73 Fjord with Megasquirt

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One step back, two steps foward!

 

Had a minor setback that could have turned into a major, i needed to remove the adjustable brake bias valve (illegal in NZ without a cert)

 

i replaced it with a straight run of pipe and decided the best way was to pull it through from the front via the engine bay, along the gearbox and reconnect with the T near the rear axle. Unfortunately while pulling the pipe through it contacted the starter motor positive feed (direct from the battery in the trunk and grounded itself on the first piece of metal it touched which happened to be the dipstick - arc welding sounds, flames and the smell of burning rubber ensued. I crawled out from under the car, grabbed the fire extinguisher and after emptying the contents of it into the engine bay put out the small fire on the top of the dipstick, i then went to the battery and disconnected the negative terminal. The result -

 

Hindsight is a wonderful thing - what i should have done was disconnected the battery before starting, lesson learned so i installed (rather crudely) a battery isolator 

 

The good news was most of the pink powder from the extinguisher blew off easily ( theres still some there to remind me of my stupidity) and more importantly no electrics including the megasquirt were damaged. I needed to replace the dipstick and but a new piece of brake pipe - which was installed without drama

 

My main focus has been tuning the megasquirt, first i had to install the Wideband

 

Gauge temporarily installed in the console with the megasquirt box sitting under it, after calibrating the O2 sensor was screwed into the bung (at 12 o'clock behind the 2 into 1 collector). Tested it standalone and then connected to the megasquirt, all working well although there is a small difference in the AFR on the gauge and that showing in Tuner Studio, i need to adjust the calibration in TS.

 

Over the last couple of weeks i have been gradually adjusting the advance curve map. I realise that the only way to relly do it properly is on a dyno but for now the seat of the pants, looking at logs and very gradual adjustments will have to do because 1) I'm too tight to pay for a dyne and 2) Im fuel only ATM and wont put it on a dyno until the injection is done because - refer to 1)!

 

Very happy with the results of the testing so far. There was a huge improvement in the first place simply from changing from a worn out distributor to edis/megasquirt giving me rock steady timing instead of a wildly bouncing flywheel ball. I set the timing to a fixed 25 degrees and strobed the inspection hole and there it was -the ball bearing sitting steady in the correct place. That confirmed the toothed wheel/VR sensor were positioned correctly. I then changed back to use map and started with this very conservative map, based roughly on a standard distributor curve

and the 3D map

 

After a few runs to work with the laptop on the passenger seat im on the 5th version of the map

 

Plenty more work to do but i feel like im heading in the right direction, certainely the engine has started to come alive. Its only running a single barrel solex so not much room for adjustment there, i set the idle jet using the Wideband it now idles at around 14:1 , cruises at about 13.5, under acceleration between 12 and 13.5 and decelerates (on overrun) around 16 to 17.

 

If anyone has any input it would be gratefully received as I'm a total newbie to the tuning by laptop experience.

Edited April 3, 2014 by scanner

[Duddley]

This is such a sweet and inspirational thread. Good going mate! 

 

I'm also a kiwi (Napier) with a 2002 that's only at the start of refurb. Awesome to see what you did with the dual brake servos etc. I've just taken both mine out to figure out what to do with em. 

 

Lookin forward to the next update!

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No update for a while, so time to remedy that!

 

Did a few odds and ends to prepare for the FI side of the Megasquirt

Tested sensors were reading correctly - Coolant and Intake temperature and TPS

Now the EDIS has been working for a few months without any problems i finally got round to removing the distributor and replacing with a plug

Mocked up the adapter to attach the Throttle body (from a Hyundai Elantra!) to the 318i manifold

Mockup made from MDF

And a heavy (but solid) throttle cable linkage welded up.

 

Haven't progressed much further on the Megasquirt side of things, planning to go to FI next year, meanwhile

Changed my Nardi for this wooden one from a MX5. I prefer the look of the Leather/Aluminium one i had on, but this size is just perfect for me so it stays on!

After suffering from sitting on the tired and sagging standard seats, and weighing up the cost of refurbing them (not cheap), i decided to use the Honda Integra seats i already had. The problem i had with them is they did not adjust far enough back and using the Honda runners the seat was not centered on the steering wheel, which bugged me when i was driving. I fabricated mounts to enable me to use the BMW adjusters and also centre the seat - they work perfectly, now i just need to find a way to cover them up!

