Removing that ECU has to be the most impossible thing ever. There are 4 screws holding the mount in. Of course there is about 1 inch of room on all four corners to access the screws. A standard screw driver is out of the question.

I have an offset screw driver (screw driver at 90 degrees) I mean the area in which you have to work on the back 2 screws is horriable.

I cannot access these screws for anything.

Is there a tool that will work with this? The ratchet sounds like a good idea but im afraid it will not work either.

Any ideas, pictures? suggestions..

Anything?

Proph

 

Yeah, sending you a link to what I used.

~THT

 

Trust me I feel for you. This weekend I changed my knock sensor and ECU. The knock sensor was a pain but I thought it was the easiest thing in the world once I started on the ECU!! I was freakin ****ed.

I actually made my own tool. I used a phillips bit that you put into a universal screw driver but put that bit into a 9mm socket and wrapped electrical tape all around it (this gave me a very short tool that had a lot of grip.) This helped me to get to all the screws but the one on the back of the passengers side, that was a pain in the rear. I unbolted the two bolts (10mm) that hold the ECU mount in place. I was going to slide the whole mount out but the huge taped up wires were making that an even bigger pain. So what I did was move it enough to get at the back screw on the passengers side. After that was done it was cake to slide out of the mount. The hard part was getting the two 10mm bolts positioned back into place. All in all that was one of the biggest pain in the butt projects ever.

 

This thread was very helpful, gotta love the search feature. Just thought I'd share my recent experience. I just put in a 96 TS ecu into my 97 and it was a real PITA. Of the four screws, three of them came out with relative ease. It was just the rear screw on the passenger side that gave me hell for about an hour. It was so excrutiating to get that thing off, my hands are now sore and my thumb is all scraped up.

I used a small 1" phillips head drill bit and slowly turned it with a pair of needle nose pliers. Being cramped between the passenger seat and dashboard called for numerous breaks and lots of claustrophobia; it was almost impossible to turn that last screw. The fat wire bundle right next to the screw also really complicated things. Well, eventually that last one came out and the swap was easy to complete.

Haven't seen a CEL yet, hopefully there won't be.

 

why didnt you just use a wrench it is much easier

 

There wasn't enough room to get the 8mm wrench in there, the needle nose pliers could barely get a grip on the bit, and even then I could only make about a 1/5 of turn to the screw each time. If I could have gotten the wrench on there, it would have been much easier indeed!

 

would a midas shop be able to do it with ease considering the tools thats they have?

 

bump....

 

That one tool is what you need. If you have the search function you know what Im talking about. You go to sears and you buy it. Its like have a phillips on opposite ends of the wrench and they are facing lef/right instead of out and in.

Midas will not work with this ECU, most places wont mess with it cause its a dealer issue.

Proph

 

Small vice-grips to grab the boltheads & break em loose. Then the offset screwdriver and fingers. Wiggle the ECU to take any pressure off each screw as you turn.

Oh, only put back one screw hand tightened when you install

 

It probably depends on how cool the midas guy is. Most of the Midas techs I've seen are pretty reluctant to work on stuff like this. In the best case scenario, you'd have to end up paying at least an hour's worth of labor. Worst case scenario... ugh, I can imagine a lot of things that could go wrong.

You could do this yourself, it'll just take some time- or at least try to find another .orger to help out. Good luck.

 

For me the easiest way was to take out the the ecu with the mounting bracket attatched. There are only two 10mm bolts holding it down. You will have to cut/unattatch all the clips holding the wiring on the bracket though. It will be easier with another set of hands on the passenger side to help you push/pull the ECU+bracket and move wiring out of the way.

 

It probably depends on how cool the midas guy is. Most of the Midas techs I've seen are pretty reluctant to work on stuff like this. In the best case scenario, you'd have to end up paying at least an hour's worth of labor. Worst case scenario... ugh, I can imagine a lot of things that could go wrong.

You could do this yourself, it'll just take some time- or at least try to find another .orger to help out. Good luck.



I DIDNT KNOW THAT IT WAS SUCH A PAIN TO GET OUT. POPS CAN DO IT AT THE SHOP THEN

 

This is the best tool for removing the ecu. Makes it soooooo easy.
I have no issues using this guy, takes about 2 mins.(if that) to swap ecu's

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...id=00904116000

 

Wish I had one of those yesterday, haha. That definitely looks like it'll get right in there and make quick work of all 4 annoying screws. $6 too, this is a definite must have tool.