Engine Management Suggestion

[Killerpoon]

I Have a 1976 280z , i wanna uprgade from the factory ecu , but i want a ecu that can be reprogrammed from the initial setup i'll be using which is n/a to the 270-300 hp turbo setup sometime next year, something not to hard to operate and preferably not brake the bank expensive. i'm an intermediate mechanic but have some also rather decent mechanically inclined friends. anybody have any suggestions , i'm leaning towards megasquirt . i'd appreciate the help and any advice i can get . thank you all in advance

[kiwi303]

Call your local Dyno shops, see what they are used to working on and can tune comfortably, and then scour Ebay for a cheap second hand one of them.

 

Easiest way...

[Mayolives]

kiwi303.............That's good advice. Often we tend to make our replys, too complicated.

[Zmanco]

I Have a 1976 280z , i wanna uprgade from the factory ecu , but i want a ecu that can be reprogrammed from the initial setup i'll be using which is n/a to the 270-300 hp turbo setup sometime next year ...

 

That's the path I took with Megasquirt and have been very happy with it. It's easier and safer to learn how to tune with it using a NA engine. Upgrading to a turbo later on just builds on that.

[rossman]

Might want to check out the Tec2 Kjones has for sale: http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php?/topic/93711-electromotive-tec2-harness-injectors-lm1-bhj-damper-ic-sensors-ect/page__pid__883470#entry883470

Edited July 22, 2010 by rossman

[Killerpoon]

well i'm leaning towards megasquirt though , anyone got a lil crash course they can share about it , or which components i need to have gathered the whole setup. what systems on a stock L28 it manages. ballpark cost , cheaper simpler alternatives, anything like that would be great . dont worry about over complicating , the more info the better

[Zmanco]

Now is the time to start reading the MS forum. Start with the stickies.

 

Here's one I posted after I finished my initial install.

 

You should also read the intro on the MS site.

[Killerpoon]

thats alot to take in , i have moderate soldering skills but that was a great place to start i'm still looking , how much does a basic wide band setup run . idk if any of yall have experience with the megasquirt and spark , that wide band and maybe running a dual fan setup. just getting a ball park before i dive in . i Appreciate the education everyone

[Killerpoon]

also i've been eyeing these two items on ebay i want to learn everything over time but have something functional and better running right now , for like a upgrade over faulty stock and for better effieciency . i just need it to have the features mentioned above and this one even has the 12x12 board on it , v3.0 , i believe wide band , i'm not sure exactly on how to recognize the components that allow for later boosting from the components used for pin point tuning .. so to make it all clear

 

-Wide band O2 sensors

-a resolve for the power relay board such as how too's or if its included in this unit

-a fan that can get mapped in there

-turbo use later down the road

-spark management

-how to achieve that well of a tune, http://www.megamanual.com/MSFAQ.htm#switch

 

-and maybe how to map it simplest yet effecient for a 1976 280z thats pretty much stock

[Killerpoon]

or like a direction to narrowing this down lol , sorry if i'm not using my tools best i'm not all over forums or havent been for a while

[Derek]

Unless your really strapped for cash I would buy a professionally pre built unit. Installing and setting up Megasquirt can be pretty daunting at first because it does so much. I've had mine for over a year and I'm still tweaking. I daily drive mine and it's never left me stranded.

 

Derek

Edited July 24, 2010 by Derek

[bradyzq]

What Derek said.

 

Be careful with some "pro" MS builders.Not naming names because their builds still worked, but I've seen some (non-Z community) "pro" built MS boxes that are hideous in their execution.

 

I've had great luck with DIYAutotune for MS stuff, if you're looking for somewhere that builds MS as well as supports it.

 

The difference in price between unaseembled kits and assembled boxes is laughable. It's really not worth building it yourself unless you want to learn.

 

It's a slippery slope when you start modifying and more boost is just a click or a few keystrokes away.... Enjoy!

[woldson]

Have you checked out adaptronics.

[randy 77zt]

i ran ms for years .i wanted my car to run like a new 2010 car.i gave up on ms and switched to vipec.as with anything there is always the disclaimer-results may vary.the ms seemed to take constant fiddling

[Killerpoon]

no i've never heard of adaptronics or vipec . are they easier to use ?

 

with some of the programmable units on the bottom of this page does it really become a matter of just software after that?- http://www.diyautotune.com/catalog/megasquirt-complete-c-25.html?osCsid=3eb5b22d44ec231321e743bf6f5ad22d

 

. the car gets plenty of driving and i dont want something that i constantly have to tweak , i want something that runs one setup with mapping and all efficiently i'll work in wideband 02 sensors later but alot of the $300-375 range units im looking at have no ignition mapping .

 

and although this ones a good price i wonder if its sketchy http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Megasquirt-2-v3-0-Ecu-w-black-case-Engine-harness-/250671371617?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a5d2d9561#ht_500wt_1182

[Killerpoon]

i gotta find out what key text i'm looking for because "Hall Sensor/Coil(-) and VR Sensor Ignition Trigger Components (jumpered for Hall sensor, optical sensor, points, or fuel only using negative coil input- you can reconfigure for any input you like)" sounds like the ignition mapping i want but it goes on to say that the firmware is updateable to -Ignition Control, distributor-based and distributorless (DIS) systems - there is a slot for mounting one BIP373 coil driver, not included, or you can order a heat sink for mounting up to six BIP373s.

12x12 Volumetric Efficiency (VE) and Ignition Tables"

 

man this stuffs complicated

[510six]

If you use a z31 ECU Nistune is an option.

http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php?/topic/81216-nistune-questions-get-them-answered-here/

[Tony D]

constant tuning with an EFI system is like constant tuning with carburettors.

 

Some people can buy a 340 Chrysler and drive it 215,000 miles with Air Cleaner changes and never more than an idle readjustment every couple thousand miles.

 

Other people have the cover off and are in the jets on a weekly basis it seems.

 

Same with triple carbs, I have set the synch and locked my arms in 1985. To this date, other than idle screw checks I have not had to rejet or readjust anything.

 

If you have o2 correction, and the correction tuning parameter set properly, 'fiddling constantly' will not be necessary. If you are, there is something going wrong with the engine.

 

Most new ECUs incorporate long and short term fuel trim to tailor the base tune to the engine. It's why many new car diagnostics start with 'disconnect the battery for 30 seconds to reset the computer'... it sets it back to square one where the car should run, and then let you go from a known starting point. It lets the ECU run on a very poorly maintained engine without skewing outside emissions parameters. This should not be a car on this forum---they are likely overmaintained. There shouldn't be variances that big that would skew a MAP based system enough to change parameters that much (with correction turned on)---now, if you aren't availing yourself of O2 correction...then why bother with EFI?

[Alxxpress]

I'm using a system from EMS, but I have the Microtech I pulled off my car laying around if your interested. It's affordable, easy to tune and install and works great. Check out microtechefi.com I have a LT10 system.