002-M-P

iTrader: (12)

I agree with MIA...keeping the VQ ecu will most likely be manditory. Most cars it isn't a problem but Zexy, read back a few pages to Injected Perf post about trying to run without the ECU...nothing worked. I just bought a Autosport harness today to make all the splicing easier. Mia, that was an awesome explanation....some of it I already knew, some of it I didn't, so I appreciate it (even though I won't be running a AEM EMS). But, I do have to say that getting the Tach to work properly is going to be the biggest task. Also as far as A/C goes...I really think I am going to try my damndest to get it to work. Probably will have end up keeping the VQ compressor and custom fab'ing a bracket to mount it on the RB then figuring the belt situation out. Something I will be looking at more closely when I get my motor later this week.

I am not necessarily going for a 100% OEM style swap though. My car is already stripped out, but I def want to keep my A/C and PS. The only stock guages I plan to utilize are the ones on the steering column...and even if water temp doesn't work right, I will have a readout of that 100% of the time via Apex'i Power FC Commander...as well as my true rpm, water temp, and everything else. Just gotta figure out where I am going to mount it with the E-01 taking up so much space in that navi-hole

The situation with the throttle cable shouldn't be a big deal. One hole in the fire wall and weld onto the pedal above the pivot point. Just have to make sure you get it the right distance from the pivot so that it pulls the cable the correct distance.

Zexy

iTrader: (55)

You guys are right. I'll figure this out tomorrow If JE guys did it i'm sure they'll chime in on some info and Tach is useable.

If not.. I wouldn't mind replacing the OEM unit for the nice Defi standalone cluster But let me now keep adding to the list.

And 002-MP is right. Most engine temp readouts are on the Commander which i will be using as well.

MIAPLAYA

iTrader: (3)

Yes but trying to look at the commander is a pain in the @ss while on the track. If you keep the stock ECU you should be able to make the factory gauges work. The tach would be the only difficult one I think. And like I said you might be able to use a trigger and pick up on the crank pulley if you really need to. But like I said you should be to make it work one way or the other.

As for the AC and power steering. I think you'll need to look at the fitment of the RB pumps to know for sure. If the RB pumps will fit you should be able to use those. For the AC and PS lines all you'll really need to do is make some custom lines. And decent line shop should be able to do this. If the stock pumps fit it will eliminate the need to go looking for custom mounting brackets and belts. You can have a line shop whip up some stainless braided lines that will tie into the RB stock pumps and run them to the steering rack and factory AC lines.

For your boost control. Why keep using the E-01. The Power FC Commander can control boost on its own. Heres a quote from Apexi's site: That should allow you to ditch the E-01. The Apexi Power FC can do everything the E-01 can do and then some (like gear based boost control). I would use that anyways as it will tie everything together on the Power-FC. Although I still maintain the AEM EMS would be easier to tune and has a LOT more features.

In the end its your two cars but I wouldn't ditch the factory gauges. It makes it much more OEM like and more sleeper for those you don't want to know you have something. Not to mention it will save you some cash on a digital dash or standalone gauges. You can still use the Power FC on the dyno but analog gauges are the easiest to read on the track IMHO and are easier to track transitions on.

For the throttle pedal. You might not even have to weld anything. There are factory bolts there that you might be able to use.

002-M-P

iTrader: (12)

Agreed about the E-01 and using the PFC's boost control stuff...but it is probably what I will use to start out with since I already have it.

I definitely planned on using the stock RB power steering unit, but how will the factory controls actually control a different A/C compressor? I really have no idea if it will or not, thats why I hadn't thrown out the idea of using the Z's compressor.

Once you get the datalogit for the Power FC it shouldnt' be any harder to tune than the AEM EMS in my opinion. The primary reason for the PFC is it is a) proven on a ton of rb26's, b) I am already familiar with it, and c) it doesn't cost quite as much and comes with the handheld commander. Only thing I wish it had was built in wideband controll like the EMS. I am not 100% decided on this yet...esp. if some deal hits me at the right time or something.

