So I am sitting here reading up on some fuel management systems in Import Tuner and I come across the Magasquirt "do it your self" system. (Sorry if this is a repost). It seems that this system could be built into a full stand alone system that up to now would cost around 5k for the Z.

I don't know if anyone here has tried the system, but if there is interest with a little group effort and some input from tuner gurues we could make our owne stand alone unit!?! I am just touching the surface of this and for all I know a solution for the Z is already developed.

Anyone have any more info on this before I imerse my self in this for hours just to find that we should just start a GB on UTEC's

 

I know that article you're talking about. Unless you know what you're doing, i wouldn't mess with it. Just buy a used UTEC from these boards for like $600 or something and call it good. I thought about the same thing you are, but it's like this. With a billion members on these boards and the thousands that tune their own cars, i have a feeling that at least ONE person would have tried it. And if it worked, was cheaper and better than the systems we have to choose from now, there'd probably be a sticky about it in the tuning section?? But... if you're smart and know what you're doing, maybe you could be the person to make it happen?! Good luck brotha!

 

Well I am thinking there are guys out there more capable, but I will look around and see if I can find someone that has at least tried Knowing me I will turn the engine into aluminum cans in a heart beat so I am definately looking for a starting point at least.

 

Not sure if any one has used Magasquirt here on their Z, but I have seen them on some ghetto ricer cars.

I guess it works, but seems to be low end like APC or Reactive lol.

 

If you are going to drop $5k on engine management, why not go with a platform made for the car....Motec, F Con, or Magnetti Marelli. Both have Z specific ecu's, and both are far more capable than a megasquirt

 

I think the megasquirt can be had for alot less then $5k, try around $400. THe problem is its not Z specific so youll have some figureing to do but that might be you thing since you have to assemble the megasquirt too. Map is only 12x12 for fuel and timing last time i checked too.

 

Being a part of the Probe/mx6 community (daily driver) I found out about Megasquirt, it is an awesome stand alone engine management system.

Peking you would be very surprised to find out the kind of cars running these systems.

Megasquirt is a very capable system and should not be underestimated just because it is something you can build for very little and program yourself. There is a whole community is MS users out there and they all contribute there knowledge and talents back into the system. eg easy to use interface programs, various add on boards.

I was going to build one of these for my PGT before I decided to buy my Z, IIRC MS cannot be used with cable less throttle body and requires a distributor or some sort of ignition module/transitor. I do not think it has the capability to control cams for VVT, but that was a couple years back.

Here is the site...
http://www.megasquirt.info/index.html

 

Thanks for your input guys.

Peking/ Z1 sorry for not explaining myself better. My point is that you can build the MS into a system that is comparable to a 5k system. The MS is only about 200 do it yourself or you can have someone put it together for your specific car for a few dollars.

Meatbag I believe it is still 12x12 is this a problem?

Sleepy 79 Thank you for your input I believe there is now a way to controll the cams, but I am not sure about the cable less throttle body.

I did a search to see if I could find a write up for a 350Z sollution, but I did not find anything. I am thus assuming that people that no more about these than I do decided it was not a good choice for the Z. I am still going to look at the site and see if I can dig something up, you certainly learn alot about engine management on the site.

 

octogogles - but the truth is, that you cannot build the MS into something comparable to an Electromotive/ HKS F Con/AEM/Marelli/Motec?Pectel, etc. - the Megasquirt resolution is similar to what a TEC II was (about 10 years ago) in terms of it's resolution, and a MS cannot control a drive by wire. It has other limitations as well, that you can read about (and which they explain on their site).

So, while it can be a cost effective solution for someone handy, and willing to do their own setup/building of an EMS, it tends to work better on older cars, where the owner is looking for a cost effective DIY EMS solution

 

You're right about the Megasquirt not being able to control throttle by wire. But I ran one for a year with 12x12 table, self-tuned, maing 403whp and 345lb-ft of torque at 22psi on a SOHC 2.0L Neon. Mine was setup to read directly from the crank sensor, so it wasn't too much of a hassel. The MS only handled the ignition and fuel side only. Meaning that you can run your stock ecu for everything else except ignition and fuel. Work well, but you have to remember there is no help with this, you have to build it yourself.

Concnering the 12x12 though, people out there are now running Megasquirt 2 which has 24x24 tables and over the last 2 years people have developed, autotune features which works great when trying to get a good street map when you're not on the dyno. I personally would not go this route on a daily driver ever again, like some people state I would go Z-specifc ECU's. To be honest with anyone I never thought any mentioning of the Megasquirt would come up in these forums, I was approached by a programmer a couple months ago to develope the code but I refused due to the fact that we have Z-specific stuff out there.

 

Oh I don't doubt it, hate to say for myself I am a bit of a label *****... So even though it can do the job, I would still look at it as if...

I bought a Weapon R intake than a Injen or AEM intake


Not a expert, but my buddy uses Megasquirt on his Dodge Neon R/T (he installed the SRT-4 Turbo stuff)... So he paid less than I did, but he spent alot more time putting it together, wiring, etc...

So can you do it yourself, you sure can... My buddy did, but with his Neon he didn't have alot of EMS options.

And it is kinda ghetto, I would be worried about driving his car on a long trip lol.

 

I find MS to be more of a hobbyists for of management and really not a real solution comparable to anything else on the market specifically for the 350z. It hasn't been tried because the sort of stock management the ECU has is pretty advanced and a lot of the factory sensors are pretty complicated. I looked at using MS on another nissan i had and I was looking at having to change out my crank sensor for a GM unit and welding a trigger and wheel to my crank pulley, plus some other BS.........and I decided all that trouble wasn't worth the basic format.

 

Well It seems that the path has been walked down and the answer is that the MS is not right for the Z. Thanks alot for all your input guys, you saved me a bundle of time

 

hey dude, i might be selling my HKS fcon, you in texas, im in dallas

 

I'm running MegaSquirtII on my VQ35DE which I put in a 240sx with a 350z 6 speed tranny. I really like MS but it's not easy to install and setup, it's very do-it-yourself (which I like). You have to be willing to learn a lot about EFI, everything infact (which I also like).

No offense but I don't think the "350Z crowd" is really cut out for MS. Seems like most owners of expensive cars want hands off "solutions" that they can "source" for their cars instead of pursuing DIY type projects.

You can read about my project here if you like:
www.engineswaptech.com

also it was featured in SCC magazine in August.

I have most all of the details already worked out for someone wanting to run MS in a 350Z if anyone has any questions hit me up at the link I posted.

 

props on the work

 

Thanks. Did you ever finish up that intake manifold in your avatar? Looked great when I last heard about it a few months ago.

Fred

 

yes we did finish it. but we never tested it on the high HP FI cars it was intended for... just a NA car were the results were poor and expected. Since I closed the shop and stopped building cars for people, I havent had the time / access to put it on a car for testing. We also figured that someone needs to build a truely high quality twin fuel pump system to get the cars into the HP where such an aggressive manifold could be a benefit... so we have been playing with that.

 

I see, but why didn't you just pop it on your car after all that work? (I'm assuming the black Z in your sig is your car)

Fred

 

I sold the dyno to a friend, and I never really get on it anymore