I thought I was at a Whitehouse briefing when you said "circle back" but then you actually did circle back so I was relieved to realize you were going to actually give us the information.
I've dealt with Holley, haltech, aem, motec, Bosch, megasquirt and others in my shop. The main thing that I used to choose my own ecm is the customer and technical support. In my experience with all the different brands Haltech has always had the best support in my experience. I switched to all Haltech elites on my personal vehicles a few years ago.
This makes me feel a lot better about going with haltech for my first dip into EFI tuning. I chose them because I live in Australia and they're a very popular choice. Plus they're locally designed and manufactured.
Haltech has been bought by the USA. Motec bought by Bosch. So Haltech has gone down now that the USA will ruin it as they do with everything they purchase.
While I’m a Haltech import guy and the support in Oz is amazing, I agree with your Holley decisions for a drag car - watch out Haltech is coming though! Very well presented! Keep up the great work.
This has to be one of the only channels that the cuts actually crack me up. You have a good sense of humor with them. Especially when you have to sit for days on the channel to learn
Was about to order the Terminator X for my LS Miata. Watched this video to make sure I wasn't making a mistake. Went back and confirmed my order after watching.
I have not enjoyed a video on capabilities or making choices... or for that matter ANY ONE TOPIC... as much as this almost half hour of straight up to the point gem! Thank you young man, for an enjoyable lunch break. Respectfully, Seth
there are reasons you typically dont see dominators on big alcohol promods, fuel control isnt really the best on the holley at that level but never seen an issue on smaller builds. Fueltech is second to none on logging, but we have had some issues where we didnt buy fueltech specific sensors or tried to make racepak sensors work and had issues. for the drag racing application the configuration, time based applications, ability to move the log into the time based sections, and live diagnostic functionality are by far superior in the fueltech system. we started using the fueltech power management stuff this past weekend and it works amazing. the engine rpm literally follows within a few rpm of commanded.
I really enjoyed the video. I'm a domestic guy (Twin turbo BBC) that tunes part time at an import shop. I tune 90% Haltech, that's what software package I'm most familiar with so its interesting to see other tuners perspective. I even run the Haltech Nexus R5 on my big block chevy. I looked into the M150, Holley and FuelTech before going with the R5. Each system has pros and cons I hate the multiple box thing with FuelTech, I dont wanna have to add a traction control box or addon for the Holley, and the Motec had so much extra to buy besides the box which isn't priced too bad. Keep making great videos.
yea the 100 different boxes for everything with fuel tech is a deal breaker for most. like i think i stated in the video, as long as your going with a name brand system, if your familiar with it, as long as it has the features you need most of the ecus are going to be pretty comparable for the average user. 10 years ago that may have been a different conversation!
I'm an import guy and I love the Haltech stuff, so much so i'm using the Elite 2500 for my new LS Build, once you get used to the system the possiblilites of it for the price are amazing, the basically 21 hour a day tech support is killer too
Matt sent me here, but this was a super spot on video from someone that actually sees it all. Thanks for putting all this together, Cold beer on me one day!
I'm new to your channel, so I'm planning to sit back and take it all in, as opposed to offering input, but I felt like it was worth taking the time to comment to tell you thank you & you've done a great job on this video! Very well formatted, accurate, professional but casual, ect, ect, you did well!!
Sounds like if you can't tune it yourself you are dependent upon your tuner. Your tuner has a tuner he is familiar with and likes. He also has to like you. Their are ecms that will fit your needs and can be upgraded. Back to the tuner. It sounds like if you are a competitive type you may need to learn how to tune. If you want to 🏆. You never know how good your competitors tuner is and how close their ties are. Great video.
Well done Joe, thanks. I came to this video from the direction of considering a Holley setup for a conservative, Gen-1 SBC street engine. I watched a couple of Holley's videos, which caused yours to pop up. I'm pretty knowledgeable concerning how multi-point EFI works -- as in, I can troubleshoot any 20th century factory engine management system without too much trouble and with no specialized tools. By covering the whole spectrum, you gave me a great primer course in these systems while also answering the question of what to do in my case. I appreciate that. Liked, subscribed, and archived.
Excellent video Joe. There is something to be said about remembering hot keys and other shortcuts. Jumping around to different ecus can be a pain. And you are right about AEM, series 1 and 2 stuff I always fought issues that shouldn't have been there (gremlins). Had the same issue with an older Haltech. Tech support at the time was dismal.
Very helpful insight. For the first time fuel injection guys like myself this is a great way to understand what is out there. I am starting a factory five cobra replica build and want Fuel Injection, traction control, launch control, and flat foot shifting. The dominator will do that (I think) and like knowing it is widely used
I have been using megasquirt for about 15-20yrs now. The learning curve is a bit steep but it has so many options. I am using it for sequential on a 6cyl, COP and 4 variable cams, e85, and many other controls. I do NOT recommend it for everyone, but if you want a ECU to do what you want... it can probably do it.
ya he's confusing good marketing here (which is why Holley is so popular) with actual robust good engineering. Give me a quality install of a MS3pro and it blows others away. Holley has bought so many of the little aftermarket everything like he said, support is a nightmare. Also end users of Rs3 actually influence the process, so it has become slick as hell. The problem with MS is it started as a diy kit in the 90s (i think) and stupid people gave it a bad rep. Now, it is produced with world class electronics and has been for decades. Link is damn interesting and has a few outlier features
Been installing a life racing x3 pdu and it’s so far and above all other pdu’s. The I/o and options compared to even a motec is on another level! And for not really much extra. Highly recommend
The few people i know who use life racing swear by it and prefer it over motec. I bought one of their ecus years ago but never moved forward with the project. I’d consider it for future projects
Nicely done. I feel like I need to watch it again and take notes. I like the motec but man I need to make a house payment. I was really intrigued and impressed with a Ausie car running high 6's. It actually had a lazer on the frame to sense when the car was trying to wheelie. Much quicker response than the right foot lift feature most of us are used to.
