replacement ECM (or ECU?) for my '95 Wagon

[Dirtybob]

is this what we are talking about..?

yes

 

[billmorrow]

yes

drove that car to the shop today.. it ran fine..
needs new mufflers.
A/C is kaput so it needs a new compressor ++.. saw the ICM on the top of the engine.. easy to swap if needed.. your suggestion to raise it off the intake manifold is an easy thing to accomplish and a good idea unless in interferes with the stock air cleaner..
so left the car for those jobs + add an electric fan and remove the mechanical fan..
maybe i post some pix of this particular car when i get it back in the next few days..

i must add, here, that in my opinion, so far, i like my '92 better than the 2 '95's..
the '92 seems to be much more enthusiastic and just jumps while the 2 '95's seem a little more ponderous and for sure more complex with the optispark thing..

 

[Dirtybob]

The ICM should be located on the drivers side cylinder head.

Interesting that your '92 feels more "enthusiastic", suspect it's the gearing. Pretty sure the LT1 wagons (most commonly) got 2.9x in the rear. No question the LT1 makes more power but they aren't exactly known for their low end grunt.
3.42 or shorter gears and a ~10" converter will make a big difference. Just the gears helps a little but was unimpressed when swapping from 2.56 to 3.42 in my sedan (while keeping the stock converter). Not everyone likes driving a car with a loose converter either. Using a light foot can make the car feel sluggish, depending on the converter used, and the car will be louder by virtue of turning more rpm when accelerating from low speed.

 

[billmorrow]

The ICM should be located on the drivers side cylinder head.

Interesting that your '92 feels more "enthusiastic", suspect it's the gearing. Pretty sure the LT1 wagons (most commonly) got 2.9x in the rear. No question the LT1 makes more power but they aren't exactly known for their low end grunt.
3.42 or shorter gears and a ~10" converter will make a big difference. Just the gears helps a little but was unimpressed when swapping from 2.56 to 3.42 in my sedan (while keeping the stock converter). Not everyone likes driving a car with a loose converter either. Using a light foot can make the car feel sluggish, depending on the converter used, and the car will be louder by virtue of turning more rpm when accelerating from low speed.

IRT ICM, will look when i check on the car wednesday.. and take pix..

IRT the enthusiastic nature of the '92.. maybe the gearing, maybe not.. the RPM's show about 1500 going up a hill @ about 35 - 40..
the '95's don't have a tach so i need to see if i can get the climate control in one of the '95's to show RPM's while driving.. the '92 and blue '95 have trailer hitches.. the '95 has 2 additional oil(?) coolers in fron of the AC condenser and radiator.. both '95's have the factory electric aux. fan, the '92 has one also..
i don't think it is tall gearing.. i know nothing about converters.. i assume it is torque converters..? 10 inch..? feel free to educate me if you are so inclined.. 🙂

 

[Dirtybob]

typical factory 12" converters (th350/th400/700r4/4l60) stall around 1300-1600 rpm
you can get 'high stall' 12" converters (maybe rated up to 2800 stall speed) but they tend to diasppoint (though not always). 10" converters are lighter (less rotating mass) and tend to stall higher than the 12" sizes. Some vendors sell 9 or 9.5 inch street converters which I think are little/no different than the 10" ones (mostly re-worked stockers in the lower price ranges). I tend to use 10" converters in street stuff (no less than 2800 rated stall) and ask a pro for race converters...
I would probably not use a high stall converter with 2.92 gears (heat concerns).
There are roughly a bazillion pages on stall converters online:

Someone educate me on torque converters (merged)

What is the need for different stall rpms? What does the stall mean? I feel like I should know this but I dont:o . Could some one please educate me on torque converters!

www.stevesnovasite.com

As far as gears, if the car is 'unmolested', you should be able to get the ratio(s) from the rpo code sticker.

I know the old tbi motors had more low end than the LT1 but they run out of breath at 4500-5k rpm and the only thing tbi does better than a carburetor ($1 to the swear jar lol) is pass emissions. The cylinder heads were not particularly desireable either (from a performance point of view).

 

[Dirtybob]

An old dragstrip aquaintance used to race an LT1 wagon. Unsure what was done to the motor but it ran low 14s on the engine with around a 2.0 60' time. IIRC it had 4.10s in the rear and was not on the stock converter. It ran 12.0x on a smallish (150-175 hp wet shot) dose of nitrous with about 1.80 on the 60'. I recall wondering "why is he putting on a helmet for a low 14 sec. pass?"
it ran a lot like this car:

 

[RoadMonsterRoger]

An old dragstrip aquaintance used to race an LT1 wagon. Unsure what was done to the motor but it ran low 14s on the engine with around a 2.0 60' time. IIRC it had 4.10s in the rear and was not on the stock converter. It ran 12.0x on a smallish (150-175 hp wet shot) dose of nitrous with about 1.80 on the 60'. I recall wondering "why is he putting on a helmet for a low 14 sec. pass?"
it ran a lot like this car:

That Track is about 14 miles from my location here in Floriduh. Is that Wagon owner a Local? would love to see his cars

 

[billmorrow]

pix of the blue '95 engine, as promised with a few additional pix..


the white '95 and the blue '92 (Mr. Enthusiastic) today in the driveway..


engine on the blue '95, note what i believe is the ICM on the intake manifold..

closeup..

view from the front..

the car itself.. getting a new AC system.. the compressor was locked up and spilled bits of metal after it was pulled from the car..
thus the condenser you see laying on the hoist rail..

