Anyone have a good pic of a good ECU placement????

[Mfr426]

Hey all, I'm about to pull the trigger on a new Mopar Performance Electronic Distributor conversion kit. I am not sure if I want to put the ECU module on the firewall, the fender wheelwell or get one of those fancy ECU months for behind the carb.

Anyone have a preference and/or any shots? I have a pretty "stock" looking engine bay and would like to keep it that way.

Thanks all in advance~!

Mike R in Reading PA

[Nacho-RT74]

IMHO the best placement is the stock one on late B bodies... at firewall, at a side of passenger hood hinge. Flat surface and safe from heavy vibrations on suspension making them loose and getting bad ground.

And more safe from engine heat

[Rolling_Thunder]

I'm sure Chris will chime in - his used a plate that mounts it on the rear of the engine pretty much out of sight 

[Mfr426]

I've seen those plates that sit just behind the intake at the rail on the valley pan gasket. My concern is heat in that position? It seems that it would be pretty toasty sitting right on top of the motor like that?

[chargerbr549]

On my 69 440 Charger I ran the (extended) wires for the ECU through a gap between the radiator yoke and the inner fender on the passenger side and then followed the factory wiring harness that goes behind the headlights and grill and then bolted the ECU to the lower part of the support that goes to the hood latch and back of the grill, you don't even see it unless your looking for it and stays  in the cool air outside of the engine compartment.

Sorry I don't have a pic.

Kevin

[Big Lebowski]

  When I worked for a resto shop, underneath the battery tray was where everyone wanted the ECU mounted. That hides it, but if you use the Pertronix ign. then you'll have a no-points elec. ign. w/ no ECU to hide.

[Rolling_Thunder]

  When I worked for a resto shop, underneath the battery tray was where everyone wanted the ECU mounted. That hides it, but if you use the Pertronix ign. then you'll have a no-points elec. ign. w/ no ECU to hide.

Battery trays are great tools for hiding things...   I have used them to hide the ECU box as well as headlight relays...     68-69 Chargers are hard due to the vacumme canister but the relays still fit - havent done an ECU there however...    I usually mount them one the headlight support bracket forward of the firewall on the chargers....         just some helpfull advice   

[suntech]

Hey Mike
You have a mock up car sitting 10 minutes from your house!! Hehe
Rolf

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Like Alex said I have the bracket that mounts the ECU to the rear valley pan rails on my 440.  Nicely made piece that has cut outs under it for improved air flow & cooling.  Sits up off the engine "suspended" pretty much in the open air path the same way the intake gets air under it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MOPAR-Big-Block-ECU-Bracket-PROBLEM-SOLVER-Dodge-440-70_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713Q2em153Q2el1262QQcategoryZ34202QQihZ005QQitemZ150225171783QQtcZphoto

I used to have it mounted to the rear inner fenderwell....guess what...its hotter on the fender well then behind the motor!

Ive attached pics of both ways....

[694spdRT]

I cooked one on my '69 putting it down on the inner fender near the exhaust manifold so don't put it there. I have yet to find a good spot although the bracket Chris has is a possiblity. Right now I have it mounted on the firewall but it just doesn't look right in a "stock" engine compartment. I had thought of drilling a hole through the firewall for the wiring and mounting it in the car. I have never seen that done so there must be some snag I am not thinking of.

[Mfr426]

I do like that mount on the rear pan rail. I've seen the bracket on eBay too. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...decisions, decisions...

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

I've seen it done Ty....either the ECU or I have also seen an MSD unit get mounted to the top of the glovebox...

[Nacho-RT74]

I used to have it mounted to the rear inner fenderwell....guess what...its hotter on the fender well then behind the motor!

thats why I said what I said!!! inner fender is too close to exhaust.

will be even cooler on stock 73 and laters location, just above the A/C lines

advantage of mount on engine is what does need shorter lines

[bill440rt]

I used to have my ECU hidden under the battery tray on my '68. I ordered a custom wiring harness from Jack's Auto Parts, that basically has the extended wiring just for this particular application. I just had to drill a few holes in the battery tray for the ECU, & used a washer or two under each battery tray bolt to "shim" it up a little bit to clear the vacuum canister. After that, if fit no problem.

