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76-79 Seville ECU questions

Started by Gene Beaird, March 27, 2012, 10:28:29 AM

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Gene Beaird

I'm trying to heed Mr. Roe's warning to acquire spare parts for our 79 Seville.  I have a friend with a 76 Seville that he's in the process of dropping a LS*/4L60E from a late-model Camaro into.  So, the ECU out of this Seville will be available.  I figure it if till work, I'll buy it.  It is a friend of mine, so I don't want to cheap out on him, but don't want to pay top dollar, either.  I've done some searching, but still have some questions:

1. It looks like the ECU from the 76 might work, but what do I need to look for?  Any codes/part numbers?  What should I avoid? 
2. What's the 'going' price for a used ECU?  I assume it was working, as the car ran perfectly to the friend's shop.  This particular car has something like 30K miles on it.  The interior still has that 'new leather' smell. 

Thanks for any help. 
Gene Beaird,
1968 Calais
1979 Seville
Pearland, Texas
CLC Member No. 29873

waterzap

At most $200. At most if you are generous.
Maybe $150

Here are the codes I got from Bruce. Which one is that ECU?

E = Eldorado
K = Seville
C = full size rear wheel drive
Fed = 49 state application
Cal = California application
500 = 76 Cad engine
425 = 77-79 Cad engine
350 = 76-80 Olds engine
Orig = original part
remf = remanufactured or replacement part

Bendix #       car                    desc
160 7250  76 K Fed     orig 350
160 8339  76 E Fed     orig 500
160 8340  76 E Cal      orig 500
160 8341  76 K Cal      orig 350
160 8820  76 C Fed     remf 500
160 8822  76 E Fed     remf 500
160 8823  76 E Cal      remf 500
160 8824  76 K Fed     remf 350
160 8825  76 K Cal      remf 350
160 8868  76 C Fed     orig 500
161 0814  77 K Fed     orig 350
161 0815  77 K Cal      orig 350
161 0826  77 K Fed     remf 350
161 0827  77 K Cal      remf 350
161 1163  76 E/C Fed  orig 500
161 1188  77 C Cal      orig 425
161 1189  77 C Fed     orig 425
161 1190  77 E Cal       orig 425
161 1191  77 E Fed      orig 425
161 1491  76 E/C Fed  remf 500
161 1875  77 C Fed      remf 425
161 1876  77 E Fed      remf 425
161 1877  77 E Cal       remf 425
161 1878  77 C Cal      remf 425
161 2079  77 E Alt        orig 425
161 2154  77 E Alt        remf 425
161 2305  78 K Alt        orig 350
161 2947  78 C Cal      orig 425
161 2949  78 K Fed     orig 350
161 2950  78 C Fed     orig 425
161 2953  78 K Cal      orig 350 open loop
161 4446  78 K Fed     remf 350
161 4447  78 K Alt        remf 350
161 4448  78 K Cal      remf 350
161 4449  78 C Fed     remf 425
161 4450  78 C Cal      remf 425
161 5137  79 E Fed     orig 350 open loop
161 5139  79 E Cal      orig 350 open loop
161 5173  79 K Fed     orig 350 open loop
161 5882  78 C Fed     orig 425
161 5883  79 K Cal      orig 350 closed loop
161 6206  79 E Fed      remf 350
161 6207  79 E Cal      remf 350 open loop
161 6208  79 K Fed     remf 350
161 6209  79 K Cal      remf 350 closed loop
161 6210  78 C Fed     remf 425
161 8498  79 E Fed     orig 350
161 8810  79 E Fed     remf 350
161 9550  80 K/E Cal  orig 350 closed loop
161 9551  80 K/E Cal  remf 350
Leesburg, AL

Gene Beaird

I haven't seen the ECU yet.  It hasn't been removed from the car.  And I have no clue where the car came from.  But as I understand it, if either is a California car, but not both, they won't work?  I'm pretty sure the 79 is a Fed.  I don't remember seeing an O2 sensor on the exhaust, but I haven't spent any time specifically looking for it, either.

Gene Beaird,
1968 Calais
1979 Seville
Pearland, Texas
CLC Member No. 29873

waterzap

#3
I think the open loop ECU's wont work with your car. The regular California one might. Maybe if it works, offer him $150. If it doesnt, give him $75 and keep it until someone needs it?
Leesburg, AL

Gene Beaird

Well, it's supposedly off a 76, and none are listed in the above list as 'open loop', unless they all are, and there's no need to differentiate.  Thank you.

Gene Beaird,
1968 Calais
1979 Seville
Pearland, Texas
CLC Member No. 29873

bcroe

I'm sure a ECU 76 will run well enough to get your car home in case of
an ECU failure.  I also think there is very little difference between CA
and FED ECUs, some have an EGR output.  An open loop ECU ought to
run a (very rare) car originally built with an OX sensor; you just lose
that feature.  However, I haven't tried driving all the combinations,
to see if a difference is detectable.  The primary thing is, don't use an
ECU from a different size engine.  Bruce Roe

Gene Beaird

Bruce,

Thanks.  That sounds good.  It's out of a Seville, so we should be good to go.  An added plus is it's a low-mileage car, and appears to have been always stored indoors.  I've worked a deal where I'll be getting my friend a rear Quickor sway bar and we'll trade for that and some cash.  He says he also has some of the engine sensors and a working right-side mirror assembly he'll throw into the pile. 

I'll open the compartment to my ECU just to grab the codes off of it so I know what I have.  Hopefully, that info is easy to access without having to pull the ECU out of the car.

Gene Beaird,
1968 Calais
1979 Seville
Pearland, Texas
CLC Member No. 29873

waterzap

Its on a sticker. I think if you look at the ECU from the front, it is on the passenger side. Driver side is where the cables go in.
Leesburg, AL