How are you *supposed* to remove an ECU?

[de la Nae]

Right now I'm always causing coolant explosions, which is... confusing.

It's one of the last components I yank off a Gecko, so I mean I've fished out the little coolant tanks in its interior compartment, I've zoomed back out to take care of the reactor, I safely cut and remove the piping from the room compartment

But then if I try to remove the aluminum wall that the ECU piping runs through, I inevitably nick it or *something* and it explodes in a cryo-burst. Which seems strange.

and if I try to get greedy and detach the small pipe section left on the ECU, which is clearly not part of the ECU itself, it also cryo-bursts. and then after a second the ECU vanishes, though it never registers as destroyed.

which admittedly that last one, now that I've lost two ECUs to it, I just won't try any more, God knows I don't need to toss a tiny pipe piece into the processor. But I figured I'd mention it.

am i doing the more-or-less 'right' thing and should just keep scrapper-muscling my way through? Or is there something silly I'm overlooking?

[Watching, Chang'E?]

The wall is bugged, don't cut them. Cut the larger ring between wall and ECU and just salvage the ECU. Cut the wall out by cutting the floor, ceiling and adjacent wall and toss it into the processor.

The wall itself will cryo-explode if you cut it at all.

[Coheed]

Never try to remove the wall, it will always cryo explode. Remove one of the side walls around it, I usually use the one next to the power generator (industrial Gecko) or stinger the four strips surrounding the panel (careful if you nick the panel at all it will explode).

Then there is a small pipe behind the ECU and the cryo plate wall, stinger that (carefully) and the ECU will be free to remove from the pipe work.

[Uli Minati]

Here's one way of doing it:

1. Prepare the reactor for removal. I usually remove the complete outer shell of the ship first. I also pull of the reactor panels (safe) and take care of the fuel piping first too.
2. Pull off the ECU panel (safe)
3. Pull out the three cryo-things, forgot the name, and pick them up. Reactor starts meltdown, but you have a full minute or so
4. Pull out the reactor core and toss it into the barge
5. Disintegrate the pipe connecting the ECU to the wall behind it
6. Toss the ECU into the barge

If you want to put the panel behind the ECU into the processor, you can e.g. disintegrate the four aluminum structural beams connecting it to the other panels. Cutting it resulted in cryo bursts for me too.

[de la Nae]

*thumbs up*

thanks folks! i kinda figured, but good to get some outside confirmation

[Arzamax]

I always pull out the reactor first, then i vaporize the floor underneath the ECU, tether the bottom of ECU to barge and vaporize the small pipe that attaches it to the wall. Works always like a charm.

[Iron Vilkas]

My method is either to do exactly what Arzamax does, or lately I've been burning the glass out, and then burning the bottom member that holds that wall to the bottom panel. This lets me yank out the lower segment that was below the glass, get clear access to the small connector pipe, burn it out, and then yank it out and tether it down to the barge.

However, lately it's about a 50% chance of cryo explosion while cutting the short pipe. I don't know why it isn't consistent, or even why it is happening. I make certain my stinger beam isn't hitting anything but that short pipe. It's not a big deal since it doesn't ruin the ECU (at the moment), but I'd like it to be more consistent.

[Mazian]

Originally posted by Arzamax:

I always pull out the reactor first, then i vaporize the floor underneath the ECU, tether the bottom of ECU to barge and vaporize the small pipe that attaches it to the wall. Works always like a charm.

I do something similar to this. Reactor first, ECU nearly last.

[de la Nae]

[quote=Nanikuso;2577697791631743643
However, lately it's about a 50% chance of cryo explosion while cutting the short pipe. I don't know why it isn't consistent, or even why it is happening. I make certain my stinger beam isn't hitting anything but that short pipe. It's not a big deal since it doesn't ruin the ECU (at the moment), but I'd like it to be more consistent. [/quote]

okay, i'm not entirely sure about this, but what seems to be holding up for me so far, is that there's *two* very tiny pipe sections that make up that short pipe, and if I stinger the big one that actually attaches to the wall (as long as I don't blow the wall as noted up above), I'm fine. but if i sting out the smaller portion that's attached the ECU directly... *boom, shiver*

only had a few ECUs so far though since guessing, so not scientific. but you might try.

