What ECU should I carry as spare? '79 Power Wagon

I have a little breakdown kit with extra parts, such as Ballast Resistor, Starter Relay, Fan Belt, etc. I want to add an Electronic Ignition Box to kit. It's a factory 360-4.

What would be the most reliable box to purchase to keep or maybe even install now, and keep the old one as a spare. I know it's NOT the orange box. I have below style Ballast Resistor, which means I have five pin box, I think? I should have looked first I guess, but just haven't had a chance, and I know you guys know

Just stretched the legs on the truck the most I have so far since buying well over a year ago now. 80 miles round trip, and it performed great! Really cruised nicely and I enjoyed it so much. Couldn't get rid of the smile on my face. I drove to pick up a used door for my Dad's car.

Thanks.

P.S. I don't mind spending a few bucks to get something quality.

The 4 pin will work in place of the 5 pin. I would just buy a name brand like Standard, Borg Warner or the like if it's just an emergency box. Any of them should get you home.

Ok, thanks. I know it's an old story, but I just hate buying parts now with so much cheap junk coming from other countries. Some of this stuff is bad right out of the box.

What Guitar Jones said, get a 4 pinner at your parts house & unfortunately most of em are overseas made. (or an OE 5 pinner from a yard).

Ok, thank you.

Convert the ignition to the much simpler HEI-system and you'll only have to carry a HEI-module as a spare of needed.
No ballast stuff needed anymore.

I carried a cheap Wells ECU in my 50 Dodge truck (1980 chassis) for years. The only time it got used was when we were on a cruise a some guy's Road Runner died on the cruise. The wells unit got him home. I never replaced it, the truck went well over 100K miles without an issue. Never put a ballast resistor on it, nor did I ever have to change a starter. I plowed snow with that truck for 12 years and never had to replace the auto trans either. I guess when you don't really abuse them they worked pretty good.
Now carburetors were a different matter, it never found one it liked for very long. Gene

I've got lots of spare ECU and ballast resistors but I've only ever had one fail and it was a ballast.

FBO HRR688 bypasses the ballast resistor. I use the supplied jumper and carry my Orange box as a spare and don't carry a spare ballast resistor. Any problems, remove jumper and bolt Orange box back on.

The FBO box isn't cheap, but after running it, and hearing rumors of Don at FBO's retirement, I might get another for a spare.

All that said, I've had a factory box puke out and one ballast resistor go. Never any other problems in 30+ years.

What is FBO that BcudaChris mentions?


One Plymouth I had many years ago had ballast resistors go bad fairly often. I kept a spare on in that car. Never did get that problem diagnosed. The other Mopars I've owned never had any problems.

www.4secondsflat.com Just me I would forget that & go with an OE black '75 up HEI module from a yard & there is a alum plate from www.designed2drive.com to mount it under the dist (pricey & it is easy to make your own) & get a full 12V E coil (no ballast needed). use heat sink paste between the module & the plate. EDIT not the OE HEI here, this was a guys' extras he was unloading.

The HEI setup is pretty cool, I hadn't even considered that option.

The FBO box (http://4secondsflat.com/Ignition.html) has a rev limiter and uses a Pertronix 12V coil. I also use the FBO limiter plate in my distributor. The FBO solution for me worked best for me as it just drops in and hook up a jumper and coil and has the rev limiter.

There is another "bolt in" option out there with a rev limiter/12v coil (http://rev-n-nator.com/products.html) but I have no experience with it.

I've used the FBO limiter plate several times, its a VG deal.

I have a kd emergency ignition box, it by passes everything to get me home, it plugs into the center coil in the dist cap, and powers the rotor to the plugs.
its great on a car if your trying to start in awhile and bypasses the points..

There was a thread a while back with a number of different ECUs gutted - I can't remember where I saw it. One box was a chinese deal with a postage stamp sized circuit board and a simulated heat sink. I'd love to see a full comparison done on all available stock boxes. I don't think Mopar Action has done an article on them but I stopped reading for a couple years so I could be wrong.

Robert, I know that is probably the best thing, an HEI setup, but I just really want the Ma Mopar look to remain. I was so hesitant on even going with headers, but I broke down and did it when I had to do the entire exhaust anyhow. I probably should have gotten the headers coated black. The Rev-n-ator is a really cool system for reliability and sort of stock appearance, but too pricey for this stock engine truck. I have that on my stroked small block Diplomat and love it.