Very useful information I have terminator x max and have never had any support issues and if you do have issues TH-cam it you're right Holley is designed for the beginner and with a little work you can do quite a bit and best of all updates are free TY for your perspective
this video helped me tremendously ! I am around so many Motec tuners and agree it's the best. But, I was put off that it would seemingly be an endless expense. Although limited, I can grow a bit with the dominator for my LS. Thanks Joe!
For the domestic guys holley is good. Cheap works . Easy to tune . Simple . How ever personal projects I prefer maxxecu . Maxx pro has been growing on me . Allows me to be more creative than say holley will they both make same hp . All day. But on personal stuff I like motec ,emtron ,maxxecu. And on budget stuff megasquirt works good. Isn't always perfect but for budget it works good once you know how to refine it good. Even tuned speeduino... lol with some minor code changes it works good
yup, lots of options for all the different budgets. and as i stated depending on what the person project is i may or may not use holley haha. i find it to be the best bet for most people, on the domestic side of things.
And the warranty is way better....sky is the limit on my Ultimate Pro and TCU ( controlling my 4l80e via can bus ), also having wireless connectivity...
Fast which I have used many systems from may not be the new kid on the block but it's rock solid..... Id probably next upgraded to a dominator then UPGRADED to a MS3 Pro Ultimate, if the FAST TCU allowed per gear rpm... Now I have per gear, and predictive shift along with several programmable latencies .....even a gear hold to keep it from blowing thru gears with rpm shifting when I blow the tires on a 1000+ hp sequential mpi injected BBC...
The funny thing about the huge price range and motec & life with high-end processors: 9000 rpm is 540,000 tenths of degrees (360x10) per second or 0.54 mHz, and a $5 arduino runs at 16mHz. Certain tasks do take a while, but even the slowest tasks on better arduino-compatible hardware can still execute millions of lines of code per second. In plain words: engines are sloooooow compared to even hobbyist processors. That's why there's literally a $25 arduino being developed for a new cheaper-than-Microsquirt ecu. In reality the physical cases are the most expensive part of the ecu's, and their software interfacing is what costs them the most money. But as Joe explained very well - sometimes you have to pay to play and not all cars have similar needs.
The speed of the processor is only part of it. The biggest problem, at high levels of both power and engine speed, is electromagnetic noise and crosstalk causing bad signals. When you're tracking anywhere from a couple hundred to well over a thousand signals at a hundred or thousand times per second, the simple act of datalogging alone can eat up a tremendous amount of processing time per cycle. If you're getting bad signals in the process of ingesting data, then that's a whole nother can of worms. That's why milspec wiring harnesses are so damn expensive.
For the aircraft i'm working on, nothing but Motec. Build quality outside and in, warranty, reliability, repeatability, size, weight, inputs/outputs. If you have many projects, you can always just swap the ecu between projects if you are trying to save money, so purchasing the highest quality is paramount. Looked at cheaper options initially but to achieve the same functionality you require more boxes meaning more cost and more size/weight. If you have a complex engine and are doing intense testing and logging Motec. Your average person probably doesn't have 6 thermocouples on a 4 cylinder turbo engine plus 6 other thermisters just for testing.
I have actually heard the same about AEM from a company that makes patch harnesses. Its why I went with a haltech. Im tuning the car myself and I like it for what its worth.
Just ordered a MegaSquirt for my 92 Mustang. Mild street strip Nitrous car. 1200 For the ECU software, and the wide band. I think it's cool for an at home tuner just trying to make the car work without buying endless Injector/MAF meter combos.
I was watching a video of an engine builder that uses motec and mentioned something about how the RPM limiter on the motec wasn't as violent and didn't beat on the thrust bearing as much. I know nothing about these boxes, but if that's true that would be pretty interesting how the implementation of the same thing might be slightly better.
Maxxecu have tons of features and its a pretty fast ecu too. But it wasnt stable. Some of them have trigger issues. But the tech support is pretty good at addressing all of the issues. Ive tuned a lot of maxxecu cars but i personally used link g4+ on my own car lol
Life Racing and MoTeC FTW all day. One thing that I didn’t hear mentioned was the resolution capability of the different systems. There is a huge difference there between the different systems.
MoTeC is still the best option in my opinion if you have something that has a very wide range of usability. For example, if you're building a car that's not just street legal and drivable but will see heavy duty track use - like OUSCI or OLoA - then MoTeC gives you the greatest range of built-in support for other control modules like ABS, sequential transmission, and so on.
Just subbed from Brad @ SEP recommendation. Hobby tuner trying to go pro so I'm trying to install every different ECU I can on all my buddies cars, this is an awesome breakdown. Very helpful.
