Alternate ECU options for EFI XF?

[Mr Polson 10,214]

What kinda options are out there? Few reasons I want to move away from the EECIV.

 

AFM - I'd love to be able to get rid of it. Hate the things. Would also look better without it.

 

Cam - Replacing the cam in the motor - considering getting a bigger than stock replacement. Heard the stock ECU doesn't like big cams?

 

Future turbo (maybe) - would love to turbo the wagon down the track. But that'll be a long way away - years.

 

So what kind of options do I have, that aren't overly complicated? I'm no wiring expert, but I know the basics.

 

Oh - and ideally I'd like to keep the stock intake setup - including throttle body, if possible.

[xr6tjet 98]

What kinda options are out there? Few reasons I want to move away from the EECIV.

 

AFM - I'd love to be able to get rid of it. Hate the things. Would also look better without it.

 

Cam - Replacing the cam in the motor - considering getting a bigger than stock replacement. Heard the stock ECU doesn't like big cams?

 

Future turbo (maybe) - would love to turbo the wagon down the track. But that'll be a long way away - years.

 

So what kind of options do I have, that aren't overly complicated? I'm no wiring expert, but I know the basics.

 

Oh - and ideally I'd like to keep the stock intake setup - including throttle body, if possible.

 

I have a wade 242a cam in my XF efi running standard ecu. Its the largest you can go without going aftermarket ecu. Car runs no problem and it is a lumpy cam (you can definately tell its cammed). Increased power up the top end slightly too

[n00bus m@x1mus 465]

Megasquirt for the win mate, you can get a MS1 kit ready to wire in for around $400 and then the tuning is limitless as you control everything. Im upgrading to a MS3X when i get my new ute up and running and they can be had for under a grand ready to wire up.

[mcfly94 169]

you can upgrade your ignition aswell

[Mr Polson 10,214]

Haven't decided on how big of a cam I'll go yet - but I definitely need a different ECU to ditch the AFM.

 

Hey noobus, how complicated is the MS to get in, setup and working? Is it a whole new ECU?

$400 doesn't sound like a bad price.

[n00bus m@x1mus 465]

Its pretty simple if u can read a wiring diagram and know how to work a soldering iron.

The loom is marked on each wire what is what and thee instructions to wire up for each sender.

Check out diyautotune.com for prices, you can get prebuilt ecus and a loom ready to wire up or even get the relay board to make it simpler again. The MS1 is pretty simple with a TFI dizzy to wire up.

[Mr Polson 10,214]

Yeah I know how to do that stuff. Mostly. Haha.

 

Marked wires and instructions, sounds good to me

 

So does the MS replace the ECU or sit in between it and the motor?

 

I've never fiddled or anything with EFI vehicles at all, so that's why I'm asking so many questions.

[n00bus m@x1mus 465]

Complete replacement mate, so you end up with a programmable ECU with a custom loom run anyhow you want a hidden away as neatly as you want it to be.

Throw the old crap over your shoulder including the VAF and newer world standard senders will take there place. PLus a but load of extra features as fa as you want to take it too like controlled nitrous injection, staged water/meth injection for intercooling, knock retardation, the list goes on mate. Take the leap and you wont ever go back.

[ando76 4,354]

So you could use one of these to replace the factory ecu on an EF.  Just asking as the twins burnout car has a stock ecu and we are keen to piss it off due to the rev limiter.  we have already disconnected the auto from the ecu and switch it manually with toggle switches to control the solenoids but the bloody rev limiter is puss. 

Interestingly there is another EF out there that pulls 1000rpm more than the twins with a 'stock' ecu.  seems it might be an ex-police car or something to be able to do that. 

$400 is cheap - especially if we can throw in the big cam out of my old burnout car (EF/AU hybrid in XG).  Are they laptop tuneable?

[Mr Polson 10,214]

Had a read on diyautotune.com got a fair bit of good info, I'm now pretty confident I'm gonna go with a MS

 

Ando, from what I gathered on the website they're laptop tunable, and you can data log with a laptop too.

 

And yes, ex cop e series Falcons seem able to rev higher, one of my mates has a opt 20 EL and it'll rev right to the top of the tacho.

[n00bus m@x1mus 465]

Ando yes 100% tunable, and will run ANYTHING!!!! EFI, carb with ingition, water injection, whatever you want it to do it will be able to do it, just wire it up as needed and select the option in the software. You can datalog to a laptop or ive even got a bluetooth adapter that i can do bascially anything i could normally do on my laptop now on my galaxy S3, i can drivae along and open the app up and change the tune or datalog or have different tunes loaded for each fuel type and just select one. If you wanted to go bigger there are units to do a lot more but just for the basics and a bit more you cant go past these things for price and simplicity.

