Thread: engine managment

Off the shelf... Haltech

DIY - Megasquirt has some good reports

can anyone whos been there done that advise the best direction to go for aftermarket engine management, im sick of reg being a slug,

Chris? I have a 91 3.9 and have done a lot to to it and I think can make a few observations.
1 The fuelling of the 14CUX injection is generally good. Most gains from mods are made by altering the ignition advance of the engine. So if you want better power you have to go all the way by fitting an ECU that controls fuel and ignition. This is very time consuming to DIY and expensive to get right if paying for dyno time.
2 I have been told by specialists that they hate fitting aftermarket ECUs as they never go as well as factory in starting , idling etc under all conditions. I knew a bloke several years ago who had fitted a Microtec to his 3.9 and IMHO it didn't go any better than my 14CUX with piggy back chip. I also know a bloke with a 4.6 and MOTEC and I recall him taking about 5 minutes ot start on a hot day on Stockton when mine atrated immediately. I was present at the starting of a Jag V12 with Microtec and it took 15 minutes and ether, as it hadn't been started for a while.

3 If you want a bigger capacity this can be accommmodated with a Tornado chip from Mark Adams which removes some of the maximum fuelling limitations of the 14CUX.

So my advice is to stick with the 14CUX and add a Haltech piggyback to control timing. The $1500 you pay will include a dyno session that will get the timing better but probably not 100%, but add maybe 20% and transform the car. Graeme Cooper do this in Sydney and have a long experience with 14CUX. They fitted my Unichip but now do not deal in Unichip so I had mine later dynod by another shop who found a bit more power for me.

If you are a tinkerer by all means go for Megasquirt but be aware there is usually a long period of tinkering to get a good result. Car makers spend millions on dynoing for light throttle and starting. the 1`4CUX has numerous starting maps while AFAIR Holden has something like 200 or so different starting maps alone.

Full throttle power is easy. Its the starting, fuel economy , and light throttle that are the hard parts.
Regards Philip A

PhilipA's advice is on the money.

I went for the optiion of recurving/respringing my 14CUX dizzy to bring in more advance and sooner and over a stronger fuel map (Adams Tornado). That delivered up abt 10% more torque and 20% more power. Throttle response has been improved via that and by putting in more modern Bosch 4 hole injectors. This setup produces much the same gains as a piggyback fuel/ignition timing chip but a bit cheaper and with less of the setup hassle. An alternative to recurving a old dizzy is a getting a customised customised performance dizzy/amp module made up (ie Performance Ignitions in Melb) that will look after timing but also the bonus of providing a more effective spark with better Bosch componentary.

However as there is no such thing as a free lunch the downside to my setup is fuel economy is not optimum (20litres/100 klm av) and the advance curve is very aggressive to the extent I have to use 95Ron to avoid marginal pinging using 91Ron. To cure that I am in the middle of following PhilipA's lead and installing 02 sensors with the intention of running 2 fuel maps selectable at the flick of a switch ie a power map (no 02) and an economy map (with O2).

The weakest part of rover diffs is the centres followed by crown & pinion. A aftermarket 100% locker will solve the former but bring with it the need to upgrade axles. A new LSD/Trutrac centre will be ok on stock axles.

delete

Here is some stuff including dyno results on the haltech

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-...rceptor-3.html

If your car is a Classic as per your Avatar, then you will gain much more than a 38A because your ECU does not have computer control of ignition advance and the Haltech will take control of advance.
Regards Philip A.

thanks for the thoughts, planning the haltec piggyback with a view when possible of the 4.6 bottom going in, time and dollars are the key as im also building a bundera and 3 falcons at the same time as well as pacifying the very understanding wife. chris