I've used several of these...I dont consider my Dominator to MS3 Pro Ultimate swap a down grade at all... While I did control my 4l80e billet lockup, and utilized the Davis/Holley add on for TC...it was a huge ecu. I find similar functionality via can bus with the MS TCU/ECU combo.... I did like the modular nature of Holley just getting the sub harnesses you need vs storing 300 wires you may never use and provided that feedback to DIY... However I MUCH prefer the near endless tinkering nature of the MS3 Pro Ultimate, if you can dream it you damn near can do it...no limitations but your imagination...this is a home brew sequential MPI tunnel rammed F1A-94 procharged BBC... When I had my dominator ( swapping from FAST XFI 2.0 ITC) the SELLING factor come what was suppose to be a plus. There is no fixing the Holley ECU and there is no discount on a replacement unit...( where as my MS3 Pro is lifetime ) several " big boys" at the track were carrying a SPARE unit with them...as a drive in enthusiast, I could not afford that...the guy that bought my dominator was super paranoid about the USB port I had to prove it working on the spot ( holley had no way to fix at the time).... The software on the holley was easy but I like the unlimited nature of the MS3 Pro Ultimate... I just bought a 2k 10.1 inch screen and a Rasberry Pi4 to power it which will provide a super fast power on ( with coming tweaks) and custom splash for a 1/5th the price of a comparable screen..facilitating a 10hz GPS for Dragy precision performance pages as well as navigation...and control with a mini bluetooth keyboard...no laptop needed.... As someone whom like to tinker, I can't imagine needing more than a MS3 Pro Ultimate can provide ( their TCU comes with 4l80e pre constructed harness has done well for years and they continue to update it), they increased their prefabbed harness applications as well.... The warranty situation with the failures seen at the time pushed me away from Holley, interestingly though I've used a wireless Bluetooth interface that works flawlessly ( even uploads my logs to a Google drive folder automatically on my laptop for review when I return home) I destroyed my USB port ( but still have Bluetooth and a serial to USB port interface so im not remotely down) and they are sending me a new port Monday... Can't wait to get the 2k screen installed in my 67 Camaro via a gauge panel replacement...and building out my own digital dash layout to compliment it.... Support has been stellar but usually in the form of questions about an idea or utilizing a feature....in this case I cave man smashed my USB port...no problem sent me a replacement board right out...my ecu is several years old now...
I love my MS3 pro evo. Ran out of analog inputs? hook up an arduino can bus for 24 total analog inputs and who knows how many outputs. Auto tune fuel map from wideband and A/F map, log everything. You can set up logic statements " if this and this, then this" anything you can dream up. Will eventually hook up the active dampening and and variable awd torque split. Can run shadow dash on an android in-dash stereo. There is so many options that is can be difficult to narrow down problems like a good idle when there are 10 different things changing timing and fueling to stabilize idle but they all do their part. makes you appreciate a factory ecu and how much goes into a stable idle at all temps and situations. Works with generic sensors so you are not stuck buying proprietary sensors. I don't have much experience with anything other than my Apex-I power FC which is a 23 year old ecu and very basic. It was scary to install but now I feel total freedom.
I had a MS3X and got a deal on an X MAX and I lost a ton of inputs n outputs cant do traction control , only one type of boost control, a built in map sensor that's only good for NA motor really... cant test coils or injectors from laptop but I got a 3" screen that I can hardly see nothing is built in to the system you got to build a custom table for almost everything you want add or try to work around the limits of the ecu....a low end ecu that's dumbed down for the ave Joe... selling it and going to try a Maxxecu
I've had experience with MoTeC. Love the quality of the pro data, can do so much though the dash with maths. When I played around with the Holley and Racepack data I wanted to throw the computer.
@@nothanks5652 Agree with you in the cost cutting thing. But what do you mean about private-equity firms buy firms? Holley always was a private-equity firm. Has never been a public enterprise. Isn´t it?
@@JoeSimpsonAtTempest Hi Joe, thanks very much for your quick reply. I released the first version in 1991, for distributor ignition. Since then I've added versions for coil on plug, both smart and dumb coils. It's designed for engines with piston to wall clearances of 0.006" or less, to minimize false detections. The threshold, detection, and control software works really well. My most popular version is the Vampire, for modular Ford ignition. No wires are cut or intercepted, no tach adapters are required.
This was a great video with good explanation for newbies who don't know what to decide on, I am a builder and tuner as well as the driver of my race cars 80 percent import, I have a car on motec "gold box" lol, fuel tech ft600, haltech elite 1500 and aem infinity, I feel you didn't really give aem a shot I always hear horror stories but me personally the way I set cars up I don't see any of those issues with the infinity, I have setup Honda, Mitsubishi, VW/Audi, 65 mustang supercharged and a 95 mustang turbo on infinity and always get everything I need out of the unit, I think I am probably as knowledgeable on infinity as you are on Holley so I can see why you went that route , again not taking anything away from your video but I believe just like you said go with the route your tuner or support group recommend and I think you will have the best luck that way. Thanks for the you pretty much broke down everything people need to hear to make a decision
After watching this, i feel like i fall into the terminator category. Im doing a 5.3 swap into a 98 Silverado and really do not want a factory ecu, i really like the handheld interface and it seems to be the most cost effective option,.
Holley Sniper has been nonstop issues for me lately. Shipping me defective coolant temp sensors, or ECM's that choke up and freeze below 13.0 Volts. Had a Holley ignition controller cut out in a way in which it wouldn't go back to base timing or respond to loads. Popping spitting, backfiring. What's up with all that? About to go try ACE'S EFI and see if it's of better quality.
Side note: This is on an engine dyno which sees about 2 engines per week so electrical and vibrational isolation is being used. It's just bad quality stuff. Sniper 2 going on a 347ci Ford this morning. We will see how it goes.
A gentleman named Josh Stewart out in AU that has been doing Speeduino an open source DIY ECU that uses TunerStudio and arduino / teensy board called "Dropbear" that is soon to come out that does 8 cyl sequential fuel / spark in the TBD $400 price range. Thought I would throw that out there I believe it will give megasquirt a run for its money.
All depends on what project you are working on. You could’ve cover which one is VE based (way better for daily cars) and which one is not, which one is easier to install ( FT is very sensitive and unforgiving to bad installation)....but in general...AWESOME VIDEO MAN!
Sycecs does some really good modern bmw and Porsche stuff to be honest I wouldn't use anything else on those especially the way they communicate with the can data lines to keep everything working like factory, dash instrument cluster and AC controls etc
Great coverage on a difficult subject. I would have liked to have seen a lttle bit about fault diagnostics and data acqusition between Motec & Holley. I'm debating changing a GM Performance Parts "Crate motor ECM" to a Holley system....