 

For under $900 delivered to your door you can get all the hardware to run a MS3X which has a lot more functions including sequential injection for 8 cyl and up to 8 igniton outputs for running LSX coil packs, and the rest, even has an onboard SD card slot to datalog direct to the card with a flip of the switch, then eject the card and load it into your laptop.

The software is 100% free but for a small price (donation) you can choose to register and unlock a lot of other features including autotune. And the best part its open source so its been designed by tuners and not programmers so its dead simple to understand and use, and because its not copywrited its constantly improved by tuners all over the world, its like the linux version of haltech

 

I sound like a salesman ahaha...

[Mr Polson 10,214]

You do a bit Clint

[ando76 4,354]

Sweet.  so that diyautotune is the place to go to get one?

[GspecZL 979]

im still tossing up between this and a 4L. $400 is very cheap but then my Xflow needs some work.

Tough decsion.

[Crazy2287 1,886]

For non turbo the V1 will be ok. If you want turbo or sequental it best to go for version 2. Ver 3 is for advanced users, no point spend big on that as it will be a couple of years before you'll even worry abou playing with cylinder dwell and 18 egt sensors. Its overkill for most setups and users.

 

Quals : used and built all 3 at least one and have been useing ms for 8 years.

 

Its never as easy as it sounds. You will likely need to make custom mods to get everything the way you want it. I totall support ms and think its a really good option, but its not for checkbook racers, you need to get your hands dirty. You need to understand how it all works so don't bother taking shortcuts and "just try to hook it up" you need to be ready to learn in depth efi stuff if your going to make the most out of the system.

[Crazy2287 1,886]

Also I have an ms2 kit and intake setup to suit na should be good to 180 + hp and 5500 rpm but no good if you wanna rev over 6. I ran it on my falcon befor chopping an e series manifold to fit. Pm me if interested we can sort something out for the lot.

[Mr Polson 10,214]

you need to get your hands dirty. You need to understand how it all works so don't bother taking shortcuts and "just try to hook it up" you need to be ready to learn in depth efi stuff if your going to make the most out of the system.

That's alright, I like getting in and doing things myself. Learning is good.

Exactly how in depth do you have to go to be able to use MS though?

[n00bus m@x1mus 465]

If you can understand rocket science then you can use MS...

 

 

 

Jks, its pretty simple to get the grasp of it, Q pretty much talked me thru it over the phone LOL

[Crazy2287 1,886]

That's alright, I like getting in and doing things myself. Learning is good.

Exactly how in depth do you have to go to be able to use MS though?

Depends on what features you use and what problems you have.

Basically understanding VE and spark tables is a must. Relationships between injector flow, fuel pressure, manifold air pressure, temperature and duty cycle. You'll pick it up, the information is there you just have to do a lot of reading.

If you dont know how to solder yet, you will once your done.

Depending on the ign system you run you gotta worry about dwell, spark phase, spark angle. Then you got those bitchy things like acceleration enrichment, and temperature relative fuel correction, cold start. List goes on. Not talking you out of it, just getting you ready.

 

You don't need to know codeing or advanced electrical theory. Basic understanding of electronics will help but usually you can get support from other people for those one off problems.

[Mr Polson 10,214]

Wow, never really thought how in depth the EFI computer must be...

Reading is alright. I'm not bad at reading.

 

So I'm guessing I want to have my wagon back together and running before switching the EEC for a MS?

[n00bus m@x1mus 465]

Oh yes, dont go into it without rulling out every mechanical fault first or you will be chasing your tials trying to diagnose faults that arent there.  get ti running 100% on the factory ECU first then buld the MS on the side, dummy hook it up and when it runs you can do your swap.

And tbh i havent quite worked out cold start enrichment yet either LOL  its a bitch that one, i just put up with it till it warms up

[Crazy2287 1,886]

Best to run the engine in on stock ecu. This way you know it will start

[Mr Polson 10,214]

Sooo... This sorta died off seeing as once I fixed the Ghia it had an auto problem... And then got written off...

 

But I now have this! (Although I'm yet to convert the new wagon to EFI).

 

Its the MS comp originally for Novas old car (NOTAV8). Never been used.

[Mr Polson 10,214]

So after looking at the MS website I figured it is a MS 1 v2.2

 

 

 

And from what I found on xFalcon it was built by Drew442 for Nova, with a base tune installed.

[Crazy2287 1,886]

Id say 100% correct. I recognize the internals and the moddings looks like Drews work =P.

Good luck with the install.