About to start Chimaera Speeduino install

[Fenderer]

I must be mad but after years of struggling and failing to get a reliable working car with the distributor/ Lucas 14Cux, setup, I've decided to junk the lot and go aftermarket ECU. Megasquirt was looking really attractive until I discovered Speeduino which I think will do everything I need. I've got some experience building high level audio gear so hopefully the building side of it hopefully shouldn't be an issue. In terms of implementation and tuning, it really doesn't look any different to a Megasquirt install and TunerStudio runs on it too.

First step building the box... Any other owners out there running this?

Would be interested to know how you've tackled the trigger wheel. The setup allows for both VR and Hall sensors but I think a Hall sensor is a better solution and won't need any signal conditioning before input to the ECU.

[Zener]

Good luck lots of info here https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... and elsewhere on this group in a search lots of us using the likes of Megasquirt/Emerald/MBE/Canems

[Belle427]

Good luck, I enjoyed installing MS2 and got to learn a lot about tuning etc.
Night and day difference over the 14cux and I was a bit sceptical about how much better it could be.
I found keeping the original stepper motor a bit of a pita and quite difficult to tune cold starts so this was the only tricky area for me.

[geordiepingu]

Ford VR sensor and trigger wheel from trigger-wheels.com will be the path of least resistance in terms of setting up and fitting on the engine. A well grounded system with shielded cable and the appropriate circuitry on the ECU will not cause you any problems. The small cost in the additional conditioner board is worth it for having an easy to fit trigger setup.

Fun fact, before I went MS, I was looking at a guy producing this STM based Speeduino ECU which is basically a Speeduino on steroids. When I came to buy though the guy was having issues with his supplies, something about a global pandemic. Perhaps my next complete ECU swap will have one of these.
https://www.everythingfuelinjection.com/store/STM-...

Edited by geordiepingu on Wednesday 1st December 23:47

[ric355]

Fenderer said:

I must be mad but after years of struggling and failing to get a reliable working car with the distributor/ Lucas 14Cux, setup, I've decided to junk the lot and go aftermarket ECU. Megasquirt was looking really attractive until I discovered Speeduino which I think will do everything I need. I've got some experience building high level audio gear so hopefully the building side of it hopefully shouldn't be an issue. In terms of implementation and tuning, it really doesn't look any different to a Megasquirt install and TunerStudio runs on it too.

First step building the box... Any other owners out there running this?

Would be interested to know how you've tackled the trigger wheel. The setup allows for both VR and Hall sensors but I think a Hall sensor is a better solution and won't need any signal conditioning before input to the ECU.

Yes I've been running Speeduino in my Chimaera for about 3 years.

Trigger wheel is an RV8 wheel from trigger-wheels.com. It's a 36-1, sandwiched between the crank pulley and damper. I use a BMW E36 hall effect sensor.
I wouldn't use a VR lots of people have trouble with them, although some swear by them. But 99% of trigger signal problems are from people with VR sensors. In my opinion it's only worth trying to use a VR conditioner with Speedy if you are trying to re-use OEM kit, but since the Chimaera doesn't have one, hall is a better option.

[Fenderer]

Thanks guys, good to know there are others way ahead of me on this.

Yeah the BMW hall effect sensor is looking more attractive to me.

Still acquiring parts but will be building the ECU over the Xmas break.

Edited by Fenderer on Tuesday 7th December 20:13

[Fenderer]

I've finally made some progress albeit slow on the Speeduino install. The board for the ECU is 90% done. Trigger wheel done, just needs truing up and mounting and I've made a custom plate attaching to the plenum to mount the VW coil packs.