Great video! I’m curious if your experience with Haltech has changed over the past year since you did this vid… Also, between Holley Terminator X and the Haltech Elites in regards to tuning in Alpha-N, does one system stand out over the other? I’m planning on upgrading my stock ECU on my ‘75 280z for street/autocross with a 3.1 L stroker (original straight 6) with Jenvey ITBs and was told Alpha N tuning will help me eliminate a lot of vacuum lines. Thanks!
My biggest turn-off with Holley is that the CANbus is locked so you are forced to use their dashes. It would be nice to run a MoteC or AiM dash and logger for people race racing and the motorsports that aren’t drag racing.
What do you think about Speeduno/RusEFI? Have you ever even seen them? Also interesting that MoTeC can work with in-cylinder pressure sensors but Holley doesn't really support that (?) because that sounds like you can do different cycles, like Atkins for fuel efficiency, or maybe tune a diesel or something..?
I am very surprised, your put megasquirt low on the list, after you tuned the turbo mustang on the dyno? You do know it can log very fast up to 64 sensors compared to terminator and has great diagnostics. Also everything is percent based so you could swap injectors and it probably would run without major table changes. It has an amazing dedicated knock processor as well, without using a esc module. You should do another review on it:)
I’ve done a bunch of mega squirt stuff, have a Porsche coming in with it any day now. There is a bit more that goes into it than the ecu it’s self. Kinda too much to type out haha
The truth about most of these ECMs it that most people will never use all the features that are built into the unit. But if you want the best bang for your buck you will never beat MegaSquirt. It will do everything that Holley and FuelTech will and at far less money. And for most street driven cars the Micro Squirt is all you will need.
For a MegaSquirt to do everything FuelTech does, you need to buy the MS3Pro Ultimate, which is the same price as an FT550. I love both, just figured I'd point out that the "king" MS version isn't exactly cheap.
I thought I was at a Whitehouse briefing when you said "circle back" but then you actually did circle back so I was relieved to realize you were going to actually give us the information.
Lol right.
First time EFI installer, went with Term X Max with 0 issues on my turbo 5.3L , tunned it with the help of your videos 🤘
That’s awesome!
I've dealt with Holley, haltech, aem, motec, Bosch, megasquirt and others in my shop. The main thing that I used to choose my own ecm is the customer and technical support. In my experience with all the different brands Haltech has always had the best support in my experience. I switched to all Haltech elites on my personal vehicles a few years ago.
Would they have a system for a 68 FE motor? 390 FE to be precise
This makes me feel a lot better about going with haltech for my first dip into EFI tuning. I chose them because I live in Australia and they're a very popular choice. Plus they're locally designed and manufactured.
link has excellent tech support too
You choose suport and not think on fueltech ?
Fuel tech has some of the best tech support they actually answer their phones.
Haltech is growing really quickly. The new Nexus R5 range is amazing. NSP software is a game changer. Happy 35th Birthday Haltech!
Haltech is slow bro...
@@petehira1594 Quicker than you'll ever be bro 😎
Thinking very hard about that nexus 5..
Haltech has been bought by the USA. Motec bought by Bosch. So Haltech has gone down now that the USA will ruin it as they do with everything they purchase.
While I’m a Haltech import guy and the support in Oz is amazing, I agree with your Holley decisions for a drag car - watch out Haltech is coming though! Very well presented! Keep up the great work.
This has to be one of the only channels that the cuts actually crack me up. You have a good sense of humor with them. Especially when you have to sit for days on the channel to learn
I've dealt with Scott from Haltech Australia -So helpful with any ECU questions and a real gentleman!
Down her Scott is known as "Tuning Fork" He's a local legend and probably forgotten more about tuning than we will ever know.....
Was about to order the Terminator X for my LS Miata.
Watched this video to make sure I wasn't making a mistake.
Went back and confirmed my order after watching.
Same, im thinking of using it on my 5.3 swap into a 98 Silverado
I have not enjoyed a video on capabilities or making choices... or for that matter ANY ONE TOPIC... as much as this almost half hour of straight up to the point gem!
Thank you young man, for an enjoyable lunch break.
Respectfully, Seth
fantastic overview of all the systems and what people should expect
there are reasons you typically dont see dominators on big alcohol promods, fuel control isnt really the best on the holley at that level but never seen an issue on smaller builds. Fueltech is second to none on logging, but we have had some issues where we didnt buy fueltech specific sensors or tried to make racepak sensors work and had issues. for the drag racing application the configuration, time based applications, ability to move the log into the time based sections, and live diagnostic functionality are by far superior in the fueltech system. we started using the fueltech power management stuff this past weekend and it works amazing. the engine rpm literally follows within a few rpm of commanded.
You killed it with this video. Great information on all systems and plus and minuses
thanks i appreciate it!
I really enjoyed the video. I'm a domestic guy (Twin turbo BBC) that tunes part time at an import shop. I tune 90% Haltech, that's what software package I'm most familiar with so its interesting to see other tuners perspective. I even run the Haltech Nexus R5 on my big block chevy. I looked into the M150, Holley and FuelTech before going with the R5. Each system has pros and cons I hate the multiple box thing with FuelTech, I dont wanna have to add a traction control box or addon for the Holley, and the Motec had so much extra to buy besides the box which isn't priced too bad. Keep making great videos.
yea the 100 different boxes for everything with fuel tech is a deal breaker for most. like i think i stated in the video, as long as your going with a name brand system, if your familiar with it, as long as it has the features you need most of the ecus are going to be pretty comparable for the average user. 10 years ago that may have been a different conversation!
I'm an import guy and I love the Haltech stuff, so much so i'm using the Elite 2500 for my new LS Build, once you get used to the system the possiblilites of it for the price are amazing, the basically 21 hour a day tech support is killer too
@@TeeeRoyJenkins looked into the 2500T for my LS project. Excellent features !
