Has anyone had them be upgrade done to their preserp 500?
Discussion
It can’t be underestimated how much happier the engines run on a decent modern system imo.
What’s also great about these systems is being able to plug a lap top in and monitor what’s going on, I always feared heavy traffic mostly because the temp gauge goes off the scale and though I’d check things like hose pressure and the like I was never convinced the engine was not running to hot until I watched the Ecu temp reading on a lap top after I’d had Mbe about a year, rock solid temps of 89/90 for nearly 40 mins on tickover. It gives a different level of confidence entirely.
What’s also great about these systems is being able to plug a lap top in and monitor what’s going on, I always feared heavy traffic mostly because the temp gauge goes off the scale and though I’d check things like hose pressure and the like I was never convinced the engine was not running to hot until I watched the Ecu temp reading on a lap top after I’d had Mbe about a year, rock solid temps of 89/90 for nearly 40 mins on tickover. It gives a different level of confidence entirely.
Are you talking about these people? http://www.mbesystems.com/index.html
RichB said:
Are you talking about these people? http://www.mbesystems.com/index.html
Yes. Powers Performance formally TVR Power supply and fit these Ecu and have been doing so for many years on the later cars and again more recently for the RV8 based cars.
It’s probably the most expensive of the after market options for our cars but is type approved for Tvr which for me was important.
The latest versions have all sorts of tools and goodies, knock sensor etc etc and you can even get a small screen that’s actually designed to fit on race car steering wheels that can give you many parimeters on screen, set it up to flag you if things like water temps get to high and many more options.
The fact it’s been built with both motorsport and just as importantly imo water sports applications in mind it’s flipping bullet proof from my short experience with it.
I’ve said it before and I’ll happily say it again the wiring harness is the best I’ve seen and makes the old Landrover loom look very poor in comparison.
I’ve had a bad experience hitting standing water at speed which almost drowned the car with huge plumes of steam coming out my Chim’s bonnet vents which I’d expect to stall almost any vehicle but it didn’t even misfire once.
I seem to think or have read in the past Mbe were first used for big engined speed boat racing applications and after my bad experience I can well believe it.
There is one thing some people don’t like about it and that is it doesn’t use any form of stepper motor for idle control so on extremely cold days might require a touch of throttle after initial start up but in my experience mine will run on tickover within seconds. I really don’t like stepper or idle control valves so removing what can be a problematic area is fine by me.
Less things to go wrong.
Basically as I understand it the cold start map takes this into account so enriches the mix and uses timing to help ease the engine over the compression stroke until it’s warmed a bit.
Hope this helps
ETA
With any engine management system it’s only as good as the mapper who works with it which is why so many opt for the Emerald fitted by Joolz of Kits and Classics fame and I view Jay at Powers to be in the same league.
Your in very safe hands
Edited by Classic Chim on Saturday 12th January 00:52
RichB said:
Thanks CC.
No worries, it’s a big decision. One thing I’ve done since is add Iridium plugs with the slightly hotter 6 rating which seems to help engine warm up no end, you will have a fatter spark with coil packs and although they are expensive last at least 3 times as long, I still loosen the plugs every few thou miles just so they don’t get hard to remove and usually just pull a couple out to check colour etc.
Ask Jason his view on these as just the standard 6 Type are probably just as good but will require changing as part of the standard 4/6000 miles service rather than lasting nearer 20,000 miles.
It’s probably the biggest technical change I’ve ever done to a car and it took me 6 months before I was totally convinced but that’s just my worrying nature
I’d never go back so that tells it’s own story.
We all want a modern Tvr with a big fat V8,,, I’ve already got one
Goodluck not that you’ll need it.
http://www.powersperformance.co.uk/media/cache/ab/...
That was useful,,,,
£2495 + Vat.
Not cheap but excellence never is.
That was useful,,,,
£2495 + Vat.
Not cheap but excellence never is.
Edited by Classic Chim on Saturday 12th January 11:53
Classic Chim said:
It can’t be underestimated how much happier the engines run on a decent modern system imo.
What’s also great about these systems is being able to plug a lap top in and monitor what’s going on, I always feared heavy traffic mostly because the temp gauge goes off the scale and though I’d check things like hose pressure and the like I was never convinced the engine was not running to hot until I watched the Ecu temp reading on a lap top after I’d had Mbe about a year, rock solid temps of 89/90 for nearly 40 mins on tickover. It gives a different level of confidence entirely.
A point worth adding to your post is that the fans are controlled by the ECU with the MBE conversion, so no more dodgy otter switch problems either.What’s also great about these systems is being able to plug a lap top in and monitor what’s going on, I always feared heavy traffic mostly because the temp gauge goes off the scale and though I’d check things like hose pressure and the like I was never convinced the engine was not running to hot until I watched the Ecu temp reading on a lap top after I’d had Mbe about a year, rock solid temps of 89/90 for nearly 40 mins on tickover. It gives a different level of confidence entirely.
I'm more than happy with the upgrade. Cold starting isn't an issue with mine. It does crank for a bit longer than it did before the upgrade, but it then idles (a bit lumpily admittedly for a couple of minutes) without having to touch the throttle pedal. When warmed up, the engine will pull from 7/800 revs in fifth with no shunting.
