Plugging and Playing with AEM’s Series 2 ECM and B-Series Coil on Plug Kit

AEM's COP conversion kit brings functionality to the table with its ability to fire large plug gaps for longer durations.  At the same time, they look badass too.  Boom! Plus ten aesthetic horsepower points.

So why not just use the ever-popular DIY street-bike COP setup?  Well, simplicity to name one reason. Using anything but the AEM COP kit means Frankensteining a trigger wheel, which could result in complicated fabrication followed by a guessing game of coil dwell specs. With the AEM COP conversion kit, dwell specs, max spark duration times, and all the necessary information are provided by AEM removing the guesswork.  

In addition, there's no need to cobble together a trigger wheel from spare parts since the AEM COP kit comes complete with a ready to install cam angle sensor (CAS) and igniter.  But hey, if you want to cobble together your own COP conversion, we certainly wouldn't look down on you for it.  (Plus ten nerd points if you pull it off!)

Okay enough talk, let's plug it in! Where to begin? The AEM ECU plugged right in but thanks to our addiction to more power and cool things, some additional wiring was required to install the AEM COP kit.  Before jumping in, we did the unthinkable and read the directions. Don't be alarmed, we didn't go through the entire thing and thankfully the modifications needed for the COP kit were pretty clear and simple.

Inside this black AEM box exists four jumpers that had been preset for the use of stock ignition.  This brings us to the most nerve wracking part of the installation, opening up the AEM EMS and separating its two circuit boards. To separate the two circuit boards, AEM instructions tell you to pry them open slowly, as if you're opening a book, and simply change the jumpers. They mention nothing about the nerve wracking, butt pucker factor that will occur while doing this… funny.

 

If you look closely, you can almost see the sweat beads running down my face as I'm separating the two circuit boards

Our prize after separating the circuit boards: The four jumpers to be switched for COP use.

The AEM EMS came with a blank connector to use for additional modifications such as the COP conversion.  This is my personal favorite connector since it's what you'd use to wire in nitrous control, configurable outputs, boost control, and the other badass features the AEM Series 2 ECU has.