Lucas ECU is no more......
Discussion
Hi all,
This has been an ongoing project probably the best part of two years...
it started off with me getting a Haltech sprint 500 after market ECU, wideband controller, all the fuel and ignition wiring harness and a locked distributor. The ECU fitted nicely in the clove box.
the black box above is the wideband controller, we fitted one sensor in the right side just under the gearbox where it goes into one, not much room.....
I really wanted to do all this and keep the car looking as original as possible, Zig was kind enough to send me an old AFM which i dismantled and welded up as a straight through pipe
It now uses a MAP sensor this passes through the bulkhead where the wiring harness goes so i made a cover that splits because we had to pass all the injector plugs etc through and the MAP sensor pipe..
ill post more later
cheers
Adam
This has been an ongoing project probably the best part of two years...
it started off with me getting a Haltech sprint 500 after market ECU, wideband controller, all the fuel and ignition wiring harness and a locked distributor. The ECU fitted nicely in the clove box.
the black box above is the wideband controller, we fitted one sensor in the right side just under the gearbox where it goes into one, not much room.....
I really wanted to do all this and keep the car looking as original as possible, Zig was kind enough to send me an old AFM which i dismantled and welded up as a straight through pipe
It now uses a MAP sensor this passes through the bulkhead where the wiring harness goes so i made a cover that splits because we had to pass all the injector plugs etc through and the MAP sensor pipe..
ill post more later
cheers
Adam
...I thought you only wanted to borrow it to test it...That belonged to someone else.....
...Only kidding...Looks great... I was pondering about doing something similar with the flapper unit on my car.
I'd not heard of Haltech before, is the ECU designed for road use? I'll be interested to see how you get on with tuning the engine; my experience with megasquirt is that full power is easy, part load and cold starts are the problem.
I'd not heard of Haltech before, is the ECU designed for road use? I'll be interested to see how you get on with tuning the engine; my experience with megasquirt is that full power is easy, part load and cold starts are the problem.
t that I ripped out of it Zig!The Hatter said:
Looks great... I was pondering about doing something similar with the flapper unit on my car.
I'd not heard of Haltech before, is the ECU designed for road use? I'll be interested to see how you get on with tuning the engine; my experience with megasquirt is that full power is easy, part load and cold starts are the problem.
I think haltech has much the same features as megasquirt, I just wanted to get rid of the old mechanical system and go for something a bit more modern, while keeping the sx looking (and sounding, it still pops and bangs on decel) original, I still wanted the afm and distributor etc to look right. I'd not heard of Haltech before, is the ECU designed for road use? I'll be interested to see how you get on with tuning the engine; my experience with megasquirt is that full power is easy, part load and cold starts are the problem.
www.haltech.com.au
Adam
Edited by Oz2 on Sunday 17th January 00:59
Once we had it all wired up an installed we turned the key and it started, just on a map for a standard rover.
We got it, well I should say Lindsay got it running well up to 2500RPM and then we had a fault in the ignition,
Long story short the ignition module was buggered....
So after some stuffing around I ended up taking it for a tune (we had the part off the car but no way if testing it so that why we put it on the rollers.....
Even there it took a while as the guy wanted to go over everything....
So he lashed on a spare coil/module from a LS1 which isn't great as it's only 1 of 8 on the LS. and on mine it's running all 8, anyway it got it running and made it possible to tune.
The other problem we had was 45 degrees and I'm not talking advance.....it was 'kin hot!!
We got it, well I should say Lindsay got it running well up to 2500RPM and then we had a fault in the ignition,
Long story short the ignition module was buggered....
So after some stuffing around I ended up taking it for a tune (we had the part off the car but no way if testing it so that why we put it on the rollers.....
Even there it took a while as the guy wanted to go over everything....
So he lashed on a spare coil/module from a LS1 which isn't great as it's only 1 of 8 on the LS. and on mine it's running all 8, anyway it got it running and made it possible to tune.
The other problem we had was 45 degrees and I'm not talking advance.....it was 'kin hot!!
Edited by Oz2 on Sunday 17th January 03:39
So all said and done
I got 1run to give me a power printout, not the best day for it being so hot, the blower was certainly pumping some hot air over 100deg....
And the heath robinson coil set up but it was working.
And the result was 177.7 at the wheels
Which I'm told is about 215-220 at the flywheel....
I got to take it out for its first run this morning (much cooler day 1/2 the temp of Thursday) and I have to say its a completely different beast, so much better.
Well worth all the effort.
Thanks again Lindsay!
I'm told another run with a proper coil and ignition amp and on a cooler day I should get at least another 20hp perhaps more....we will see I'm keen to go again, I will take my ear muffs though next time.
It would be nice to tip the 200hp:-)
Cheers
Adam
I got 1run to give me a power printout, not the best day for it being so hot, the blower was certainly pumping some hot air over 100deg....
And the heath robinson coil set up but it was working.
And the result was 177.7 at the wheels
Which I'm told is about 215-220 at the flywheel....
I got to take it out for its first run this morning (much cooler day 1/2 the temp of Thursday) and I have to say its a completely different beast, so much better.
Well worth all the effort.
Thanks again Lindsay!
I'm told another run with a proper coil and ignition amp and on a cooler day I should get at least another 20hp perhaps more....we will see I'm keen to go again, I will take my ear muffs though next time.