 

I also trimmed down the brake pads on my Volvo BB conversion, to avoid the overhang not wearing down and interfering with the movement of the pads. 

One edge cut with a hacksaw, you can see on the uncut part where the edge of the disc is

Both edges cut

And smoothed over

 

Obviously not the ideal solution as pad area is still lost, but the benefit of larger vented discs is still there.

 

My focus then moved for a month to my daily driver - a Corolla KE70, the engine was on 3 cylinders and the water pump sprung a leak so i took the opportunity to upgrade to a 5K engine with a Weber 28/36 carb and  mild cam - very happy with the final result

 

 

And then back on topic - next stage in the project, rear end refurb and tidy up. I thought i would try refurbing parts as i removed them so when it came to the rebuild i wouldn't be waiting on cleaning stuff up and tempted to cut corners. First off were the petrol tank and rear bumper.

As removed

Paint stripped off - surface rust only, revealing previous repair, looks like a professionally done brazed patch, didnt leak before so alls well!

After treating with phosphoric acid, Brunox epoxy applied to previously rusted areas

And 2 coats of Epoxy primer sprayed on

And finally stone chip coating applied to the underneath only

 

TBh the rear bumper was pretty rusty on the inside, so without going to the expense of a new bumper i did the best i could

Worst of rust removed with wire brush on an angle grinder and then treated with brunox

And then 2 pack epoxy primer

 

Rear end now supported by the sills ready for subframe removal.

 

And finally a NZ Native Weta decided to pay the BM a visit so i took a photo - he was later released into the wild!

Edited September 26, 2014 by scanner

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Update time, progress has been slow but steady, involving some necessary project creep.

Bubbling of paint on rear quarter required further investigation

Bubbles were popped to reveal rusty moisture

Went to work with a grinder to reveal bog half an inch thick in places

Bog removed to reveal solid metal, apart from a small patch along the bottom, very happy with the minimal rust. The bog was there to cover a long dent in the quarter which i managed to straighten a bit

There was some oil canning where metal had been stretched, removed it by shrinking the metal with localised heat.

Decided to strip rear to bare metal as previous repairs by PO had started to show signs of rust

Removed old lap welded patch

And replaced with butt welded patch

Repaired area where exhaust hanger had torn the boot floor

 

The wheel well was the next problem, it had been repaired previously with lap welded patches but other areas were now perforated, choices were to  1) delete the wheel well, decided againsted that as i wanted to retain some originality. 2) Buy a new trunk floor - too expensive. 3) Source a decent 2nd hand well or from an E21 - Hens teeth, especially in NZ, 4)Fabricate a wheel well - skill level out of my range, or 5) patch the well

Half completed patching, lots of welding but will be solid when completed and epoxy primed, total cost about $15 including welding gas (about $300 if i charged myself out!!)

 

After lots more cleaning, grinding, wire brushing and repeat i am at this stage

Trunk patched and bare metal spot primed with epoxy primer

 

Rear underfloor cleaned and in the process of wire brushing surface rust areas

 

Subframe, trailing arms were all cleaned and paint stripped, all in good condition apart from

One shock mounting bolt which needed replacing

It can be done without removing the rear hub, just loosen the brake back plate and you will have enough wriggle room to slip the splined bolt in.

Spraying station set up in the back yard and all subframe components sprayed with black epoxy primer

And bench assembly of subframe begins with all new rubbers. Rear hubs were in good condition so they have been left alone - project creep resisted!

 

Next update should see things looking alot prettier with trunk and underfloor painted, meanwhile it's back to the wire wheel!

Edited January 31, 2015 by scanner

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Progress has been slow but the end is in sight for the bodywork/paint

Rear Quarters taken back to bare metal

Underside cleaned and loose paint and rust removed, where the factory primer/underseal was sound it was retained.

Bare metal in trunk spot primed with epoxy primer

Underfloor bare metal epoxy primed

And rear quarters epoxy primed

 

I decided to epoxy prime before using filler, Auckland has a very humid climate in summer and the epoxy seals the bare metal effectively. There was evidence that rust had started to form under the filler the PO had applied to bare metal, so i hope this will be a better solution.

 

Masking before applying stone chip

Stonechip applied - Nice to see in a uniform colour!

