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ECU upgrade.... info needed

Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:37 am
by disco-v8
ok with all the mods ive done to my RV8 i think my standard ECU cant understand what the hell is happening to the engine, and isnt running aswell as it could do.........

ive been intrested in changing my stock ecu to a programable one for a while now, but funds always get in the way. but now im trying to source one to do what i want it to do....


ok i no theres a few ecu's out there that i can buy and program my self but the main two im intrested in are the MEGASQUIRT or VEMS!!!!!


when i first got intrested in changing ecu's i noticed one or both did a DIY version but that looks like its stopped!!!! ive also noticed there are different models now, or i just didnt see them last time....

im still very confused on this subject and dont want to buy the wrong omodle for what i want it to do.... i know ive got to change some components around, like a MAP instead of the MAF air temp sensor etc.... im after a fuel and ignition ECU so im also intrested in changing the crappy dizzy for and EDIS system


ok the megasquirt confuses me the most as i aint got a clue what i need to make this work, there seems to be alot of bolt on's, and i dont know if i need them to work with my V8 or if im just totaly confussed......... is there just a model i can plug in and play with?????
what the difference from ms1 and ms2????


ive noticed the extraefi ask what sort of set up you need to run and ask if you fancy changing to i.e. wasted spark, if so let them know so they can build it in...... cant i just get an ecu with everything built in????



ALL HELP WELCOME

Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 7:55 am
by Eliot
Speak to phil ringwood (extraefi) or Bill Shurvinton (both on this board, Bill more than phil nowadays).
I'm not aware that they have stopped selling DIY kits.

Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 2:50 pm
by Coops
or David (dnb) on here regarding Vems,

Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 11:02 pm
by Teesdale_landrover
what modifications are you running

have you considered getting a mark adams chip,
i have one and its a big improvement especially with mods.

Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 11:38 pm
by disco-v8
a chip want cut it!!!!

got to be an ecu change.....



so come on you MS and VEMS owners.....win me over with your specs as i need as much info on these as possible

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 1:07 pm
by Quagmire
You might want to check out www.lr4x4.com as they have a few threads on megasquirt in the technical archives, and i think there is a massive 18 page thread in the "tools and fabrication" section....

Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 1:22 am
by disco-v8
if i was to buy a megasquirt II V3.0 ecu, what stuff would i have to change on my RV8 to get it up and running?????


im intrested in changing to EDIS8 so i know ive got to change all the ignition parts, and i know ive got to fit a MAP sensor, trigger wheel/sensor........ but is there anything else i need to change to get it up and working, and not just stuff on the engine side, but also add on's for the MS ecu?????


oh is it also possible to fit a knock sensor to MS II????

Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 8:03 pm
by bill shurvinton
You don't need MS2 for a V8, although it does have some nice features. In terms of changes it really depends.

Obvious is trigger wheel, crank sensor, coil packs and EDIS. You can leave all the hotwire gubbins in, or take it out and neaten up the underbonnet.

Where you mount IAT and MAP sensor is up to you. I'll remind myself where it is on my classic and let you know.

Then there is the question of where to put the ECU. You can just squeeze an MS into a hotwire case, but it is a tight fit. easier to just desolder the connector and make an adaptor.

Knock sensors can be integrated, you can either build it onto the proto area of the board, or buy an external unit.

If you want any pictures of an install let me know. I have a classic that runs dual fuel.

Bill

Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 11:24 pm
by disco-v8
yeah pics will be great... nice one


so what version of MS do you have????

what sort of imputs does the MS need because i never saw anything like a throttle postion sensor, and dont understand how the ecu can tell when your pressing the accelerator!!!!!! i would think that the map sensor would take a few milliseconds to work out that the intake was open and by then the engine would be running lean!!!!!


so what have you had to install on your sd1 to get the MS up and running fully... did you have to buy any other bolt on's for your MS..... i ask all these question because i dont fancy buying one then realising ive got to pay another few hundred guid to get it to do what i want or even just working


every site i goto to find information about the MS ecu just confuses me more and more.... they offer different features for different cars/engines, like EDIS4/6/8, direct coil, dizzy, 2/3/4bar maps, knock sensors, spark or just injection????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? :shock:

I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT COMES AS STANDARD WITH A DIY KIT!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 3:18 pm
by bill shurvinton
IF YOU ARE GOING TO SHOUT I AM JUST GOING TO TELL YOU TO RTFM.

Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 3:46 pm
by disco-v8
wasnt ment to shout, must av put caps on..... so what the hell is rtfm???

Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 4:17 pm
by sidecar
disco-v8 wrote:wasnt ment to shout, must av put caps on..... so what the hell is rtfm???
rtfm= Read the Fuc4ing Manual.

Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 6:30 pm
by disco-v8
oh got yeah.....

think ive made a bad impression on some one :shock:


ive tryed read the manual on MS website and doesnt make any sensor to me thats why im on here

Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 5:47 pm
by katanaman
If you go through the manual it has all the information you need. Trouble with MS is it does come in all flavours which is part of its charm. If you have a 4 banger then you build it to that and save money. Course the downside to this is the base price can be very different to the finished price depending on what spec you want. It also means you need to do a lot more research at first to see the options and work out what you need.
Yes it has a throttle position sensor input, probably marked as TPS.
In all honesty if you cant get to grips with the manual forget building one and get it pre built. Just tell the builder what you want it to do and they will supply suitable hardware/firmware and probably a map that will et you going not to mention advice on what might be the best spec for you.
IMHO going this route isn't really the best way to do MS but if you cant get your head round things its the only way you can do it. Buying pre built also opens other things to you like VEMS which can actually save you money depending on the spec of MS you wanted.
If you still want MS then get yourself over to one of the MS forums and get keep reading there until you understand what its all about.

Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 12:18 am
by bill shurvinton
If you are running EDIS the basic kit has all you need in it. EDIS 8 are around £50. coil packs you can use anything, but fraud units are good and work. The 2.5bar map sensor is fine.

hardest part of this is fitting the trigger wheel, but that is more because of the variance in front pulleys on the V8 over its life.