126 replies to this topic

[mini13]

Ive been playing with one of these recently for a mate, (hence the throttle body balancing) we are just using the std basemap at the moment, but I found i needed to lean it out at idle otherwise the plugs started to foul, it seemed ok elsewhere. it sounds like we are at the ssame stage as you, getting it ready for an MOT. so we can then take it to SC for mapping

 

Have you got a WB installed on there? ( appologies if ive already asked that) and are you able to get in and edit the fuel map? other thoughts, is the fuel pressure the same.

 

We found that the idle mix was rich enough that the lamda correcton was off the scale ( so presuably it couldnt correct enough) so i edged that cell down in the map to bring the correction to close to zero (when its warm and off "choke""

 

 

 

Update: it officially runs! But I'm not out of the woods yet.

Whilst the engine is now indeed running, it's not as smooth as it could be. It sounds quite clattery down the bottom, but John at SC sent me videos of it on the dyno and it's smooth as silk.

It also struggles to rev when I'm gentle with the throttle. If I give it the beans then it revs up just fine. But if I just tap the throttle very lightly a few times, then it starts to cough and splutter, and I have to give it more to stop it from dying.

The plugs are also completely black each time I check them. I've questioned John about the possibility of the Injectors being too big, but he assures me that the plugs will clean up once it comes off the cold start enrichment. I'm tempted to try some smaller injectors, but I have no idea where to source these or if they'd even be a direct swap.

So this is where I am currently. I'd love to keep this going and get more opinions from those more knowledgeable than me.

Cheers
Chris

 

[IronmanG]

Darren at damico writes the programs and SC use them a lot I think. He rates the ecu.

[mini13]

Ive been playing with one of these recently for a mate, (hence the throttle body balancing) we are just using the std basemap at the moment, but I found i needed to lean it out at idle otherwise the plugs started to foul, it seemed ok elsewhere. it sounds like we are at the ssame stage as you, getting it ready for an MOT. so we can then take it to SC for mapping

 

Have you got a WB installed on there? ( appologies if ive already asked that) and are you able to get in and edit the fuel map? other thoughts, is the fuel pressure the same.

 

We found that the idle mix was rich enough that the lamda correcton was off the scale ( so presuably it couldnt correct enough) so i edged that cell down in the map to bring the correction to close to zero (when its warm and off "choke""

 

 

 

 

[mini13]

also, if the plugs have been fouled be prepared to pull them and clean them mayve warm them up on a blow torch, or even swap them out

[sonscar]

Without a wideband llambda sensor you are guessing.Save any map you use and only adjust the settings if you really know what you are doing.The ignition timing is also directly linked with the fuelling,tread carefully.The ECU is not intelligent,it will do what you tell it(some minor trim levels are possible) Fully read up what it does and how to tune it.
Of course you may know all this.Enjoy.Steve..
PS I have no direct knowledge of this system,I have no doubt that it is excellent.

[sonikk4]

If you did not send them your ECU for running the engine and they used one of their own then you have no idea how theirs was set up ie different MAP or what did they do while trying to start your engine on the dyno?? Were they playing with the MAP and so on.

 

I'm no expert on this far from it but it does sound like the best thing you can do is get it to a specialist rolling road to get it sorted properly. Utter ballache for you especially after all you have gone through with this. There has got to be an underlying issue somewhere, whether its the injectors , fuelling, ignition, the actual MAP or the ECU acting up.

 

I have watched countless Youtube videos of rolling road sessions where the MAP's are being tweaked on numerous power runs and also some of the pitfalls whether its poor earths, pushed back pins, air leaks, poor ECU's and so on. Its a black art without doubt. I really am not looking fwd to all of this sometime in the future.  

[sonscar]

When I injected my MGB(think larger Mini engine) it took an engine fire and about six months of self tuning to get it to a nice!y driving car.Manufacturers spend millions tuning so do not feel too dejected,it is possible.
For background I used a DIY megasquirt in 2007 and it is still in and working.Steve..

[IronmanG]

I would like to think they programmed YOUR ecu or at least gave you a copy!

[OzOAP]

Would hope the engine was run with the sensors, loom and ECU that will be used in the car.

[Chris1992]

Sorry I should have clarified that from the start. When SC took my engine back for fine tuning on the Dyno, they also took my loom and ECU and ran the whole package together. I do not have any form of lamda sensor fitted as I was told I would not need one for my application.

One relieving discovery I have made today is the loud noise I could hear while idling has turned out to be the clutch assembly and nothing more. After bleeding the clutch today I've found that pressing the pedal in quietens the engine down considerably.

[mini13]

"Need" is debatable,

 

personally I wouldnt run a performance engine without one, they are just so useful to check for lean conditions, but thats just my opinion.

 

Ive delt with Jon at SC before,and always found him really good and helpful, but ive really struggled with using there ecu user interface  ( ive mapped stuff before, mainly megasquirt) I know that Simon was the ECU guy at SC but this seems to have been split off now to SCS delta.

 

FWIW,  the guy im helping had an 8v setup in there before which we struggled to get running to satisfaction, evventually we got it to a running state and we drove it to SC for mapping. Simion got it on the rollers, had a look round and said somthiog about "oh why did you set this to so and so" ( we'd never touched that parameter) and then proceeded to map it in not very long at all, after which it ran a fantastic.

[GraemeC]

One relieving discovery I have made today is the loud noise I could hear while idling has turned out to be the clutch assembly and nothing more. After bleeding the clutch today I've found that pressing the pedal in quietens the engine down considerably.

Straight cut drops? If so this is quite normal

[Chris1992]

 

One relieving discovery I have made today is the loud noise I could hear while idling has turned out to be the clutch assembly and nothing more. After bleeding the clutch today I've found that pressing the pedal in quietens the engine down considerably.

Straight cut drops? If so this is quite normal

 

 

Yes sir, full straight cut box too. My first experience of straight cut anything so the noise while idling was just a bit of a surprise lol.

 

 

"Need" is debatable,

 

personally I wouldnt run a performance engine without one, they are just so useful to check for lean conditions, but thats just my opinion.

 

Ive delt with Jon at SC before,and always found him really good and helpful, but ive really struggled with using there ecu user interface  ( ive mapped stuff before, mainly megasquirt) I know that Simon was the ECU guy at SC but this seems to have been split off now to SCS delta.

 

FWIW,  the guy im helping had an 8v setup in there before which we struggled to get running to satisfaction, evventually we got it to a running state and we drove it to SC for mapping. Simion got it on the rollers, had a look round and said somthiog about "oh why did you set this to so and so" ( we'd never touched that parameter) and then proceeded to map it in not very long at all, after which it ran a fantastic.

 

Interesting. I'll bear that in mind and mention it to John when I next speak to him. Might be something to consider if mapping proves unsuccessful. 

[mini13]

something else Ive done in the past is to stuff a WB up the exhaust and powered it off the battery to get an idea of idle mixture.

[IronmanG]

Did they send a graph or tell you power/torque the engine was putting out