@@BEANS-O-MATICtransmissions it truly is. For the price now I'd love to try the nexus.
Matt sent me here, but this was a super spot on video from someone that actually sees it all. Thanks for putting all this together, Cold beer on me one day!
nice, glad you liked it!
I'm new to your channel, so I'm planning to sit back and take it all in, as opposed to offering input, but I felt like it was worth taking the time to comment to tell you thank you & you've done a great job on this video! Very well formatted, accurate, professional but casual, ect, ect, you did well!!
thank you, i appreciate it!
Sounds like if you can't tune it yourself you are dependent upon your tuner. Your tuner has a tuner he is familiar with and likes. He also has to like you. Their are ecms that will fit your needs and can be upgraded.
Back to the tuner. It sounds like if you are a competitive type you may need to learn how to tune. If you want to 🏆.
You never know how good your competitors tuner is and how close their ties are.
Great video.
also agreed, terminator people opened the door to really low experience people calling about self inflicted issues
tech support sounds like it could be a painful job haha
'iTs GotTa be ECU ReLaTed'
"I need my wiring harness to be transferable to my next car if it burns down" I've actually heard that before lol , Great video buddy!
Really... lol I had my car burst into flames a couple times and rewired it a couple times.
I mean dr25 and tefzel will get you through a mild 🔥
@@TurboVisBits if you're using those, you have enough "resources" to have a spare harness just in case there's a fire!
Well done Joe, thanks. I came to this video from the direction of considering a Holley setup for a conservative, Gen-1 SBC street engine. I watched a couple of Holley's videos, which caused yours to pop up. I'm pretty knowledgeable concerning how multi-point EFI works -- as in, I can troubleshoot any 20th century factory engine management system without too much trouble and with no specialized tools. By covering the whole spectrum, you gave me a great primer course in these systems while also answering the question of what to do in my case. I appreciate that. Liked, subscribed, and archived.
I agree 100 % with everything you said… including aem. I wish I could use your torch and torch every aem I’ve ever seen
RIP my ears lol
Raw, Direct and honest from someone who would know. Great video!
I know this is an old vid, but, 1,000 thumbs up. It's awesome how honest and accurate this is.
Love the no BS on ECUs , clarity!!!!
Excellent video Joe. There is something to be said about remembering hot keys and other shortcuts. Jumping around to different ecus can be a pain. And you are right about AEM, series 1 and 2 stuff I always fought issues that shouldn't have been there (gremlins). Had the same issue with an older Haltech. Tech support at the time was dismal.
thanks!
You should revisit Haltech now that they have a dedicated system for the LS engine.
Very helpful insight. For the first time fuel injection guys like myself this is a great way to understand what is out there. I am starting a factory five cobra replica build and want Fuel Injection, traction control, launch control, and flat foot shifting. The dominator will do that (I think) and like knowing it is widely used
I have been using megasquirt for about 15-20yrs now. The learning curve is a bit steep but it has so many options. I am using it for sequential on a 6cyl, COP and 4 variable cams, e85, and many other controls. I do NOT recommend it for everyone, but if you want a ECU to do what you want... it can probably do it.
ya he's confusing good marketing here (which is why Holley is so popular) with actual robust good engineering. Give me a quality install of a MS3pro and it blows others away. Holley has bought so many of the little aftermarket everything like he said, support is a nightmare. Also end users of Rs3 actually influence the process, so it has become slick as hell. The problem with MS is it started as a diy kit in the 90s (i think) and stupid people gave it a bad rep. Now, it is produced with world class electronics and has been for decades. Link is damn interesting and has a few outlier features
This editor is hilarious 😂 great info !!
Been installing a life racing x3 pdu and it’s so far and above all other pdu’s. The I/o and options compared to even a motec is on another level! And for not really much extra. Highly recommend
The few people i know who use life racing swear by it and prefer it over motec. I bought one of their ecus years ago but never moved forward with the project. I’d consider it for future projects
Yeah I’m keen to try one of their ECU’s now too. Motec dashes are still the number one! Can’t beat a c1212 with custom display.
Nicely done. I feel like I need to watch it again and take notes. I like the motec but man I need to make a house payment. I was really intrigued and impressed with a Ausie car running high 6's. It actually had a lazer on the frame to sense when the car was trying to wheelie. Much quicker response than the right foot lift feature most of us are used to.
Appreciate that honesty in this industry!
hard to find now a days huh? usually its just people trying to sell you something!
@@JoeSimpsonAtTempest exactly... keep the videos coming. I'm not too far from you so when the time comes I hope to be spinning that hub dyno.
Very useful information I have terminator x max and have never had any support issues and if you do have issues TH-cam it you're right Holley is designed for the beginner and with a little work you can do quite a bit and best of all updates are free TY for your perspective
Thank good I have been waiting for a video like this for the last 6 months
haha glad you found what you were looking for!
I was overwhelmed with all the control module’s before I watched this, thank you for the help and insight.
this video helped me tremendously ! I am around so many Motec tuners and agree it's the best. But, I was put off that it would seemingly be an endless expense. Although limited, I can grow a bit with the dominator for my LS. Thanks Joe!
DSMLinkv3 for 4g63, and Edelbrock ProFlo4 EFI for my 383 stroker.. which is more of a plug and play self tuning setup- it works and I like it.
For the domestic guys holley is good. Cheap works . Easy to tune . Simple . How ever personal projects I prefer maxxecu . Maxx pro has been growing on me . Allows me to be more creative than say holley will they both make same hp . All day. But on personal stuff I like motec ,emtron ,maxxecu. And on budget stuff megasquirt works good. Isn't always perfect but for budget it works good once you know how to refine it good. Even tuned speeduino... lol with some minor code changes it works good
yup, lots of options for all the different budgets. and as i stated depending on what the person project is i may or may not use holley haha. i find it to be the best bet for most people, on the domestic side of things.