[[CW]Codeine]

Instead of separating the reactor from the ship... separate the ship from the reactor.

I send the reactor down with a lot of the aluminum framing still attached in a single intact package so disconnecting the ECU becomes unnecessary. Saves time and is a LOT less tedious.

[Shabazza]

I do it like Arzamax. This way, nothing explodes.
And if in doubt, I will always throw compound parts into the processor.
Aluminium is often not even worth a couple of seconds to separate it, if you do the math.
That's unless your goal is to get to 100% ofc.

[Notoshy]

Remove the support-beams that connecting the Wall behind the ECU with the other Walls. Be careful not to point the laser in direction of that Wall. Its reacting very quickly to heat, which will cause damage to the Pipe.
After that, anything that is left, is to free the Reactor and its Casing from any kind of Cage around it.
Now, the entire ECU/Reactor/Engine Cord is free and can be moved.
The Reactor has 3 Lines. Removing coolant from ECU or removing the Engines will each fill one Line of the Reactor.
Personally i remove one (engine or coolant), than the Reactor casing. Now i remove the other one and directly after that pulling the Reactor out.

[Hutcharmy]

Originally posted by Uli Minati:

Here's one way of doing it:

1. Prepare the reactor for removal. I usually remove the complete outer shell of the ship first. I also pull of the reactor panels (safe) and take care of the fuel piping first too.
2. Pull off the ECU panel (safe)
3. Pull out the three cryo-things, forgot the name, and pick them up. Reactor starts meltdown, but you have a full minute or so
4. Pull out the reactor core and toss it into the barge
5. Disintegrate the pipe connecting the ECU to the wall behind it
6. Toss the ECU into the barge

If you want to put the panel behind the ECU into the processor, you can e.g. disintegrate the four aluminum structural beams connecting it to the other panels. Cutting it resulted in cryo bursts for me too.

Just wanna say that I didn't know you could dissolve the coolant pipe and this worked for me. You're a legend, I finally extracted a stage 2 reactor without blowing anything up for the first time

[Metallos]

Have you ever noticed the date of the thread? Especially [CW]Codeine, who necroed it...

[Mysticalmaid]

Congrats on your first successful reactor pull. I don't race so I pull the panels off after clearing an escape route for the reactor, then pull the reactor, collect the coolant canisters, cut the floor then yank the ecu out of the open floor or side. Didn't know you could pull it before pulling out the canisters.

Originally posted by Hutcharmy:

Originally posted by Uli Minati:

Here's one way of doing it:

1. Prepare the reactor for removal. I usually remove the complete outer shell of the ship first. I also pull of the reactor panels (safe) and take care of the fuel piping first too.
2. Pull off the ECU panel (safe)
3. Pull out the three cryo-things, forgot the name, and pick them up. Reactor starts meltdown, but you have a full minute or so
4. Pull out the reactor core and toss it into the barge
5. Disintegrate the pipe connecting the ECU to the wall behind it
6. Toss the ECU into the barge

If you want to put the panel behind the ECU into the processor, you can e.g. disintegrate the four aluminum structural beams connecting it to the other panels. Cutting it resulted in cryo bursts for me too.

Just wanna say that I didn't know you could dissolve the coolant pipe and this worked for me. You're a legend, I finally extracted a stage 2 reactor without blowing anything up for the first time

[Wiawyr]

Originally posted by Metallos:

Have you ever noticed the date of the thread? Especially [CW]Codeine, who necroed it...

There's a kind of subtle amusement about people who don't pay attention to details posting about a game that requires paying attention to detail, isn't there?