well when I was at carlsile, I was asking about putting PE tables on a LA3 ecu. The reason I asked this for was the speed of the la3 over the pe. Yes you will have to rewire a few things. But if you make the wires have quick disconnects you won't be tied to just an LA3.
On to the cosworth ecu. You can find them all over uk for cheap. But I'm not sure on the sesors you would need. I have thought of doing this but, I have had no time to venture on this. But I just might for $hits and giggles.
I was lucky on ebay to find a fully programable ecu for the turbo ford. Dave at Hartwood has the unit to program it. But when he showed it to me, I did not have the cash at the time So i have a few options. I could always go megasquirt for the weekly migrain for a few months. till i can get it to go around the block.
People say that the LA3 has better driveability and runs more smoothly, but it always seemed like a PITA to me. I had a PE, and I loved it. Ran just fine, and I never had any driveability problems I was aware of. To me, the ease of installation and the results more than made up for the price difference. Time is money, too, and so are an ACT sensor and various wiring bits. Besides, I'd just as soon let that 20-year-old-sleeping-dog wiring harness lie...
This is my car, and these are my people!
2015 Fiesta ST
2020 Edge 2.0 Ecoboost
The hardest part of the whole thing is finding a place for the ACT...the wiring work will take less than an hour...
Geez..just install the damned thing.....
"Strange women, lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power is derived from a mandate from the masses, not from some farsical aquatic ceremony."
I think Im gonna go with J.B. and get the PE when I fix all the other little merkur issues. Where do I get one of these PE chips? and how much $$ again?
"once you go quattro, you never go back: well sometimes"....
yes, this is one of those times.....
I'm talking about a PE EEC from an '86 SVO, not a chip-- although I understand there are chips which will put the PE tables into a PF (or whatever). Have no experience with them but perhaps someone who has could chime in. As to the cost, I think it's more than a PE goes for, either used or from AutoZoo. Chuck, I fully acknowledge your superior experience and abilities, and electricals aren't my strong suit, but unless you find the LA3 along with all the parts one needs to put it in used and at once, I doubt if the final price ends up being THAT much of a difference vs. the PE if you buy it right.
This is my car, and these are my people!
2015 Fiesta ST
2020 Edge 2.0 Ecoboost
Why waste the money? If both are sitting in front of me, and I have a PE for $200 and an LA3 for $70(if that).....I'll take the time to install the LA3 and spend the $130 elsewhere....but that's just me .....an ACT will cost you under $30.
It's really not that hard to do the LA swap.... but John I wasn't knocking you in the least. I used to have "issues" with electrical stuff...then I just said "screw it" and took care of it. Hell..I've even built a MegaSquirt now (I guess we'll see if it works ). My only point was that folks make way too big of a deal over repinning the harness and adding the ACT.
"Strange women, lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power is derived from a mandate from the masses, not from some farsical aquatic ceremony."
umm, yeah sorry about that, i meant the whole EEC, i just use the word "chip" too lightly.
Chuck, I totally understand your point of view here, but i'd like to spend the extra bucks, and be done with it. and I surely dont want to have to deal with another sensor that goes wrong.
Too many electrical things that can go wrong in cars these days!
pfft!
Im 18, no theres no real experience talking here. but i dont need a mile of wire in my car.
"once you go quattro, you never go back: well sometimes"....
yes, this is one of those times.....
evansMERK wrote:I think Im gonna go with J.B. and get the PE when I fix all the other little merkur issues. Where do I get one of these PE chips? and how much $$ again?
jason yancey
stephens city va
87XR-88XR
NOVAMOG
"as long as you keep picking on me I will tend to mad post about me getting mad......"
For me personally, when I went to sell my PE, it was very simple to pop it out, put the old one back in, and then I sold it for what I paid for it. This would also apply to putting it into another car, or further upgrading to a standalone or what-have-you. This may not be a huge deal for those of you with lots of cars around, but as the car was at the time and remains today my daily-driver burro as well as my toy, this proved to be a good decision.
This is my car, and these are my people!
2015 Fiesta ST
2020 Edge 2.0 Ecoboost
For me it was a matter of availability the PE is virtually no excitant in the scrap yards I found 2 La3/bigvams in a matter of a couple of months and buying a parts 87-88 TC is pretty easy and cheap. (Got one for300CDN sold the La3 and vam intercooler and seats for the same amount and put the basically free motor and tranny and rear brakes in my car )
I agree with Chuck the swap is cake I ran the act free air for a year no probs
Now that I have a TC motor with the proper lower intake I have it in the stock location I don’t feel a difference though so is it necessary I don’t know.
Repining is not as bad as you would think the harness is numbered from factory so if you pin it wrong your not paying attention to what your doing
If you ever installed a stereo in you car then you can do this.
So i have a few options. I could always go megasquirt for the weekly migrain for a few months. till i can get it to go around the block. 
). My only point was that folks make way too big of a deal over repinning the harness and adding the ACT.
