Do I need ECU in 22r to run offroad?

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Apr 20, 2009 | 05:22 PM
  #1  
I have an 86 EFI cab on top of an 85 frame with carbed engine. Engine is a 22r, Tranny is G52 I think? Either way, I am trying to eliminate all the 86 EFI wiring/ECU under the hood. I want this thing bare bones. I plan on push button starts and toggle switches to control fuel, electric fans, lights etc. Basically, this thing will never see the street, and I need to ditch all the wiring that is confusing me (again, the efi harness is substantially more complicated than I need for a 22r). I am not worried about my cluster working, hell....I plan on running aftermarket temp, oil, and volt gauges anyhow. I need someone to reassure me that If I rip this stuff out, I can still run the carbed motor with a more simple homemade harness. Surely the FToys out there ditch a lot. Btw I think the EGR has already been bypassed. Sorry for the novel but I am at the point of no return on this thing. I just finished up restoring a frame that I ground down to the bare metal, cut off any brackets that I didn't need, sanded some more then primed and painted. Also added a receiver hitch in place of the rear x-member. The pix are before I added the beefy cab mounts (old ones were tweaked). I am serious about this build being right, plus I may be a little ocd. I ended up getting a deal on a truck cab that I will be running on this frame so its looking like a tube bed just behind that. Believe it or not the vehicle (I havent torn it apart to swap onto the new frame) runs just fine, I just gotta clean that rats nest of a wiring harness out of it before I put the time into the transplant.

-Jared (I think I just had a bit of a ramble there )

Do I need ECU in 22r to run offroad?-0411091718.jpg

Do I need ECU in 22r to run offroad?-0418091149.jpg

Do I need ECU in 22r to run offroad?-0410091634.jpg


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Apr 20, 2009 | 05:29 PM
  #2  
Btw I incorporated some lift into my body mounts to create a body lift effect of about 2". I plan on running rear springs up front to move my axle forward, plus the drop hanger I am doing will give me some extra lift. I am going to be cutting fenders, I want to keep this thing low. I am shooting for a target weight of under 3700lbs total (internal cage and tube bed included).

-Jared
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Apr 20, 2009 | 06:55 PM
  #3  
I was trying to look at the fsm to answer your question but this comp is way too slow so
I googled 22r ignition http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=98941 is a link to an accel ignition install on a 22r.

after looking at this writeup I realized that you need the ecu for stock ignitionbecause of the ignitor! and am not sure about any thing else!

Since it is a carburated eng You should be able to put an after market ignition on and remove the rest of the wiring completely!

the other thing I have to say about your build is that I highly suggest using a relay bank behind the battery and running all of your power through it.

use the first relay to power the rest and this will be the kill switch as well!

Hope this helps!
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Apr 21, 2009 | 09:26 AM
  #4  
i have an 85 that had efi and it went by bye....... i still have to use my ecu for blinkers and brake and thing like that. but i had to use a battery quick disconnect, a push button to start and also use my stock ignition key..................... The engine is wiried on its own setup..... all the ecu wiring for the motor was cut and blocked off
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Apr 21, 2009 | 07:41 PM
  #5  
Ok I looked on some other threads and apparently the ecu that says 22r is the same the the 22re engines take? Basically if you have a 22re engine and you check your kick panel for the ecu, it will be labeled 22r. Oh the frustration, so I am now looking into getting the juice to the engine and I am stuck on the subject of the ignitor. Is this something that must be controlled by the ecu, or does this ignitor just take a 12v constant when a relay opens the circuit? I am not extremely knowledgeable in this arena, but I don't mind research and getting the hands dirty. Any help would be appreciated though,

-Jared

On a positive note, got my axles pulled from my donor truck, just gotta clean,cut off unwanted brackets, prime/paint, and bolt up to the fresh frame. Still waiting on the Custom 16" wheels from cragar (soft 8s), then I can mount the 38x13s on them. I am looking to have a rolling chassis in about 2 weeks.
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Apr 22, 2009 | 05:29 AM
  #6  
as I said before to my knowledge you would have to use an after market ignition to bypass
the ECU however kcpanages may know of an easier cheaper route

I do think it may be easier to follow the writeup I posted earlier but definitely not cheaper!
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Apr 22, 2009 | 06:29 AM
  #7  
i go the cheap way and eaiser way.........................
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Apr 22, 2009 | 07:54 AM
  #8  
Quote: i go the cheap way and eaiser way.........................

