Relocating ECM question

[royalbobcat]

Has anyone attempted to relocate the ECM on a G body Cutlass? I was thinking of adding length of wire to harness (all 30 some wires!) and relocate ECM under the passenger seat to make room for Qlogic kick panel speaker set up. Qlogic gives you a box and says jam it under the rug by passenger feet but that sounds prone to problems. Does messing with this harness in this way risk problems with ECM or is it better off moved? I would be soldering wires... no cheap connectors here.

Please advise!!! Thanks

 

[Blake442]

I relocated my ECM to the trash can. It fits great. 😀

 

[royalbobcat]

Good one.... seriously? If so, can you expand on your comment? I am not used to dealing with ECMs and am not 100% sure what their impact on an 84 307 is. Thanks!

 

[dan2286]

Good one.... seriously? If so, can you expand on your comment? I am not used to dealing with ECMs and am not 100% sure what their impact on an 84 307 is. Thanks!

He got rid of the computer system all together. You would need to get a non-computer controlled distributor and carb. You would also need to find a way to control the lock up converter and a/c. Not sure if the computer controls cruise control or not.

 

[Bonnewagon]

I dunno-some of the computer circuits are fractions of a volt and ohms. Crimping might reduce critical voltage and increase ohms of resistance. Soldering would be in order, and good soldering at that. I'm no electrical whiz, but I'd just move it up under the dash behind the glove box, it should reach.

 

[pontiacgp]

I'm no electrical whiz

me neither but I did have enough experience to snipp the wires, toss the box out and used the engine harness from a nice simple GP... 😀

 

[Blake442]

Good one.... seriously? If so, can you expand on your comment? I am not used to dealing with ECMs and am not 100% sure what their impact on an 84 307 is. Thanks!

I eliminated all that sh*t, every wire that went to and from the ECM was removed as well.
I run a Holley carb, MSD dist, no a/c, no cruise, no lock-up converter.

I was just being a smartass, since I'm super good at it... :lol:
Unless you're going to start going at it with modifications/motor swaps, you're better off just leaving it in place.

As for the kick panel question, you should have enough length in the harness to be able to slip the ECM out of the kick panel, and just tie it up above the panel, under the dash. I wouldn't put it under the rug like they suggest, cause if your heater box leaks, that could spell some bad news...
You'd think they'd design them to be as direct of a fit as possible...

 

[royalbobcat]

Thanks for the good advice.... I was super concerned about cutting ECM harness. I am convinced not to do it at this point. I can stick it up in the dash but it will take some rigging....uh engineering. Does anyone know if the harness comes through firewall without breaking or is there some sort of connector where wires from engine end and interior harness continues? I see a large rubber grommet there but I woondering if there is a connector buried there. I have a fair bit of slack in the harness under the hood that might be well used under the dash. Thanks for your continued wisdom!

 

[pontiacgp]

there is no harness in the engine compartment for the mass of wires from the ECM....the wires plug into the ECM and from there they go through the fire wall and mingle with other wires in harnesses and then attach to their respective components. For those who get rid of the box its easier to find a g body that had no ECM and use the engine bay harness for the right side of the engine bay.....

 

[royalbobcat]

Right, I understand what you are saying. What I mean is that all the wires come together from all sensors etc to form one group of wires headed for the firewall/ECM. All the sesnor wires come together relatively close to the engine to form 1 big bundle of wires. This "single" bundle of wires is approx 3ft long between where all the sensor wires come together and the firewall but distance between engine and firewall is only 2ft.... so I have about 1ft of single bundle wire which could be pulled through the firewall to give me more wire under the dash. I just did not know whether there was a bulkhead connector at the firewall or the bundle of wires just travelled through grommet in firewall to inside the car. Hope this is clear.... Thanks!