Best DI Engine for standalone install

Hi All,

New to forum but after some advice, doing an interesting project, that is going to be a full ground up build, and the base point needs to be:

- DI engine

-On a standalone ECU

-Circa 2.0 litre range (probably four cylinder)

-longitudinally mounted manual gearbox available (strong preference due to chassis, but could look at the fab required for alternative if very strong reason to do so)

-Good aftermarket support, ie: new/uprated cams, cranks, manifolds, heads etc

Currently mainly looking at EA888 and Ecoboost 2.3 (Same block as 2.0 I believe so may as well go bigger). Also looking at K24W and K20B both as well, but standalone ECU installs seem rare? Wondered if I had missed any major options? Also wondered if anyone had any advice about which ones play best with standlone ECUs?

Thank you in advance for any advice

-Mypseudonym

GM did a standalone kit for the LTG.  This engine was offered in the ATS and Camaro as RWD with a manual gearbox.

The Ecoboost bolts to an NC Miata trans. And Forda offers a standalone engine controller for it: https://performanceparts.ford.com/part/M-6017-23T

Curious - why the DI requirement?

Keith Tanner said:

The Ecoboost bolts to an NC Miata trans. 

This is the exact reason I'm looking for one...I have lonely 2.0 Ecoboost 

There is also the MT82 option for a longitudinal trans but the shifter placement isn't ideal for my particular project. 

HPD has a K20C1 with Stand-Alone Controls package available. 

What I don't know is if the K20C1 has the same bellhousing bolt pattern as other K20/K24s. If so, then you're golden, because adapters exist to bolt a K24 to almost any gearbox. 

By "standalone", do you mean "tunable race ECU" or "factory ECU that can function without a bunch of other factory modules"?

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Hi Keith,

Thank you for this, Ecoboost was our original preference so good to know about another trans option outside of the Ford ones. We are already running a DI capable Link ECU which has run the Ecoboost previously so hopefully that part should be smooth. 

As for the DI, its a research project, and won't be running on petrol, so the control is fairly essential here!

-Mypseudonym

In reply to enginenerd :

Hi Enginenerd,

After some brief googling, are you referring to the MT82 found inside a Mustang? This side of the pond it's far more commonly found strapped to the back of the Ford Puma engine in a Landrover Defender I believe, do you happen to know if they are equivalent? 

-Mypseudonym

In reply to DocRob :

Hi DocRob,

Bellhousings are the main concern, we were looking at the K24W, if it fits, as we will be running NA initially so max displacement preferable, but again, bellhousings/flywheels/clutches vs the normal K24 is what we are hoping to find out!

-Mypseudonym

In reply to MadScientistMatt :

Hi MadScientistMatt,

We are running a Link ECU for this project,

-Mypseudonym

mypseudonym said:

In reply to enginenerd :

Hi Enginenerd,

After some brief googling, are you referring to the MT82 found inside a Mustang? This side of the pond it's far more commonly found strapped to the back of the Ford Puma engine in a Landrover Defender I believe, do you happen to know if they are equivalent? 

-Mypseudonym

Yes, there were a couple different variants available from the EcoBoost, V6 and V8 Mustangs. Apologies but I don't know enough about other variants to answer your question.