 

At this point project creep took hold again - i realised it was a mistake to stop the repairs at the wheel arch and decided to tackle the complete rear quarter both to be sure all rust had been removed and to enable the whole quarter to be faired/block sanded. Waist and knee trims were also removed.

 

 

At this point many applications of filler (Evercoat Z Grip) were applied and then sanded off with 36 grit, a professional would probably got it straight in 2 or 3 applications, i probably took about 10! Once i was happy with the basic shape i then went to 80 grit and finally 120 grit before applying 3 coats of filler primer, apologies for the lack of photos for these stages, you wouldnt see much through the clouds of bog dust anyway!

 

Primer filler was guide coated and block sanded with a 16" board using 180 grit

Which revealed highs and lows that required a feather coat of filler to remove, further application of primer filler, guide coat, blocking with 180 then 320 grit. At this point i was happy with the straightness of the quarters and moved onto removing sanding scratches from the primer filler with 400 and then 600 grit using a soft sanding pad.

 

After masking the quarters and as specified by the manufacturer (Metalux) I added 20% of catalysed clear coat to the basecoat for the underbody and trunk.

 

Trunk before

 

And after

 

 

 

Next  - Basecoat/Clearcoat the quarters, and i can finally put parts back on!

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Painted!

 

3 coats of basecoat followed by 3 coats of clear, a few nibs to remove and a couple of small runs but overall happy with the result in not ideal conditions. The main problem now is the new paint on the rear makes the rest of the paint look even worse!

 

While the paint hardened i put the mechanicals back on

Added a Volkswagen Passat Fuel filter and bracket for future FI conversion

Wiring tidied up

Subframe mounted, new rubbers throughout, turbo handbrake cables for 320 drums, new rear brake cylinders.

New lock nuts on driveshaft

Gas tank in, using 3M strip caulk to seal.

CVs and old exhaust added, a new exhaust with turbo type muffler is on the wanted list but will have to wait!

Final shot up on stands, its been 9 months since it was on the ground

On the ground, still work to do but good to see it rolling again

[rapandi]

Hi

Edited December 29, 2015 by rapandi

[rapandi]

Hi scanner.... really awesome work on the car.. I love what you are doing!!!

You mention that you rebuilt the twin servos. How did they perform after the rebuild? Do you have any pics of how you rebuilt them? It would be really helpful if you could share.

Thanks

Edited December 29, 2015 by rapandi

[72_02]

Mate this is epic. Kiwi in the states here and it's awesome to see such a cool project back in the homeland!

 

Gives me some motivation. Been watching your youtube channel - very helpful stuff. I can't weld and have a very swiss cheese style 2002 on my hands. Awesome to follow this one!

Edited September 14, 2016 by 72_02

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7 years later and not much to report! What I have donefixed the non functional tacho using the output from the megasquirt and using a relay coil following this diagram, I had previously used the diode solution with limited success, this method worked perfectly and has been going for a few months now. Definitely cut off the points from the relay as they are not needed and make a horrible noise!

Removed twin servos and ran new cunifer brake lines

New rotors, pads and rear wheel cylinders. Braking is now much improved and really not much additional foot pressure required, won’t be going back to a servo setup.

Added a pair of spotlights that came with the boxes of parts, there were holes in the bumpers already so why not?. Wired to a relay the come on with the high beams, really help with night driving, especially as my headlights badly need resilvering/replacing.

Replaced centre bearing, old one was torn up, let’s see how long this lasts.

 

Had a change of plan last year and decided to go with a twin Weber setup instead of the E30 fi in the original plans. Just wanted to keep it old school mechanical and tbh they just look right. Won’t be removing the megasquirt just using it to control the edis  ignition which has been awesome. 

Went for a Mangoletsi manifold and cable linkage, also a filter king fuel pressure regulator. 40 DCOEs are ordered and on a ship somewhere!

Made bracket and mounted Malpassi

Bought a catch can on Ali express, it’s for a N54 but I liked the large inlet and outlet same size as the rocker cover breather. Currently it’s outlet runs to the gearbox tunnel to atmosphere, so will try that setup while waiting for the webers to arrive.

 

I must also thank all contributors to the FAQ, this site is the most valuable source of opinions on 2002s by a country mile, there is a wealth of knowledge here to be mined by keen amateurs like me!