 

[Dirtybob]

The car in the vid was not the car I was talking about, it just ran similar 1/4 mile times. Car in vid was a bit prettier than my friends car (stumbled onto it via youtube). My friend's car looked exactly like your 92, much to the chagrin of pretentious types at the track. Some folks get butt hurt when they lose to something that's not shiny...

Your pics above are of the MAP sensor, the ICM is on the front of the drivers side cylinder head from the factory. Look underneath the intake tube.
ICM visible at top left of pic:

 

[billmorrow]

The car in the vid was not the car I was talking about, it just ran similar 1/4 mile times. Car in vid was a bit prettier than my friends car (stumbled onto it via youtube). My friend's car looked exactly like your 92, much to the chagrin of pretentious types at the track. Some folks get butt hurt when they lose to something that's not shiny...

Your pics above are of the MAP sensor, the ICM is on the front of the drivers side cylinder head from the factory. Look underneath the intake tube.
ICM visible at top left of pic:
View attachment 32465

interesting mods on that engine and yes i can see something behind the blue valve on the black vacuum hose..
thank you..

 

[Dirtybob]

I deleted the abs & ac (neither of them worked right anyways), air pump/tubing plus the egr (no provision for it on those headers). Definitely declutters the engine bay a bit. That header has to come off to change the #6 plug.

 

[billmorrow]

I deleted the abs & ac (neither of them worked right anyways), air pump/tubing plus the egr (no provision for it on those headers). Definitely declutters the engine bay a bit. That header has to come off to change the #6 plug.

abs? antilock brake..? ac? air conditioning..? depends on your local weather and if you are using this as a driver rather than just to run a 1/4 mile..
for me in mid 80's and wife in mid 70's doing a 1/4 mile run in the car we use to get groceries is not in our gottadoit schedule.. 🙂
i shall leave that to others.. even though the buick on the rack getting a whole new AC seems to have an exhaust system for doing that 1/4 mile run..
crossover and two racing type mufflers the mechanic said is more usual on a mustang..

pretty obvious that the buick in the drag video is tuned up.. one damn fast granny wagon..
if i feel the need for speed i'll dust off my mercedes SL55 with the blower..

 

[Dirtybob]

That car started out as my kid's car until it was too big & ugly for him. Then it went back to me.
I like to bracket race daily drivers sometimes, got over the load it on the trailer and haul it to the track thing many years ago. It can become a second job (and a money pit). I go to the track to have fun and if I win a few that's just icing on the cake.
Pic of me about to get spanked by a front engine dragster (test & tune session)

Air Conditioning is nice (not worth the price tag on an old beater IMO) and the antilock brakes (abs) are way overrated on B bodies. As are rear disc brakes (unless maybe your running laps at Road America). Heresy? perhaps.
Didn't take me long to get tired of 2.56 gears on a car I mainly drive in town. Still managed to average 22 mpg on a 1920 mile road trip with the 3.42s.
The headers went on when I couldn't find a drivers side exhaust manifold anywhere. I was actually impressed with them since they only cost $90 and were almost a direct fit plus they sealed way better than any of the cheap ass hedman/hooker/etc.

Is that Mercedes one of those 12 sec. cars? Maybe chage the licnese plate to L84BNG0 😛

 

[billmorrow]

That car started out as my kid's car until it was too big & ugly for him. Then it went back to me.
I like to bracket race daily drivers sometimes, got over the load it on the trailer and haul it to the track thing many years ago. It can become a second job (and a money pit). I go to the track to have fun and if I win a few that's just icing on the cake.
Pic of me about to get spanked by a front engine dragster (test & tune session)
View attachment 32483
Air Conditioning is nice (not worth the price tag on an old beater IMO) and the antilock brakes (abs) are way overrated on B bodies. As are rear disc brakes (unless maybe your running laps at Road America). Heresy? perhaps.
Didn't take me long to get tired of 2.56 gears on a car I mainly drive in town. Still managed to average 22 mpg on a 1920 mile road trip with the 3.42s.
The headers went on when I couldn't find a drivers side exhaust manifold anywhere. I was actually impressed with them since they only cost $90 and were almost a direct fit plus they sealed way better than any of the cheap ass hedman/hooker/etc.

