EDIS in 80SC, first impressions

[trond]

First impressions after a using the car today with the newly installed EDIS/MegaJolt ignition are good. After finishing the install the car starts from cold and runs quiter than before with significantly less exhaust note and dead stable idle. It sound more like a modern car than a temperemental race car. I have a bit too much advance dialled in at load, with a tendency to pinging, and the engine has a slightly harder edge to the sound which I believe is caused by slightly too much advance as well. Or maybe I just had way too little advance before. It is very obvious that more advance helps with throttle response in a significant way, and I have a good feeling about this. Looks great too, with a cleaner engine bay and moving the coil(s) to the bulkhead out of the rain can't be all wrong either.

[Packy]

Why did you use MegaJolt over Megasquirt? I was going to do megasquirt with Tony's app from T-bitz racing.

[trond]

Didn't feel like messing with the MS to convert it to run ignition. The logical thing would have been to install MSN extra firmware and use the megasquirt to run the EDIS, but for some reason I can't explain I was reluctant to mess with it. I was concerned with getting stuck with a non-running car and no support. Anyways with what I know now I am happy with having one box for EFI and one for ignition. Makes little difference I think, and the EDIS/MegaJolt install is very easy to do

[Packy]

nice. I just saw you have t-bitz EFI too. I'm glad your car is running well, minus your advance problem. This gives me confidence.

[trond]

the beauty of it is it is so easy to make changes. It will take minutes to knock 4-5 degrees off the ignition map (from the 48 degrees max advance at partial load I have now). Then in a few weeks I'll get it on a rolling road and have it mapped professionally.

[brads911sc]

If you buy the V 3.57 MS 2 box or the MS 3 box, it comes ready to control ignition. No mods needed. Just add a few jumpers and its plug and play. This is one of the shortfalls of the Tbitz Kit since the 3.57 MS 2 box was only about $50 more for me than the older outdated one in his kit...

[trond]

Yeah well, for me buying the tbitz kit was the only option with my limited skills and no local resources. And having the shell out 160 dollars for the MegaJolt box was not a showstopper. I am very happy and couldn't wish for more. At least not this week.

[GaryR]

No pics??

[brads911sc]

I hear you. Not saying it was a bad choice.. I would like to see pics as well. just pointing out for other users/potential users that the issue isnt the MS box, the issue is that Tony is still living several upgrades behind the boxes that come plug and play for ignition control. Maybe a bunch of guys that use his kit can get him to upgrade his box to at least the MS 2 3.57 box. It was one of the deal breakers for me that led me away from his kit and to ITB's.

Originally Posted by trond

Yeah well, for me buying the tbitz kit was the only option with my limited skills and no local resources. And having the shell out 160 dollars for the MegaJolt box was not a showstopper. I am very happy and couldn't wish for more. At least not this week.

[jpnovak]

Trond, Great job getting the ignition installed and running. I have this on my to-do list as well.

I think the board would benefit from a description of your install. What did you use for a crank pulley (toothed wheel ) and VR sensor? Did you mount the MJ box under the seat next to the MS box?

I see no problem with having two separate boxes. the installation is not as simple, yet there is something to be said for isolation. Of course, my MS unit has been dead reliable so I do not think there is any issue.

Part of the reason for the dual box setup is that Tony Bitz's kit is a MSI chip. This does not have the ability to control spark unless you enable the extra code. There is much better support for the MSII chip, including enabled ignition. Given the location (Norway) the simplest install is likely the best.

btw, did you install a knock sensor to fine-tune your ignition? You can look up the Knocksense system. Very easy to install and connect with any of the MS units.

[trond]

Jamie
I used a 36-1 pulley wheel, VR sensor bracket and a bung for the hole after the distributor from goingsuperfast.com. I got a slim type VR sensor that fits the bracket locally, for a Ford Focus. I put the EDIS coilpack on the bulkhead in front of the throttle linkage and used a spark plug cable set for a 4.6 liter early 90s Crown Victoria. The MegaJolt box sits next to the microsquirt box under the passenger seat and I used the same vacuum hose with a T.

For power and ground I didn't want to t into the MS harness, but instead took unused cables in the MS harness and connected to the same ground and 12V+ points in the engine bay as the MS uses (the two systems should have common ground and 12V+ supply). The only new cable I had to pull between engine bay and the MJ box was the shielded 2-wire cable for the pip/saw signal.

With the distributor and CDI gone the MS needs to be triggered differently. I used the tach output signal from the MegaJolt ( had to splice and solder the blue jumper in the MS box that was cut in the original install of the EFI with CDI and tach adapter).

I have not looked at knock detection but it should be simple enough. Later

So apart from the minor hassle with finding spark plug cables and the shielded cable it was a very easy and fun install and it works beautifully.

I never though the old engine could sound that sweet and feel that crisp. I expect I will see improved fuel economy too

[quaz]

Just as a note I am going to be doing a write up on my ITBs and MS-Extra/EDIS install in another week or so. I need to do a couple more tweaks to it this weekend and see how it runs, but here are some quick thoughts.

Ignition direct from MSII is a PITA and don't bother. I tried for 2 months to get my car running with direct ignition from Megasquirt and could never get a sensor and crank wheel to sync. I tried 3 different sensors, emailed everyone on every list, turned every pot, flipped every jumper and nothing. Until they have a reliable circuit/code to read a VR sensor in Megasquirt I am not going there. Which took me back to EDIS.

Once I decided to go backwards to EDIS it took me 2 tries to start the car. Try one nothing but I suspected I had the VR sensor wired backwards. Quite a few people said the colors on the sensor and EDIS harness may be backwards, so I wired it that way and it didn't run. Flipped the wires and it started next try. Two months of screwing with Megasquirt and I never once got a single fire. Two hours with EDIS and I had a running car. My two cents...........YMMV