Bobby Hughes recently posted information on how I thought I had corrupted the EC-2 in my RV-7A. All I tried to do was use mode 4 to balance the front rotor ECT to match the rear rotor ECT!! Bobby and I worked together to test the unit
in the plane for over 5 hours last week! Thank You Bobby!!
We were able to change or reset some programmable values but when we started the engine and tried to adjust anything the system was uncontrollable! Bobby – with my encouragement - removed the EC-2 circuit board and we visually inspected
it – all looked fine. The next day I removed the EC-2 (EPB?) engine program board. I found the
MODE selection micro switch has one side of the switch unsealed. We than suspected the switch may be at fault. Static testing of the switch with an ohm meter showed it worked fine.
A picture of the failed Mode switch:
![switch]()
Bobby graciously loaned me his EC-2 EPB board to try .
I installed Bobby’s EPB and the problem has never showed up again.
We reset all engine parameters to factory settings and the engine ran OK. We went through the normal routine of adjusting engine fuel flow and I reentered my latest copy of the Mixture Control Table. Now the engine is running fine
and I have flown it. I will be fine tuning the MCT some. During this process the EC-2 programing worked perfectly.
We have received several GREAT Emails concerning reprogramming the EC-2 computer chips and we are working to get the equipment to copy the EC-2 software and than dump it into new EC-2 chips. Other great info. sent to us included instructions
on excessing and reading the Hex Values of the engine operating settings – fuel flow, timing, staging point etc. using the EM-2. This allowed us to take pictures of the table – make changes – and see the values changed.
After this experience, I would like to find a replacement for my EPB. If I am unsuccessful, I will try to replace all the mechanical components – switches and veriable resistance pots. Not easy for me to do! I also would be
interested in getting a spare LARGE BOX (6 ¼ INCH SQUARE BOX ) EC-2 that Tracy set up for LS-1 and Mazda RX-8 coils as a spare. If someone has one of these they will not be using I would be interested in purchasing it as well as an EM-2.
I currently have access to a large box 3 rotor EC-2 we may be able to reprogram and convert to a 2 rotor model.
Dennis Haverlah
RV-7A
900 hrs on Renesis RX 8, 4 port engine
Tracy’s gear box RD1 – C, EC – 2 and EM -2