It would be nice to tip the 200hp:-)
Cheers
Adam
Nice work, yeah even with max 28C with plenty of airflow on a sunny day the drop in power is noticeable, let alone 45C sitting in a shed!
The temperature rise in the airflow is to be expected from Boyle's law. One day I'll get around to sorting out water injection for mine, - I don't want to go down the intercooler route.
The temperature rise in the airflow is to be expected from Boyle's law. One day I'll get around to sorting out water injection for mine, - I don't want to go down the intercooler route.
adam quantrill said:
Nice work, yeah even with max 28C with plenty of airflow on a sunny day the drop in power is noticeable, let alone 45C sitting in a shed!
The temperature rise in the airflow is to be expected from Boyle's law. One day I'll tget around to sorting out water injection for mine, - I don't want to go down the intercooler route.
Hi adam,The temperature rise in the airflow is to be expected from Boyle's law. One day I'll tget around to sorting out water injection for mine, - I don't want to go down the intercooler route.
I can't wait to take it for a run in winter... We even get 1 or 2 frosts where we live as well as 45deg so winter is dyno time....
Yes I've thought about intercoolers but it works without it I'm still undecided...
How were you thinking of doing the water injection?
Have you had yours on the dyno? If so any numbers?
Cheers
Adam
Edited by Oz2 on Sunday 17th January 20:38
Edited by Oz2 on Sunday 17th January 20:41
Yeah it was on the rollers at BBWF, a fairly hot day (well hot for here about 24C) and got about 220 I think at the wheels.
However the mixture is on the rich side, also the plugs needed changing and it felt better after doing that.
I was thinking of water injection just before the blower and triggered on <90% throttle, you don't need it on anything less. I got an old washer bottle for the purpose but need to get a "round tuit" as they say. A splash of meths in the water is supposed to work wonders too.
However the mixture is on the rich side, also the plugs needed changing and it felt better after doing that.
I was thinking of water injection just before the blower and triggered on <90% throttle, you don't need it on anything less. I got an old washer bottle for the purpose but need to get a "round tuit" as they say. A splash of meths in the water is supposed to work wonders too.
I have been watching some myth busting about cold air feeds and aftermarket filters and in a lot of cases they actually restrict the flow and you lose power...However the guys doing this are based in NSW, However the testing was done in a hot climate... Albeit them using a Dyno fan to cool the air...Which if you delve into the science behind it is flawed with conflicting elements...So not as true as they claim.
Im still on the fence about this...But it kind of makes sense...LB for £ though I'm not sure?
S-Max ice tube
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=...
Im still on the fence about this...But it kind of makes sense...LB for £ though I'm not sure?
S-Max ice tube
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=...
Very interested in how you do the water injection Adam......
220 at the wheels isn't bad, the guy at the dyno thinks on a cooler day I should get near to 200, I'll be stoaked if I do from a 350...
I did look at water to air but not sure it will work on the sx.
What do you think the reason your cold start isn't great Martin?
Mine hunts at first but sorts itself, we did have it sorted but need to look at it.
Cheers
Adam
220 at the wheels isn't bad, the guy at the dyno thinks on a cooler day I should get near to 200, I'll be stoaked if I do from a 350...
I did look at water to air but not sure it will work on the sx.
What do you think the reason your cold start isn't great Martin?
Mine hunts at first but sorts itself, we did have it sorted but need to look at it.
Cheers
Adam
The car will generally fire up straight away but would sometimes hunt,stall or throw a lot of condensation/fuel out of the exhaust. There's lots of parameters to play with in the tuning software so it's a question of balancing it all to get the best performance.
The engine is standard so I'm attempting to get it to behave like a modern car; ie fire up straight away, fast idle at 1200rpm ish when cold, ramping down to a 850rpm ish idle when warm. It's almost there now; but you only get one cold start a day and of course the ambient temperature varies, so it takes a long time to get it right. Hot starts are a bit of a game too but at least you can try it several times in a day.
What kind of idle valve do you have on the SX, did you keep the original bi-metallic one?
The engine is standard so I'm attempting to get it to behave like a modern car; ie fire up straight away, fast idle at 1200rpm ish when cold, ramping down to a 850rpm ish idle when warm. It's almost there now; but you only get one cold start a day and of course the ambient temperature varies, so it takes a long time to get it right. Hot starts are a bit of a game too but at least you can try it several times in a day.
What kind of idle valve do you have on the SX, did you keep the original bi-metallic one?
Hi Martin,
I see what you mean and I know how little the adjustments are....
Lindsay who I mentioned earlier has megasquirt on his and is very good at understanding and tuning it, he would have got mine tuned if it wasn't for a random ignition fault and my lack of spare time.
I think he will be at BBWF this year maybe you can catch up.....
Will you be there? 350 or seac or both???
I do still have the standard bi metallic idle valve, we had it working really well, as I said it hunts at the moment but we can sort that.
Your in Essex aren't you? My old stomping ground!
I see what you mean and I know how little the adjustments are....
Lindsay who I mentioned earlier has megasquirt on his and is very good at understanding and tuning it, he would have got mine tuned if it wasn't for a random ignition fault and my lack of spare time.
I think he will be at BBWF this year maybe you can catch up.....
Will you be there? 350 or seac or both???
I do still have the standard bi metallic idle valve, we had it working really well, as I said it hunts at the moment but we can sort that.
Your in Essex aren't you? My old stomping ground!
Edited by Oz2 on Monday 18th January 21:31
Edited by Oz2 on Monday 18th January 21:34
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