Mega Squirt????

[Stuntman]

Please can you tell me what Mega Squirt is, where I can have it done etc and how much

[foggyjames]

Megasquirt is a DIY programmable engine management system. The kit costs a little over £100 (IIRC) if you assemble it yourself, or about £180 boxed, assembled, and ready to go. Then you need it installing, and tuning. You can take it to a dyno for tuning (there are places which will map it from an idle map to completion in 3 hours, and for about £150), or you can tune it yourself on-road using a wideband oxygen sensor (~£120, with a laptop) and some know-how.

It's not for the faint hearted, to be honest. Whatever the MS gods on TBricks say, there are more cars tuned badly than well on TB. If you don't want to make learning about MS and tuning the focus of your automotive existance for the next few months, I'd buy a kit, take it to a performance development place, have them install and tune it, and pay what it costs. If you get change out of £750, consider yourself to have done well. If you DIY it (with a LOT of learning added in), you should be up and running for around half that.

Having said that, if you're building a modified engine, programmable really is the only way to go. Short-term financial pain, but very much worth it in terms of getting the most out of your setup whilst keeping MPG as good as you'll get it.

EDIT: Plus, how many ricers can plug their laptop in for MO' POWAH!

cheers

James

[Ronnie]

Mega Squirt is a cheap, open source, user programmable electronic engine management system. It controls your injectors, and can even control spark too. See here:

http://www.bgsoflex.com/megasquirt.html

Most people build these systems themselves. Even if you're not an electronics whizz you're probably not too old to start learning, MS is supposed to be an educational project. But if you're too busy and/or too rich, Bill Shurvinton will probably build you a system.

Once it's installed, it's quite easy to tweak your FI system dependant on accumulated data, and on what you want to do with your car at the time. If you're going for a serious engine upgrade this is probably the best way to gain peak performance from it.

BTW I'm no MS expert, I just read a lot You're probably better off talking to Pettaw:

http://www.volvo300mania.com/forum-uk/v ... php?t=2286

Cheers

[Stuntman]

Thanks chaps, I feel an interweb search evening coming on tonight

[jtbo]

I did this without experience from electronics.

http://www.janiervast.com/gallery/v/alb ... ?g2_page=1

I would say it was easy, I have not very experienced with car stuff as I have not disassembled engine, that was actually my first manifold replacement too.
I even needed to buy all tools that were needed, I had nothing before. Total cost was rather high for that reason, I think with toolsets and all I managed to spend over 2000€, I think that under 1000€ would be easily possible, even converting carb to fuel injection as I did.

Bit of planning and thinking ahead, needed, also lot of common sense

My car could use of cold start tuning and temp sensor resistors should be replaced and then drive a bit to refine fuelmap, but can't afford gas at the moment
At the moment I'm totally broke However not because of Megasquirt, but because cost efficency, I was suddenly too much at company where I did worked so now I would have time to build megasquirt more, but not money