I'm installing a MicroSquirt system.

This thread IS NOT A MS/SDS/Carb DEBATE! If you don't like MS please leave. I'm tired of the endless, worthless debate.

Anyway, now on the the fun stuff!

I am using the TPS off of a Volvo 850 because it's a Bosch sensor (I like sticking with OEM manufacturers when possible), fits the D-shaft throttle and is appropriate for MS. I made the adapter plate today.

Here is the wiring harness I had Jeff Keyzer make me. We sourced all the correct, uncrimped connectors so each connector could be attached directly to the harness wires.
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The MicroSquirt unit is tiny, weatherproof, robotically soldered using surface mount components, and shielded from EMF. It was originally designed for motorcycles, but I think in our case, it's a much more appropriate choice than your standard MegaSquirt.
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The injector on the left is a custom made high-impedance injector that works perfectly in our manifolds with stock hold-downs, stock connectors, and will allow use of the stock fuel rails. No resistor packs necessary.
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Giddyup! Right on Mark. Microsquirt? Never heard of it. Price? Are the connectors readily available and not unobtainium? Where do those "custom made high-impedance" injectors come from? Price?

Screw all of that. When you getting working I might just be the first in line.

This looks very interesting.
Is the microsquirt just an off the shelf unit?
Injectors? also off the shelf?

Looks like a fun project and I would really love the hear the results, how easy it is to tune, and how much of a cam it may support....

Rich

They have an info page and forum

How about some background information?

4-Cylinder?
2.0L Engine?
Year?
Approximate cost for your conversion?

Sorry, but I am really interested in what the future will bring to our cars, and this information would really be helpful. What kind of tuning problems did you experience? And what is your anticipated gas mileage?

If this provides a really efficient motor that can be variably tuned for mileage and for performance, that would be really cool.

Thanks in advance.

This setup will be expensive. But doing it right is usually not cheap.

MicroSquirt: $400
LC-1 WB-O2: $200
MAP: $64
TPS: $75
TPS Connector: $35 (this connector had to come from europe)
Custom Injectors: $85 each, $340 for four
Wiring Harness: price is not set but more than $400
Injector Connectors: $12 each, $48 for four

I think when everything is done, it'll be around $2000 for the bolt in setup. I'm keeping drawings of my custom parts so that they can be laser/waterjet cut in the future. Everything will mount in the engine bay, so this will be a no cutting/modifying installation (except O2 sensor bung). Also, if everything goes according to plan, the stock fuel pump/fuel regulator will be used, which will save a significant amount of money and maintain a stock look.

Looks good Mark .

Cold start block off...

MS does cold start enrichment in software and widens the pulse width, so the archaic 'fifth' injector isn't necessary.

I will be using the archaic AAR though. So the feed bracket goes on.

Nice work Mark!

Looks great! Where are you planning to mount it? Stock location? Is the MAP separate in the MicroSquirt?

schweet!


how about using these for some extra low end torque?

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Yay Mark! Yay Jeff K

Great work. I am thinking of going to one of the aftermarket FI systems for my car, hopefully sometime next year. Looking for a good reliable system that can feed the motor correctly to get maximum drivability, fuel economy on the road, and then preformance. Your approach sounds very interesting. Thanks for sharing. JoeO

Brain will be in the stock location. MAP sensor is separate on these and I will fab a bracket to mount the MAP sensor in the stock location as well.


Not on this motor. This is a stock look setup.

Go for it....good luck.

I got the bad news today....my Type I MEGAsquirt motor needs to be torn down.....stooopid freaking head studs are pulling out of the NEW case......arrrgh....

Nice writeup Mark! I am glad to be involved in such a cool project.

Modern fuel injection is the way to go. My trip to WRC was just over 2000 miles and I averaged 25 miles per gallon with my 3.2. My other car with a 2.2 liter type IV engine with Weber 44idf carbs gets about 18 MPG!!?? Go figure. I'd love to get rid of the Webers and replace them with fuel injection. Keep us informed how this works out for you Mark.
Cheers, Elliot

your webers need work, my 56 oval gets 26 mpg with dual DRLAs ...and runs 12's.

Very nice Mark. I just finished reading Excellence mag this weekend and they have an article about upgrading a '74 911 to a modern EFI system, also a bolt in modification, except adding a bung to the exhaust. The total cost of the system was $1695.

-- Rob

Glad to see someone doing this! You going to do a whole progress follow along thread here?

(i hope this the right emoticon for wanting to watch along...)

Looking forward to taking this for a test drive...
Allen

Looks like a cool project Mark.


What are some of the benefits you expect to see from this? Smoother running? Better mileage? More power!!?

I'd love a 6cyl version Nice job man

Microsquirt cant do a 6 cyl. It only has two ignition and two injection drivers.

MicroSquirt can do 12 and 8 cylinder cars,,, I see no reason why it can't do a flat 6.


If you use the harness that's supplied with the MicroSquirt, and add to it, source a modern resistor block from a dismantler, one can still use the original injectors and save about a $800but it wouldn't be as plug and play as jkeyzer's harness.

-Rob

Why cant you batch fire a 6 like the 4 does?

Stock 911 Carrera Motronic batch fires the injectors with only 2 drivers. Seemed to work OK on my '87.

