Hey guys just wondering what the difference in performance would a complete new ecu have over just a piggy back. i was talking to the guys at SAS in silver water and they sugested i get a full replacement "exede" ecu with tune. wat benefits would this have oh and is it worth it??? gonna cost $1600 including tune

any advice would be great thanks mont :confused:

if you only have the mods that your sig suggests then spending $1600 on a completely new ecu isnt going to be money well spent IMHO. I would look at improving the inlet side of things a little then maybe a piggyback ecu.

What kind of mods and power were you looking at as a complete result?

A full ECU is a really bad idea. You can never tune them as well as factory, for the simple reason that the tuners do not have access to the same resources as factory (ie. they can only tune for one altitude, cant tune for freezing cold, boiling hot deserts) they always have crappy cold start enrichment and they are fairly average in terms of cruise control, they wont run AT's etc etc.

Piggyback is better because you can change small things - without ruining the driveability of the vehicle. Its easy to tell a full ecu change as soon as someone starts the engine. (Heck, I could tell the smt6 was on mine - and its only a piggyback - they take time to pass the cas signal and it takes more cranking as a result).

gonna cost $1600 including tune



I smell BS....... you might get a piggyback supplied, installed and tuned for that price, but not a full replacement ECU.

if you only have the mods that your sig suggests then spending $1600 on a completely new ecu isnt going to be money well spent IMHO. I would look at improving the inlet side of things a little then maybe a piggyback ecu.



And the real beauty is that when you get another car you can pull the piggy back and take with you. so it's agood long term investment too...

thanks for the info guys i was having doubts about getting it was tinking more along the lines of a camshaft upgrade and a piggy back ecu. ive heard that the 380 cams are the same as the ralliart magna ones, but then ive also haerd that rhe only diff between ralliart magna and others in the tj series is that the ralliart ecu is tuned differently. would anyone be able to shed light on this???:confused:

First of all, I'm almost certain the Xede unit is not a full replacement, but a piggyback (albeit rather feature-packed).

I believe 380 and ralliart cams have the same profile, however AFK it has been discovered here that they are not actually the same, apparently one is physically slightly a different size to the other.

Unless it is necessary to go with a full-replacement ECU (unllikely with a mildish NA build), stick with a piggyback, as there are many drawbacks to a full replacement such as cost, rough cold-starts etc.

ive also haerd that rhe only diff between ralliart magna and others in the tj series is that the ralliart ecu is tuned differently. would anyone be able to shed light on this???:confused:

Hmmmm, differences engine wise on the Ralliart Magna vs a Stock Exec are:

Hi Flowing Muffler - Also on Sports/VRX Models

Retuned ECU - Also on Sports/VRX/Series 2 TJ's, however some things we changed for Ralliart eg. Base Idle from 625 to 680 (read this a while back, may be incorrect on figures however)

9.4:1 Compression pistons - All other TJ's have 9.0

Camshafts - as you already know

Flowed Heads - no idea what was done but they did something to them apparently

Stainless Extractors - All other TJ's have the Std. manifold

anything else Ive missed? Definitely alot more than just a retuned ECU lol

Apart from the engine you have the usual array of obvious stuff - bodykit, LSD on manuals, 5spd Auto as opposed to 4spd in normal TJ's, Interior Trim, Sound system, suspension, rims...the list goes on really...

Hmmmm, differences engine wise on the Ralliart Magna vs a Stock Exec are:

Hi Flowing Muffler - Also on Sports/VRX Models

Retuned ECU - Also on Sports/VRX/Series 2 TJ's, however some things we changed for Ralliart eg. Base Idle from 625 to 680 (read this a while back, may be incorrect on figures however)

9.4:1 Compression pistons - All other TJ's have 9.0

Camshafts - as you already know

Flowed Heads - no idea what was done but they did something to them apparently

Stainless Extractors - All other TJ's have the Std. manifold

anything else Ive missed? Definitely alot more than just a retuned ECU lol

Apart from the engine you have the usual array of obvious stuff - bodykit, LSD on manuals, 5spd Auto as opposed to 4spd in normal TJ's, Interior Trim, Sound system, suspension, rims...the list goes on really...

yeah the so called "flowed" heads is actually some meat taken off the valve shrouds, done by hand as according to screamingte is quite a poor job. if your chasing power, go a decent cam (stage 2 for manual, stage 1-1.5 auto) piggyback of some kind, pacemaker or hurricane extractors full 2.5inch mandrel bent system with a 3inch metal cat, and some kind of CAI and should net around 140ish kw manual and 130ish Auto.

