Pics of the ride. LOTS of pics beware.

[MegasquirtCA]

Finally after so many months of planning and prepping we got the sweet baby CA18DET into my jiggalo. We took lots of pics and everything went smoothly. Everything fit like butter, and the nismo CA mounts made everything fit like a glove too. Here are some pics. The engine bay looks like it has rust, but no worries its just surface rust, a little sanding, and paint will bring her back to new. I have SOOOOOO much room since I eliminated A/C and Power Steering shouldnt be a problem. Hope you guys like. Also this was done at a high school parking lot where my dad works, we got permission so we did it their.

So far left to do is:

Custom Intercooler pipingCustom exhaust pipingWireless wiring harnessmaking the VR bracketsetting up megasquirtfix up all the little thingsStart Her up in the next few days























Here is a pic of the engine bay after painted, FPR, along with new wiring harness. Harness is 95% done just gotta wire up the sensor, wiring loom, and tape and bam she'll be ready to crank.





















Here is my Dash.

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/663/DSCF0042.jpg

Here is Megasquirt

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/7742/DSCF0037.jpg

[lifelicksballs]

whoa nice car!good to see so much effort being put into a ca.

btw whats that thing on your crank pulley first time seeing that

[Sil40sK]

Looks nice man. Keep us posted. What do you mean by a wireless wiring harness? How's that work? Sounds interesting though. And what's with the front most part of your crank pulley? It looks like it's made to run a chain or something.

[capwred]

looks good always happy to see another ca go in.

[jt15833]

i think thats for the megasquirt to know position of crank. looks real good man be proud. megan coilovers?

[MegasquirtCA]

To answer your question the front part of the crank is called a 36-1 Crank Trigger. Pretty much its like our version of the CAS, just better and more reliable. It also came from a Ford Escost 91.

As for Wireless Wiring Harness its just a term refering that you wont be able to see the wiring harness, its all gonna be tucked away.

Yup those are Megan Coilovers absolutly love them.

One of the best things I love about megasquirt and EDIS is that I'm pretty much running 2 Standalones. EDIS is kind of like the backup for Megasquirt, if something happens to megasquirt EDIS takes over and goes into "Get your *** home" mode. Also another cool thing about MS is that you can tune it wirelessly via a blue tooth laptop.

Anymore questions let me know.

Heres a pic of another Megasquirter's motor and how the crank and sensor is rigged up.

[teddy]

looks really good man. Let us know how the Megasquirt works out for you. I was considering running one, and still might sometime in the future, but I guess I just don't know enough about them yet to feel comfortable dropping money into it.

Also, you gonna throw that cornucopia of fruit in the engine bay too to spice it up a little?

[240 Trainee]

Yea, looks amazing, I'll be curious how it works out.

[rico05]

WOW. I think you owe us a full write up on the MS when you have her done. That is an awesome tuning option for us, so any info you could share would be great!

[Not_a_sr]

the the 36-1 crank trigger came off a 91 escort? what did you have to do to make it fit? i am assuming the VR sensor is from the same? whats the EDIS from ? but i may use neon ign coil since we have the settings already figured out for them. im waiting on my box to get here and then im starting my install i was planning on using the ford ign setup but havnt had time to pick up all the parts and fully research it. wireless via blue tooth, never even thought about that! im going to have to steal that idea! lol, my guy at the shop that builds the megasquirts will have a field day with it he loves the technology crap.

deff do a full write up! alot of us are watching this carefully, im hoping to get mine all done and tuned by first week in april just intime for our first drift event of the season.

[MegasquirtCA]

the the 36-1 crank trigger came off a 91 escort? what did you have to do to make it fit? i am assuming the VR sensor is from the same? whats the EDIS from ? but i may use neon ign coil since we have the settings already figured out for them. im waiting on my box to get here and then im starting my install i was planning on using the ford ign setup but havnt had time to pick up all the parts and fully research it. wireless via blue tooth, never even thought about that! im going to have to steal that idea! lol, my guy at the shop that builds the megasquirts will have a field day with it he loves the technology crap.

deff do a full write up! alot of us are watching this carefully, im hoping to get mine all done and tuned by first week in april just intime for our first drift event of the season.