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A few more goodies arrived, Bavaria pump test fitted and checked operation.

Webers arrived from England, jetted to my specs

32mm primary Venturi
4.50 aux Venturi
130 main jet
180 air corrector
F16 emulsion tube
50 F8 idle jet
0.35 acc pump jet
0.55 acc bleed back valve

1.75 needle valve

 

Never had DCOEs before so specs are based on lots of reading, intended use and my driving style so time will tell how close I got!

 

Strip down continued, dipstick and alternator removed

Alternator ( 80amp E30 ) top bushing was mush, lower bushing not too bad , will replace both with urethane.

made up a dummy head! Has made mounting linkage and synchronising carbs much easier on my back?.

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Installed urethane bushings to 80amp E30 alternator, bought on EBay from Ricochet polyurethane technologies, really happy with the fit, went on with the pictured tools (hammer not required!), nice tight fit but circlips went on without a problem.

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Alternator mounted, added washer behind circlip which I had previously omitted.

Manifold mounted with Webers on, this allowed me to adjust Thackeray washers on soft mounts with better access and to adjust throttle stop and balance bar to align throttle plates to cover first progression hole using a flashlight, both much easier on the bench.

 This was the second time I mounted the manifold, first time I found out it was impossible to get any type of socket or wrench in the bottom two studs above the starter motor and had to abandon the attempt!

Solution was 11mm nuts and use of carbide burr to make a small relief, approx 1mm in the manifold on the bottom studs to allow a slim ring spanner to fit. All went well and was able to torque up.

Will leave overnight, check torque tomorrow then add hoses, water and check for leaks.

Edited May 24, 2022 by scanner

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4 months on and we are getting somewhere, had a few issues getting a decent set of Spanish Webers but thanks to the guys at Palmside (Christchurch NZ) we are nearly there!

To condense 3 months of head scratching fitted carbs after checking float height, could not get motor to idle, spitting back, , running on 2 cylinders, could not get carbs synchronised, checked for air leaks, compression, valve clearances, all checked out ok. Bought Misab plates as I didn’t like the spacer and 2 O ring type supplied with the Mangoletsi manifold, bought new non resistor plugs, then resistor plugs when I read that edis likes resistor plugs, swapped EDIS coils and module, finally swapped over carbs and misfiring cylinders moved from 1/2 to 3/4, removed carbs stripped down and noticed this-

See the undrilled opening into the starter circuit, on reflection this was probably not the issue but it was definitely not right and carb was returned to Palmside and a replacement supplied.

Replacement carb was fitted, and voila- still not able to get carbs balanced😡. This time I looked at the carbs first and found a problem with the progression hole drillings

One carb needed 1/4 turn of the throttle plate screw to cover the first progression hole, the other needed 1/2 a turn, these carbs would never synch correctly, 1 carbs holes were drilled approx 1mm further away from the throttle spindle than the other.

This time I sent both carbs back with a request to get a pair from the same batch with progression holes drilled in the same place, a good set came back and were filled and synced without issue.

Moral of the story is if you decide to go for new Spanish Webers make sure you buy from a reputable dealer who will help you sort out the issues!

Next chapter, dealing with that off idle lean hole😄 to be continued…….

Edited September 16, 2022 by scanner
Typo

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Webers are running well, will put a few more miles on the clock before I do any more tweaks. Over winter/spring I tidied up the interior and added some goodies

worn and faded moulded carpet removed

vacuumed, water blasted and hung out to dry

seats cleaned, headrests showing before and after (seats from a Honda Integra)

seats sprayed black with carpet aerosol and black mats added to cover wear hole on drivers side! No photos but sound proofing (not dynamat but similar) added under carpet/ rear seats

I had no plans to do any more to the interior but then I came across this

A retro gauge pod that looked like it would fit on the shelf of the dash, enabling me to move the afr gauge from under the dash where I had to take my eyes off the road to monitor it to a more convenient spot, of course I needed two more gauges so second hand  VDO oil pressure and water temp gauges and appropriate senders were found and wired up.

while the console was out I decided to add the Becker Monte Carlo radio I have had in a box for the last ten years, totally non functioning purely there for the looks!

Very happy with the result, all budget upgrades, carpet, VDO gauges, senders and radio all done for less than $300NZ. Now to get out and enjoy the NZ summer.