That is, until I switched to an MSD 6AL, which I hid under the driver's seat. 

[Mfr426]

Well I just ordere that ECU bracket on eBay! I think that will do the trick!!! Next, the electronic ignition conversion kit!

Thanks all!

[Chatt69chgr]

Hey Chris-------I was looking at your ECU picture and noticed your ballast resistor.  Where did you get it and what is the resistance? 

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Hey Chris-------I was looking at your ECU picture and noticed your ballast resistor.  Where did you get it and what is the resistance? 

Thats a HD unit made by MSD.... I got it with my ign kit from FBO  http://www.4secondsflat.com/a688specs.html

Don did the recurve on my dizzy & I am running his A688 ign kit as well...not sure of the resistance

[Chatt69chgr]

Thanks for the reply Chris.  I am still trying to decipher the ballast issue.  I bought the Mopar Orange ECU.  Was going to hide it like shown on some of the pictures above.  Kind of wanted the ballast to appear to be stock and mount on the traditional firewall postion.  But the ballast they supply with the Orange box kit which includes the distributor is the "humpbacked" one that is 1-Ohm which is to be used with the standard production coil.  I was going to use the Mopar Blaster coil which Mopar says you can use with the orange box ECU but that you are supposed to use a 1/4-Ohm ballast instead of the 1-Ohm one.  I ordered the one shown in the Mopar resto catalog which looks like yours.  What I got is a big blocky thing 4 times as big as the one you have and with screw terminals.  I called MSD and they told me that Mopar's black "blaster" coil is, in fact, MSD's blaster coil.  Now, the ballast they sell is 0.8-Ohms.  You would think that you would use their ballast resistor with their coil----not the 1/4 Ohm one that Mopar recommends.  To further confuse the issue, I bought a ballast from Autozone that appears to be like the one you have.  And lo and behold, it's 0.8-Ohms.  Finally, I see on the Mancini racing site a ballast they are selling for $34.95 that is supposed to be a "correct" restoration ballast for 60's model Mopars.  In fact, it does look like the ones I have seen on unrestored cars.  Alas, they don't tell you what the resistance is.  Does anyone know what you should really use for the ballast resistor if you want to run a Mopar Orange box ECU and a Mopar (MSD) blaster coil?  For that matter, what are you really trying to do with the ballast?  Limit the current through the coil?

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

FWIW before I got my FBO setup I ran a chrome box (painted body color to hide it on my inner fender ) with a Petronix coil & a stock "correct" ballast with no problems.... you can see it in this crappy pic from '03

[Chatt69chgr]

Thanks for the pic Chris.  I'll continue to research this topic.  Been overwhelmed at work the past few days so have not had a lot of extra time.  If I figure it out, I will post my findings for everyone.

[charger_mike75]

Thanks for the reply Chris.  I am still trying to decipher the ballast issue.  I bought the Mopar Orange ECU.  Was going to hide it like shown on some of the pictures above.  Kind of wanted the ballast to appear to be stock and mount on the traditional firewall postion.  But the ballast they supply with the Orange box kit which includes the distributor is the "humpbacked" one that is 1-Ohm which is to be used with the standard production coil.  I was going to use the Mopar Blaster coil which Mopar says you can use with the orange box ECU but that you are supposed to use a 1/4-Ohm ballast instead of the 1-Ohm one.  I ordered the one shown in the Mopar resto catalog which looks like yours.  What I got is a big blocky thing 4 times as big as the one you have and with screw terminals.  I called MSD and they told me that Mopar's black "blaster" coil is, in fact, MSD's blaster coil.  Now, the ballast they sell is 0.8-Ohms.  You would think that you would use their ballast resistor with their coil----not the 1/4 Ohm one that Mopar recommends.  To further confuse the issue, I bought a ballast from Autozone that appears to be like the one you have.  And lo and behold, it's 0.8-Ohms.  Finally, I see on the Mancini racing site a ballast they are selling for $34.95 that is supposed to be a "correct" restoration ballast for 60's model Mopars.  In fact, it does look like the ones I have seen on unrestored cars.  Alas, they don't tell you what the resistance is.  Does anyone know what you should really use for the ballast resistor if you want to run a Mopar Orange box ECU and a Mopar (MSD) blaster coil?  For that matter, what are you really trying to do with the ballast?  Limit the current through the coil?

