[V8] Chips and computers

[Professor GT gmail]

I ditto Allan's experience. My 1991 factory 5-speed runs fine with a stock automatic ECU. I swapped the original ecu with one from an automatic car for test purposes and never switched it back as I noticed no difference.

I've been told the 1992 models change all the rules, as the 4.2L engine controls look for the trans data and if its not there will retard ignition timing. Makes sense, but I have not verified this yet. Should be pretty easy to prove out.

I'm about to begin swapping a 4.2 from a 1992 automatic into my 1991 5-speed, and will wring-out all those types of issues at that time. 

Unfortunately, like many other things on the web, there's way too many folks who post unverified information, and when passed from person to person, this mis-information seems to become "Urban Legend".

As a factory rep/field engineer/training instructor for various car companies for the past 28 years, I have amassed quite a large knowledge-base. I do not mention this to brag or boast, but to relate that my experience has proven that many folks latch on to half-truths just because what they hear "sounds good". They don't bother to check things out, and many times don't have the bandwidth to know fact from fiction anyway. That's not their fault, but just a manifestation of ignorance.

I don't mean to preach to the choir, but there are self-professed "Legends-in-their-own-Minds" lurking in these parts, and I just hate to see folks being led astray by the unscrupulos among us.

The key is to dig for the facts, and quite amusingly, the more you educate yourself, the more you find that there are lots of folks that really don't understand. I run across this on a daily basis I'm my classes (I currently teach automotive/heavy equipment), and it's a true pleasure to see the satisfaction that arises when the lights of educative  illumination shine through, once a student really understands how things work.

The moral of the story I guess, is beware of the wolves out there who can steer you wrong and/or take advantage of you.  Check, double check, and triple-check things before diving in.

Again, there are "listers" out there who are just waiting for fresh meat, so be sure to check out what you are being told before trusting others. 

Being relatively new to the forum, I just recently had a negative experience with someone who thought I was naive enough to fall for the crap he was peddling.

If you have any questions as to the validity of what someone is telling you, it's not too difficult to sort things out, using all the various means available to us these days.

Sorry for all the pontification, but I was lucky enough to see through the manure being flung around, and I hope that this note will give folks pause to be on guard, so as not to be taken in by the wolves!

I will always strive to help in whatever ways I can, with a positive influence, but at the same time it's my responsibility to call a spade a spade.

 I'm a gearhead and that's my passion. Nothing jazzes me more than sharing my passion for all things automotive, and constantly honing my skills. In the process, if we can help to educate, and at the same time weed out the wolves, more power to us, as we've done a good job!

Thanks,

ProfessorGT
(Sent from my iPhone4)