MIAPLAYA

iTrader: (3)

Thats a good point... It seems the Power FC allows for continued AC control. I wonder what kind of signal is normally sent to the RB ECU to activate and control the AC. If you can figure out what the RB ECU is expecting to activate and control the compressor and determine what signal is generated by the BCM to activate and control the AC you can make it work with the RB compressor. The Power FC appears to have a diag mode that allows you to diag the operation and its reading of the AC control switch. This should help you in making it work.

Zexy

iTrader: (55)

I already have my Boost Control option for PF-C sitting in my closet

Zexy

iTrader: (55)

Wouldn't you just be able to use the stock Z one, fab up the custom bracket, and use the BCM to control it while you'd use the VQ ECU?

You got me thinking..... How will you be able to disable engine usage on the VQ ECU to allow way for the standalone?

MIAPLAYA

iTrader: (3)

I suppose thats possible but keep in mind finding a custom bracket and belts for the VQ compressor is most likely going to be much more of a pain in the @ss then scoping the signals and seeing what will work. At least for right now. If the singal to activate the compressor and control temps are PWM and a PITA then you sure could try using the VQ compressor. I would go the route of wiring and signal modification first. As for disabling the VQ ECU theres no need to disable it per say. The VQ ECU harness will not have any actual connections to anything on the RB motor so it can't do anything.

002-M-P

iTrader: (12)

The only thing I'm trying to figure out is what to do with the entire VQ engine harness...

Zexy

iTrader: (55)

So basically the stock ECU could still keep laying around to control BCM functions while allowing the standalone to control the ECU? Bear with me.. I'm clueless about wiring.

MIAPLAYA

iTrader: (3)

That my friend is a good question. You will need to tap into some of the signals on the harness to make the tach and other gauges work. I would honestly leave most of it where its at. Just take the engine specfic wires and plugs and either trim them down or wrap them up under the dash. It depends on whether or not you plan to use the VQ sensors or try to convert the signal. Like I said for the water temp and oil pressure signals you could VERY easily remove the sensors from the VQ motor you are ditching and put them onto the RB. For oil pressure use a tee adaptor on the factory sensor fitting and put the VQ one in there. For the coolant you can mount it inline anywhere with any coolant line. So those two harnesses you would leave long Everything else like cam position sensors, crank position sensor, etc you can either cut and shorten or tuck into the car somewhere.

MIAPLAYA

iTrader: (3)

Eh, sort of. OK think about it like this. You have a VQ ECU and wiring harness in the car right now. Your new motor will come with an RB harness that plugs into all the RB factory sensors. You'll need to connect this harness to your EMS. In this case its the Power FC. So now you have to engine harnesses. The RB one is connected to all the RB motor sensors and the Power FC. The stock VQ engine harness will still be there though. You'll be using some of these wires to port the signals from the RB over to the VQ ECU to make the gauges work. So you will have the VQ ECU still there and running but only connected to the BCM and the other modules in the cars. The Power FC will be the only EMS connected to the RB motor. What you get is the Power FC actually running the motor and the VQ ECU only controlling the BCM and everything else not motor.

silver nismo

+1 for the F-con v pro

BamBam

iTrader: (4)

I think MIA has the right idea/ explanation in his last post... In my case since I already have the F-Con V Pro, I would use their plug/play adapter and try to keep the stock ECU/harness to only run the BCM. Basically a hybrid, but trying to make it as simplistic as possible.