As you have posted before, another one of the benefits of the conversion is the really, really, really tidy wiring under the bonnet. The old under bonnet loom is junked. Given that mine was 20 years old, that's no bad thing.
ou sont les biscuits said:
A point worth adding to your post is that the fans are controlled by the ECU with the MBE conversion, so no more dodgy otter switch problems either.
I'm more than happy with the upgrade. Cold starting isn't an issue with mine. It does crank for a bit longer than it did before the upgrade, but it then idles (a bit lumpily admittedly for a couple of minutes) without having to touch the throttle pedal. When warmed up, the engine will pull from 7/800 revs in fifth with no shunting.
As you have posted before, another one of the benefits of the conversion is the really, really, really tidy wiring under the bonnet. The old under bonnet loom is junked. Given that mine was 20 years old, that's no bad thing.
That’s one of the reasons I went for the hotter plugs as it clears it’s throat quicker and I get the perfect plug colour now. I'm more than happy with the upgrade. Cold starting isn't an issue with mine. It does crank for a bit longer than it did before the upgrade, but it then idles (a bit lumpily admittedly for a couple of minutes) without having to touch the throttle pedal. When warmed up, the engine will pull from 7/800 revs in fifth with no shunting.
As you have posted before, another one of the benefits of the conversion is the really, really, really tidy wiring under the bonnet. The old under bonnet loom is junked. Given that mine was 20 years old, that's no bad thing.
I’m not sure if it’s my imagination but over time the mapping seems to just get better and better.
Considering once the engines got even a small amount of heat into it this slight groggy ness disappears which makes me suspect it’s more about some condensation or oil contamination, I’ve noticed if I fire it from cold and raise the idle to an instant 12/1500 revs it dissapears within a few seconds so not really anything to do with the system itself as far as I can tell.
I’ve never liked raised revs on any cold engine so the fact I can slowly bring this up myself is what I sort of wanted all along but it’s very much a personal thing.
I'd add, whever does it for you, make sure they rolling road it after.
I know it is a different car, but I converted my Westfield Seight with a 4.2 RV8 from a dizzy, to megajolt (same ballpark as MBE, just open source), I did it as the dizzy needed replacing and I though, "why not", and I can fine tune the ignition etc. Only cost a few hundred quid, and easy to fit, and a new toy to play with. (with ecu fan control etc.)
However, I then had to pay for a rolling road setup (and this was a carb'd car, so less to do), and then, I found you are open to a lot more hassle if you have a problem further down the road.
Mine whould stop revving over 5600 (it used to rev clean to 6500 - Rodes lifters and other bits). Like a rev limit cut. Problem just arrived one day.
Previously, an igition problem would mean checking:
Dizzy
Plugs
HT leads
Coil
Now, an ignition problem meant checking (and possibly replacing one at a time).
Plugs
HT leads
Coil packs (2 x 4)
Crank position sensor
Crank position sensor spacing
Crank timing (toothed) wheel positioning (equivalent of dizzy rotation, in a crude way - can be treaked in software)
Megajolt wiring (MBE equiv)
EDIS ignition module
A massive pain in the arse and I wish I'd just replaced the dizzy for what was a faultless , clean revving, very powerful engine. I'm all for new tech, and I'm fairly sure the MBE is way better quality than a megajolt, but I'll never upgrade anything like that again UNLESS I have a problem that needs sorting.
I know it is a different car, but I converted my Westfield Seight with a 4.2 RV8 from a dizzy, to megajolt (same ballpark as MBE, just open source), I did it as the dizzy needed replacing and I though, "why not", and I can fine tune the ignition etc. Only cost a few hundred quid, and easy to fit, and a new toy to play with. (with ecu fan control etc.)
However, I then had to pay for a rolling road setup (and this was a carb'd car, so less to do), and then, I found you are open to a lot more hassle if you have a problem further down the road.
Mine whould stop revving over 5600 (it used to rev clean to 6500 - Rodes lifters and other bits). Like a rev limit cut. Problem just arrived one day.
Previously, an igition problem would mean checking:
Dizzy
Plugs
HT leads
Coil
Now, an ignition problem meant checking (and possibly replacing one at a time).
Plugs
HT leads
Coil packs (2 x 4)
Crank position sensor
Crank position sensor spacing
Crank timing (toothed) wheel positioning (equivalent of dizzy rotation, in a crude way - can be treaked in software)
Megajolt wiring (MBE equiv)
EDIS ignition module
A massive pain in the arse and I wish I'd just replaced the dizzy for what was a faultless , clean revving, very powerful engine. I'm all for new tech, and I'm fairly sure the MBE is way better quality than a megajolt, but I'll never upgrade anything like that again UNLESS I have a problem that needs sorting.
I have a `94 500 pre-serp. Two years into my MBE and Taraka re-build. Best thing I did.
The rebuild is expensive (and I had liners fitted too), but I think the MBE upgrade part is really good value for what you get.
Dom had it on the rollers after it`s running in and I now have 301HP at the wheels, which I am very happy with.
The rebuild is expensive (and I had liners fitted too), but I think the MBE upgrade part is really good value for what you get.
Dom had it on the rollers after it`s running in and I now have 301HP at the wheels, which I am very happy with.
Gassing Station | Griffith | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff