Hello all: I am working on a friend's 32 vicky hot rod and the car currently has a VERY old EFI ECU from Hilborn that is called a Carabine ECU. We believe this ECU is from around 20+ years ago. We would like to convert the car to a much more modern Megasquirt ECU but unfortunately we have no wiring diagram or installation manual. I know such a thing existed at one time since we have found pictures and description online of the cover of that manual but in searching around on ebay and other places has not produced any results so far. Can anyone help us out with this?
Perhaps give Michael LaFevers at Mitech Racing Engines a call. He is in Chino Hills, California. He has tuned some Carabine's, but hasn't been on the forum for a few years. Not sure if the FaceBook link below will work, and don't think he has a website running. (12) Facebook Cheers, Harv
If you are going to convert it to MegaSquirt, why do you need the info about the Carabine system you are removing?
@Sven Lotus This link might help you to decide if not already seen, https://www.speed-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12951
I would like to use as much of the existing wiring as possible. Instead of pulling a brand new harness throughout the car.
Yeah, I have read through that thread already. It made me even more convinced to replace the system with a more modern ECU.
Generally, the wiring for fuel injection is mostly on the engine and wherever the computer is. So you should not have to rewire most of the car. Can't you trace wires from the various parts on the injection system, to where they connect to the computer? Somehow it seems to me that the you're looking for impossible to find information, for no useful reason. Just figure out what you need to connect where to get the new system installed, and do what's needed to connect it. last time I messed with MS, it was a very old system, and the wires on the sensors etc needed to be soldered to an old fashioned DB37 computer connector. Wonder what they have now?
This is a near show quality hot rod and the wires are all hidden so it does NOT look like a home brewed setup at all. BTW, I will be using a microsquirt with a good quality ampseal type of connector so no wires having to be soldered to a DB37 plug.
So you need to connect this harness to the various things on the engine, and a few points on the car's existing harness? Looks to me like you just need to remove all the existing EFI wiring, and start over. The tricky part will be either finding new terminals for the connections on the various sensors and actuators, or splicing the new wires to the old. Where you make that splice, is up to you. But you might be able to add yet another big connector between the two harnesses, in which case you just need to trace the wires from the engine stuff, to the harness that goes to the old controller. Doesn't matter if you have the documentation on the old system or not, it's gonna be a lot of work. Have fun!
@Sven Lotus why Megasquirt Just asking , For some reason Import use Megaquirt its like metric ? & others use Fuel Tec & Holley is like SAE ?
I understand wanting at least the wiring diagram for the old system and hopefully the values for the inputs and outputs. You don't want to wire in a 12V reference to a 5V sensor or have a wildly different output to an actuator. However, you will also want a part number for each input/output device for servicing later and troubleshooting, so unless the manual defines every part, you are going to have to dig in anyway. Start with the 8 injectors. Batch fired (likely) or timed? Ground controlled or power switched?These are Outputs. Almost always 2 wires, 12V and ground. Wire color coding should be a clue here. Most use Bosch injectors, but some use GM style. There might be another brand. Try to ID these visually and hope there is a part number on them. Also check resistance before applying power and confirm! On timed injectors, they still often fire every revolution, once on the back of the closed valve, once when it's open. This has to do with injector sizing and paired injectors. Again, check wire colors at the injectors and control unit. Inputs I'd assume a Throttle Position Sensor (TPS), likely 3 wires; 5V ref, ground and input. Often the center wire is signal input. Probably an Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor, with the same. Gotta have a RPM input, usually a tach input, but if it's individual firing, it will use a Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor and a Camshaft Postion (CMP) sensor. CKP is going to be on the front of the crank with a kit, CMP will probably be at the dist.This can be hall effect or inductive. Amount of air has to be measured or calculated. Is there a Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor? This is a single point entry for air intake. It measures the amount and temp of incoming air. Is there an Intake Air Temperature (IAT) Sensor? Is there a Manifold Absolute Pressure (vacuum) MAP Sensor? This will have to be referenced to each intake port if this is an individual throttle body intake. Your best bet to get this up and running is to ID each of these down to part numbers and operating specs. I've included the common naming for each of these so you can check online for pictures and info to ID them. Is it a basic open loop, programmable system or can it go into closed loop with O2 sensors providing fuel trim inputs? Does the old setup also control timing? Do you want these features in the new system? All of this needs to be determined to order the correct new controller if you want it to match the old parts and wiring anyway. The manual will answer many of these, but to really get the right ECU and program it correctly, you will need to have all the info. Most kits do not supply all this proprietary information.
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