Side note, Mega Squirt offers a ton of features for a crazy affordable price, and some of us still have FAST sir.... LOL
Agreed MS3PRO evo is incredibly powerful and cheap AND made in USA
And the warranty is way better....sky is the limit on my Ultimate Pro and TCU ( controlling my 4l80e via can bus ), also having wireless connectivity...
Fast which I have used many systems from may not be the new kid on the block but it's rock solid.....
Id probably next upgraded to a dominator then UPGRADED to a MS3 Pro Ultimate, if the FAST TCU allowed per gear rpm...
Now I have per gear, and predictive shift along with several programmable latencies .....even a gear hold to keep it from blowing thru gears with rpm shifting when I blow the tires on a 1000+ hp sequential mpi injected BBC...
Tong of good info Joe, Shines light on areas that most wouldn't think of when choosing a system.
thanks! tried to take a bit of a different approach. i figured everybody would bitch and complain but its been kind of the opposite haha
The funny thing about the huge price range and motec & life with high-end processors: 9000 rpm is 540,000 tenths of degrees (360x10) per second or 0.54 mHz, and a $5 arduino runs at 16mHz. Certain tasks do take a while, but even the slowest tasks on better arduino-compatible hardware can still execute millions of lines of code per second.
In plain words: engines are sloooooow compared to even hobbyist processors. That's why there's literally a $25 arduino being developed for a new cheaper-than-Microsquirt ecu.
In reality the physical cases are the most expensive part of the ecu's, and their software interfacing is what costs them the most money. But as Joe explained very well - sometimes you have to pay to play and not all cars have similar needs.
honestly, i want to hear what you have to say about ECUs more than anyone else lol
Esp32 arduino compatible are really fast @240mhz. Speeduino should run great on them but I haven't tried it..
The speed of the processor is only part of it. The biggest problem, at high levels of both power and engine speed, is electromagnetic noise and crosstalk causing bad signals. When you're tracking anywhere from a couple hundred to well over a thousand signals at a hundred or thousand times per second, the simple act of datalogging alone can eat up a tremendous amount of processing time per cycle. If you're getting bad signals in the process of ingesting data, then that's a whole nother can of worms. That's why milspec wiring harnesses are so damn expensive.
I just want to say thank you for all your work all your videos. I learn a lot and I'll keep watching and learning more thank you very much.
Excellent non-emotional overview. Thanks!
That was a lot of useful information in a short period of time. My favorite kind of video. Thank you!
Came to hear what you would talk about FuelTech but left with a great overview of the market, excellent video, thank you.
Another great video. Thanks Joe! Yes. I went with Terminator for my 427 SBC TPI Mini Ram with a Procharger.
Thanks for all your experience. That's more than most of us have.
For the aircraft i'm working on, nothing but Motec. Build quality outside and in, warranty, reliability, repeatability, size, weight, inputs/outputs. If you have many projects, you can always just swap the ecu between projects if you are trying to save money, so purchasing the highest quality is paramount. Looked at cheaper options initially but to achieve the same functionality you require more boxes meaning more cost and more size/weight. If you have a complex engine and are doing intense testing and logging Motec. Your average person probably doesn't have 6 thermocouples on a 4 cylinder turbo engine plus 6 other thermisters just for testing.
I have actually heard the same about AEM from a company that makes patch harnesses. Its why I went with a haltech. Im tuning the car myself and I like it for what its worth.
yea, a lot of people feel the same unfortunately.
Nice vid. Good information. Just missed comments on Speeduino and its 600 Mhz processing speed capacity and $100 kits.
Just ordered a MegaSquirt for my 92 Mustang. Mild street strip Nitrous car. 1200 For the ECU software, and the wide band. I think it's cool for an at home tuner just trying to make the car work without buying endless Injector/MAF meter combos.
Yup it will work just fine
@@JoeSimpsonAtTempest awesome ty!
I had fueltech and it works great, never had a problem
you should have a look at Emtron, made here in australia like haltech but super impressive.
I was watching a video of an engine builder that uses motec and mentioned something about how the RPM limiter on the motec wasn't as violent and didn't beat on the thrust bearing as much. I know nothing about these boxes, but if that's true that would be pretty interesting how the implementation of the same thing might be slightly better.
I agree a thousand percent with every word you said there is no other way to put it
thats a weird thing for somebody to say on the internet. usually its the exact opposite haha
Dude... You know more about EFI than I do cameras and editing software. 😮
ive gotten a phone call or 2 about it over the years haha
Commenting below.
You’re probably right, for the domestics.
For Asian imports I like Haltech Elite series. The software is awesome
Maxxecu have tons of features and its a pretty fast ecu too. But it wasnt stable. Some of them have trigger issues. But the tech support is pretty good at addressing all of the issues. Ive tuned a lot of maxxecu cars but i personally used link g4+ on my own car lol
Love how explain each one, not a drag racer but like bulid something for circuit track day this helps alot ...
The amount of memes inserted in this video brought joy to my life
Life Racing and MoTeC FTW all day. One thing that I didn’t hear mentioned was the resolution capability of the different systems. There is a huge difference there between the different systems.
yea for sure, one ecu isnt 10x the price for no reason. the video was already too long, couldnt add any more haha
What about emtron? But at the end of the day did anybody get the home star runner clip?
Emtron is like buying a Link from Wish
MoTeC is still the best option in my opinion if you have something that has a very wide range of usability. For example, if you're building a car that's not just street legal and drivable but will see heavy duty track use - like OUSCI or OLoA - then MoTeC gives you the greatest range of built-in support for other control modules like ABS, sequential transmission, and so on.