I have the orange box electronic ignition on mine with an accel super coil and I used the ballast resistor from the parts house, It works great. I believe It is an .8 ohm ballast

[Chatt69chgr]

Thanks for the info charger_mike 75.  Using a 0.8-Ohm resistor instead of a 0.25-Ohm would lower the current through the coil.  I suppose as long as the coil output voltage is acceptable then you would be OK.  It would be nice if there was any place at Chrysler that one could call about things like this.  I think there used to be some place at Mopar Performance that you could call to ask questions about Mopar products.  Does anybody know if there is any place now?   

[440]

Anyone know if these brackets are still available? Mine is on the inner fender well and looks out of place. Any other suggestions on where to mount it if not...Thanks...

[bull]

Hey Chris-------I was looking at your ECU picture and noticed your ballast resistor.  Where did you get it and what is the resistance? 

Thats a HD unit made by MSD.... I got it with my ign kit from FBO  http://www.4secondsflat.com/a688specs.html

Don did the recurve on my dizzy & I am running his A688 ign kit as well...not sure of the resistance

WTH? I thought you didn't use a ballast resistor with electronic ignition.

[greenpigs]

With the Mopar electronic ignition you need to.

I just picked up one of the brackets off ebay as it sounds like a good way to secure it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MOPAR-Big-Block-ECU-Bracket-PROBLEM-SOLVER-Dodge-440-70_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZalgoQ3dLVIQ26ituQ3dUCIQ26otnQ3d5Q26poQ3dLVIQ26psQ3d63Q26clkidQ3d8282546103661082626QQ_trksidZp5197Q2em7QQcategoryZ34202QQitemZ330541111828

[440]

With the Mopar electronic ignition you need to.

I just picked up one of the brackets off ebay as it sounds like a good way to secure it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MOPAR-Big-Block-ECU-Bracket-PROBLEM-SOLVER-Dodge-440-70_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZalgoQ3dLVIQ26ituQ3dUCIQ26otnQ3d5Q26poQ3dLVIQ26psQ3d63Q26clkidQ3d8282546103661082626QQ_trksidZp5197Q2em7QQcategoryZ34202QQitemZ330541111828

Awesome, I'll have to order one of those.. Thanks greenpigs, How do you like it ?

[greenpigs]

Just ordered it, so dunno yet.

[BananaDan]

Mine is mounted on the firewall, which is where it was already when I bought it.  I haven't had any issues with it there, and I don't think it looks out of place.  Of course, this is easier when you don't have A/C.

Dan

[440]

Dans car continues to amaze me....   

[tan top]

heres where i put mine 

[440]

Mine is on the inner fender well in a pre-existing hole but it needs a new home. It stands out like a sore thumb. They don't look bad on the firewall but hidden is best I think. Being bright orange doesn't help things any.

I'll probably put it on the firewall till I can get a bracket to fit it behind the air cleaner. Hopefully it will fit a 6 pack as that's what they said they made it for...

[madmike]

I bought the bracket off of Ebay, that mounts the ECU to the rear valley pan rail of the motor, behind the intake manifold.  It's a nice spot for the ECU, but I was surprised at how thin the bracket was, almost seems kind of chintzy to me.  I'd like to make another one, just like it, out of thicker gauge aluminum.

Mike

[charger Downunder]

Mine is on the inner fender well in a pre-existing hole but it needs a new home. It stands out like a sore thumb. They don't look bad on the firewall but hidden is best I think. Being bright orange doesn't help things any.

I'll probably put it on the firewall till I can get a bracket to fit it behind the air cleaner. Hopefully it will fit a 6 pack as that's what they said they made it for...

I have it on my six pack set up no probs