There are probably only a handful of you who will be interested in this
posting but it looks like I was just mailed an interesting bit of
history! Jon recently sent me an ECU (4CU) to try and repair. I
finally had a look at it tonight. The Ferranti chips inside had
numbers I didn't recognize and I started looking at all the other
markings.
Build date: 35th week of 1977! Board serial number 0470 (really
low... the other one I just grabbed for comparison has serial number
6487 and I've seen some around the 20000s). By the way, the
engineering diagrams I have here of the 4CU are dated 1976 and 1977...
I wonder when the first one really WAS built?
Is this possible? According to Des Hammill's book (How to Power Tune
Rover V8 Engines) the Lucas 4CU fuel injection system was first used in
1974 (about the time Triumph engineers first put a Rover V8 into a
prototype TR7 as I recall from one of the loads of things I've read on
this subject over the years). The Australian version of the ECU was
introduced in 1977 but apparently didn't have the lambda sensor
circuitry. This one from Jon DOES have lambda circuitry so, if Des
Hammill's sources can be believed, this ECU is a very early 4CU and
probably meant for North America.
What sort of car would it have been used in? I know of one very early
prototype FI TR8 (who's got that one now?). Any others? Otherwise,
this is likely a North American Rover 3500 ECU? Not sure what's wrong
with it but I'll photograph it and add it to my archives of interesting
stuff. I think this is the earliest ECU I've ever seen. Fun!
Jim
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