I have an intermittant problem in my ECM in my '89 Firebird VIN 'E' TBI w/5-speed manual. I want to get a different ECM out of the boneyard and put my PROM and the Cal-Pak chip in it. What other years or vehicles have the same ECM? The ECM's I have seen in Camaros and other Firebirds have different GM Service numbers on them, The guys at the salvage yard say it doesn't matter, just put swap my PROM and the Cal-Pak chip into it and it will be fine. Does anyone know if this is really the case?

 

As long as the last 3-4 numbers of the ECM serial number match up you "shouldn't" have a problem.

Brendan

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1987 IROC-Z L98,SuperRam,EB 6085's,LPE 219/219 Roller, Crane 1.6RR, EB TPI Base, 58mm TB, ADS 24#, AFPR, K&N, EB TES, Catco Cat, 3" Borla Cat-Back, Accel cap,rotor,distro/other crap, MSD 6AL, MSD Blaster 3, Aluminum DS, 94 Disk Rear, Adjustable Valve, Precision 3.73 Gears, Sub-Frame Connectors, Hotchkis Lower Control Arms, KYB Shocks/Struts, Suspension Techniques Lowering Springs, Polyurethan Bushings all over the place, Moog Upper/Lower Ball joints and Tie Rods ends/Idler Arm,

To see the ROC, Check out the webpage Here

 

yeah you would be supised what ECMs will swap. i put the ECM from my 4cylinder 89 s-10 pickup into my IROC with the IROC PROM chip it runs fine. rumor has it that we can use ECMs from other camaros, berettas, s-10s and luminas(and thier cousins).

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86 IROC-Z
40,000 miles!!
305 TPI
gutted maf/airbox
k&n filters
manual cooling fan switch
headers, no cat, cat back flowmaster
700R4 tranny
shift kit
manual converter switch
BF Goodrich radial TAs
3.23 gears
georgous car repainted by my dad and assembled by me

FASTER THAN YOU THINK FOR A "STOCK" 305 hehe.

 

That's not entirely true. You also have to make sure the ECM is designed for the fuel system you have, and that is more defined by the three-character PROM code on the ECM label. I purchased a 1227165 ECM from eBay and to my surprise it was set up for a carbed engine. My TPI uses the same service part number ECM, but has a lot more driver circuitry than the carbed engine requires. The ECM in my TPI has a daughterboard and different PROM socket from the "identical" service part number ECM sitting on my test bench.

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Later,
Vader
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"I'm'a do Things My Way - It's My way or the Highway."
Adobe Acrobat Reader

 

That's odd, when Mike Davis & I did my swap from the 870 to the 165 ECM, I got my 165 out of an Astro Van at a boneyard. Replaced the PROM, and haven't had a problem with it. Then again Vader has been "around the world" (hey now, I mean that as a compliment)many more times than I have when it comes to these cars....

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Kevin Irving
85 Trans Am WS-6, 305 TPI, custom burned '86 PROM with '87 "165"ECM, Accel Supercoil & 8.8 Wires, MSD 6AL, Aluminum Driveshaft, Wonderbar, TB Coolant Bypass, Ported Plenum, Modified MAF, Syclone Fuel Pump, JET Airfoil

15.556 @ 86.65mph, Nov 10, 2000.... I know it sucks.. but it will get better!

http://www.geocities.com/transam85tpi/

Member - The Tidewater Trans Am Club, Norfolk VA http://www.geocities.com/ttacva/

 

Vader is correct, there are cross-reference charts that let you know which ecm from which vehicles can be interchanged.

Goto this link for your 89 TBI ecm http://www.cruzers.com/~ludis/c3xref.html#1228746

 

Thanx for all the info. I guess it boils down to "try one and see what happens!"