Megasquirt is in!

...not quite 177whp yet though

I've finally got around to chucking it all in the car, I only started collecting bits in March At the moment i've only got as far as getting the engine to idle, but i'm still very impressed with the system. The engine sounds so much smoother at idle than it ever has on K-Jet, and my problem with the starter struggling to turn the engine over the first compression stroke has gone as well, which is nice

No real problems getting it started either. Had a minor panic the first time the fuel pump primed and a jet of fuel shot up out of the bay, but once i'd tightened the fuel lines up more than finger-tight (oops ) it was all good. Fiddled with the cranking pulse widths to get it started, and the Req-Fuel to keep it going and it's happy.

Will upload some pics and more info as soon as Tiscali's FTP server comes back to life. I'm off to fiddle with it some more

 

welldone

how hard was it to setup build and install it which kit did u get too

 

Cool, did you build the ECU yourself?

 

I got a 'standard' Megasquirt and the Stimulator to test it. I bought the kit from Glen's Garage. There's a bit of a wait for his kits but they make life so much easier, all the components are in labelled bags, the case he supplies is nicely CNC machined, and of course you don't have the hassle of having to buy 10 of something from RS when you only need one.

It only took a couple of hours to assemble the MS itself and test it on the bench, TBH this is about the easiest part of the project. It's taken me a few months of reading around and sourcing parts before I was ready to install, and even then there were things I hadn't got/considered. Actually installing it wasn't too bad, if a bit slow (making a wiring loom up when it's freezing outside isn't fun [:^(] ).

Seems OK at the moment. The idle is hunting about a bit, I think I need to move some of the map bins around to give a nice 'flat' area on the map around idle. I don't think my O2 sensor is working either, but what do you expect for something that cost 5 on ebay and came with a free G60 downpipe?

 

What engine/setup is it on?

16v with ABF inlet manifold???

Joe

 

9A, currently with the apparently-next-to-useless KR 50mm manifold, custom fuel rail, and Audi Quattro Coupe throttle body. Once it's going nicely that'll all go in the bin to make way for some GSXR bodies It's typical that in the year i've had my TBs sitting on the garage floor everyone and their dog seems to be going down this road as well now

 

what engine sensors do you use with Megasquirt, and what type of dizzy do you use.

and how do you go about setting it up mapping it.

thanks for any info

 

OK got the pics uploaded finally.

I sourced a fuel rail and G60 FPR from a guy on the 16VG60 list. You can also buy these from the US for $180 or so, or bodge one up out of copper piping apparently.


I'm using blue Cosworth injectors (~320cc/min). They're probably a bit big but they're also p*ss cheap on ebay You need to remove the K-Jet injector inserts from the lower inlet manifold and replace them with G60 inserts (037 133 555A)



Pics of the inlet manifold with the injectors/fuel rail attached


For a TPS sensor, I got a complete TB from an Audi Quattro. You can also use a TB from an auto 16v Passat. There's a couple of extra vacuum ports on the Quattro TB that needed blocking off/using, but other than that it's a straight swap for the KR unit.


You also need a lambda sensor. It's fairly easy to get an exhaust place to weld a lambda probe bung in your existing downpipe, but I found a G60 downpipe with O2 sensor on ebay for the grand sum of 5 Bargainest goldmine ever (except that the O2 sensor appears to be knackered ).


Installing it:

Firstly rip out everything you no longer need - airbox, fuel dizzy, fuel lines, injectors, CSV, WUR, throttle body. You could leave the ISV on as it's a standalone system and will help you keep a nice idle in the cold, and MS is quite happy with it. I took it off as it'll have to go once the ITBs go on anyway, and it means I can use it's coolant temp sensor for MS.


The MS is best placed inside the car, I've got it under the passenger seat. The wiring loom passes along the sill and through the bulkhead at the passenger footwell


Inlet manifold back on the engine, with the new fuel rail/injectors/TB/air filter.


New fuel supply/return lines to the rail and FPR. Intake air temp sensor in a rubber elbow from the ISV breather (not an ideal location but it's only temporary so I wasn't going to spend too much time/money on this). IAT is robbed off a Saab turbo.


I've installed a small fuse/relay box in the engine bay (also robbed off Saab turbo) for the MS, injectors, O2 heater etc.



I'm using the ISV's coolant sensor for the MS, I had to take a few resistance readings at varying temps to calibrate the sensor in MS, same with the air temp sensor. RPM signal is taken from the hall sensor.

Finished


Some screenshots of Megatune just after I got the engine started.



Edited by: martyn_16v

 

Ignition is currently standard, but will eventually become Megasquirt controlled as well. I'm still undecided whether to keep the distributor or run the Ford EDIS setup.

 

Great post Martyn! Keep us posted how you get on with it.

 

Very impressive Martyn

Are you having it professionally mapped as it sits now?

Will be interesting to see what benefits you see just from a mapable system over K-Jet.

 

I'm planning on doing most of the mapping myself. I've got a wideband O2 kit coming from Aus some time soon, so should be able to get a fairly decent map built up. Obviously it's going to need a couple of RR sessions to get it that last mile, it's all very well being able to run closed loop O2 but you need to know what AFR you're making best torque at.

Hopefully i'll get some decent gains in mid-range torque, k-jet just doesn't have the flexibility to alter the fuelling curve at all, you're basically just shifting it up and down.

 

Nice work mate!!

 

for give you an idea for when you are setting up



at WOT you will be getting best power at about 5% CO

 

Nice Work

Wanting to do the same on my 9A at some point, as you say, once set up the transition over to throttle bodies shouldn't be too hard at all.

Keep us posted with how it runs.

Joe
Edited by: Joe_G

 

Just thinking, without the ISV or an Aux bypass valve, it's never going to run/idle well when cold unless you have the idle screw wound out quite a lot so it'll idle at 1400rpm odd when warm.

Alternatively you can have it idle solid at 1000rpm when hot but have to keep your foot on the accelerator when cold until it's got some heat into it.

Joe

 

looks good, you will have to keep updating as you make progress with it.

how will you mount the Intake air temp sensor once you have got the throttle bodies on?

 

Lovely job, nice to see some one on this side of the pond using it.

 

I've seen cars with throttle bodies with the IAT in fresh air near the air intakes.
Edited by: G_V_K

 

Thing is I won't be measuring AFR by extrapolating from CO%, a wideband lambda gives you a direct AFR reading. In theory best power is achieved at 12.6 AFR, but i'd imagine this varies a few points either way in the real world.

Once i've got the WB-O2 kit in, the MSnS-Extra firmware allows me to run closed-loop with an 8x8 target AFR table, which is nice