Megasquirt - RusEFI

General Chat About Electrics, And Ignition Systems.

Moderator: phpBB2 - Administrators

paulsv8manta
Helpful or Confused
Helpful or Confused
Posts: 127
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2009 6:09 pm
Location: Eastleigh

Megasquirt - RusEFI

Post by paulsv8manta »

Hi guys

I’m looking for some guidance, I’m currently running a 3.5 flapper with a 4cu ecu it has a 3.9 cam with flowed heads and I’ve decided to change the ecu as I know it won’t cope with the next engine upgrade, which is a Thor inlet conversion then I have an Eaton m90 supercharger to go on.

So I have a choice of either Mega-squirt (3?) or the Rusefi system, I like the idea of the coil on plug (COP) option although I’m not sure about not having a cam sensor. Do I need one or is there a work around?

I’m new to all this and have tried to read up on the options but it just leaves me further confused! What would be ideal is, if there was a flow chart guiding you to what options you have going a particular route.

There seems to be a number of companies out there that deals with these systems but does anybody have a recommendation to which company to deal with?
Cheers Paul



scudderfish
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 486
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2009 6:53 pm
Location: Harpenden, Hertfordshire

Re: Megasquirt - RusEFI

Post by scudderfish »

Speak to Phil at www.extraefi.co.uk He'll sort you out with what you need.

Regards,
David

stevieturbo
Forum Contributor
Forum Contributor
Posts: 3979
Joined: Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:22 pm
Location: Northern Ireland

Re: Megasquirt - RusEFI

Post by stevieturbo »

COP on a Rover would be difficult, CNP, Coil Near Plug should be quite easy.

Any decent ecu will have no difficulty with this, and no you would not need a cam sensor. But if you can acquire a phase signal...certainly no harm in doing so where systems can offer full and proper sequential injection.
But a phase trigger from an existing dizzy is easy and already there.
9.85 @ 144.75mph
202mph standing mile
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgWRCDtiTQ0

garrycol
Knows His Stuff
Knows His Stuff
Posts: 527
Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2015 2:47 pm
Location: Australia

Re: Megasquirt - RusEFI

Post by garrycol »

Be careful if you choose the Megasquirt system - if you go MS3 (sequential injection) you will need a cam sensor but earlier versions do not. Documentation is absolutely horrible but being in the UK you can help so my recommendation would be to get an earlier version MS that is already assembled - google Megasquirt for V8s and get one of their early kits.

However - what is wrong with using your 14CUX ECU - it will work fine and is simple. If you want to get rid of your dizzy you can get a trigger wheel etc to go on the crank pulley and run edis 8 with mega jolt to provide spark - works well.

paulsv8manta
Helpful or Confused
Helpful or Confused
Posts: 127
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2009 6:09 pm
Location: Eastleigh

Re: Megasquirt - RusEFI

Post by paulsv8manta »

Hi thanks for all your comments guys much appreciated, thanks scudderfish I’ll contact Phil at extraefi today. Stevieturbo any reason why COP would be difficult I thought that would be the easiest with the least space or is it the wiring? Thanks for the info on the phase trigger. Garrycol, unfortunately I don’t have the 14cux ecu, I’m using Rovers very first ecu the 4cu really ancient!

garrycol
Knows His Stuff
Knows His Stuff
Posts: 527
Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2015 2:47 pm
Location: Australia

Re: Megasquirt - RusEFI

Post by garrycol »

paulsv8manta wrote:
Fri Sep 13, 2019 6:48 am
Garrycol, unfortunately I don’t have the 14cux ecu, I’m using Rovers very first ecu the 4cu really ancient!
They are cheap and easy to find second hand - later can be remapped if needed.

On a Rover V8 is was basically only the Thor engines (Gems as well?) that had a cam sensor - to put one into an older RV8 you will need a different camshaft, the relavant cog that bolts to it and probably the later timing cover without a dizzy drive - you change one thing and a few more change.

However may understanding that batch firing the injectors like the 3.9 engine with the 14CUX ECU does - the cam sensor is not needed.

Garry

DaveEFI
Gold Member
Gold Member
Posts: 4603
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 4:27 pm
Location: SW London, UK

Re: Megasquirt - RusEFI

Post by DaveEFI »

MS3 can be bought without the X card which gives you the 8 drivers for sequential injection etc. I doubt many would go for sequential injection while retaining dizzy ignition, so you can use a modified redundant dizzy to provide the cam signal.

Don't think COP would be a good idea on an RV8 due to them being so close to exhaust heat . Coil near plug (LS1 etc coils) is the usual way.

MS1 which seems to be the choice of one UK supplier is obsolete. Although there are still stocks. But there is no software development for that. I didn't even consider it when I went MS some 10 years ago.

MS is the most common DIY system by far, so you're more likely to get help from other MS users if needed simply by the numbers. The MS forum is excellent for help and James Murry who writes the software is a contributor, as well as many other experts. You can get things straight from the horses mouth there.

If you don't intend to DIY, there are lots of alternatives to MS. That choice might be best made by the installer you choose, as there's not a great deal to choose between any.