Is that Mercedes one of those 12 sec. cars? Maybe chage the licnese plate to L84BNG0 😛

my buicks are NOT beaters.. they are worth the effort..
perhaps a piece of american history, recent history department..
in my time i have owned or driven many cars, from a 1939 ford with a replacement engine from sears roebuck to, well, my current '06 mercedes SL55..
i'll take some pix and attach one of the mercedes but you can do a search for the specs if you wish..
2.56 & 3.42 refer to the rear end gear ratio..? is it "that easy" to swap the rear end gears..?
for me i have always preferred longer legs on a car.. if you want to get off the line fast then have a transmission with a tree climbing gear..
i have a tale abou such, i will only relate it if asked.. it involves my 1955 austin healy 100.. 🙂

 

[Dirtybob]

Wasn't implying your roadies were beaters, just talking about my own junk. It's not a good idea to get 'attached' to a daily driver living in the rust belt. It will eventually dissolve into a pile of red dust if the idiot drivers don't smash into it first. Dad has told me "this is the last car I'll ever need to buy" before getting nailed by Mr Magoo while out getting groceries....jinx
In my experience the most durable vehicles around here all have a GVWR north of 25,000 pounds (just a wee bit heavier than a buick wagon). 😛

Rear gear swaps are tedious work, I pay to have that done (don't own all the necessary tools and it isn't that expensive) - 2017/2018 cost was $550 parts (gears/posi diff./install kit) and $300 labor. I retuned the PCM myself.
Dunno about swapping in a manual from an old farm tractor (metaphorically speaking). Seen a few six speed swaps done, looks like a bit of a job with a nice end result.

The Impala SS were equipped with 3.08s and IMO those cars had a nice mix/balance of 'long legs' and acceleration. Mom owned a '95 Impala SS that I may have driven a few times....
3.42s were also offered in certain configuations (patrol cars among others)
1/4 mile drag racing gear selection would likely end up in the 4.xx range

 

[Dirtybob]

We used to own a 39 chevy master deluxe busines coupe with 'a little extra' under the hood. I loved that car lol

FWIW, the fastest accelerating cars dont even use a transmission. They just slip the clutch to control wheelspin. Sub 1 second 0-100 mph times.

 

[-Regal-]

drove that car to the shop today.. it ran fine..
needs new mufflers.
A/C is kaput so it needs a new compressor ++.. saw the ICM on the top of the engine.. easy to swap if needed.. your suggestion to raise it off the intake manifold is an easy thing to accomplish and a good idea unless in interferes with the stock air cleaner..
so left the car for those jobs + add an electric fan and remove the mechanical fan..
maybe i post some pix of this particular car when i get it back in the next few days..

i must add, here, that in my opinion, so far, i like my '92 better than the 2 '95's..
the '92 seems to be much more enthusiastic and just jumps while the 2 '95's seem a little more ponderous and for sure more complex with the optispark thing..

“Ponderous” what a fantastic way to describe most newer vehicles. Even the Series II 3800 I had seemed that way compared to the earlier Series I, despite the II supposed to have an extra 35 horses. Gearing I guess. But I often find newer vehicles (probably using a sensor instead of a throttle cable) to feel almost gutless like that unless you floor it, in which case you get too much power all of a sudden.

 

[billmorrow]

“Ponderous” what a fantastic way to describe most newer vehicles. Even the Series II 3800 I had seemed that way compared to the earlier Series I, despite the II supposed to have an extra 35 horses. Gearing I guess. But I often find newer vehicles (probably using a sensor instead of a throttle cable) to feel almost gutless like that unless you floor it, in which case you get too much power all of a sudden.

i would describe most new car models boring in their sameness.. no character.. just another amorphic blob with a wheel at each compass point.. 🙂

when i said the blue '95 needed new mufflers what i should have said was that the former owner had installed some sort of hot rod mufflers with crossover that gave what some might describe as a good 'rap' (no, not THAT rap)..
for me i prefer a quiet car so the shop is adding a couple more mufflers..

 

[HotZ28]

This is the stock duel exhaust system! Two cats, two mufflers & 2-resonators. Do not restrict the flow of the exhaust with 2-mufflers.
https://www.wholesalegmpartsonline.com/images/parts/gm/fullsize/930907MB03-030.JPG

 

[billmorrow]

This is the stock duel exhaust system! Two cats, two mufflers & 2-resonators. Do not restrict the flow of the exhaust with 2-mufflers.
https://www.wholesalegmpartsonline.com/images/parts/gm/fullsize/930907MB03-030.JPG

i'll take a picture on monday if they have not added the two additional mufflers or resonators or whatever.. there are no cats on the car presently and i have no intention of adding cats..