Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) caTCHER ecm (Marco's aka MAD)

[DOUGMartin]

Wait for it wait for it wait for it ok get upset now.



Sorry I couldnt help my self.

 

[thejeepdude]

Originally posted by Murle

What really upsets me is someone trying to tell me when I should or should not get upset... .

Hey Murle, you should or should not really be upset! I know it's gotta be frustrating, but I for one appreciate the candid responses of all who partake in this bleeding edge technology. I'm really hoping Marco can identify and tweek the specific injection events in the 3G/600 motors and get the same or better improvements out of them as the 2Gs are showing. And if/when he starts testing 3G ECM's, I'll be willing to put up with whatever pains are involved to get it going. The price will be worth the benefits, IMO. I think the only downfalls of the new 600 are the crappy parameters they have to program in to meet EPA/CARB standards, and with a Marco ECM on one of these motors we could end up with a 500HP 22MPG lean mean towing machine! OK I will quit dreaming now and let you 2G guys have all the fun...

 

[RACE427]

ECM Book

The actual book describing what it does take to crack the OEM's codes in a ECM or PCM is " How to Tune and Modify Engine Management Systems " ISBN # 0-7603-1582-5 Published by Motorbooks International found it on Amazon.com. Great book for the money!!!



Hope you find this book as informative as I am!! Enjoy!!!!

 

[darkhorse]

Mad about the MAD CaTCHER

I'm sorry to read about Murle's troubles. I got mine from Marco today also, along with a nice crisp 100 Euro note to compensate me for the shipping costs to Italy. I had better luck than Murle. First, it's not quite as hot here as in Texas, only about 90, still it's not comfortable hanging over a hot motor, but with the practice I've had recently, it was a quick job to swap ECM's. A quick check showed that my "wait to start" light was functioning. I fired it up, forgetting to calibrate the throttle pedal. I don't think that made any difference. The truck idled like stock. I was pretty eager to get a test spin in so I took her down the ally. Low speed manors were fine. The throttle is very sensitive but not a problem . Other than how little throttle it took , the truck was acting just like always. Then I got to the back road out of town & I nudged the go pedal some more... . This thing really moves! I never did try full throttle as the speed limits & winding roads around here wouldn't allow that. What I can say is that with partial throttle I was reving to 3200 rpm & looking for a gear shift in very little time. The power delivery was smooth all the way from say 1,100 to 3,200 rpm. No bumps or jerks but lots of giggles. . Playing a bit with the throttle I could easily make a big black stream of smoke but it's not to hard to stay out of the smoke either. Keeping it under the smoke level my truck accelerated much faster than with the EZ. I am impressed & very pleased.

 

[tcourse]

OK, I'm back again.

Still haven't towed yet, but have run around and back and forth to work.

As Marco said, I have to learn how to drive with this ECM. j



If I want no smoke I drive like my mother

Or turn the comp on and set it to 1/1.



If I drive like I did before the change, I get way more than I expect and adjust my right foot accordingly. I find my self only using about 1/4 of the peddle.



Seriously, I am a fairly aggressive driver and find my self braking a lot more to slow down for traffic between lights



If you are a very sedate driver, this is not the mod for you(in my opinion)

If I had to give up all the bombs on my truck but one, I would keep the CaTCHER. Now I see why Bob Wagner sold his comp, although it is useful for smoke control.

 

[RACE427]

OBDII and data stream, codes

Curious to know if this re-flashed ECM is still OBD-II compatible, s is it able to store trouble codes and communicate with either a factory scan tool or a scan tool from Snap-On or other tool manufacturers. Anyone have the proper diagnostic equipment to find out?? This should be somewhat interesting to hear about.



Thanks, Tony G

 

[KatDiesel]

This is gonna be a long three weeks

 

[RACE427]

Data Stream and other cool stuff

I would be curious to find out if the ECM now displays all of the sensors and what they are actually showing or is the ECM showing false sensor information. You must remember that a Scan tool only shows the Technician what the ECM thinks it is seeing. Just because the scan tool shows a Coolant temp. reading of let's say 210 deg F does not mean that this is exactly what is going on. It is up to the Tech to be savy enough to fully understand what is going on regardless what the PCM (ECM) shows. Many of us use DVOMs, lab scopes, laptops, scan tools, etc. to diagnose today's cars and trucks.



Just trying to explain what I am interested in. I am a automotive mechanic by trade. If anyone in the NY, NJ area buys a re-flashed ECM I would love to get together with you and hook up my Scan tool to see exactly what we have. It would be my pleasure to show you how it is done. By the way I am also a member of LIROC. Your truck would make one hell of a great instructional tool for our next club meeting!!! I can see the guys drooling over this setup.



I do not blame you one bit for looking for more HP and torque. I on the other hand would like to see what is happening from the Engineer's or mechanic's point of view. Just trying to explain a different perspective. Most of you would not care, nor would you need to care about this until you have a diagnostic problem with the electronics of your engine or management system.

 

[jerrethomas]

i have an 01 ho 6 spd with a bullydog torque dog 65 hp. i get a little bit of smoke when i shift but that is about it. does the caTCHER give off more smoke then that? a picture perhaps! can you control the smoke and still take off fast when needed?

