mikeatrpi

Well, for the circuit you can start with a simple 555 timer to build an oscillator. You can choose the capacitors from the datasheet, and use a potentiometer to adjust the blinking frequency (the speed of the chasing lights) to suit your taste. If you ever wanted to mass-produce these you could replace the pot with a fixed resistor. Then you can use some TTL gates or better yet, a decade counter IC. I doubt the counter can source a lot of current, but you can use it to drive a transistor, then let the transistor sink the current for the LED's. If you use a decade counter it will give you 10 outputs, which pulse sequentially at 1/10th the frequency given by the 555 oscillator. You'd have to do the math to determine the maximum load per transistor and divide up your LEDs amongst the 10 circuits. Keep in mind, the decade counter will not do exactly what you want. A Gray code counter might get you closer. IE, 00, 01, 11, 10 where only one bit changes at a time. Drive each bit to the respective transistor / LED outputs. 000, 001, 011, 010, 110, 100, 000 is another Gray code. Again not exactly what you want. Or for the ultimate flexibility maybe you want to use a cheap microcontroller, such as an Atmel flash based IC. Some of them have their own oscillators built in with enough precision for this type of thing. You can whip up some C code to drive (or sink) the outputs as you wish. You can definitely make this do precisely what you want. These sites should get you started on the decade counter / 555 timer idea: http://www.qrp.pops.net/LEDs.asp http://www.doctronics.co.uk/4017.htm For the Atmel chips, go visit http://www.avrfreaks.net

Wow, vents on the hatch and everything. That's an early one for sure. So, when you get it, what will your plans be?

Hey Dave, thanks for the offer. But - I took my plates off already so I'll probably ask you to come up in the Spring so we can do some on-street tuning if needed. I see that now in the log, not using the viewer. The tp-dot goes negative then really high. I can't unplug my TPS due to how I wired it in, but I am running autolite copper plugs. I will switch to NGK's. I do have NGK wires already. That should help reduce noise. And of course I'll use some coaxial shielded wire for the VR distributor.

I bought my bottle online from IOC on EBAY. A few years ago. It was a 40cu ft tank and cost under $100 shipped. When I went to exchange, they bumped me up to a 60 cu ft tank and I only paid the fill difference. I generally pay around $40 to exchange this 60 cu ft cylinder.

Ron, thank you. I adjusted the cold RPM up from 900 to 1400. Cold that day was around 44 degrees F ambient temp. It now settles down to around 850-900 once warmed up. I will work on it a little more so it settles down around 700 or so RPM. Would you say 680-700 is an ideal idle RPM for the L28? Now the datsun air regulator (aforementioned widget) is completely independent of the megasquirt. It is supplied with 12v switched from the fuel pump relay. This power heats a wire coil, causing a trap door to close thereby cutting off air as the wire heats. Anyway - I can't set it to open or close at a specific temp. Here's a data log and MSQ. It starts at the end of my warmup... RPMs are in the 1000 range and slowly settle to 850ish. I think the thermostat must have opened up because I see the CLT (the datsun CHTS in my case) drop significantly. Now - at the very end of the log, the car stumbles and stalls. It looks like it goes into accel enrichment mode briefly at the very beginning of this. I'd appreciate any advice. As a side comment, I can't rev over 3500 RPM. If I do, the RPMs spike. I believe that's an SI / noise issue on the VR line from the distributor. I mention it here incase its relevant. msq_idle.zip

Great video! Your project is a big inspiration. Thanks for sharing!!

Phil it will be very difficult to swap a 300zx motor into your 280zx. The easiest way to do it is to swap in an entire 280zxt motor and electronics from a donor car. You can also buy some of the 280zxt parts used, fab the rest, and add the turbo to your NA motor. Here's my build: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=127833 Good luck!

Uhhh huh. I bet I can guess which option you choose!

Congratulations Clive!! It looks like you really found a gem. I think you're the perfect person to own a car with that kind of story / heritage. Enjoy it!!

I also had a lot of trouble understanding this, but in practice found it wasn't that difficult. I have a MS1v3 like you, but I'm running a VR distributor... so, no lights will light. VR needs "motion" to induce the electrical signal. I set #1 to TDC. I removed all of my plugs, and put a socket on the crank pulley. Then I rotated the engine with my assistants' finger over the #1 hole until they felt air pressure. That's the compression stroke. I kept rotating until the crank lined up with 0 degrees. Next I rotated my distributor until the rotor lined up with the #1 wire. I actually forgot about the 2nd adjustment on the distributor when I did this, so I wasn't able to be exact. FYI there are two nuts to loosen I dialed in the trigger angle using the computer. I was able to take up the slack caused by my slight mis-alignment with the angle... but I later went back and fixed the distributor. To set the angle, I put a timing light on #1 and cranked the engine. I set MS to 10 degrees fixed, and my trigger angle ended up being 67 +45. My crank was sorta weak, IE it didn't give a constant pulse. I ended up charging my battery, attaching the fuel pump, and guessing on the angle. On the 3rd try I got it to idle... and then I was able to easily adjust the trigger angle until the marks lined up.

Actually I just have it connected to +12v from the fuel pump relay. By widget I mean the datsun auxiliary air regulator (AAR). Its easier to say widget! Thanks for the tips. I stole Metro's warmup enrichments from the sticky. Maybe its time to find my own.

