How to tell a "fake" ECU from a real one

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halifaxhops

It's going to get stupid around here!
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There are a ton of fake ecu's out there two easy wats to tell at a glance are the height of the transistor, usally the fake ones are around 3/8" high and a real one 5/16 or so. Another way to tell at a glance is if there is printing on the transistor and also a insulating pad under it. Just two ways to tell. New ones are a real crap shoot now.

Real
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mexico-jpg.jpg



Fake
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Hope it helps.
 
I have one in the garage. I will have to take a look later.
 
Fake? I don't understand. Do you mean that the shorter transistor means that it won't work at all?
 
20-25 years ago, Hot Rod or Car Craft magazine has articles about counterfeit GM parts in authentic looking boxes with AC Delco markings.
 
No look at the pictures usually a taller unmarked is usually a fake transistor, It will work but usually fail due to the heat build up internally fromm the solid state one. No heat sink.
 
Tell me how those transistors are crappy in those fake ECUs but they're good to use in the instrument panel voltage regulator conversion. I'm not arguing the point, mind you. I know the newer ECUs are junk. I'm just askin why it's good on one instance and bad in another, because I don't know.
 
They are not attached to a heat sink Rob so they overheat in the "potting" I think the only good ones like that are the High Rvev 7500 by RE Behind the instrument panel they are in the air and cool.
 
@halifaxhops - great comparison - I sure hope we see a lot more of these!

You say the RE HiRev is the current best option - why is that? Internal component selection or performance/operation? Either way, it's a good thing, I bought one a month or two ago from RE - just haven't installed it yet.

Again - great work here!
 
From the testing I have been doing comparing a bunch seems his stay cool and no hot spot. I have not had a bad one to tear into yet. Not sure what he did in there. Think he figured it out.
 
@halifaxhops - great comparison - I sure hope we see a lot more of these!

You say the RE HiRev is the current best option - why is that? Internal component selection or performance/operation? Either way, it's a good thing, I bought one a month or two ago from RE - just haven't installed it yet.

Again - great work here!
Would you please post a link to the RE box.
Thanks
 
They are not attached to a heat sink Rob so they overheat in the "potting"
Halifaxhops is right on the money here, both transistors used… rather they being PNP or a NPN served only as a switching device, switch on switch off. The older “can” type transistor has a cooling paste inside and does require to be bolted dissipate heat. The newer silicone transistor has NO paste and requires a much needed heat sink to be bolted right to the tang of the transistor.

If they just bolted the transistor to the metal case instead of faking it, it would have worked just fine.

transistor.jpg
 
Halifaxhops is right on the money here, both transistors used… rather they being PNP or a NPN served only as a switching device, switch on switch off. The older “can” type transistor has a cooling paste inside and does require to be bolted dissipate heat. The newer silicone transistor has NO paste and requires a much needed heat sink to be bolted right to the tang of the transistor.

If they just bolted the transistor to the metal case instead of faking it, it would have worked just fine.

View attachment 1715704609

Looks like this one is clean enough that a schematic could be drawn of it.
 
They are not attached to a heat sink Rob so they overheat in the "potting" I think the only good ones like that are the High Rvev 7500 by RE Behind the instrument panel they are in the air and cool.

Well that splains it! Thanks Ray!
 
This is why I asked if anybody had a cct diagram. Don't think you can 'just bolt the transistor to the metal case'. The metal body of this type of transistor is the Collector, one of the three electrical connections of the transistor, & is part of the electrical cct. I am almost sure it is electrically 'hot' & cannot be connected to the case because the case is grounded.
 
I think you would need to isolate the tab the same way as the oem with the top hat transistor.
 
They have insulators, you can see it in the first few pics, typical TO 3 can.
 
I am almost sure it is electrically 'hot' & cannot be connected to the case because the case is grounded.
Good catch, and yes you are correct...I am thinking one of these heat sinks would be the answer....

heat-sink-in-ic.jpg
 
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