LMAO that GI Joe voice over spoof with the guy on falling on the ice about killed me, I haven't seen those GI Joe spoof vids since 2012.
Great video thx Joe. Very hard to remain unbiased in this trade as we all have our favourites but you did a fantastic job here. 😊
So the simple answer is??? HAA HA , what about the new Fuel tech FT700 stuff? is it gaining on Holley ?
Just subbed from Brad @ SEP recommendation. Hobby tuner trying to go pro so I'm trying to install every different ECU I can on all my buddies cars, this is an awesome breakdown. Very helpful.
Pretty awesome to see Sloppy Mechanics watching video's I enjoy... and Joe who I know personally explaining ECU's.... the car community is amazing.
I've used several of these...I dont consider my Dominator to MS3 Pro Ultimate swap a down grade at all...
While I did control my 4l80e billet lockup, and utilized the Davis/Holley add on for TC...it was a huge ecu. I find similar functionality via can bus with the MS TCU/ECU combo....
I did like the modular nature of Holley just getting the sub harnesses you need vs storing 300 wires you may never use and provided that feedback to DIY...
However I MUCH prefer the near endless tinkering nature of the MS3 Pro Ultimate, if you can dream it you damn near can do it...no limitations but your imagination...this is a home brew sequential MPI tunnel rammed F1A-94 procharged BBC...
When I had my dominator ( swapping from FAST XFI 2.0 ITC) the SELLING factor come what was suppose to be a plus. There is no fixing the Holley ECU and there is no discount on a replacement unit...( where as my MS3 Pro is lifetime ) several " big boys" at the track were carrying a SPARE unit with them...as a drive in enthusiast, I could not afford that...the guy that bought my dominator was super paranoid about the USB port I had to prove it working on the spot ( holley had no way to fix at the time)....
The software on the holley was easy but I like the unlimited nature of the MS3 Pro Ultimate...
I just bought a 2k 10.1 inch screen and a Rasberry Pi4 to power it which will provide a super fast power on ( with coming tweaks) and custom splash for a 1/5th the price of a comparable screen..facilitating a 10hz GPS for Dragy precision performance pages as well as navigation...and control with a mini bluetooth keyboard...no laptop needed....
As someone whom like to tinker, I can't imagine needing more than a MS3 Pro Ultimate can provide ( their TCU comes with 4l80e pre constructed harness has done well for years and they continue to update it), they increased their prefabbed harness applications as well....
The warranty situation with the failures seen at the time pushed me away from Holley, interestingly though I've used a wireless Bluetooth interface that works flawlessly ( even uploads my logs to a Google drive folder automatically on my laptop for review when I return home) I destroyed my USB port ( but still have Bluetooth and a serial to USB port interface so im not remotely down) and they are sending me a new port Monday...
Can't wait to get the 2k screen installed in my 67 Camaro via a gauge panel replacement...and building out my own digital dash layout to compliment it....
Support has been stellar but usually in the form of questions about an idea or utilizing a feature....in this case I cave man smashed my USB port...no problem sent me a replacement board right out...my ecu is several years old now...
I love my MS3 pro evo. Ran out of analog inputs? hook up an arduino can bus for 24 total analog inputs and who knows how many outputs. Auto tune fuel map from wideband and A/F map, log everything. You can set up logic statements " if this and this, then this" anything you can dream up. Will eventually hook up the active dampening and and variable awd torque split. Can run shadow dash on an android in-dash stereo.
There is so many options that is can be difficult to narrow down problems like a good idle when there are 10 different things changing timing and fueling to stabilize idle but they all do their part. makes you appreciate a factory ecu and how much goes into a stable idle at all temps and situations.
Works with generic sensors so you are not stuck buying proprietary sensors. I don't have much experience with anything other than my Apex-I power FC which is a 23 year old ecu and very basic. It was scary to install but now I feel total freedom.
I had a MS3X and got a deal on an X MAX and I lost a ton of inputs n outputs cant do traction control , only one type of boost control, a built in map sensor that's only good for NA motor really... cant test coils or injectors from laptop but I got a 3" screen that I can hardly see nothing is built in to the system you got to build a custom table for almost everything you want add or try to work around the limits of the ecu....a low end ecu that's dumbed down for the ave Joe... selling it and going to try a Maxxecu
Sold my ms3. Bought a maxxecu race. Couldn't be happier!
I've had experience with MoTeC. Love the quality of the pro data, can do so much though the dash with maths.
When I played around with the Holley and Racepack data I wanted to throw the computer.
That's what happens when private-equity firms buy out companies and look for profits through cost cutting. I wouldn't give holley a dime these days.
@@nothanks5652 Agree with you in the cost cutting thing. But what do you mean about private-equity firms buy firms? Holley always was a private-equity firm. Has never been a public enterprise. Isn´t it?
Loved your presentation Joe. I recently learned that Holley does not offer individual cylinder knock control. I can help with that...
Nope. The knock control on Holley is basically unusable. Actually on the to do list for another video
@@JoeSimpsonAtTempest Hi Joe, thanks very much for your quick reply. I released the first version in 1991, for distributor ignition. Since then I've added versions for coil on plug, both smart and dumb coils. It's designed for engines with piston to wall clearances of 0.006" or less, to minimize false detections. The threshold, detection, and control software works really well. My most popular version is the Vampire, for modular Ford ignition. No wires are cut or intercepted, no tach adapters are required.