The 36-1 crank trigger came off a 1991 Ford Escort. As you can see on my above pics the trigger is mounted in the front I had to mill down the front part of the pulley and press fit the trigger on it. 1 downside to this for several people because if you mill down the front then you cant use P/S, but since I wasnt running P/S anyways it was a perfect spot. The VR sensor also comes from the Escort as well as all Ford EDIS vehicles from 1991-1995 anywhere from 4cyl, 6 cyl, 8 cyl. EDIS is a Ford trademark EDIS stands for Electronic Distributorless Ignition System. I have read that people use Neon coils, only reason is just mounting the spark plug wires some prefer its side mount. I went with the Ford Coil because its a proven system and their are numerous megasquirted cars with the FORD EDIS ignition system hitting 1000hp Turboed and N/A. Also the way I have the coil pack mounted is gonna make everyone **** their pants. I have it set up so clean that you wont even see the spark plug wires or coil pack.

As for wireless tuning via Blue Tooth well that isnt my idea, the guys who made Megasquirt put that in just for the hell of it, the serial port has a pin that gives power just to use bluetooth only downside is you have to spend $160 for the blue tooth adapters.

I should have mine set up and hopefully running within the next few days, I have 95% of wiring done, I'm currently working on intercooler piping, and cleaning up all loose ends, pretty much just tedious works. I also have to try and finish working on MegaView.

If anyone decides to go megasquirt I would say the hardest parts are 1. Mounting your crank trigger wheel. 2. Fabing up the VR sensor bracket. 3. Building megasquirt (this can be fixed by either purchasing a built one or having a electronics expert build one for you). Other than that its smooth sailing everything is pretty much just self explanatory.

[MegasquirtCA]

This is a picture of the Ford EDIS-4 kit. Just so you know when you see EDIS-4, EDIS-6,EDIS-8

that refers to the Module and how many cylinders that module is designed for. They all look the same except they have the sticker that says EDIS-4,EDIS-6,EDIS-8.

Another Note their is 2 types of triggers that Ford used 1 is Almost 6" in Diameter with a big hole in the middle, the one I used as you can see. The 2nd is a smaller one with lots of circles as you can see on the last set of pics. The first one seemed to be the best option for the CA, the second one might be toughed even though I had the second I realized it wasnt gonna suit my needs so I sold and opted for the 1st kind.

[MegasquirtCA]

Alright guys heres another update on the ride. I started working on the Igntion system and how to implement it. So after much consideration I came up with a way that suit my needs. I stumbled upon this method on accident, but it works and extremly stealthy and ridiculously clean. If anyone goes megasquirt you better not steal my idea.

Here is the motor as it would appear stock and like your normal CA.



And Here is the ignition wires uncovered. No worries of Coil Pack overheating.







As you can see the ignition wires go into the cockpit on the interior firewall.Here it is pictured along with the other Megasquirt items such as ECU, and EDIS Module.











I took off the CRANK pulley to do some modifications on the VR sensor and bracket.

[teddy]

The spot where you've placed the megasquirt is where I've got my emanage stashed at. It's a good spot to keep wires out of the way, and when the interior and cd player is back in, you'd never know it was there. Looks good

[r34 gtr]

thats a sweet setup. ive actually been considering putting one in for a good while now, but i was nervous since i didnt know of anyone else who had done it. im going to see about doing it over my spring break, as ive got to pull the engine and transmission for repairs. yeah, i said it. so what if i rebuilt it 8k miles ago? yeah, i screwed something up... anyway, good luck and keep those updates coming. im going to need them.

