MP3 ECU + VTCS-less IM Installation
I got my car today, and I quickly began working as soon as I got home.
With my VTCS-less IM, gaskets, and ECU set aside on that chair, it was finally time. Beginning the job was easy! All I had to do was disconnect the battery, remove the stb, disconnect the fuel injectors, and all the plugs going out from the harness. From there, I removed the fuel rail and the four spacers, and I had an easy access.
This time around, when removing the IM, I got lucky. No real need for some janky weird extension setup; the ratchet slid right in to the two hardest places, and I began loosening bolts.
Granted, the bolt on the driver's side was a little more tricky to get to, ultimately requiring an aditional U-joint, but it came out!
Not pictured was me fiddling with the manifold support arm underneath. At first, I thought I was doomed, since I couldn't get the upper-half out, but then I figured that removing the top two bolts on the support while loosening the bottom two would do the trick. And hey, it did! You certainly can do this job without having to spill fuel or drain coolant everywhere.
New IM (left) vs old one (right)
I replaced both gaskets, faced them the proper direction as indicated in the Protege manual, and then seated my lovely modified IM. I had my little sister hold up the intake manifold (after I bolted down a couple connections) so that I could re-tighten the support arm's bolts.
When tightening down the driver-side bolt underneath the runner, I slipped and lost my wrench's extension and socket. Without any ability to reach it, I ran to the store and bought an extending magnet grabber. Oh well...
With the intake manifold installed and all the hosing, vacuum lines, and electrical sockets re-plugged, I got inside the car and took a look at the ECU. I removed the glove box for more space...
And after loosening the bolts, the ECU was revealed!
I took it out, fastened in the new one, and went to start the car.
...click...nothing...click...nothing
I almost s*** myself. Thought I killed it lol. Turns out I forgot to plug the pcv valve back in. Okay simple...but the thing still wouldn't start. I began to get nervous. I measured the voltage across the battery, and it was full. I double checked all my connections, and everything was fine. What the hell could it be??
I didn't tighten my ECU down enough (hand)
Then, the thing started right up. The engine featured a distinctive click to it, but after a minute or so, it went away. Check it out! Here's a vid of the first startup (sorry for the blue balls; I didn't think it would start, so I started filming immediately after it sparked)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKyz1cilWQI&feature=youtu.be
What a day! Took me about four and a half hours or so to get it all done.
**** FIRST IMPRESSIONS ****
Good God in heaven, what a major difference! The thing has gumption past 5kRPMs now! It doesn't get hung up around 6kRPMs anymore, and pulls very nicely until redline. Power-wise, my butt-dyno informed me that it pulls harder past 2.5kRPMs. It doesn't really chug going up hills, and I can seemingly use more of the RPM band now. It accelerates a little harder, and it sounds a bit meaner, too. I can almost hear the air gushing through the manifold now.
Fellas, this was worth it. I'm about to go out and drive it some more, partly because I'm now making up errands to complete lol.
It pulls like an MP3, and now I got to make it handle like one! See you on the next update, where I'll drop in those trailing arms.