MIAPLAYA

iTrader: (3)

Yeah if you already have an HKS Fcon V Pro theres not even a question here. You'll need the plug and play harness for the RB wiring harness though. Aside from that everything should be simple'ish. The VQ harness goes back into the VQ ECU only... I'm still curious if anyone has scope traces of the VQ ECU inputs and outputs from the factory dash. You could actually do it one of two ways. The first is to cut the signal from the VQ ECU to the factory gauges and run the singal output from the RB harness to it with any signal changes needed applied. The other is to feed the RB signals into the VQ ECU as the input from the motor. This seems to be the best thing to me. That way you allow the VQ ECU to control the BCM and gauges as it always has. All you really need to do is scope the engine speed, vehicle speed, oil pressure sensor, and coolant sensor inputs from VQ harness to the ECU. If it was me I would porbably keep the VQ oil pressure and coolant sensors on the RB. It would just make things a lot easier as no signal conversion or testing is needed. That should limit the signals you need to scope/convert to the tach and vehicle speed which I believe is pulled from the wheels themselves anyways. You will have some other minor wiring to do of course but it shouldn't be much. You'll need to ensure there is power and ground to both harnesses. Start signal, key in signal, etc... These should be very easy though as they are either constant 12 Volts +, constant Ground, switched 12 Volts +, or Switched Ground.

Quamen

iTrader: (14)

I would say that you would want to wire in some resistors in certain areas in order to keep the stock ECU happy unless you don't mind the CEL.

MIAPLAYA

iTrader: (3)

Resistors aren't going to cut it. The ECU is going to expect real time input from the VQ motor that isn't there. You are going to get a CEL no matter what you do on the VQ ECU and dash. Thats why I suggested removing the power source to the CEL light. Its not going to do anything for you anyways with the RB in there.

002-M-P

iTrader: (12)

Yea my CEL is on 100% of the time right now...so nothing will change there.

Zexy

iTrader: (55)

MIAPLAYA, you're the man.

I called JE and you were absolutely correct. Basically the stock ECU was kept in car for the BCM functions and the FC was seperated for engine functions. In terms of tach signal, and stuff like that their harness tapped into the OEM Z harness and the signal had to be modified for the tach.

Their harness kit which they will be selling as well will do the job. That's all the details he gave me as basically he has a wiring expert who takes care of all that.

MIAPLAYA

iTrader: (3)

Thats kinda what I thought. The question now is how did they do their harness. i'm assuming they basically removed all the non engine specific cabling from the RB harness so that only the needed wires remain live on the RB harness which is then plugged into the FC. From there they most likely just wired signals over to the still in place VQ harness and ECU. Although they could have gone a different route. This is something i was thinking of but would be a wiring and pin out NIGHTMARE. You could keep the factory VQ wiring harness in place. Thats EVERYTHING including motor side. On the ECU side you remove the pins from the VQ ECu connector that are related to the engine and its management. You pull those wires through to the RB ECU harness which you are going to plug into the FC. On the engine side you cut the connectors off that are going to the FC and put the RB connectors on to connect to the RB sensors. To drive the BCM and gauges in car you simply jumper over the needed wires with signal modification if required to the necessary pins on the VQ ECU harness. That basically leaves you with only one harness in the car. This is going to be a pinout nightmare though. Not all the sensors may use the same number of wires/pins. You'll need to track which wires and pins AREN'T used on the VQ side of things to re-use them for RB specific things that don't exist on the VQ. You have to keep track of what pins you used for what function and where they go on the RB connector side of things. You see where I'm going with this. BAD news. And if they sell a harness pre-pinned for this its going to cost you a LOT of money as thats a few weeks of labor to figure that out. If it was me i'd stick with me original plan. Leave the VQ harness in there sna trim/shorten. or tuck away the motor parts of it. Install the RB and its harness and trim/shorten/tuckaway the non-motor things. Run jumpered wires over to the VQ ECU as necessary to drive the gauge cluster with signal modification where needed. I bet they just used a tach adaptor to make the signal from the RB engine speed sensor work. If thats the case its easy as pie. If you want to be real thorough depin the wires for the motor on the VQ ECU connector and cut the wires completely off. Do the same for RB non-motor side. Run jumpers over as needed and you are done...