- tim

[Not_a_sr]

ill have to wait till i get the coil box but im not going to go that extreme. maybe but doubt it unless i cant find somewhere else to hide it.

my box will be getting assembled this weekend, and im going to go pick up all my EDIS stuff tomorrow if its not freezing out. im going to try and pick up both wheels and see if i cant fit one behind the crank pulley if i modify the lowe timing cover.

are you going to run the onboard map sensor? im thinking about getting a GM 3bar

[MegasquirtCA]

ill have to wait till i get the coil box but im not going to go that extreme. maybe but doubt it unless i cant find somewhere else to hide it.

my box will be getting assembled this weekend, and im going to go pick up all my EDIS stuff tomorrow if its not freezing out. im going to try and pick up both wheels and see if i cant fit one behind the crank pulley if i modify the lowe timing cover.

are you going to run the onboard map sensor? im thinking about getting a GM 3bar

From what I can tell your probably gonna keep all the belts on the crank pulley, because of that your gonna have a harder time mounting the trigger. When I had both wheels I was fourtunate enough to have the motor out to check and see if the crank triggers can be mounted on the rear of the crank pulley, unfortunatly its to difficult because of the spacing behind the crank pulley and block is smaller than the width of the trigger, also the trigger would have to be space even more because the VR sensor has to be in the middle. Another option is having it in the front of the pulley, only problem with that is the VR sensor bracket would extend so far out that possible engine vibration could cause the bracket to shift and give you bad readings. Another method is creating a trigger wheel from scratch, this might be costly since it would be custom, but this way you could have it on the rear pulley and extend past the pulley.

As for the MAP sensor I will be running the stock onboard MAP, its a 2.5 BAR MAP sensor so theirs no need to upgrade because I wont be running that high of boost. 2.5 Bars equal 21 psi. I truly dont see why people are complainging about running a Vacuum line to MS yea I could extend the map sensor with wires but thats no pointless because I wont gain anything. Eventually as my project progresses I will upgrade the MAP sensor to possibly a 4 BAR.

[Not_a_sr]

ive got a few ideas floating around in my head, i have acess to a bunch of machinery and a friends full machine shop so who knows i may just have a new pullley made with the marks on it. but thats a stretch, im prolly going to mill the center down enough to accomodate the ring, but i gota figure out how to get it on the center belt section.

as for boost ill be pushing out 22+psi so ill be getting the 3bar

ive got so much work do to before april 9th its not funny, but this is more of a fun project then a PITA one like my tubular manifold for a Evo8 turbo

[r34 gtr]

ok, i bit the bullet and bought the megasquirt 2 v3 main board and all the other bits and pieces. im still not sure what im going to do about the map sensor, as the most boost i plan to run is 20psi. its so close to maxing out the 2.5 bar sensor though that im probably going to want the 3 bar. anyway, keep those updates coming because come spring break im going to need all the info i can get!

by the way, did you manage to find a base map for the CA or are you just going to wing it? it doesnt look too hard, but a base map would sure make things quick and painless.

- Tim

[Coldspawn]

are you going to run the onboard map sensor? im thinking about getting a GM 3bar

Do not get a GM 3 bar, it is a non-linar map. Get a AEM 3.5, etc.

by the way, did you manage to find a base map for the CA or are you just going to wing it?

I am the "brains" beyond it (MS CA's car). I have made a rough base map. When I tune it, I will probably put together a base map for CA, but it will not be anything special, you will have to tune the car after. IF you are not sure about how to tune it, get a pro to do it. You will find yourself in melted engine parts if you do the wrong thing.

BTW, this system is not the best for beginners. It is true DIY. MS CA has learned a lot from the process of building the car.

[r34 gtr]

i am in no way intimidated by the megasquirt and tuning it, so thats not going to be a problem. if i melt a piston itll be alright, as itll be my fault. i cant wait to be able to say i built the EMS in my car all by myself. itll be a good feeling.

i was meaning to ask as well, is the car going to be running a sequential fuel injection setup? i know the megasquirt needs an additional board to be able to do that but was having a hard time finding out how to build one. my whole reason for going standalone is to get rid of my god awful batch fire injection, so i really need to find out how. if one doesnt exist now (though im sure one does) i guess i could always build one from scratch....

- Tim

[Coldspawn]

i am in no way intimidated by the megasquirt and tuning it, so thats not going to be a problem. if i melt a piston itll be alright, as itll be my fault.

That is not what I mean. When you pay for a tuner, you are paying for their knowledge AND experience. It is fun and great to tune your own car, but if you are over your head, get help or let a pro to do it.

