Help! DIY Mappable Ignition
Turbo Mini Forums

look how heavy my car was then!!! Thick pile carpet!!

Team Racing

Shag pile jim?!?

AlexF

I had my engine balanced after I fitted the timming wheel

Team Racing

Hmm this is quite interesting.

Gibbo how did you get on actually getting the car to run after you had fitted the MegaJolt? Did it plug in and start up or was it quite tricky to set up? I have had a look at the websites and it seems the EDIS gives a limp home mode of 10 deg BTDC, which should mean it will at least run before you get the map sorted.
Also how trick do you need to be on the computer side of things, I can drive a PC OK but not that hot on dos commands etc etc.
It seems that the parts are fairly easily available from Fords, and with current exchange rates, it seems the ecu is available from the US for approx ?85.

I wired up the EDIS and coil pack without the megajolt and it started straight away.
I checked that the timing was spot on 10 degrees then pluged in the mjl and tried adjusting the timing at idle it worked spot on.

I then made a map that was the same as the metro dizzy and tried that. (Made the map safe not too advanced).

And thats basically where I am now, I'm in the process of changing my turbo to a T2 so haven't had the car on the rollers untill thats done.

Even with the safe map, the car idles better and does seem more responsive than my old (probably worn)dizzy!

You can download all the files now, even without the unit to get a feel for what the software is doing. Just follow the instructions and you'll be fine.

If I manage to get the car on the rollers over christmas then I'll post my ignition map for you.

I'd be surprised if your std metro dissy had worn...

they are a good piece of kit and the bearings last very well.

A stronger spark might well be helping you thou!

alex

AlexF

Yes that is interesting I will have to look into it a bit more.
From looking at the picasso website the only thing that doesn't seem clear is sorting out the load sites from the MAP sensor. How have you done it, have you split the load sites up 50% vacuum 50% boost or just split them so there are maybe 2 or 3 vacuum sites and then the rest are boost sites?? The website wasn't to clear about how you got it to sense boost really. Also I didn't see why the MAP sensor was in the ECU rather than in the engine bay??

i can now get the fully build kits including the built ECU, loom, Thottle Sensor, EDIS module, Coilpack, Crank Sensor, and Trigger wheel for ?299, not bad imo. How much does the emerald system come out at?

/edit - just seen, OUCH!!!

Edited by Mike on 7th Dec, 2004.

The emerald sytem has more features than the MJL but it's also many time more expensive.

You shouldn't be paying much money for the FORD parts, so ?299 is a bit expensive if you ask me. This can be done easily for ?150 and maybe as low as ?50 if you scrounge most the parts lol

Talking of a stronger spark Alex, I did check the spec of the ford coil and it is quite a few KV more than a mini coil. Does this mean that the spark plug gap can be increaced or is there not really a benifit due to the burn charictoristics of the A-series?

gibbo, i checked Retro car and the Guy's who website it is, is using it in a MG Miget with a B-series engine and he said that u can increase the spark plug gap to improve the burn rate or sumin?

if u have the damper milled properly like this...



..and then balanced, that would be ok wouldnt it?

Charly, that's nice. Looks a bit heavy though :0

Bugger off, I'm getting there.

only a std damper. they work well

there is a lot the emerald ecu does which is not published, like antli lag, stage boost for each gear, traction control. it also has a cf card slot inside which you can insert 1gb microdrive for datalogging

Team Racing

How much is the Emerald ECU in comparision to the DIY build one?

Does it come already made?

check out the link

More Kv normally lets you run a wider spark gap, but if there is a benifit depends on your engine. The problem with high boost engine is that the spark "blows out" at high rpm.

The std damper machined should be ok, the only thing I wonder about it that its purpose is to DAMP out particualr harmonics of the a-series engine. Along comes you and the milling machine and change the weight of the pulley by removing material. Would it have an effect?? Probably. The question I can;t answer is does it matter...

Alex

AlexF

I can't see how a damper works myself. Since the crank is held in 3 places by bearings, the amplitude of the vibrations should be minimal. From what I gather, the frequency of these vibrations are dependent on the weight of the crank (with its bolt on stuff). So lightening flywheel/backplate, etc would put the vibrations up beyond a frequency of normal use.

So, I assume that the vibrations are 90deg to the axis of rotation. So having some rubber stuff insulates the crank from the weight of the pulley. So, lightening it would make the necessity less. From the last one I looked at, it seemed to be quite a chunky item. I wonder whether this chunkness, coupled with the stiffness of the rubber damps larger amplitude lower frequencies. If this was the case then the weight of the damper and rubber hardness would be important.

Or, this (which is more likely) the weight of the pulley is to give it some inertia for the rubber to work against to damp resonant frequencies (which would be in the rev range and small amplitude). Effectively using the resistance of the system to stop the resonances becoming significant in size. Since you will have probably modified the flywheel/crank/etc, the frequencies which are potentially harmful, may go off the top of the rev range, which would require a less weighty pulley for a given rubber stiffness.

So, milling a bit off shouldn't be a bad thing. Assuming you have lost a few pounds here and there.

It's one of those things which everyone takes for granted.

I'm going to have to make a trigger wheel, combined with grooved belt pulley, with damper and keep the weight approximately the same. What a challenge.

Bugger off, I'm getting there.

now theres 3 ECU choices, the picasso one, the Emerald and the megasquirt. Now i really dont know which to go for! the emerald will be too much money i think, the megasquirt has more options than the picasso so might go for that. also the megasquirt requires a throttle position sensor which the picasso one doesnt mention.

Stu,

Your dead right, lightening the flywheel changes the sustem completely. Its all about balance primary and seconardy (think balancer shafts on lots of modern designs).

Its not an easy subject at all! In all fairness it might not matter that greatly but I dont know!

Charly,

What do you want from the ECU? Thats the question.

AlexF

i'd like an ecu system so i can get rid of the dizzy and coil, and to choose the best system for my engine which i'm about to turbo. It would seem the Emerald is the best but thats just too damn expensive, so now i'm weighing up between the squirt or the picasso ecu's.

The megasquirt is primarily a fuel injection ecu which incidentally covers what the picasso (megajolt) system does. Due to the well documented pain in the arse of injecting an a series 5 port head most people stick to an SU. If that is the case then the Picasso ECU will do the trick nicely for you. The emerald M3D is a more comprehensive and developed system, but you sure pay the ???? for it.
Personally I intend to use the Picasso Megajolt system at some time in the future, to (as you say) get rid of the dizzy and coil and make the advance curve easier to change when setting up the engine.

The std dissy does a fair job, unless you want to go faster than std by a fair amount you have to decided if its worth the time, effort, money and RISK of DIY ignition.

Alex

AlexF

im planning emerald or weber alpha. long way off yet!