harness, and 3/4's of an electrical engineering degree (before switching to manufacturing).

The question for the OP ends up being: Do you want a running driving car, or do you want an ongoing electrical engineering project. Some people love the project, some people love the end result.

Originally Posted by Bob Eyres

I love my LT5, but Considering the power to weight ratio, and the expense of integrating it to other cars, and the expense of modding it to modern levels of horsepower. It doesn’t seem like a great choice for an engine swap, no. Matter how cheap you buy it.
For a street rod with an exposed engine, and no real demands for mega power, sure. For a vintage Corvette, I’ve seen a few, very cool.
But otherwise, an LS kind of blows it away, doesn’t it?


Sent from my iPhone using ZR-1 Net Registry

Pretty much.

[klork]

Maybe I am missing something here but what makes the LT-5 so much more complicated then all the other twin cam coil pack engines out there? Megasquirt natively reads GM sensors so unless the LT-5 uses no standard GM sensors that part is easy. If not just buy the required sensors and away you go. They are pretty cheap. If you needed an electrical engineering degree to wire one up there wouldn't be thousands of cars out there running it.

[tpepmeie]

Not to get too far off-topic... But one of the biggest obstacles in adapting any old aftermarket ECU is finding one which supports enough outputs. Between 16x fuel injectors, minimum 4 ignition (for waste spark), and a half dozen or so lo-side drives, it's a beast to control all of this. Sure, you can always compromise and run the injectors in parallel, or reduce some output devices. But now you're talking about a significant difference from OE.

The crankshaft trigger pattern is another challenge. Most basic aftermarket controllers can't cope with an 8+1 extra tooth pattern. Again, you could try to fit a generic 36-1, or 60-2 trigger wheel, but that's starting to get custom fast.

And then there's the dash compatibility, and Serial Data stream, if you want to use this in a C4 chassis. Sounds like that's where DIY Autotune is still struggling.

[spork2367]

Originally Posted by klork

Maybe I am missing something here but what makes the LT-5 so much more complicated then all the other twin cam coil pack engines out there? Megasquirt natively reads GM sensors so unless the LT-5 uses no standard GM sensors that part is easy. If not just buy the required sensors and away you go. They are pretty cheap. If you needed an electrical engineering degree to wire one up there wouldn't be thousands of cars out there running it.

I think you're just oversimplifying the work needed to get an ECU to run a complex modern engine. The LS has been done many times over. There are not thousands of LT5s out there running Megaquirts, nor is there a wealth of information on aftermarket ECUs for them. The plug and play Megasquirt ECU was developed by a company that only does that...with a running driving car for testing. Do you believe that you or the OP can do what DIYAutotune did accurately, cleanly and without a test car and have your time and materials add up to less than 1000 dollars? (the difference between the basic Megaquirt 1400.00 and the plug and play LT5 Megasquirt 2400.00)

I have done a lot of research on this. His cheapest route is:

NOS engine harness (pic makes it look like it's missing): 1300.00
Megasquirt ECU for LT5: 2400.00
Custom stand alone dash harness (ignition, gauges, OBD, check engine light, etc. some ancillary electronic modules needed for LT5) (or custom harness integrated into swap vehicles dash harness: 1800.00+

That's 5500.00 plus whatever he paid for the engine and trans for approximately 400 HP. That doesn't include troubleshooting or dyno testing/tuning.

Even if he got this motor and trans for free, that 5500 he still needs to spend alone would get an LS with a transmission and pay for a cam swap that would net him 450+ hp and replacement parts from any local auto parts store.

Don't get me wrong, it's an awesome engine. I have several. But it's not an easy or cost effective swap at all.

Originally Posted by tpepmeie

And then there's the dash compatibility, and Serial Data stream, if you want to use this in a C4 chassis. Sounds like that's where DIY Autotune is still struggling.

Supposedly they cracked a Ford dash that gave them some more insight into this, but I'm sure the LT5 is on the back burner...on a stove in another room....of an adjacent building.