Understood, I would just grab a spare. On a side note the $25 plate is a real good tuning piece.

Bet bang for the buck seems to be the Jegs 7500 unit. Made in USA.


https://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/40805/10002/-1

I just bought it yesterday from R. Ehrenberg along with a coil! Decided it sounded like a good reliable piece and stock appearing enough if I pull off the high rev sticker.

Thanks.

It sure looks purty, holler how it does when the time comes.

I bought a $4.95 repop "Electronic Ignition" decal and put it on my FBO box. It's a surefire way to identify a true Mopar geek. It's always fun when one notices at the gas station or something.

Has anyone tried the "Rev-n-Ator"?

Long story...When I was 16 in 76 driving my first car which was 72 340 challenger. It broke down, would not run. Sat in my parents driveway for months as I did not have much money and did not know much about cars.
My parents asked my uncle to come over and look at the car since he drove dodge vans and was pretty handy.

He determined the ECM went out. Then I remembered ECMs were like 80-100 bucks then. It took me more weeks to get the money together to buy one.

So I did buy one from the local auto parts store and I was back in business banging gears in my 340 challenger.
2 days later I totaled the car while banging gears!!
I was bumming.

I took the new ECM back to the parts store to try to get my money back. The counter guy who I wound up buying parts from for 20 years said" we don't take back electronic parts and I can tell you had it mounted. Then he said "I heard you wrecked your car and I'll do you a favor and take it back and refund your money". Good guy helped a dummy like me.

So then I developed a thing about ECMs and collected many over the years from used vehicles.

I have also bought new gold, chrome and orange performance ECMs over the years. The best running one I found by accident was a stock black one from a stock vehicle. It ran better than any of the performance boxes. IMO

I have the rev-n-ator in my '89 Diplomat Police car with a 410 stroker and LOVE IT. It has the nice stock look, took care of starting problems I was having with the orange box setup, is tunable with hand held tuner, and now I have a rev limiter as well. Pricey, but has worked flawlessly.

what are you adjusting?

lol

care to explain that trick?

The rev-n-ator is a lot of hype wrapped up in fresh, steaming BS.

Go read the "FAQ" then go read a book on ignition systems written by someone competent. Then go back and reread the FAQ's. Huckster hype comes to mind.

Im running a wells ECU which I got out of a junk yard probably 17 or 18 years ago and it didn't look that new when I got it either.
Too bad the orange ones were hit or miss. Is that still the case?

I hear that it is but we are the complaint/problem solving site so we are going to get way way more problems to resolve than we are, good part recommendations.

What are you using then Supercuda?

Wow, pretty harsh. "lol"

MY MISTAKE on hand held tuner and I APOLOGIZE TO ALL. I didn't install it, had my mechanic installed for me. He also installed my FiTech system, and the handheld tuner is for that. Both were installed at same time and I was confusing them. I'm so sorry for the confusion!!!! But, fact remains I was having issues with starting until rev-n-ator was installed, and I do love the system, and the stock look, the rev limiter and ease of changing. The rev limiter is set right on the box itself with a toggle button.

Harsh?

I would think giving advice on something you know nothing about is more harsh. You have zero idea what actually fixed your starting issue, aside from "your mechanic". One does have to ask why did you throw money away on the rev-n-ator when the FiTech could have been had with ignition control that you could actually tune with the hand held and a lot more functionality at that.

Probably because you have no idea. Contrary to the hype, the Rev-n-ator does not set initial timing you do with a timing light, rate of advance the distributor's weights, springs and slots does that, maximum timing again the distributor does that, nor an vacuum advance curves, FiTech can do all of that electronically and you can use the hand held to optimize it all for $200 more than the base FiTech. How much is just the Rev-n-ator icu itself? $209. Did you get a kiss afterwards?

But let's go ahead and suggest spending $200+ on an item you really know zip about and I'm the harsh one.

I was trying to help that's why. I know what fixed my starting issue. The rev-n-ator. That's when the issues went away

I never said the rev-n-ator set initial timing.

Could you not have pointed out that I was mistaken without trying to make me look like a jerk? I don't often get to help here because I don't have the superior knowledge of most here, but I do have the rev-n-ator, and I do know my starting problems went away as soon as I got it installed. And I did apologize for my mistake. I guess I was a bit over anxious to offer up an answer and maybe help...something I don't often get a chance to do. It certainly not something malicious.

