Aftermarket & Custom ECU Installs (Custom Cal, MegaSquirt, FAST, SDS Setups)

[Frank]

I am working on turbododge.com's new FAQ/Tech Writeup section, and I would like to get the following information from people with these systems...

1) Let me know which system you have
2) Provide me with a few pictures of your system
3) Leason's learned
4) Your top 5 pro's and con's without mentioning other systems
5) What kind of performance gains, etc.
6) Any dyno/time slips.

(for those with custom cals, this is not about td vendor's products. this is about your experiences. i would prefer responses by people who have done their own cals.)

Let me know what you think by e-mailing me at fkatzenb@usermail.com


Frank

[Frank]

Kevin Isenberg has written up an SDS for me. Once I get some more systems, I will be forming that FAQ. Thanks!


Frank

[minimopar]

Frank, this page is sort-of up to date for my efforts:

http://www.knizefamily.net/russ/elec.../moparecu.html

[87turbodance]

I have megasquirt running with edis distributorless ignition. I can do a write up if you'd like. I have pictures too

Ryan

[Ondonti]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 87turbodance I have megasquirt running with edis distributorless ignition. I can do a write up if you'd like. I have pictures too Ryan

We love you

[cj011]

I would love you even more if you started making extra pulley's with the EDIS wheel mounted. nudge, nudge, wink. .. wink.

[Frank]

I would love the writeups. This is just for basic knowledge... hence the specific questions. If you want to do a full fledge writeup, e-mail me seperately. Right now, I am just looking for the answer to those questions.


Frank

[ART]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cj011 I would love you even more if you started making extra pulley's with the EDIS wheel mounted. nudge, nudge, wink. .. wink.

I doubt if I could generate much love, but if you can talk him into buildin them, I'll damn sure buy one. LoL
Torg

[Una]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank 1) Let me know which system you have 2) Provide me with a few pictures of your system 3) Leason's learned 4) Your top 5 pro's and con's without mentioning other systems 5) What kind of performance gains, etc. 6) Any dyno/time slips.

1) Megasquirt original
2) See my signature link for photo's, click on the '83 Shelby Charger link
3) Buy a NEW fuel pump, 20 year old used ones will leave you stranded.
4) Pros: AWESOME gas mileage, great power, tunability, ease of installation & tuning, reliability. Cons: Not free, doesn't control ignition (my version doesn't, but does add to simplicity), odd starting issues (likes to stall on the first start when cold), requires assembly (many people can't handle this much soldering), requires tuning (especially if you want to control ignition!).
5) Gas mileage went WAY up, feels as peppy as a T1 car without the turbo lag.
6) Ran a 17.1 with the original 3.05fd, never went back after swapping in a 3.56fd tranny.

[Frank]

Thanks for the information. One of these days, I will get this topic written up.


Frank

[87turbodance]

1. Megasquirt v. 2.2 with "Extra" code
2. I have a few old pictures in a previous post but I can take many more
3. There is a lot of solding involved. I cut out most of my original wiring harness and it was fun sorting through al the different colours.
4. Pros:
Better gas mileage
Very tunable
basic setup can control up to 21 psi but with a few changes you can use any map
full control over the spark curve
distributorless ignition using ford wasted spark system

cons:
It is difficult to mount a crank position sensor on our motors
I dont have an idle speed control motor. Newer version of ms can rin one though
tuning can be difficult. Especially when you have fuel and spark to tune
Requires good electronics skill
Can be quirky when not tuned properly. ie. stalling sometimes.

5. I'm only running 8psi right now (my wastegate rod broke and I have a big spring holding my wastegate shut right now) and it feels as powerfull as the motor felt running 12psi on stock electronics. I'm running a buch more timing than stock and bit leaner with water injection. Works well.

6. I haven't been to the track yet. I was going to go last week but my wastegate broke. Stupid 18 year old parts.

Im also running 2.5" exhaust with a magnaflow muffler and no cat.

[87turbodance]

Making the pulley is not as hard as it seems. Go to a wrecker and full a bunch of damper off some early 90's escorts. Use a hammer to beat the ring of the outside of it. Try to find some that are steel. You dont want the powered metal ones. Take a good one home. Use a grinder or something to remove the AC pully from your crank pully and grind the surface down nice and smoothand STRAIGHT. Creat some sort of jig to mount the wheel concentric to the centre of the crank pully. Can be sone with a bunch of polts and wood if you're creative. I drilled some slottles holes in the ring to put some bolts through it and then drilled and tapped the face of the crank pully. This gives you a little bit of play in case your jig isn't quite right. Put the pully on your car and figure out how your going to mount a crank sensor. I mounted mine off the power steering pump bracket using pieces of angle iron (aluminum is better) and a welder. Once everything lines up correctly (read the information on the ms extra pages on how things should be set up) I welded toothed wheel to the crank pully. Kinda redneck but it's been working flawless since june. I also took a 500 mile trip at the end of july in the car. Cruising at about 85 mph I think I averaged about 33 mpg. I had to use boost to maintain the speed on the hills because the car had 4 people and all of our luggage in it

[87turbodance]

excuse my poor typing I'm ina hurry

[Una]

That's awesome. I figured for sure you'd kill that engine by now, being that you had full control of the spark curve and no knock sensor. Maybe I'll get the bawls to put MS2 onto one of my TD's one of these days.

[B.A.P.]

1) FAST (Forward Motion kit)
2) Looks like all the other FAST setups
3) This system is Bad Ass
4) WB02 and data logging and overlay onto calibratiuon is invaluable
5) Changes too many things at once
6) 11.62@120 mph at 27psi and ~10:1 A/F with a 2800# race weight