Need to upgrade to Megasquirt

[rome03]

Hello everyone,

I've searching through the forums trying to understand more about megasquirt but its hard to digest, especially with all the acronyms and electronic parts that I don't know. I was hoping that you could help me out.

 

I just swapped in an 83 l28et into my 78 280z. We got it running with the stock harness and ecu, its 100% stock. Its been running extremely rich and giving me 12 mpg. It was sputtering really bad so I leaned out the afm a lot and got it to stop, bad thing is I don't know how lean or rich it is. I would think its still rich since I smell gas everywhere and my eyes will burn sometimes. I really need to get it running right since its my daily driver. I'm looking into buying a preassembled unit, but i don't understand how It works with the stock harness.

 

So my question is, Is it best that I buy the preassembled unit including the 8' or 12' harness that plugs into the megasquirt ecu?

 

Would I then cut my stock harness wires from the plugs that go to the stock ecu and connect them to their respective wires from the megasquirt harness? essentially its a plug and play/tune since I'm keeping the stock harness and just wiring it to work with the megasquirt ecu right?

 

Lastly, how would one decide to go with MSII or MSIII?

 

I plan on running the 83 distributor and keeping it stock for now. I just want it to be reliable, run smooth, and give me good mileage like the N/A engine did, which was 25 on the highway. Performance can come later. 

 

If you guys have links to good threads let me know. I have read a lot but many have upgrades, carbs, or people make their own harness and I haunt been able to find the answer I'm looking for. I know that with megasquirt you loose the afm and it will work with my 83 distributor. I guess I'm concerned with the harness.

 

Thanks in advance

Edited January 30, 2014 by rome03

[dexter72]

Ok, i think you should get the engine to run correctly before installing Megasquirt. Search for posts about turbo engines running rich. That should get you started. If your harness is total junk, you may need to switch to MS right from the start.

 

Buy a pre-assembled Megasquirt 2 unit, It can handle what you want to do, no problem. Tell them how you want it to provide spark, Buy the 8ft harness, buy or make a relay board yourself. Buy some quick disconnects for your engine sensors and fuel injectors, Autozone can get them or get them from Junkyard cars, 90's and newer cars made by G.M. and Volvo have them. Buy a wideband setup, gauge, sensor, and controller. There are still other pieces you need,

The Megasquirt 8ft harness is used instead of the stock harness. You remove the stock harness, you have more reading and understanding to get through.  

 

Find, save, and read the Megamanual online, It tells you all about Megasquirt. Read it atleast 10 times so you understand what settings you need to do and what parts you need. IT IS YOUR BIBLE.

 

Im not saying that you haven't done so, but you have to do a lot of research and reading, saving info.

Edited January 30, 2014 by dexter72

[tooquick260]

Yes read,, I am in the process of installing MS3Pro. Very straight forward. My delay has been other items I am fixing along the way. Repaired dash, heater core valve and hoses, resetting up for A/C, putting different gauges in the dash, rewiring, fixing the radio mount etc.

 

But I have read the manual 3 times and still get something new everytime. 

[rome03]

Thanks guys.

I found a really good website last night that had the manual and most FAQ and it explained things pretty well. Here it is for anyone that wants it http://www.msefi.com/index.php 

The website says that you need the main board and a processor. When you buy the MSII preassembled unit, does the processor already come with it?

 

Some people have said that you shouldn't buy the harness that they sell because the wires are not shielded for noise? I don't understand this concept but nevertheless are they right? 

 

Could I use the stock harness and connect the wires to the MS ecu, this was the wires are shielded and everything is already wired up?

 

How much did you pay for the MS3pro tooquick? was it preassembled?

 

Thanks

[dexter72]

The efi harness in your car is 30+ years old, I don't think the efi harness is shielded. Newer cars yes, but not our cars. Yes a few people have wired/spliced Megasquirt into a stock harness, i think i saw a write up on it in the site.

For a stock turbo engine, i see no reason why you would not buy the harness they sell,

It's even labeled for you so you really can't mess up the install. You can always make your own harness if you feel the need to.

 

I have read of some people having noise issues but i think a lot of that is from how the sensors are wired and how the ignition components were installed. Possible noise from inside the Megasquirt box.   

 

I would install a grounding block for all of your sensor grounds,

 

Yes MS2 comes with the processor.

Edited January 30, 2014 by dexter72

[mobythevan]

IIRC, there was a single wire on the L28ET swap that if not connected properly would make it run very rich as you describe.  

 

Here is a link to the problem I speak of (pin 9 problem):

 

http://forums.hybridz.org/topic/92064-need-help-with-testing-procedure-l28et-running-rich/

 

I remember having this problem when I first fired up my L28ET swap.  As stated by others, it is very helpful to have the car running good before the megasquirt conversion.