I don't know why you felt the need to react the way you did. I made a mistake and I apologized immediately.

Larry

RockAuto has a discount/clearance sale on Standard Ignition 4 pin ECU's, around 8 bucks a pop. I just bought 4.

That's a nice deal!

X2!

Supercuda you forgot to take your meds this morning.

There's nothing wrong with the Rev-N-Nator, it just suffers from having ad copy that makes claims that aren't, in my opinion, correct. This has been beaten to death. But the box itself as a substitute for the MP boxes seems to be OK and it looks nearly stock and has a rev limiter built in.

Rockauto's Standard LX 101 at $8 is quite a deal. It's ironic that the LX 101T which is their low priced line is listed at twice the price. I'd buy some too except I have enough CD boxes to last a lifetime.

R.

Actually Supercuda NEEDS to be on medication!. We let him live cuz his tech is good. Way back the lx101 was touted as an American made item but the last one I bought said made in china (it was OK as far as basic functioning goes (it didn't leave me stranded) till I sold the truck.

WOW...SMH

I keep electronic ignition {Mopar} on my cars for backup I either use a accell converted to Pertronix never had a issue with that period

Damm, all this over just a little box. If all he needed was a box there was some US made boxes on ebay with real a Motorola transistor. A china box will last about a year, I have had two, and that is about all they go. No need for all that high dollar stuff for a street motor.

Unfortunately, some China boxes may last about a year, and some are junk right out of the box. I've had more than one part now be bad right out of the box, a week later, a month later, etc.

Thank you.

The quality of replacement parts today is the major road block to keeping these old vehicles reliable and on the road these days.

As an example I rebuilt the front end on my 92 D250 about three years ago using all Moog parts. The outer tie rod boots wouldn't last a month and the upper control arm bushings were shot after two years. The truck still had all the original pieces from new when I rebuilt it that lasted over twenty years and 200,000 miles. There is some pretty crappy stuff being pedaled out there today and it isn't all made in China stuff either. I've had made in the USA stuff be just as bad or worse.

i have mentioned the quality of moog parts made today several times over the years, and have been scoffed at. my experience with their boots and bushings have been the same as yours geetar. i really don't know what to use, or recommend, for suspension parts anymore, and ignition parts are questionable as well.

Moparx keep it coming, we do need to know what is bad (& good). I just bought a moog front end rebuild kit off of FABO for $275 shipped for an early A body (2 UBJ/2LBJ/4 tie rod ends). It would be going on the stock car so mileage would not be an issue.

You guys are absolutely right about Moog boots!!!!

Rebuilt the front end on my A38 Aspen and a couple months later when changing oil I see cracked boots on tie rod ends. When I went to do M body Police car I emailed Moog asking where parts for M body were manufactured. They actually responded that they manufacture all over the world now (of course) and I needed to send specific part numbers for an answer. I think I know the answer already

This is why I was willing to spend $31 on the box I bought. So I spent around $20 more. I ask these questions about my truck parts because I am going to start stretching it's legs. I want to take it on longer cruises when weather is nice. Like 100 mile round trips, or more. It's my way of unwinding from a very stressful job. And I don't need to be stranded. And I'm pretty much alone if I do get get stranded. I'm single, my Dad is going thru health issues and all alone now too, friends are all pretty much married off and have families, and I don't want to uber home from 60 miles, or be sitting on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere between here and Orlando, or wherever.

Moog has had the boot crack problem for years. I did the complete front end of my Chrysler in 1999 and even back then their crappy rubber parts were splitting and coming apart within a year or less.

I went with the NAPA gold parts and they lasted a little longer. I found a pair of boots in my stash pile, not sure what they were for or where they came from but I think they were A body ball joint boots, and they have lasted well. I haven't replaced the UCA bushings but I did buy NAPA gold replacements.

Are you saying if I have Mopar electroic igintion you don't need a ballast resister?

It depends on what coil you intend to use. what one do you have? (pri ohms). EDIT with a "regular" round coil YES a ballast is needed.

Correct-a-mundo ^

So far my emergency kit consists of the Ecu, a coil, a starter relay, a Ballast Resistor, jumper cables, cable ties (zip ties), duct tape for hoses, and a bunch of tools in a tool wrap.