 

[darkhorse]

jerre, My CaTCHER can produce more smoke than my EZ did, but, yes, I can take off faster than with the EZ without blowing much if any smoke. It does take careful attention with the right foot.

 

[AKAMAC]

I belive Marco doesn't fool the ecm (ie: ez) he raises the defuel set point. The fueling curve to boost ratio is then raised... . PID control on steroids.

 

[RACE427]

Still would love to see what a good scan tool shows!!! I have access to a DRB III. Factory scan tools are the Cat's Meow!!

 

[RCone]

Ok, I am not as technically savy as a lot of you. Howsoever, as of today, I MAY have the first California CaTCHER in the US even tho I live in Oregon. All I can say, OMG. I do have some baseline numbers and when I have time will post what I can. I guess the word I would use about the throttle pedal is well, "responsive. " Could be touchy if you had palsy or something.



To say the least, my truck acts like a gasser in terms of responsiveness. I tried it on ECM only, 3x3 and 5x5. This thing is gonna cost me more money than I thought. I have a one-legged truck. Now, Rip at Source Automotive just happens to have a Dana Lock rear end in stock. After today, I am thinking it's gonna cost me an extra $700 to get it. It DID NOT rain in Oregon today and on the test drive (BTW which Robert, Rips top wrench drove) we put it on 3x3. WOW. Robert didn't know exactly what to do except to feather the throttle to control smoke from tail pipe or right rear tire. Holy sheet!



Am I happy? Do you need to ask? Have I towed yet? Obviously not. Do I have data? Not exactly. But I can tell you this. CC works just fine and I may find myself using it more than usual. Temps and 70mph seem reduced by bout 50 to 75 degrees. Boost off of go is way quicker and does not drop between shifts even on the auto.



I will try to give more hard data later. Marco, staff, guinnea pigs, Doug and Dawn, and whomever else has been involved with this, my hat is off to you. I do believe that you have a winner on your hands.



Roger



PS. Now I need to invest in ECM's cause I could make some money if I could find them at the right price.

 

[Cummins4Life]

Good report Roger, look forward to hearing more.

 

[RCone]

Miscelleanous ramblings.



Consider this:



There are 12 flashes in all that could apply to a 01 truck.



01 5spd, 6spd, auto - Carb

01 5spd, 6spd, auto - Federal

01. 5 5spd, 6spd, auto - Carb

01. 5 5spd, 6spd, auto - Federal



To save time, money and frustration, I would suggest that a) you make sure your spare ECM is in working order. Marco posted on how to ascertain this, and b) it wouldn't hurt to include your software version #. That is what ultimately solved my problem.



I get this mental picture of ChrisW bouncing up a gravel road with his size 14 on the go pedal of his CaTCHER equipped truck. Yup, could be a problem.



Smoke? It is a subjective thing in terms of measurement and not good for the environment and public image. You must roll on the throttle, not stab it. Someone asked about taking a picture of smoke. Maybe I can later. I will tell you however, that if you look at the Red Rocket (RIP Nowell) that Hoss is racing and look at his avatar on the NWbombers. Com site, my truck on 5x5 is putting out the same quantity and colour of smoke he is out of one stack. Did I mention that my CC is working? I was worried cause Darkhorse said his isn't. Normally, that wouldn't present a problem for me if it didn't however, I have my AutoLoc hooked up to the cruise control (disengages under 35mph) and I was concerned that my PacBrake might not work. It does!



More later perhap and feel free to ask me questions publicly or PM and I will do my best to respond, bearing in mind that I am not that technically oriented so can't respond to things like fueling curves, etc.



Roger

 

[darkhorse]

Good post Roger. I'm finding the MAD CaTCHER is a joy to drive. The cruise control is the only thing that has me puzzeling now. My Banks Brake works wonerfully, just like it did with the original ECM. I'm sure my milage will suffer some as I play with all this power but I'll get used to it & settle back down.

 

[tcourse]

Roger,

Roger, you mentioned EGT reduction . I also noticed my temps appear to be lower with the catcher. I'm running with the comp on level 1/1 with way less smoke than with the box off, but power seems to still be there.

I laid down 4 long marks for about 60 feet last night with no effort.



TC

 

[Amianthus]

I found that the catcher works find on it's own. But the power is even more inviting with the EZ attached. The smoke on the ECM alone is impressive. With the ECM and the EZ, it's oppressive. I still haven't given the thing the 'beans' yet. I can't imagine what that would look like.



The ECM is a blast to drive. The truck just begs to stretch it's legs. Moreso than I've ever had before. It's such a tragedy that one has to drive with restraint (to be law-abiding). This thing really wants to go.



An idea of the smoke that CAN be produced from the CaTCHER is below. This is, by no means, what will happen to your truck. It all depends on your foot.

 

[Amianthus]

Stupid G. D. image requirements!

 

[darkhorse]

Now that cloud looks just like what I saw in my mirror yesterday when I tried stabbing the throttle, but even then it cleared right out as the boost went over 10 psi.