LS Swap ECU Options - Best for the Budget!

[@turbolq4]

I bought a 5.3 truck engine with a harness and computer. I sent the wiring and PCM off to be cut down and have the vats removed. If I was going to stop there, it was a decent deal. I decided to go with a turbo and that means bigger injectors, custom tuning, etc. I bought HPTuners and sourced a cheap laptop. Also had to get a wide band O2 sensor. I couldn't figure out how to tune for the injectors (no data sheets with deka 80s) and ended up fuel washing the engine. I installed another engine and had to pay a tuner to sort it out. After all of that I could mess around with the tune a little bit but it's pretty complicated. I wanted to change the turbo and add bigger injectors to run e85 but the tuning kept me from doing it. The Terminator Xmax ($1500) would have been cheaper by a huge margin and allows for easy tunability and adding other components that a stock setup fights against. Choose carefully.

[@criskyro]

I needed to hear this!

[@diversedad7954]

Building a 66 c10 with a 5.3 4l60e on bags. All c notched with raised bed floor. This is a long term build that will be mostly stock for now but I want the ability to modify it later so I think the Holley terminator kit is worth it. The rest of the build will take me so much time and work I'd rather just have something easy to get me on the road with the option to tune for power adders later. Also gives me a small digital dash for the important stuff until I can save up for something like dakota digital dash. I do have stock harness and pcm with my 5.3 but I think I'll just sell them. I'm not made of money but my time and headache are also worth something.

[@aplong1911]

Thanks for sharing!!👍🏼😊

[@JulioGarcia-cw6nm]

So if you had to do it all over again and you weren’t loaded with money, which would you personally choose?

[@budgetoutlaws9978]

Power and use goals matter. But, On a budget. I would do the same. Gen 3 or Gen 4. GM ecu. Stock harness. 400 or less for tuner software and license. If you don't have a computer or harness then you're getting close to a Holley system which is much easier to learn and install.

[@ewitodaaabeaner9643]

Doing full rebuild on my 6.0 ls refurbished clean heads and basically everything brand new plus stage 3 cam but i went to go get it sent the computer and it didn’t want to turn in it’s makes like a click and that’s it so I borrowed a 5.3 one and it turned on idk the Soo I’m going to send it again cause I got new injectors and he deleted the vats and all that I know the year but idk what truck I need help here

[@mrtedco36]

Hey saw your video 📸 and I have a ❓ Can you tune a stock ECU for running boosted application ❓

[@budgetoutlaws9978]

Yes. You need to add a 2bar or 3bar map sensors. I've done that for the last couple years. And HP Tuners to tune it and change the ecu to work with the new map sensor. Add a pro tuners help and it may be worth looking into Holly Terminator.

[@mrtedco36]

Hey thx this is my First build and I'm on a budget, I've got a hold on a set of twin turbos and want to fit them on my 5.3L into a BMW chassis

[@kravmaga7070]

I just need to delete VATs and enable electric fans for now. My car already ran for a minute or two so not even sure if Vats are still enabled but better confirm. So if i have a desktop computer with windows 10 that has bluetooth built in i can skip the android read/write process and do it all from the computer? i just need to bring my computer to the garage or bring bench harness, battery and pcm to my computer?

[@budgetoutlaws9978]

The only interface I know of is the android app. There may be others now, you could check this forum and see what's new. pcmhacking.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6249&start=10 The electric fan thing may be problem but you could always do a standalone thermostat and fan controller they aren't much money on Amazon.

[@kravmaga7070]

@@budgetoutlaws9978 Ok i went to some of those forums and PcmHammer seem to be a good option to use. i tried it, it read my pcm first try and then i used that saved bin to modify it in Tunerpro and that worked easily , deleted my VATs and enabled fans to come on at 210/215 and both go off at 190. Only problem is it gave me a warning at time of savinng about; Error some checksum dll files may be missing im hestitant to write this to my one and only PCm..... noone at those other forums, Tunerpro, Ls1tech, or ytubers that gave me the proper XDF file for tunerpros and recomended pcmhammer knows what to make of that error. i tried a few things including dropping in this dll file into tunerpro plugin folder and redo the tune changes but same errror?

[@budgetoutlaws9978]

@@kravmaga7070 I would recommend getting a junkyard ecu to play with. Then find an Andriod phone to do the reads and rights.. The App for the Android has more trouble checking and error recovery. There are no guarantees when hacking ecus but it worked well for me. I bought 4 extra ecus to have something to play with.

[@budgetoutlaws9978]

@@kravmaga7070 I didn't really answer your question. But then again I don't really know. I didn't use pcm hammer. That forum is your best bet for those questions.

[@kravmaga7070]

@@budgetoutlaws9978 you might be right but then again ive got zero help at tunerpro forum

[@mikeodell5915]

Thank you

[@dB_944]

Haltech?

[@budgetoutlaws9978]

Well a guess a budget could be any size. Lots of good Fuel Management out there and Haltech is certainly popular.

[@LegendaryWoke]

Great vid except to let y'all know, Holley's customer service sucks (not just me saying it either) so careful

[@budgetoutlaws9978]

Thanks for the heads up. I'm real close to jumping the fence and going to Holley. But I'll check it out.

[@eddie_d4974]

get OBDXPro instead

[@GiddyUp964]

What is LS mean? 🤥

[@limabravo6065]

Lost starship

[@jrr1631]

Less salary

[@limabravo6065]

Lots stupid?

[@mantis3dfx]

Why does everyone just delete the Vats? Why not keep Vats and include it in the system. Seems pretty silly to me, when it's so bloody easy so marry up the VCM with a Vats system.

[@zakku7799]

Is vats in a nissan term Nats?