ECU Swaps
by Karl von Salzen
No, you cannot swap ECU's between Fed and
Cal Vanagons:
California Models:
071-906-021B All Transmissions 1980-1983
Federal Models:
039-906-021E Manual Trans 1980-1983
039-906-021C Automatic 1980-1983
Only Vanagon ECU's will work in a
Vanagon.
The ONLY aircooled ECU in all the Fresno
and Madera self-serve yards is a Fed manual one in Westside Auto
Dismantling. The one in Pick n Pull is a melted glob...... I have
been looking for a Calif ECU for over a month. It seems like all
the Vanagons showing up are wasserboxers. Pick a Part in Fresno
just put out a complete 84. Pick a Part in Madera has a later,
Wolfsberg edition Vanagon
Not sure why Bus Boys says the 80-83
manual ECU is the same as the 79 Cal auto ECU.
The 79 Cal auto trans ECU Bosch short
number is C105X.
The 79 Cal manual trans ECU Bosch short number is C104X.
That is all these C numbers fit.
A while back someone asked what the
difference was between all the ECU's on bay window buses. VW/Bosch
made 4 per year model. Cal auto and Cal manual, Fed auto and Fed
manual. I said I have never felt a diference in any of them when I
test them in my 77 Westy. With that in mind, I just went to my EKTA
disc to see what VW says the part number of the ECU should
be.
That 039-906-021B that Bus Boys says fits
fits 79 Cal manual trans.... well EKTA says it is the ONLY ECU
available for ALL transmissions in these
applications:
1) Calif, from the start of the 77 year
model to the end of the 78 year model
2) ALL Fed bay buses from 77 to the end of 79. EKTA does not show
it for 79 Cal!
3) ALL aircooled Fed Vanagons, 80 to 83.5.
The Calif Vanagon is
071-906-021B
No wonder I never felt a difference! There
isn't one.
