Question about a creative application for a GM PCM

[xavgo2]

I'm fairly new to ECU/PCM tuning so please spare me. Also, my question has to do with using a GM ECU in a Japanese (I know...) car. I believe my fellow car guys will understand we must look beyond the brand.

I just bought a '92 Nissan 180SX (I wanted something with a bit more cylinders, but the car has a special meaning). The ECU in there is kind of old fashioned and really hard/expensive to tune. The ROM chips have to be burned with new maps. I really like the idea of a flexible programmable ECU. So I started thinking:

Would it be possible to use the ECU out of a Cobalt or a Cavalier to run this wonderful SR20DET (red top, really pretty) instead of using the stock ECU. Keep in mind the car is running 4 separate coils that can be upgraded to GM LS coils, dual overhead cams, a upgraded turbo pushing roughly 12 PSI and 550cc injectors instead of the stock 370cc ones. Displacement is 2 liters on 4 cylinders. Throttle assembly is mechanical, so no drive by wire here. To me it sounds very similar to a 2.0L ecotec turbo.

Is it possible to recalibrate the ECU to get accurate reading from the Nissan sensors, or would it be necessary to change some or all the sensors to GM stuff. I am open to suggestions, as this Drift-tax you might have heard of is criminally high. I am fully prepared to do the wiring and the tuning, or get some help if necessary. I found a copy of the base fuel and ignition maps that are burned into the stock ECU, so I guess I can use them to create a safe starting point.

The LS swap is not out of the question, but I would like to get the car running right without sinking 6k in it.

Thanks in advance.

[Tre-Cool]

i think you would be better off just using a full aftermarket ecu like the new haltech 1500. it would be a lot simpler/cost effective in the long run then trying to adapt a gm ecu.

[joecar]

You would need GM sensors (and a manner to make them physically fit).

Aftermarket ECU systems may be a better fit as Tre-Cool said, especially if there are any designed to work with your stock sensors.

You may be able to do an LS swap if you do your own fabrication and you get a used engine cheap.

[xavgo2]

So there is no way to calibrate the ECU to convert the signal to the correct values?

GM ECUs are sooo much cheaper than Haltech ECUs...

[joecar]

So there is no way to calibrate the ECU to convert the signal to the correct values?

...No.

[GMPX]

GM ECUs are sooo much cheaper than Haltech ECUs...
And better too :music_whistling_1:

[xavgo2]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Looks like I'll have to go back to plan A: the daughterboard...

[Hooter]

If this is any help, I've run many 4, 6, and 8 cylinder engines on Delco ecu's, but these were pre LS1 and using the Delco '808, which is pretty much the same as the '165 found in the F and Y body cars from 1986 to 1989.
In the 4 cyl I use the wasted spark DFI module from the 2.2L Cavalier #1927a
It means fabricating a crank trigger to suit, but easy to do.
I run this setup in my Suzuki Jimny and recently got 3rd place in the Gascoyne Dash which is a massive offroad race here is West Australia
I believe EFI Live have software for these earlier models, but I used Kalmaker. ( i hope this doesnt offend anyone here)
Gimme the GM factory ecu's anyday....

[GMPX]

I believe EFI Live have software for these earlier models, but I used Kalmaker. ( i hope this doesnt offend anyone here)
Gimme the GM factory ecu's anyday....
Our very early V4 Scantool software worked with the older Delco ECM's, but we've never had a tuning suite for them, V4 was scan only. Kalmaker was a good thing but very user unfriendly unfortunately.

[kangsta]

Our very early V4 Scantool software worked with the older Delco ECM's, but we've never had a tuning suite for them, V4 was scan only. Kalmaker was a good thing but very user unfriendly unfortunately.

I find kalmaker excellent actually, just forget about "windows" concepts haha. Most people don't read the user manual, which you actually need to do because the keyboard shortcuts are extremely useful and timesaving.

EFILive still reigns #1 for the post DOS era in my tuning suite though. :mrgreen:

[Hooter]

Interesting comments on Kalmaker.... and interesting where progress is taking this all....
There are tables/variables in Kalmaker most would die for to have in EFILive, and believe me, they are there..... just not found yet....
Hardware is what most people find user unfriendly, and unfortunately all the old stuff is eprom based, and requires real time ecu's, which like Roadrunners can get tricky, but the bonus you get is realtime tuning, whereas Flash tuning you simply plug in your cable and go.
The other thing with DOS is the stable platform, which means logging up to 490 PIDS simultaneously !!!!!!! without having to configure, and unless you have experienced the beauty of this, most here would never understand the frustration I have with the later Windows based Scanning options where you can only log 16 PID's at a time, and many of the PID's are not supported....
This adds a new dimension to user unfriendly.... lol
Not trying to start anything here.... just saying
and as kangsta says above, EFILive reigns #1 in post DOS era for me too.