Newly Acquired 94 Land Cruiser Turbo (1 Viewer)

[Fj80oregon]

Give me a few months I'll get there!

Best rebuttal I have ever read!

 

[scottryana]

I just checked this and it is April 1994. I was hoping it was a late 94 but no luck.

@scottryana I have been devouring all your awesome advice on here the last two weeks it's been very helpful and what inspired me to look at a turbo vs v8 swap to begin with.

Do you have any experience or input on a standalone ECU used parallel with the stock which would retain control of the transmission?

I had budgeted $6-8k for the turbo build and buying an ECU would be unfortunate but the Haltech seems very nice for $1800 and I'm hoping that will do what I need it to.

Then it's just up to picking a turbo. My local fab guys recommended Borg turbos over a Garrett, but didn't have a recommendation for a part #

The stand alone wired in parallel is going to be really what you want to do. To completely remove the stock computer and wire in a stand alone would be a huge undertaking. Not to mention getting all the systems to work properly when done.

 

[rikk]

The stand alone wired in parallel is going to be really what you want to do. To completely remove the stock computer and wire in a stand alone would be a huge undertaking. Not to mention getting all the systems to work properly when done.

This is I think the path of least resistance as well.

It also gives me the ability to do a coil on plug later if I want to convert it eventually.

I was looking at the mega squirt but they are nearly the same price as the Haltech and seem to require a daunting amount more effort than the Haltech does

 

[APhelps]

I'd imagine a stand alone ECU is the way to go, this isn't that complicated. It's not like an 80 series land cruiser or the 1fz is anything special. Guys in the Supra/Mr2 crowd having been doing this for a long time. I'd probably dig around over on those forums than here, heck probably not a bad idea to ring up AEM/Haltech/NemesisEMS/etc. and talk to one of their engineers.

 

[thecapedcapper]

Running a standalone ECU alongside a stock ECU is a very interesting idea - Trying to think it through I imagine that you would run the injectors and coils from the standalone ECU only but otherwise keep everything wired to both? Would the stock ECU handle this ok and still be able to control the trans appropriately as long as it had all of the other sensors? Not sure there would be any way for it to tell...

If this would work it would open up forced induction options for all 1FZ-FE trucks and make a 93-94 a lot more desirable for many (Myself including, I've been looking for a new 80 series and had been restricting myself to 95-97 only). The haltech ECUs have an OBD2 output and of course support digital dashes and the tuning software which would allow for great engine monitoring. They have a lot of nice extra features too.. would be cool to have an 80 with launch control.

Has anyone, for any year, successfully ran a standalone ECU for engine control in parallel?

Edit: Did a little more digging and it seems several people have ran a standalone ECU in parallel, but hearing more details from someone who has actually done it would be great.

 

[xetura]

For going fully standalone, the Haltech Elite 2500 has automatic transmission control. Not sure if the Elite 2000 does, but it might. I personally have done standalone (Megasquirt) on a 1980 VW Scirocco with a motor swap, but that was with a manual transmission (a lot easier to setup). It wasn't difficult once I had all the information I needed (wiring and such), but it's a huge time-sink and not for the faint of heart. I know wiring scares some people, but I really enjoy it and made a short career out of it until I moved onto other things. Not a huge fan of piggy-backs, but if it works, it works.

 

[scottryana]

Running a standalone ECU alongside a stock ECU is a very interesting idea - Trying to think it through I imagine that you would run the injectors and coils from the standalone ECU only but otherwise keep everything wired to both? Would the stock ECU handle this ok and still be able to control the trans appropriately as long as it had all of the other sensors? Not sure there would be any way for it to tell...

If this would work it would open up forced induction options for all 1FZ-FE trucks and make a 93-94 a lot more desirable for many (Myself including, I've been looking for a new 80 series and had been restricting myself to 95-97 only). The haltech ECUs have an OBD2 output and of course support digital dashes and the tuning software which would allow for great engine monitoring. They have a lot of nice extra features too.. would be cool to have an 80 with launch control.

Has anyone, for any year, successfully ran a standalone ECU for engine control in parallel?

Edit: Did a little more digging and it seems several people have ran a standalone ECU in parallel, but hearing more details from someone who has actually done it would be great.

Yep, I have been doing it since 2013 or 2014, no issues really.

 

[xetura]

Yep, I have been doing it since 2013 or 2014, no issues really.

What ECU do you run?

 

[AussieHJCruza]

The Haltech elite 2000 doesn't have auto transmission control and I was fairly sure the 2500 doesn't either. Wolf do an ECU that can control the auto, but I've not heard anything positive about them. Haltech tech support tell me that a compushift and elite 2000 will work but my turbo 80 was a manual transmission so haven't got any experience with Haltech + Compushift

 

[scottryana]

I have an older Platinum Sport 2000.

The new Elite 2500 can be setup to control the simple 4 speed automatic.

 

[AussieHJCruza]

I have an older Platinum Sport 2000.

The new Elite 2500 can be setup to control the simple 4 speed automatic.

Thanks @scottryana Sounds like Haltech guy is trying to sell me a compushift too then

 

[scottryana]

Thanks @scottryana Sounds like Haltech guy is trying to sell me a compushift too then

Yeah there is no preset for it, but since it only has a few conditions for shifting you can look at the ECM and see how to energize them for each gear. You can use the outputs to trigger them.

1st - S1 on S2 off
2nd - S1 on S2 on
3rd - S1 off S3 on
4th - S1 off S2 off

 

[AussieHJCruza]

Yeah there is no preset for it, but since it only has a few conditions for shifting you can look at the ECM and see how to energize them for each gear. You can use the outputs to trigger them.

1st - S1 on S2 off
2nd - S1 on S2 on
3rd - S1 off S3 on
4th - S1 off S2 off

Aha, Roger that. So strictly what he's saying is correct but it could be done using the outputs.

 

[scottryana]

Aha, Roger that. So strictly what he's saying is correct but it could be done using the outputs.

Yep exactly

 

[thecapedcapper]

Yeah there is no preset for it, but since it only has a few conditions for shifting you can look at the ECM and see how to energize them for each gear. You can use the outputs to trigger them.

1st - S1 on S2 off
2nd - S1 on S2 on
3rd - S1 off S3 on
4th - S1 off S2 off

I should probably make a separate thread or something but it is very interesting that the Haltech has the logic necessary to automatically determine when to shift.

I also wonder if a parallel ECU has been done for a 93/94.

 

[scottryana]

I should probably make a separate thread or something but it is very interesting that the Haltech has the logic necessary to automatically determine when to shift.

I also wonder if a parallel ECU has been done for a 93/94.

It doesn’t. You have to program that based off of load, speed, rpms, etc. it has enough outputs but you still have to come up with the shift logic

For a street driven truck it’s much easier to leave the stock computer in place and let it control the trans unless you’re planning on doing something wild.

 

[xetura]

It doesn’t. You have to program that based off of load, speed, rpms, etc. it has enough outputs but you still have to come up with the shift logic

For a street driven truck it’s much easier to leave the stock computer in place and let it control the trans unless you’re planning on doing something wild.

That makes sense. I guess I just need to figure out how much I/O I need to use an aftermarket ecu with the stock transmission ecu. There was a thread on the turbo 1fz facebook group and they were talking about running out of I/O with the Haltech Elite 2500, but he also wanted trans control + drive by wire and a bunch of other stuff. I just want to run what the rig has (A/C, idle air control, etc).