Learn Me: Aftermarket EFI Options

I want to move forward with the LS4.9, I still want to put it in a Challenge car one day, but honestly I want to enjoy my truck more than I do now and that means more power.

So I'm thinking of getting the intake and exhaust done in a non-friendly Challenge way, slapping it on a junkyard engine so I can get the engine running right, maybe some dyno tuning to optimize everything and then installing the head and driving it till the wheels fall off (although, to be honest if they haven't fallen off by now I don't think they will)

The one major tangle in this is that I'm not planning on getting rid of the E4OD trans in the truck and it gets a lot of its signals from the engine ECU, there are standalone controllers for the transmission, so I could get one of those but I don't know how optimal that would end up being

Megasquirt is a big frontrunner as I know they support the E4OD (if only in beta right now.)  I know rusEFI is out there.  I could spend all my money and get a Holley Sniper setup.
What other EFI options are out there?

We use Speeduino on the race car.  Works well.

Good info for the E4OD stuff so I don't have to search for it later http://www.msgpio.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=563

Honsch said:

We use Speeduino on the race car.  Works well.

I've been really tempted to pick one of these up just to learn with and see where I get.

See if the micro trans controller supports it, that will be the easy button. 

My personal ecu higherarchy is:

stock flashed/tuned PCM < microsquirt < ms3 pro < motec/life racing

I have a hard time justifying anything but the above because the pain to result ratio is too far off. There are some exceptions like if I have to do a simple 5cyl I may build an "old school" MS2 for someone if their budget isn't' Pro worthy. The Motec/Life is usually for GDI cars or ones with a budget of a small spacecraft.

Stock/tuned PCM has the advantage that it's starting from the factory tuning, which is far better than 99% of anything the aftermarket can manage. They're also pretty darn powerful PCMs. 

On a high profile PCM like a GM unit, the tuning capabilities are pretty solid. I'm a fan. In this case, I'd be yanking the factory PCM out of something, stripping the wiring harness down and using HPTuners to tweak appropriately. That's what I did on the MG.

Keith Tanner said:

They're also pretty darn powerful PCMs. 

Coming from the Bosch Motronic ECUs: powerful and sometimes annoyingly so!

If it's anything more than a street cruiser, I don't think I could recommend the Sniper (I'm currently running it).  It's just too limited.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

There's some strong logic in that.  I wonder if there is something out there that would work with a six and E4OD.  I know there was a small push to get a couple groups to get a tuner chip figured out, but that was at least half a decade back when it fizzled.

Paul_VR6 (Forum Supporter) said:

Keith Tanner said:

They're also pretty darn powerful PCMs. 

Coming from the Bosch Motronic ECUs: powerful and sometimes annoyingly so!

Maybe I should stick with my 35 year old Motronic 1.0! lol

As I've been reading up on the E4OD while rebuilding the unit for EW-HAUL, I've discovered the shift solenoid function is pretty basic (a lot like the Aisin 4-speed in both of my Lemons cars). Essentially two solenoids switch on or off in various combinations to shift the four gears.

If you're willing to give up automatic shift function, it seems feasible to set up a manual shift system using switches or buttons and some relays. We use sim racing video game paddle shifters, some relays, and a simple circuit board to manually paddle shift the Aisin trans in our Lemons cars with great success. 

The biggest complicating factor with the E4OD compared to the Aisin is the electronic control of the line pressure, vs a mechanical TV cable on the Aisin. Could probably fudge it with a properly selected potentiometer. 

Mr_Asa said:

In reply to Keith Tanner :

There's some strong logic in that.  I wonder if there is something out there that would work with a six and E4OD.  I know there was a small push to get a couple groups to get a tuner chip figured out, but that was at least half a decade back when it fizzled.

Perhaps a PCM for the Trailblazer/Envoy equipped with a 4l60e and Vortec 4200 I6 would be a good starting point. The shift solenoid control scheme for the 4l60e seems quite similar to the E4OD.