550 / 575M Owners... I smell a skunk - and I love it !

Radical!

 

I assume many of the 550 guys will want you to also do the 550 Coil On Plug next (which would also be awesome).

 

Daniel- Great product, glad you are carrying it.

 

Dont forget to offer some 456GT options!

 

I've enjoyed my 550's Maranello Skunkworks Switchable FHP Steering ECU since I first installed it over ten years ago. It transformed my car!

This improved FHP steering ECU promises to be even better. I highly recommend this modification.

Thank you Dave and John for originally coming up with this modification. And thank-you Dan for offering it today.

Barry

 

Nick- Works on 456Ms, but not 456 GTs.

 

So just to confirm, my 2004 575 does NOT have the fhp package, will this work with it or not?

 

I know! You newer tech gets all the cool toys!

 

I've had one for years and love it

 

Sound cool, wish there was such a thing for the 456M’s.

 

Mirek- There is. This one works fine for 456Ms.

 

Fantastic, added to the wish list.

And +1 on the COP solution too. That looks amazing.

 

Very cool, thank you

 

Hey guys, MSW has returned!

Unfortunately we're without the active participation of our dear friend Dave (Ferraridriver), but he'll be there on the sidelines coaching & encouraging and giving me frank (and sometimes brutally honest, LOL) advice. Both Dave & I parted with our 550's last year so we're no longer owners. He sold his, and I gave mine up in a divorce, so he came out much better than I did! I did manage to grab my steering ECU programming gear on the way out of the door, so with the encouragement of several FChat members, I decided to program up a few ECU's & contacted Daniel to see if he'd like to market them. Hopefully this model will be successful and we'll continue it with other products from the past & future.

I doubt that I'll be as active a participant here on FChat as I was when I was an owner, but I'll continue to monitor threads now & then and if anyone has thoughts/ideas for improvements in the 550 Maranello's, shoot me a PM and I'll consider developing them.

Daniel has been absolutely super to work with and I don't intend to do any backdoor deals around him, but feel free to communicate with me on a technical level!

 

Will it also work on a 2005 575M w/the HGTC factory installed option?

 

You shouldn’t chance it - you should get a 550….I could buy your ‘05 HGTC ;-)

 

Yes.
This is a no brainer for any non-FHP car at a great price to boot.
Even FHP cars unless you really like heavy steering (I do…)

 

HGTC 575Ms did not come with the FHP steering ECU, so it would be a worthwhile upgrade.

I personally like the OEM FHP steering ECU, but 14 years of using one prejudices me. Feels light to me compared to my old Daytona or even my old 308 GTS.

 

How it it assumed this will just work with a 456M without testing on one (assuming) ?
If is just plug and play based on the input of members here, I want it but I JUST got my car TOTALLY perfect so I am hesitant to mess with anything that might not be “meant” for the car. Plus it is not listed as an application. Only 550/575 for some reason.

This has zero to do with any complementary braking/suspension updates or requirements ?

Sorry for the questions but the money is burning a hole in my pocket

 

This is a great product and it is really good to see John Cribb back on here after all he seems to have gone through in his personal life. Thank you John for sticking around. You have always been a great asset to this community. I can't wait for a new COP kit to be available... ;-)

I am curious however about the claim that steering assistance with the FHP steering module totally comes off at 35 mph. The reason for asking is that my 550 has FHP and even if the steering is indeed heavier than on standard 550s it does not feel anywhere as heavy as if the assistance just quit working at 35 mph. Am I missing something?

 

Timmo, thanks for the kind words & it's great to be back. Just wish I was still an owner so I could test new stuff out on my own 550, but maybe I can find someone local to me who's willing to be the guinea pig for new stuff. To your question on the original FHP setup, I did test an authentic FHP ECU both on the bench & in my car and I found that the hydraulic boost dropped off as per the curve. Frankly, it may not be that noticeable unless you're cruising on curvy city streets, and that's when you can really feel it go in & out.

Hey Mirek, I'm almost 100% positive I sold one of these ECU's to a 456M owner in the past, however I can't remember who it was...... And to answer your question, this ECU has zero effect on braking/suspension, etc. It only affects the steering and it is totally plug & play. You simply locate your old steering ECU, which should be near your electrical boards in your 456M, pull it out & plug this one in.

These ECU's do like to get "stuck" in their sockets, so simply pulling on them may damage the pins or the socket itself, so I would first disconnect the negative of your battery, then get a slim but strong blade between the ECU and the socket and use that to pry up on a couple of edges. Once it "lets go" you should be able to pull it out with your fingers.

 

Thank you John for your reply. I suppose I will have to pay more attention the next time I drive my 550, which is the most recent of all my cars and even with the so-called "heavy" FHP steering its steering is far lighter than with any of my other, older cars.