This was a great video with good explanation for newbies who don't know what to decide on, I am a builder and tuner as well as the driver of my race cars 80 percent import, I have a car on motec "gold box" lol, fuel tech ft600, haltech elite 1500 and aem infinity, I feel you didn't really give aem a shot I always hear horror stories but me personally the way I set cars up I don't see any of those issues with the infinity, I have setup Honda, Mitsubishi, VW/Audi, 65 mustang supercharged and a 95 mustang turbo on infinity and always get everything I need out of the unit, I think I am probably as knowledgeable on infinity as you are on Holley so I can see why you went that route , again not taking anything away from your video but I believe just like you said go with the route your tuner or support group recommend and I think you will have the best luck that way. Thanks for the you pretty much broke down everything people need to hear to make a decision
Great info without undue bias. Would like to see a follow up in 6 or 12 months to see if and how your perspective might change, thumbs up.
thats not a bad idea!
After watching this, i feel like i fall into the terminator category. Im doing a 5.3 swap into a 98 Silverado and really do not want a factory ecu, i really like the handheld interface and it seems to be the most cost effective option,.
Good content, man
Thanks man i appreciate it!
Excellent analytics, you confirmed my previous decision to by a Holley management system for my crate GM LT4.
Nice review ! Just to note, MaxxECU and ECU Master are on the different segments. Maxx is so much more powerfull and flexible system.
Great Information....you had me at all the ODB references.
😂😂 my favorite part
Holley Sniper has been nonstop issues for me lately. Shipping me defective coolant temp sensors, or ECM's that choke up and freeze below 13.0 Volts. Had a Holley ignition controller cut out in a way in which it wouldn't go back to base timing or respond to loads. Popping spitting, backfiring. What's up with all that? About to go try ACE'S EFI and see if it's of better quality.
Side note: This is on an engine dyno which sees about 2 engines per week so electrical and vibrational isolation is being used. It's just bad quality stuff. Sniper 2 going on a 347ci Ford this morning. We will see how it goes.
That intro was epic
A gentleman named Josh Stewart out in AU that has been doing Speeduino an open source DIY ECU that uses TunerStudio and arduino / teensy board called "Dropbear" that is soon to come out that does 8 cyl sequential fuel / spark in the TBD $400 price range. Thought I would throw that out there I believe it will give megasquirt a run for its money.
sounds like a good option for the do it yourselfers
Thank you for making this video!!! its been a great help to me
Thank you for the great perspective Joe.
Really good break-down on the ECU's! Definitely got a laugh out of the Big Stuff 3 and AEM standpoints :D
all in fun, hopefully nobody takes it too seriously haha
@@JoeSimpsonAtTempest yeah since FAST still makes the most efficient LS intake lol
You need to try Emtron it should be up there with the Motec.
What about Bosch motorsport stuff or wolf ems or adaptronic. What's your thoughts
I’ve never used any of those so I’m not any help on those
Great Video. Now I need to learn what an ECU is and I guess take it from there. I have a bad feeling about this. A real rabbit hole.
All depends on what project you are working on. You could’ve cover which one is VE based (way better for daily cars) and which one is not, which one is easier to install ( FT is very sensitive and unforgiving to bad installation)....but in general...AWESOME VIDEO MAN!
could have easily made the video 50 hours long. more so was showing why ive personally been going the holley route!
Well done video that needed to be done. Thumbs up and thank you... MoTeC here I come.
Sycecs does some really good modern bmw and Porsche stuff to be honest I wouldn't use anything else on those especially the way they communicate with the can data lines to keep everything working like factory, dash instrument cluster and AC controls etc
There are certain ecus that you just use in certain situations and or on certain cars. That’s for sure
Great vid, thanks for taking the time to do this!!!
I solved all my sniper issues on my 428 easily. I switched back to a Holley carburetor and sold all the EFI crap!
Great coverage on a difficult subject. I would have liked to have seen a lttle bit about fault diagnostics and data acqusition between Motec & Holley. I'm debating changing a GM Performance Parts "Crate motor ECM" to a Holley system....
Great video! I’m curious if your experience with Haltech has changed over the past year since you did this vid… Also, between Holley Terminator X and the Haltech Elites in regards to tuning in Alpha-N, does one system stand out over the other? I’m planning on upgrading my stock ECU on my ‘75 280z for street/autocross with a 3.1 L stroker (original straight 6) with Jenvey ITBs and was told Alpha N tuning will help me eliminate a lot of vacuum lines. Thanks!
My biggest turn-off with Holley is that the CANbus is locked so you are forced to use their dashes. It would be nice to run a MoteC or AiM dash and logger for people race racing and the motorsports that aren’t drag racing.
What do you think about Speeduno/RusEFI? Have you ever even seen them?
Also interesting that MoTeC can work with in-cylinder pressure sensors but Holley doesn't really support that (?) because that sounds like you can do different cycles, like Atkins for fuel efficiency, or maybe tune a diesel or something..?
I am very surprised, your put megasquirt low on the list, after you tuned the turbo mustang on the dyno? You do know it can log very fast up to 64 sensors compared to terminator and has great diagnostics. Also everything is percent based so you could swap injectors and it probably would run without major table changes. It has an amazing dedicated knock processor as well, without using a esc module. You should do another review on it:)
I’ve done a bunch of mega squirt stuff, have a Porsche coming in with it any day now. There is a bit more that goes into it than the ecu it’s self. Kinda too much to type out haha
@@JoeSimpsonAtTempest I;d like to see that video. Ms3 as you know is not as easy as it looks@
The truth about most of these ECMs it that most people will never use all the features that are built into the unit. But if you want the best bang for your buck you will never beat MegaSquirt. It will do everything that Holley and FuelTech will and at far less money. And for most street driven cars the Micro Squirt is all you will need.
For a MegaSquirt to do everything FuelTech does, you need to buy the MS3Pro Ultimate, which is the same price as an FT550. I love both, just figured I'd point out that the "king" MS version isn't exactly cheap.
Grate vid but were did the big stuff go and i never seen anything on Anderson ford. But the crank came out of what motor. No sir. Engine bro.
Good information about all. But I'm with you really can't go wrong with Holley.