Tis what I am thinking

Batch firing injectors is fine... The ignition is where the microsquirt falls short. We have built a bunch of /6s w/o distributors... so I kind of forget that distributors still exist

We like to use waste fire ignition for the /6s we build and you can get a sort of semi-sequential without a cam sensor with some systems, That takes 6 drivers minimum. So yes I spoke off the cuff because the microsquirt cant handle the applications we typically set up.

Revisiting the microsquirt site, you can do a 6 using a distributor, and batch firing the injectors. If the software could let you reassign one of the injection drivers to be an ignition driver the many more possibilites open up.

After all I have a 900hp 935 clone in my stable that has batch fired injectors (and waste spark ignition)

Sorry for the confusion... I still plan on building a car with either microsquit or megasquirt at some point, justs to see what its all about...We've had all the big name EFI systems come through the shop in the past few year... I still like to see what else is out there..

not able to figure out the MAP reference. what is the "MAP"?

It's the sensor that reads:

Manifold
Absolute
Pressure

The number one reason is the customer wanted FI. But I expect all of the above, or at least equal carbs. I had carbs on this motor for about a week and it's a powerful little motor, but the carbs were never quite 100% (I didn't want to buy a bunch of jets for a temporary carb install). I'm looking forward to how this motor is going to feel with a dialed in FI. I'm planning on doing a 'seat-of-the-pants' tune and then going to a dyno shop to see how close it was and how much more can be gained by empirical tuning.

Megasquirt II and Microsquirt can be configured to use the ford EDIS (electronic Distributorless Ignition System) to use coil packs and the wasted spark setup.

The wasted spark setups that you (TimT) are using, are they built into the systems?


McMark, I'm going to venture to guess, since you are wanting stock configuration look, that you are using the distributor and going off of the tach sending wire for a signal to the Microsquirt?

Not so much that they are built into the system in that we configure the ECUs we use (Haltechs) for waste spark. It is all in the software configuration. We have been having a pretty good run lately installing about one per month E6X systems.

Dont want to hijack McMarks thread to much but here are some installs... We usually use Bosch 3 channel ignition modules..

3.7L Hi-output /6

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coil board set up

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I happen to have the engine of my car out while I regear the transmission ( yet again )

I used a Link ECU and the ignition module they supplied... this was another EFI system test....and yes Link is a good system... especially the G3 ecus... but I digress.

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In this pic you can see the TPS, IAT, CAS, and if you look really hard the knock sensor

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Sorry bout the hijack Mark

No problem. All good info.

I have more pictures to post tomorrow.

Here are some more pictures of the installation as it progresses.
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Here is the ECU mount. I forgot to take a picture of the mounting plate. It's a 5" x 5" square with two holes at the top to mount to the battery tray and four holes halfway down to mount the ECU. Nothing fancy.
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Really cool work.

Now if you really want a STEALTH system, take the ECU and put it in a gutted D-jet ECU case, and put the MAP sensor inside a gutted MPS.

I like the suggestion. Any Chance ?

So will you be supplying the fuel map/program for it ? Or is it something the end user will have to fiddle with.

When are you taking orders

So is this based on converting a D-Jet car to MicroSquirt or is this converting a carbed car to MicroSquirt?



Compared to going from carbs back to D-Jet (assuming you don't have any D-Jet parts already) what is going to cost more? D-Jet or MicroSquirt? I dunno for sure, but I'm thinking going from carbs to D-Jet would probably be in the $2k range.


anyway, this will be an interesting thread to watch.

DHunt did that. Said it was a royal PITA. This is stock enough for me. Not trying to win Parade Concours, just keep it looking more likely a 914 and less like a science experiment.


Costs would be about the same. If this becomes a kit, it will only need you to supply intake runners, plenum, throttle body, fuel pump, fuel regulator, fuel rails, stock cht sensor, and stock air temp sensor. I think that's it.

Very nice!

Mark, If I were doing this install I might do something a bit different..

I'd mount the ECU inside the the car.. You can get a nice hefty rubber grommet to pass the harness throught the firewall Grommet. Then the ECU is bit out of the weather, and from what I see of the microsquirt harness, the serial connector for your laptop will be inside the car.

In the 911s we mount the ECU under the drivers seat usually, on a shock mounted aluminum platform... In a 914 you could easily mount the brain on the firewall behind either the driver or passengers seat.. and snake the serial connector under the carpet along the tunnel..

Sit in the drivers seat...laptop on passenger seat and tune away

Just a thought

If this were a traditional MS install I would definitely do that. But since the MicroSquirt has FAR SUPERIOR connectors which are all weather proof, I'm not a bit concerned about water. It's designed to be mounted on open frame motorcycles. Also, the serial cable unplugs once tuning is complete. This install doesn't need any additional holes cut in the body. I'll take a picture in a minute to illustrate the seals.

The microsquirt uses ampseal(?) connectors. We used to use the exact same ones @ GE in our motor drives that had to be able to survive FDA type washdown duty. They are VERY well sealed connectors.

Tim, I've got a twin plug 911 w/ a haltech E11. Im sending you an email.

Here's the picture of the AMPSEAL connector. You can see the red seal around the perimeter.

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How did this thing turn out? Everything run alright? Where did you get the connectors from? I've got an ms3 board I'm going to put together at some point, but I'm going to stick with D jet until I feel a little more comfortable with it and have all of the parts put together to put it all together.

Before someone says not to change, I won't have a stock engine forever but I want to stick with FI.

How did this turn out?