Prep for 3.5 Megasquirt

And ditch the distributor...

That’s my plan. I’ve been researching whether to do smart COP’s with wasted spark or a ford EDIS style coil pack with a bosch 211 or quad spark igniter. I like the idea of using COP’s but I haven’t figured out which ones to use yet. I’m leaning towards audi R8 COP’s because there are lots of options for adapters. Most are like $80 for four but you can buy OEM ones for $6 each:

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine...MIh6Hosuv42AIVFqrsCh0ajQfSEAkYASABEgJi__D_BwE

Edit:
I don’t think I will be using R8 coils after all. I think they need a driver which I am trying to avoid.
 
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I am using the Coil Pack with Igniter from DIY (megasquirt). Works great as long as you don't burn the coil out with a long dwell setting in the S/W. I think originally I was at 3.5 ms and that burned out the coil on the way to see Peter in Austin after some spirited driving. I backed that off to about 2 ms (IIRC) and that seems to be working just fine.
 
I am using the Coil Pack with Igniter from DIY (megasquirt). Works great as long as you don't burn the coil out with a long dwell setting in the S/W. I think originally I was at 3.5 ms and that burned out the coil on the way to see Peter in Austin after some spirited driving. I backed that off to about 2 ms (IIRC) and that seems to be working just fine.

Thanks Andrew! That is my plan although I haven’t abandoned wasted COP’s. Honestly I’m sure a three coil pack like the one from DIY will last longer than COP’s. They are awfully close to the exhaust.
 
Thanks Drew and Markos for the commentary above, I'm learning allot.

I am requesting anyone unfortunate enough to be reading this who has the megasquirt set up in their e9 to send me some pictures of their engine bay from some different angles; I'm trying to do some custom wire-routing to clean up the engine bay and generally make more room for the engine. I have removed the battery tray as I'm relocating the battery to the trunk with a shock brace and mount. There are about 7 or 8 spot welds and a couple of bead welds holding the tray in place as well as the support brace which has 3 welds on each end. A spot weld bit on your drill is the best way to remove those welds but be careful not to punch through the inner fender :-(.

I was also able to get a differential brace kit from Carl (LJI) so I'll be adding that as well. Currently I'm held up on doing much more until I receive my pilot bearing and the new "pre-bent (we'll see how that goes)" brake line kit from WN in Germany along with a few other goodies. I have to get the engine and trans back in the car before I can pull out the windshield and put in the new dashboard because I don't have enough room and crap is already all over the place.
new engine20.jpg
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Peter- I’m at CoupeKing for the last week tuning 4 MS cars.
5 more MS at my shop in Alameda.
Heading home tomorrow and 5 hours of free time to talk while I drive.
You need a broaching bit for spot welds.
Call me after 7:00 am.
 
Peter- I’m at CoupeKing for the last week tuning 4 MS cars.
5 more MS at my shop in Alameda.
Heading home tomorrow and 5 hours of free time to talk while I drive.
You need a broaching bit for spot welds.
Call me after 7:00 am.


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Hi Folks,

I have a couple requests;

If anyone has a picture of how the steel brake lines are routed in the engine bay I could really use a shot- or diagram or something like that-especially around the master cyl.

Next, Does anyone know a source for an entire wiring harness, or has anyone done any custom wiring that they would like to share because mine is truly a mess, I can't see putting all this effort/$ into my little coupe without cleaning up the wiring.

new engine22.jpg


Thanks!
 
Hi Folks,

I have a couple requests;

If anyone has a picture of how the steel brake lines are routed in the engine bay I could really use a shot- or diagram or something like that-especially around the master cyl.

Next, Does anyone know a source for an entire wiring harness, or has anyone done any custom wiring that they would like to share because mine is truly a mess, I can't see putting all this effort/$ into my little coupe without cleaning up the wiring.

View attachment 40540

Thanks!

How stock do you want to stay ?
 
Don, Thanks, just wondering about cleaning up the headlights/fan/ all those little things in front of the engine. The wiring is old and could probably benefit from running new ones into a connection plug. Any thoughts are welcome but I think I'm going to give it a try

Markos, Thanks, that's exactly what I needed- I printed them out so I can follow them as I twist and bend.

Also, just as an FYI, and not to disparage W&N at all, but the "pre-bent brake lines" are "pre-bent" so they can fit in the box, you still have to do all the bends. On the plus side, the tubes can be carefully bent by hand but it's not just a snap-together job and I see myself messaging these lines more than once to get the look and fit I'm after.

Again, thanks everyone!!
 
3 cheers for Megasquirt and my friends Don and Peter! Wow, what a great thread that I'm joining late here. Peter, we are so glad to have you join our growing MS club and with support from the rest of us, including Drew, you will be in fine shape. And to have Don putting this in for you, well, all the better. He did mine back in 2011 and I was one of the first guinea pigs who tried this out. In fact, not only was I Don's first engine install but his first MS too with his partner at the time Dave.
Don and I had grown tired of used AFMs that wouldn't work well or Bosch motronic programming that was not too kean on 10:0 - 1 compression or big exhaust.

I have an MS1 box and it still works fine, although Don created the fear of God in me a few months ago when he told me what was happening with another one of his early dirty motor/MS customers, John Iverson. I will go MS3 as soon as Don or Vern gets out my way.

And the best part, Peter, is not what Don is doing with your car now but the mechanical hanging out with him as you've come to know. We had so much fun years back when I flew him out (2012 if I recall) to swap out one of his early harnesses that had shorted out during the Coupeking engine removal/reinstall. He brought a new properly filleted (as Don calls it) harness with him and we installed it over a weekend. While he was at it, he adjusted my valves and the car fired up the very first time! Unbelievable, and -- of course -- with Don you happen to drink a few bottles of wine in between.

Good job Peter! We will be comparing tunes soon enough! And it will be nice to introduce Bernadette to Blue Belle. I need to talk with Ohmes and organize a trip out your way or get you out here... We had too much fun at the last two Monterey events but we didn't have your car with us...
 
Proof that good wine and fast cars belong together!
 
Peter,

rewire the front lights with power from the battery, thru a fuse and to the lights. use the existing wiring to just power the relay. i did a drawing on this based on an early post from stevehose - original post was in march of last year.

2800cs - front light wiring - driving.JPG
 
Also, just as an FYI, and not to disparage W&N at all, but the "pre-bent brake lines" are "pre-bent" so they can fit in the box, you still have to do all the bends. On the plus side, the tubes can be carefully bent by hand but it's not just a snap-together job and I see myself messaging these lines more than once to get the look and fit I'm after.

I have the same W&N brake lines sitting in their shipping box waiting for their turn to be installed. I'd suggest not trying to form them by hand. The tendency is to kink and that weakens them and it doesn't look good. There are bending tools for just such work that will let you make smooth bends. Eastwood has two, both of which I own, but like the new lines, haven't used yet.

https://www.eastwood.com/ew-brake-forming-tool.html
https://www.eastwood.com/tubing-bender-rolling.html

They have a tubing straightener as well, but it can't be used on tubing with formed ends, so it's of no help for the W&N lines. I chose to not buy bulk brake line and form the ends myself.
 
Peter, here are a few shots of the new brake lines in my car.
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Peter - Here is the way I installed the Bosch coil pack to run wasted spark using the MS Quad spark driver. It is mounted at the old distributor location. This allows me to use available BMW spark plug wires and keeps the spirit of the original distributor location. BTW you can get labeled wires from DIYauto. I ran all new wires (except the ones to the front clip that were not upgraded for the headlight relays/wires).

IMG_6057.jpg
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