http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0IT8A2ksQM

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Petty Officer Michael C Casaceli
Aircraft Electronics Technician Second Class
AIMD Brunswick (2007-present)
Patrol Squadron Ten (2003-2007)
United States Navy

The first start video is still being processed, but the other three looks promising... what's up with teh dude with teh fire extinguisher. He looks like he is afraid the thing is going to blow up! I got a good laugh out of the way he stood all the way back and jumped when it tried to fire.

This video is not yet processed.
utube

quote Originally posted by topcat: The first start video is still being processed, but the other three looks promising... what's up with teh dude with teh fire extinguisher. He looks like he is afraid the thing is going to blow up! I got a good laugh out of the way he stood all the way back and jumped when it tried to fire.

Hmm... it's working for me, but it has that message at the top. Try again in like an hour.

And there's a reason for him being scared: Between the fuel leak (in the first video from yesterday) and the fireball (didn't get it on video), he had reason to be scarred

It's processed and ready to view now! CLICKY UP THERE ^ ^ ^

Alrighty, so tomorrow I'm gonna try to retard the ignition ALOT and add ALOT more fuel, and see if I can't get this thing to stabilize. The fluctuating idle you guys are hearing in the video is the engine running really lean and pegging the insanely low rev limiter, which I have set to cut the fuel at 2500 RPM's. Part of it is that I haven't given ignition control to the megasquirt yet, mostly cause I don't think I know a good line to power the bypass relay... I need to find something that's not hot during start, but is hot during run... hmmmmm...

I'll probably just power it off a random 12V source after it starts, see if that stabilizes it.

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Petty Officer Michael C Casaceli
Aircraft Electronics Technician Second Class
AIMD Brunswick (2007-present)
Patrol Squadron Ten (2003-2007)
United States Navy

I would suggest using the starter signal from the ignition switch. Hot in CRANK, and not RUN.

Using that signal with a relay and a 7805 voltage regulator, I'm controlling the timing bypass on my MegaSquirt 2 installation.

This is suggested in the megamanual - any reason you want to do it differently?

Do you have a wideband oxygen sensor?

To stabilize the idle, I found it best to only enable closed-loop operation above my idle speed - that way it didn't get into funky oscillations.

[This message has been edited by pmbrunelle (edited 03-23-2010).]

quote Originally posted by pmbrunelle: I would suggest using the starter signal from the ignition switch. Hot in CRANK, and not RUN. Using that signal with a relay and a 7805 voltage regulator, I'm controlling the timing bypass on my MegaSquirt 2 installation. This is suggested in the megamanual - any reason you want to do it differently? Do you have a wideband oxygen sensor? To stabilize the idle, I found it best to only enable closed-loop operation above my idle speed - that way it didn't get into funky oscillations.

I'm on a narrow-band O2 setup right now, but the idea was to go to wide-band when I actually got things running... which is now Right now, I just need to stabilize it enough to drive it onto a trailer, so I'll try closed loop for now, see how it goes.

With the bypass relay, that's not what I remember reading in the Megamanual... either way I think with my setup, I'm just going to switch over to a DPDT relay, and use the "crank" power to open the circuit and cut the 5V reference from the module... it's going to be much simpler and more reliable that way I think.

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Petty Officer Michael C Casaceli
Aircraft Electronics Technician Second Class
AIMD Brunswick (2007-present)
Patrol Squadron Ten (2003-2007)
United States Navy

Correct, the megamanual suggested using the MS internal 5V supply. I just didn't feel like tapping into the MS, so that's why I used the 7805.

The crank signal which causes the relay to "interrupt" the 5V sounds like a decent plan! (but I think a single pole relay would be sufficient, no?)

Just to be on the safe side, I'd also suggest adding a pull-down resistor on the timing bypass input of the ignition module. When the relay opens the circuit, this could leave the module's timing bypass input "floating" which could cause unpredictable results. (this may be redundant and unneeded depending on the module's input circuitry...)

Have fun tuning it!

[This message has been edited by pmbrunelle (edited 03-23-2010).]

Ah, ok. I was trying to figure out what the heck you were trying to do with a 7805 in there

And yeah, an SPDT throw would do the trick, but with the way manufacturers do things these days, it's easier to find a DPDT that meets the electrical specs you need, plus it gives me an extra switch for anything else I might need triggered by the "crank" power.

And that pull-down resistor idea is something I should have done with the original module I was trying to use... probably might have stopped the fluctuations I was getting from it. The current module is MUCH more stable that the old one, but either way, I'll be wiring that resistor into the other side of the relay's switch. That resistor just goes between the bypass pin and ground, right?