My car is weird with the idle. MS1 v3.0 running spark and fuel; 82 NA with T conversion; datsun air regulator for fast idle. It runs great when cold - rock solid idle around 8-900 RPM. Once it comes up to temp, unless I hold the throttle open it will die. Actually sometimes as its dying out, the MS sensor inputs go crazy and the car shakes. If I bump the throttle pedal a little bit it comes back to smooth-running. I'm going to adjust my idle screw a little bit. I'm also going to look at my enrichment settings. Lastly, the datsun air widget... it sucks HUGE vacuum when its idling. Even when warmed up it still draws vacuum just not as much. Should I cover that thing up? On the bench, I applied 12v to it and I could see the plate inside close. How do I know if its air-tight? I'm attaching a data log of it going bezerk, and my MSQ. Thanks all! badidle.zip

The red one I'm assuming, not the gold. It looks great!! Enjoy it!!

There's an alignment dowel as well. I believe the "male" side was on the block and "female" was the trans. Perhaps you need to separate that by pulling straight out first? That will also help you slip the input shaft out of the pilot bushing.

Thanks again, Sean. Whatever problem I have you've been there done that. And, I have a video of the car idling. At the end of the video it starts to sputter a little... opening the throttle brings it back briefly. Pardon the amateur filming (I'm no big-phil) and messy garage! Thank you all for the support, help, and parts.

Looks great! I admire your attention to detail - ie, the bracket in your recent update. In your first pics, the turbo isn't tight up to the manifold. I hope you bolted it up closer before getting too far into the build... I have the same saw! JET. Its great, right? Put it on a stand for cryin out loud!

Thanks Dave. I have a lot of learning ahead of me, that's for sure. Remember mine is an NA block / head with the turbo strapped to the side... not sure if I aim for the stock NA numbers or the turbo numbers. Haynes puts 8 +/- 2 BTDC for NA, and in the 20's (as you said) for the turbo. Sean - Yes I understand all of the sources for variance, but I was surprised it added up to 10 degrees. Question for you - if you pull off your cap can you wiggle the rotor a few degrees back and forth? Mine moves a little... I'm worried I dorked up the welding job.

Stan - there's a short section of hose that joins the lower vent to the PCV. Then there's a 1/4 NPT female to female coupler, and a 1/4 NPT to 3/8 hose barb. I run the 3/8 hose to a stray vacuum fitting on the throttle body. You can see the fitting in this picture - its the elbow coming out of the TB, facing away from the camera... not the two fangs in front: Phil - Thanks! Actually those terminals are just cheapies from advance. I used welding cable and lugs to make new "main" wires. The megasquirt has simple spade connectors that slip into the ends of the terminal. Official update - I got the car to idle this weekend. I loaded up a variation on "metro's" map from the sticky and while it was good enough for a trip around the block its very clear that I still have a lot more tuning to do! I'll be posting some MS logs and MSQ files eventually. Sean, the answer about timing - I simply needed to rotate the back adjuster on the distributor. I just forgot about it. So, I have a nice idle at 10 degrees BTDC with the timing light and a trigger angle of 67. I put both adjusters in the middle as you said - and I have no idea why I ended up at 67 versus your 77.

Here's two logs and my MSQ. The first log shows the car starting (not from a cold start), and the second shows it already running. Its almost like my idle is a little bit low - it smooths out when rev'd up. Also, I still need to do some work on the timing. You can see in the logs that the RPMs hop around. The timing mark is reading around 0 with it set at 10 degrees. I tried adjusting my trigger angle but it seemed to make it run rougher. I'd appreciate any advice... first_idle.zip

Holey moley... she idles!!! After reading for the last two hours, I decided "WTH" and hooked up the fuel pump. She fired on the 3rd try... I played with the trigger angle and settled at 73.5 degrees +45. Video or pics or something coming soon!!! Thank you all for enduring this little soap opera...

How's this for play by play? I theorized that since my 12v switched input to the MS relays was driven from the coil, when I tried to fire the coil I lost my 12v. Therefore I jumpered it to 12v so the relays would always be on. That fixed the reset problem... I'll move it to a different 12v source later. Now, I'm not getting much in the way of a spark output. With my timing light, its like blink-blink-nope... blink blink nothing... Time for more investigation.

I think it was Q19. I know, nothing related to spark output. But it had blown some goop out the side and smelled pretty bad. So, I replaced that, and it still resets while cranking with the pin 36 attached to the - side of the coil. It runs fine on the stim. Is there a way to test the coil output while using the stim?

Yes I think I broke something on the board. MS resets dozens of times while cranking. With the coil - line from MS disconnected, it cranks fine without resets.

So I'm back in the garage today trying to get the timing set. I put the motor at TDC - checked for the compression stroke with my finger over the #1 hole, then I kept rotating until the timing mark was at 0. My rotor isn't pointing directly at the #1 location under the cap - its a couple of degrees past it. I loosened the screw beneath the rotor but I couldn't actually rotate anything to get it better lined up. I'm hoping this is something I can take care of with software? My rotor has a little bit of wiggle room in it. I can move it a few degrees. Is this the mechanical advance or just slop in the gears / shaft? I don't see the plates move that I welded up. Then, I forgot to ground pin #15 on the DB37 connector. So I did that, but I accidentally shorted it to +12v. Something smelled bad briefly... so I think I blew out something on the board. Whoops. Always disconnect the battery. Any hints what I might have blown up? Feelin pretty bummed.

Yes, J_-- I can understand what you mean. Derek is right, the information is there if you look - but its hard to know what the right words to put into search are. At least when you're just starting to look for info. Once you get more into the build you'll have a better idea what you're looking for. Also - for what its worth - if you have the means to use a donor car, I'd recommend considering it. It was a lot of work to get the parts, in some instances fix them, and then figure out all of my own plumbing for the exhaust, intake, and oil. I don't know if it even runs yet - I hope to do that this weekend. I have about $800 into the swap so far, not including the clutch work I did just prior.