Care to elaborate? you know that it helps Sooo Much to make a comment like that and leave the rest of us hanging!! just as it helps when people don't close their thread with the solution!
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Apr 22, 2009 | 12:58 PM
  #9  
The short of it is: With any car you need 'brains'. Whether you want to keep the 22r ecu and cut out all the unwanted wires and just keep the stuff important to ignition etc and relocate that so it's out of the way, or even rewire it so that you understand it using a FSM wiring diagram. Or you can get an aftermarket ignition and just rewire that.
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Apr 22, 2009 | 01:34 PM
  #10  
by the way, the '22r' ecu is different between the 22r and 22re. my 22re ecu says 22r on it, but when i tried a ecu off an actual 22r, the plugs were different. go figure
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Apr 22, 2009 | 06:48 PM
  #11  
yodarstockrock, If I understand you correctly the last part you mentioned deals with wiring an aftermarket ignition. All the data I have read still states that you can use an aftermarket coil, but that the ignitor is still somehow controlled by the ecu. That's why I created the post. I planned on running msd/accel stuff, but then after reading up more discovered that there is no way to entirely ditch the ecu. I would still love it if someone could show me a way, and I hope the info I read is wrong. Looks like I need to snag an fsm and start cutting away .

-Jared
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Apr 22, 2009 | 06:53 PM
  #12  
all that is IMA on mine is the wiring for the motor it's self......... still have the wiring for the coil, fuel pump, lights,etc. now i dont have but 3 vacum lines on the whole motor. had to hot wire the starter to a push button starter, hard wired my fan to a manual switch, and used a battery on/off quick disconnect to shut power down to the truck. if not all my gauges would stay on, radio on, all mechanical switches would stay lit up.... its easier than u would think..... not to hard. i could have tried to rewire through stock wiring harness but it would have been a pain......... plus using a battery quick disconnect u can put a fuse block in line after the switch to run all ur extras......
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Apr 22, 2009 | 08:40 PM
  #13  
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=98941

Once again the write up that I posted earlier to ditch the stock igniter for after market!

ACCEL does make an after market igniter for your truck!!!!

Quote from write up

"First thing you should know is that if you deside to use the included coil you must mount it tht stock coil is mounted. you however will not need to mount it to the stock igniter. YOu may mount the the ignition box in any position you want. I mounted it to the side of the engine compartment seer the fire wall."
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Apr 23, 2009 | 05:04 PM
  #14  
As eddieleephd says, you have to find/buy an aftermarket ignition (some need a new coil and plugs, some don't) if you want to completely ditch the ecu...
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Apr 24, 2009 | 08:49 PM
  #15  
I think, emphasis on the I think part.....that I might try the GM ignition mod. Been reading up on that and think that might get me around the electronics for a fraction of the costs. Thanks again guys for helping me on this one. I did read the Toyota nation article but I just guess it wasn't using the terminology I needed to sell me. I wasn't trying to come off as hard to get along with, but I am just real particular about how I do this. Here goes nothing.

-Jared
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Apr 25, 2009 | 04:47 AM
  #16  
Is ok just after reading your earlier post it sounded as if you hadn't even read it!

I was not implying that the accel ignition is the best option for this.
Gm just may work!
My real honest suggestion is to look a little further in to the after market ignitions!
There may be just what you are looking for in just the right price range!

By the way the GM ignition mod is an aftermarket ignition
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Apr 25, 2009 | 11:28 AM
  #17  
No worries, Good Luck!
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Apr 26, 2009 | 04:29 PM
  #18  
If you want to use a stock 22r carb igniter and coil without the factory harness Just give the tan wire off the igniter 12 volts when the ignition switch is on and it will run. FYI, dont ground the black wire i think it is( the one thats next to the tan wire)!!
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Jan 15, 2019 | 04:41 PM
  #19  
Quote:
after looking at this writeup I realized that you need the ecu for stock ignition because of the ignitor! and am not sure about any thing else!
Hope this helps!
I know this is years too late, but, tis is not true. The wires from distributor go to ignitor,from there it goes to coil. Why would you need an ecu when the ignitor does the sparking?

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Jan 15, 2019 | 04:45 PM
  #20  
Quote: Gm just may work!
By the way the GM ignition mod is an aftermarket ignition
GM WILL work.GM mod is NOT an aftermarket ignition, it's just a stock ignition module from GM. GM is not aftermarket. Accel ,MSD,Jacobs, Mallory are aftermarket.
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