The supplier with the best info on site is likely DIYautotune in the US. You can import direct from them if you want to - but you'll pay import duty. So do the sums. About £80 extra for carriage and duty on an MS3

There is a lot to learn with any after market injection system. But it can be very satisfying.
Last edited by DaveEFI on Fri Sep 13, 2019 5:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Dave
London SW
Rover SD1 VDP EFI
MegaSquirt2 V3
EDIS8
Tech Edge 2Y

stevieturbo
Forum Contributor
Forum Contributor
Posts: 3979
Joined: Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:22 pm
Location: Northern Ireland

Re: Megasquirt - RusEFI

Post by stevieturbo »

The simple practicality of having to mount coils on top of the plugs and bracket them, would make it extremely difficult on any engine like this.

They're ideally suited to inline engines where the plug is recessed down the middle ( usually multivalve engines ). Definitely not suited to most other types of engine though.

Mounting a small coil near each plug with a short lead on the other hand is usually very easy
9.85 @ 144.75mph
202mph standing mile
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgWRCDtiTQ0

DaveEFI
Gold Member
Gold Member
Posts: 4603
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 4:27 pm
Location: SW London, UK

Re: Megasquirt - RusEFI

Post by DaveEFI »

You could of course use EDIS coils if wasted spark is OK. Inexpensive and work well.
Dave
London SW
Rover SD1 VDP EFI
MegaSquirt2 V3
EDIS8
Tech Edge 2Y

paulsv8manta
Helpful or Confused
Helpful or Confused
Posts: 127
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2009 6:09 pm
Location: Eastleigh

Re: Megasquirt - RusEFI

Post by paulsv8manta »

Just like to say thanks for everyone’s help and have decided to go with the ms3, and thanks to Phil at extra efi who has helped me with a list of items needed for my project. I now have a list of questions regarding the Thor inlet manifold but will create a new post for theses.
Cheers paul

DaveEFI
Gold Member
Gold Member
Posts: 4603
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 4:27 pm
Location: SW London, UK

Re: Megasquirt - RusEFI

Post by DaveEFI »

Can I ask what you're fitting it to? The Thor is very good for extra low down torque - like for an offroad 4x4, but the older plenum is better for top end. But then the standard Thor injection is pretty good too. Unlike the flapper, where there are worthwhile gains with MegaSquirt, etc.
Dave
London SW
Rover SD1 VDP EFI
MegaSquirt2 V3
EDIS8
Tech Edge 2Y

paulsv8manta
Helpful or Confused
Helpful or Confused
Posts: 127
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2009 6:09 pm
Location: Eastleigh

Re: Megasquirt - RusEFI

Post by paulsv8manta »

Hi Dave it’s going on to a 3.5. I’m more interested in 0-60 than top end performance.

SuperV8
Guru
Guru
Posts: 947
Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2009 11:25 pm
Location: West midlands

Re: Megasquirt - RusEFI

Post by SuperV8 »

I'm using MS2 on my supercharged 4.6 - for me it wasn't a worthwhile upgrade going to the quite considerable extra expense of MS3 except for the sequential injection - who's advantage on a RV8 is questionable.

I found the documentation great - quite a bit of learning for me building it and installing it myself. Used the forum MS forum to help with the couple of problems I faced.

I used tuner studio which has a auto/tune function and I remember that amazing drive with my car getting better and better. Only problem for tuning my car was I couldn't spend enough time at the high load/speed areas of the road due to my car going to fast!

Tom.
Dax Rush 4.6 supercharged V8 MSII

DaveEFI
Gold Member
Gold Member
Posts: 4603
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 4:27 pm
Location: SW London, UK

Re: Megasquirt - RusEFI

Post by DaveEFI »

Yup. I've been running MS 2 batch injection and wasted spark for many years now - and it's been 100% reliable. On an SD1 EFI. But I do have an MS3 standing by for when I fit a 3.9 - my original engine is very high miles. If only it would stop running so well, I'd be forced to get round to fitting the new engine. :D

One tip is with any of the standard MS units - 1,2 or 3 - is to make sure you get the V3 pcb. (They all share the same motherboard) The option is the V3.57, which is machine assembled. Both work the same, but the older V3 is easier to fix or modify, if ever needed. I've repaired quite a few over the years, but since I don't know how they were installed, can't be sure why that fault had happened. Spare components are inexpensive and readily available, so anyone who can wield a soldering iron with skill can fix them. Which also makes buying used less of a gamble.

The big snag with a DIY system like MS is you may get the upgrade bug. Wonder if sequential would actually be better - even when told there is little difference. So if you can afford an MS3, go for it. As it can do anything the earlier versions can do too. And of course that's where the code developments are going now.
Dave
London SW
Rover SD1 VDP EFI
MegaSquirt2 V3
EDIS8
Tech Edge 2Y

volospian
Forum Contributor
Forum Contributor
Posts: 277
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:51 pm
Location: Northamptonshire

Re: Megasquirt - RusEFI

Post by volospian »

scudderfish wrote:
Thu Sep 12, 2019 8:40 pm
Speak to Phil at www.extraefi.co.uk He'll sort you out with what you need.

Regards,
David
I can heartily recommend Phil as well. He was very helpful when I was a novice trying to get an LS1 working with MS. I was really struggling to get a clean cam signal and he was very helpful with adjusting the VR conditioner pots, advice on checking circuits, etc. Turned out to be a faulty cam sensor (was bought brand new, so was the last thing I checked :roll: ). He also fixed a problem when the fuel pump circuit stopped working with absolutely no quibble. Excellent support and service.
No V8 at present :(

Post Reply

Return to “Electrical & Ignition Area”