Thanks for the tips bud! I really appreciate it!
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Petty Officer Michael C Casaceli
Aircraft Electronics Technician Second Class
AIMD Brunswick (2007-present)
Patrol Squadron Ten (2003-2007)
United States Navy

[This message has been edited by fieroturbo (edited 03-23-2010).]

Yes, you're grounding the bypass pin through the resistor. A 1K Ω resistor (value not of particular importance) ought to do the trick.

[This message has been edited by pmbrunelle (edited 03-23-2010).]

I was just checking in on some of my favorite threads and have to say congratulations on getting it started!

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My Car Site │ www.flexyourrights.com
Just say NO!! to Automatic Transmissions!!
DRAG RACING - So easy a Caveman can do it!

Sorry for the lack of updates guys. College sucks, and post military life isn't going great.

I just can't win.

I have a bad oil leak, and I'm 90% sure the crankshaft seal on the flywheel side is the cause. Engine and tranny have to come apart again.

And I have a crack in the heater core pipe by the back of the gas tank, so there's a coolant leak too.

FML

quote Originally posted by fieroturbo: I just can't win. I have a bad oil leak, and I'm 90% sure the crankshaft seal on the flywheel side is the cause. Engine and tranny have to come apart again. And I have a crack in the heater core pipe by the back of the gas tank, so there's a coolant leak too. FML

I love this thread. PLEASE do not give up.

So, I've been trying to find the best way to safely remove the powertrain now that I don't have access to an auto shop anymore; I'm pretty much going to just get a used gantry crane with a manual trolley and a chain hoist. It'll lift the back half of the car easily, then I can also use it to hoist the engine off the cradle. Worth the $475 IMHO, but it'll be a pain to store it

I'm thinking that since I'll have such an easy method of removing the engine now, I'll toss the stock flywheel back in there to assist with stabilizing the idle until I get things tweaked, then toss the 7 pounder back in there later. The idea of course was to do all the upgrades from the start so I didn't have to keep yanking the thing out... look how well that worked :P !!! LOL!!!

Ughh... I think next time I do a Fiero engine swap... I'm just gonna go visit Phil in Rhode Island

Alrighty... gantry crane, 2 ton hoist, lifting straps and chains, all good to go. I can finally fix the main rear crankshaft seal and stop this oil leak.

Right now I'm trying to figure out if LSJ Ecotec flywheels have no teeth like the one I modded that's in there now... if so, I'm swapping one of those in until I get the idle fixed in Megasquirt.

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Michael C Casaceli
United States Navy Veteran (2002-2010)
Aircraft Electronics Technician Second Class
AIMD Brunswick (2007-2010)
Patrol Squadron Ten (2003-2007)

Hey, you're not that far from me. I'm going to do an Ecotec swap soon. I don't know why I'm having trouble finding a yard donor. I'm only going for a L61 & F23 to start with. I just want something simple to get started on. I gotta go back and read the rest of this thread now.

Heads up! The LSJ crank has a deferent bolt pattern then the regular ecotecs.

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yellow 88 GT, not stock
white 88 notchie, 4 banger

Wooo, just finished reading this whole thread in one sitting... Whew my eyes hurt, but its all for good reason. Gonna be starting my swap in a few weeks at the latest, can't wait to see this car finally running. Hopefully it doesn't take me 7 years to finish mine lol.

[This message has been edited by nitroheadz28 (edited 05-31-2011).]

Gantry crane is assembled... ripping out the engine this week to fix the blown rear main seal, and hopefully stop this oil leak.

And also, thanks for the 75,000+ views of this thread... I feel like this project gets more and more important with each day that goes by.

[This message has been edited by fieroturbo (edited 07-18-2011).]

quote Originally posted by ccfiero350: Heads up! The LSJ crank has a deferent bolt pattern then the regular ecotecs.

By the way, thank you for this info... I almost made the mistake of getting an LSJ flywheel until I read this.

I'm tossing in the flywheel of a 2.4L Solstice... pretty much the same as a Cobalt, but I can at least say I have Solstice parts in my Fiero now

quote Originally posted by nitroheadz28: Wooo, just finished reading this whole thread in one sitting... Whew my eyes hurt, but its all for good reason. Gonna be starting my swap in a few weeks at the latest, can't wait to see this car finally running. Hopefully it doesn't take me 7 years to finish mine lol.

As others have finished this swap using other methods, and I'm not done yet with the original method, I think that should tell you which is the better method

I believe there are adapter kits now too so you can use the Ecotec with the transmission that was meant for it.

[This message has been edited by fieroturbo (edited 07-18-2011).]