[Green Machine]

So is anyone on here running a megasquirt ecu? Im trying to find decent info on running g16a 16v engines with it but its rather hard.
Im supercharging our 91 escudo 16v injected with a sc12 and have all of the bits apart from an ecu.
Im thinking about running the megasquirt v3 as its a nice well priced unit but im still not 100% sure if I will have to change any sensors etc?

Does anyone have any info on this and how hard they are to wire up and if Ill have to change anything. One thing I plan on doing is switching to a map sensor other than that id prefer to keep everything stock.

Any links or info would be great.

[tanshi]

Paging JRzook

[mnemonix]

Find who will tune the car, get their recommendation on their preferred ecu and go with it.

Megasquirt has ideal features for a tinkerer wanting to learn tuning in an oddball setup, but is a pain in the ass to find a respected tuner who is comfortable tuning with their software and endorses their products.

They're the kids toy of the ecu world.

[Green Machine]

I actually plan on learning to tune the car myself so regardless of what program I use I'll still have to learn a new program.
I just need to make sure the program I use can run the car without having to alter to many sensors.
Writings no problem for me as I have a lot of experience building cars just never tuned so want to learn. Cheers

[droverdave]

Megasquirt really is an excellent ecu, done a bit with them.

Your biggest trouble is going to be ensuring that the distributor or CAS or whatever can be connected to the ecu. (I've had an ecu running off a G13a dizzy, so id bet that the G16a one will be fine). All of the factory sensors will work with it as long as you calibrate them properly (you will most likely need to create calibration curves for all your sensors, that's a bit of fun but ive done it its not so bad).

The problem with Megasquirt is that the initial cost is low, but by the time you buy all the bits you need to make it work, its not that much less than a second hand "regular" ecu.

I was playing with with Ecus on my G13a, and was going to buy an MS, but i managed to pickup a Haltech E8 for 200bucks second hand, and it worked perfectly and is an excellent ECU. (i do appear to have gotten a freakin bargain on the E8)

So yes i do endorse the megasquirt ecu as a great learning tool and they are really are great for the price, but in reality i think its better to pick up a second hand ECU.

[JrZook]

Two guys that come to mind that are running or have run the megasquirt on a G16B MPFI and G16A SPI are Damo and Hybrid respectively.

Here's a few threads that might be of help:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1902&hilit=megasquirt
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=15887&hilit=megasquirt
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1864&hilit=megasquirt

End line is that Megasquirt can be made to work quite reasonably but will require quite a bit of tinkering. The early 16V dizzy has a 4 tooth rotor which will be no problem. Later models with the integral coil driver are a bit more of a hassle but have been made to work.

The MS can be calibrated to read factory sensors

[henno]

I know this isn't what is being questioned in this thread, but are "Megasquirt" type arrangements even road legal? All of my reading has suggested not.

[droverdave]

Technically no aftermarket ECU is legal unless its been emissions tested and the ECU locked out with a password. no reason an MS installation cant be legal if you do that.

[Green Machine]

I'm in New Zealand so we don't have emission laws.

[Pico42]

Green Machine wrote:

I'm in New Zealand so we don't have emission laws.

Do you have a build thread on that supercharger? ORE?

[Green Machine]

No sorry. Suzukis been a more off the internet thing. I might make one somewhere soon. Have just picked up all the materials to make the supercharger bracket yesterday so will get on to that asap.

[Rhinoman]

henno wrote:

I know this isn't what is being questioned in this thread, but are "Megasquirt" type arrangements even road legal? All of my reading has suggested not.

No, its sold as an 'experimental ECU'. In most countries it would be considered dangerous due to its lack of any kind of limp mode.

[droverdave]

..........

[droverdave]

Then what aftermarket ecu does have a limp mode? My haltech e8 certainly doesn't.

[Rhinoman]

I'm not aware of any that do but MS is one of the few that makes it quite clear that its not intended for road use, I doubt if there is any aftermarket ECU that sells in sufficient volumes to be able to afford the type approval process. MS is a very stripped down ECU and lacks a number of other features as well such as not having an RF ground to prevent EMC issues, one of the reasons that its quite prone to interference and noisy signals.

[Gwagensteve]

Rhinoman wrote:

No, its sold as an 'experimental ECU'. In most countries it would be considered dangerous due to its lack of any kind of limp mode.

This is a problem with the US made carb replacement throttle body ECU's as well. Something I'm researching at the moment as I have a project with a healthy 351C that needs injection.

Steve.

[atari4x4]

this just popped up on my facey...

Quote:

For sale lt 12 microtech computer comes with loom book and disc located hill bank $300 firm

[murcod]

Hmmm..... that should read "something that once resembled a loom" !

Can that model be adapted to work with any generic sensors?

[mnemonix]

Yeh, but it requires sending back to the manufacturer for configuration prior to being used with different engine types.

[tanshi]

i now have a spare running 2 stroke lj50 motor and would like to revisit my efi dreams,
does any one know of anything other than a mega squirt that can be made to run two stroke? 3 cyl?

[JrZook]

How much are you willing to spend?

[tanshi]

depends how well its gonna work.

[droverdave]

All ecus that allow for custom trigger settings will work. that is the megasquirt definitely, and i know that my haltech E8 will allow custom trigger settings. (i used custom settings to run the E8 on my g13a, to get it to work with 2 stroke you just have to set the "triggers per revolution" settings to match the two stroke).

Once it works, how WELL it works will come 100% come down to the tuner behind the keyboard.

Sou will have to plan out how you are going to drive your ignition coil and your injectors. Some ecus support direct fire of both of these, some need external drivers for ignitors and/or injectors. (i not sure how injectors work on the two stroke though, where do you inject?)

[tanshi]

looking at injecting into the manifold, directly onto the reed valves when they are open.