Engine Choice

[Guest chelcott]

im new to RH and gettingas much info as possible before diving in spoke with engine refurb place other day and said with zetec will have to decode EMU before fiting and will need to fit EMU with engine. I'm from days of stobe light, most of cars I had were bangers.

[Mitch]

Hiya, and welcome,

both engines will run with either original ecu/dizzy set ups, or you can alter eother to run on a mapable ign system sold under the megajolt or megasquirt names, ( megasquirt is ignition and fueling for injection engines)

 

loads more posts will follow with loads of helpful info,

 

hth Mitch

[Guest chelcott]

im new to RH and gettingas much info as possible before diving in spoke with engine refurb place other day and said with zetec will have to decode EMU before fiting and will need to fit EMU with engine. I'm from days of stobe light, most of cars I had were bangers.

cheers for that, lookslike I'll be able to go back to the good old days after all

[Knock-on]

If you get the chance, I would go for Zetec.

 

I just don't understand why people spend a fortune on Pintos to tune them up when a Zetec has it for a fraction of the money. I'm just going through the conversion now and wish I had gone the Zetec route during the build.

[Guest chelcott]

If you get the chance, I would go for Zetec.

 

I just don't understand why people spend a fortune on Pintos to tune them up when a Zetec has it for a fraction of the money. I'm just going through the conversion now and wish I had gone the Zetec route during the build.

So will you have to install ignition control device and not dizzy?

[Guest chris brown]

Zetec with mapable ECU and throttle bodies would be my choice but remember if you go for an engine later than 1995 you will have to fit a cat to get through IVA.

[Guest chelcott]

Zetec with mapable ECU and throttle bodies would be my choice but remember if you go for an engine later than 1995 you will have to fit a cat to get through IVA.

thanks for pointer on post 95, googled megajolt and watched video of diyer using laptop to configure unit is this doable. my previous experience with car tuning is with strobe light laptop as tuning aid would be new to me but scared of change - do you have experience.

[Guest mcramsay]

i have just wired up my Emerald ecu, to my 2.0 blacktop which is running jenvey thorttle bodies, the emerald controls both spark and fueling and is actually pretty simple to wire in. (i havnt tried to start mine yet though but i dont see much reason why it shoudlnt kick into life when i turn the key) but experience wise, im pretty new to the world of fuel injection and ECU'S (haha im only 21 mind so my experience is pretty lacking) but i have found it quite easy to do, theres LOADs of info and knowlegable people on this board who have been a great help to me. i spent 2 years of my life tuning my ford capri with the strobe light and for ever going through points/dizzy caps or condensers. fuel injection with an ecu gets a big thumbs up from me

Edited January 5, 2010 by mcramsay

[Guest chelcott]

i have just wired up my Emerald ecu, to my 2.0 blacktop which is running jenvey thorttle bodies, the emerald controls both spark and fueling and is actually pretty simple to wire in. (i havnt tried to start mine yet though but i dont see much reason why it shoudlnt kick into life when i turn the key) but experience wise, im pretty new to the world of fuel injection and ECU'S (haha im only 21 mind so my experience is pretty lacking) but i have found it quite easy to do, theres LOADs of info and knowlegable people on this board who have been a great help to me. i spent 2 years of my life tuning my ford capri with the strobe light and for ever going through points/dizzy caps or condensers. fuel injection with an ecu gets a big thumbs up from me

thats good to here, on subject of experience think I can still keep one hand on zimmer whilst other press's keys on laptop. Yes I seem to be making endless trips to parts shop for dizzy bits, used loads a points even tried dressing with diamond watchmakers file to achieve flatest contact so as to avoid hopt peak at contact. I'd be intereseted in your experience of tuning.

[Guest mcramsay]

the other good thing about an ECU is that you can change the map to suit what you are doing, so if its a track day then you can throw fuel economy out the window and get max power, where as if your just pottering around the country you can again change the map to suit, all pretty easily. ive spent around 2500 on a brand new zetec, emerald ecu and throttle bodies (bear in mind you will need to change the sump on the zetec and fit some form of alternator aswell) but 2500 for a setup which is pretty much guarenteed 175 bhp with advancements on that is pretty good. you would be lucky to get that out of a pinto engine. my capri...if the timing hadnt changed because the dizzy had vibrated round a tiny bit then a jet in the carb was blocked. diagnosing a carb problem is a nightmare, as most problems give the same symptoms!

[Knock-on]

So will you have to install ignition control device and not dizzy?

 

Probably Emrald and bodies or may complicate matters and use bike carbs.

 

Zetec with mapable ECU and throttle bodies would be my choice but remember if you go for an engine later than 1995 you will have to fit a cat to get through IVA.

 

Howeverrrrrrrr, if you have a pre 95 reg car (like mine ) you can fit whatever you like without having to worry about Cat's or emmissions. I could stick whatever I want in

[Guest JonStewart]

To extend the discussion a little; has anybody strong views on pros and cons of using one of the twin mapping ecu's (eg dta S60)?

 

(Just to fill in some info, if you haven't come across this yet: these can store two separate maps (one cruising / economy / lower power in wet & the other outrageous trackday, switchable from switch on dash! .. I was thinking a Savage 'Boost' button ) Apart from the bit of added cost, I reckoned there might be some sense in doing this. I'm thinking of building and don't fancy a 175bhp on wet or 'not smooth' roads (lots of patching and crossbanding), which are the majority here in Northern Ireland.)

 

TIA

 

Jon

 

PS Sorry about all the parentheses!

[Guest mcramsay]

the emerald ecu has a 3 map switch setting which can be done "on the fly" or when driving in real lingo... 3 position switch on the dash and three maps stored in the ecu, swich as your hearts content

[Guest JonStewart]

So what are the differences in your three maps (either real or desired)?

[Guest chris brown]

Howeverrrrrrrr, if you have a pre 95 reg car (like mine ) you can fit whatever you like without having to worry about Cat's or emmissions. I could stick whatever I want in

Not for IVA you can’t