Hmmmm, differences engine wise on the Ralliart Magna vs a Stock Exec are:

Hi Flowing Muffler - Also on Sports/VRX Models

Retuned ECU - Also on Sports/VRX/Series 2 TJ's, however some things we changed for Ralliart eg. Base Idle from 625 to 680 (read this a while back, may be incorrect on figures however)

9.4:1 Compression pistons - All other TJ's have 9.0

Camshafts - as you already know

Flowed Heads - no idea what was done but they did something to them apparently

Stainless Extractors - All other TJ's have the Std. manifold

anything else Ive missed? Definitely alot more than just a retuned ECU lol

Apart from the engine you have the usual array of obvious stuff - bodykit, LSD on manuals, 5spd Auto as opposed to 4spd in normal TJ's, Interior Trim, Sound system, suspension, rims...the list goes on really...

yeah the so called "flowed" heads is actually some meat taken off the valve shrouds, done by hand as according to screamingte is quite a poor job. if your chasing power, go a decent cam (stage 2 for manual, stage 1-1.5 auto) piggyback of some kind, pacemaker or hurricane extractors full 2.5inch mandrel bent system with a 3inch metal cat, and some kind of CAI and should net around 140ish kw manual and 130ish Auto.

anything else Ive missed?


Nitrided valve springs from Japan.

I have just bought the Ralliart heads from my dealer. As a few other have asked too, I will post pics. And I'm not sure the heads are hand finished. Looking at the valve deshrounding each hole is exactly the same and in the same place. So they have definitely been CND'd. Pics tomorrow.

hmmm...... cant wait to see those pics.

Im definately looking at going na at the moment already got extractors exhaust and a k&n panel filter. what is a good piggy back system??? prices???? and who does cams other than RPW????:cool:

and who does cams other than RPW????:cool:

Tighe cams and also Wade cams i have spoken to both and i bought a set for my magna for Tighe

I will have a Haltech E6x up forsale next month or so..?

the xede you've been quted is for a piggy back ecu, I know i've got one.. for the most part it seems pretty good..

but at present I doubt its really worth it.. although pm disciple... he had a ralliart with a few mods on it and chucked a haltech in so he will be the best to ask.. I say do some more mods or save more and do heaps all at once..

and don't go full replacement unless ur building a hardcore 300kw+ car. otherwise its justnot worth it.

The deshrouding was done by cnc mill - no change to tooling was required so MMAL approved the work. Lamborghini heads might be done by hand, not a ralliart. lol

im buying an ecu in the next 4-6 weeks.

im thinking about a few options..... input is appreciated.

EMS 8860
HALTECH e8
microtech

im leaning towards the 8860

looks like ive been talked into the haltech e8, anyone have any thoughts?

for and against....... i wanna hear it all.

looks like ive been talked into the haltech e8, anyone have any thoughts?

for and against....... i wanna hear it all.

If you still have the blower, i wouldnt reccomend changing the SMT6, the reason being that the SMT6 with the locked sprintex tune has a safeguard by it pulls the timing as the motor heats up to prevent retardation. Usually to run another ECU successfully you require Forgies and some kind of cooling.

If you still have the blower, i wouldnt reccomend changing the SMT6, the reason being that the SMT6 with the locked sprintex tune has a safeguard by it pulls the timing as the motor heats up to prevent retardation. Usually to run another ECU successfully you require Forgies and some kind of cooling.

I think the ECU if for his next build (would like to say more but not sure if its public knowledge yet.)

looks like ive been talked into the haltech e8, anyone have any thoughts?

for and against....... i wanna hear it all.
Cons, Save yourself $600 and get an adaptronic
www.adaptronic.com.au
Same features as one without the pricetag
Pretty sure you can do that with this ECU too magna00

I think the ECU if for his next build (would like to say more but not sure if its public knowledge yet.)

ive been nagging for info for ages, i reckon people know im up to no good ;)

and MAGNA00, the sprintex is on the way to another punter