And, most of the most in this forum do not know what they are talking about. Take the every thing they say with a huge grain of salt. (I say that in the nicest way, too many people with "experience")

i was meaning to ask as well, is the car going to be running a sequential fuel injection setup? i know the megasquirt needs an additional board to be able to do that but was having a hard time finding out how to build one. my whole reason for going standalone is to get rid of my god awful batch fire injection, so i really need to find out how. if one doesnt exist now (though im sure one does) i guess i could always build one from scratch....

- Tim

What system you have before?

I do not see a need for sequential injection at the monent, honsetly. I would like to convert it to sequential, but later. Yes, they are working on a board for it, you will have to have a cam sensor.

[r34 gtr]

megasquirt 2 with the v3 board.

i guess they havnt put it out yet, though by the sound of it they will probably have it ready sometime soon. they do give a solid description on how it works though, so making your own wouldnt be a whole lot harder than assembling the megasquirt itself. its a pretty simple device. check it out if you havnt already, http://www.megasquirt.info/router/

- Tim

[MegasquirtCA]

just so you guys DO NOT forget to order The Stimulator you need it especially for Megasquirt II boards reason being is that Megasquirt II requires that you load a code. It also helps to let you get to know how to tune before attempting on your car.

http://www.DIYAUTOTUNE.com is where I got my kit, stimulator awesome people and ridiculously fast. Not to mention his packaging is better organized than digikey.

Also R34 and Not_a_SR look into the GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) board it hasnt been released yet but its a board that only works with Megasquirt II and it will allow you to do amazing things.

[r34 gtr]

yeah, i know i need the stimulator. ill buy it as the time comes to install everything gets a little closer. ive still got about 3 or 4 weeks until i can get started (thanks auburn for having a crazy spring break!).

ill definitely look at that GPIO, thanks for the heads up. who knows, i may have looked at it already since i spent a whole day reading the entire megasquirt site. anyway, keep us posted on the car and good luck with it

- tim

[Not_a_sr]

we bought three kits to assemble for cars in the shop, one stimulator, then we bought one preassembled megasquirt specifically built for the dodge neons from a place called RSautosports, guess which one caught fire and partially melted lol.. not ours but the guys at RS were great and had it fixed in a matter of days no hassles at all.

im going to do some reading on the map sensors, i will probably avoid the GM sensor and get a better one, do you have any source for them that are reasonably priced ? $194.00 ouch!

i have a few people helping out with this, one is a professional tuner and owns a dyno , but hes never touched this system , then i have a guy that tunes GMs and a few other people that are down to help and have varrying degrees of experiance. so im hoping that we can figure it out and get some good numbers out of the car.

[MegasquirtCA]

RS Autosports sell MAP upgrades for $40 that bolt into megasquirt. I believe its 3 bar or 3.5.

[Not_a_sr]

what version of the megasquirt are you running ?

[MegasquirtCA]

what version of the megasquirt are you running ?

Heres a run down of what I'm using.

Megasquirt II V3.0 code 3.3

Stimulator

Megatune 2.25B V717 Beta.

MegaView II Digital output tuner.

FORD EDIS 4 Module, FORD EDIS Clip Coil PackFORD 25uf Radio Suppressor FORD OEM/FORD Racing Ignition Wires1991 FORD Escort Trigger Wheel with VR sensor.GM Open Element IAT, GM CLTCA18DET TPS1991 FORD Escort Injector Clips/ same as later DSM clip ons.Custom Fabricated VR sensor bracket. NO O2 Sensor.

hmmm thats most of what I can think of.

[MegasquirtCA]

Here is a pic of my wiring diagram. I decided to modify the wiring diagram that was on megasquirt for my personal reference. I have the wire color coded as it is exactly on my harness. So for example IAT mine is Orange that is soldered to a green wire, and the way I made my wiring harness that each sensor has its own unique color combo wire makes it ridiculously easy to pick wires for troubleshooting purposes

Heres my diagram.



EDIS module diagram.



Some Screen Shots of Megatune





thats just a data screen when I was experimenting with Stimulator.

And for giggles some Colombian Cola Y Pola which is Beer with Soda. Only found in South America.