Having MS Installed...if you care to follow along...

[volvoluvin]

As a low level padewan of anything mechanical, but a massive enthusiast, I typically have to go out of house for anything major..like for instance, having MS installed...So...after much reading on the boards here, and being able to put 2 and 2 together to understand why my car was running somewhat poorly, and would never reach the HP levels or reliability levels I wanted, I decided MS was it for me...reasonable $$, all the good information available, something I may be able to understand one day..,;)
Then, as chance would have it, a co-worker with a 400hp awd VW GTI, mentioned he had a friend who was in the business of installing MS, and aftermarket engine management systems...BOOYAA!! http://www.fireandfuel.ca/index.php entered my life...(check out Galleries to watch the progress).
I am beyond excited to work with this guy, he has a care and quality about what he does that I have been missing in my dealings for quite a while...I have a feeling I will be very happy with the work done...
My goals for this work are to maintain this car as my daily driver, and keep the reliability up...so we are not targeting macho hp, going to keep it around the 200-220hp range...
I know this isn't quite up to the DIY moto of the TB's who do MS, but I figured that anything I can learn through this process may be of interest to the rest of you...and you can't fault a guy for being an enthusiast...(well, most can't).

I will make sure to post results/findings/etc...going to take about 3-4 days, so by the weekend I will be back driving...

Take care,

[volvoluvin]

ooops...hit enter before doing any typing...

So...some interesting findings as they start to pull apart the wiring work done by the shop that did the swap...All I can say is buyer beware...I got some shady ass **** "covered" up by this shop that is just now being uncovered...I'm not shocked, dissapointed, but not shocked. Before I go any farther though, I will say, Kenny, (captain bondo), worked there, and he did all my suspension work, which is the best part of the whole job...so no reflection on Kenny, I think he's gold...but the rest of the engine swap...****ing joke to say the least...who puts back an engine harness that looks like this...(they covered this mess up with duct tape and electricians tape...
http://www.fireandfuel.ca/gallery/Whats-in-the-Garage/Look_What_Lurks_in_the_Shad
Check out the "quick release" photo as well...

The shop doing the swap did have a couple suggestions/questions that I need to turn to you lot for:

1. Venting the block? - Can it be vented to anything other than the Intake?
2. The Charcoal can was hooked up to the pressure side of the intake piping at the throttle body, (stock spot for a non-turbo?), the boost of the Turbo motor has created a nice oily mess under there from it likely pressurizing the charcaol vent system and the gas tank?

I'm not familiar enough with this to answer intelligently...so please TB's...help me out if ya can...

Cheers,

[The Aspirator]

There's no way in hell that Kenny was the one who covered up that wiring, my megasquirt wiring is (I think) quite good and he keeps ribbing me about "so when we gonna re-wire that?".

Venting the block, I'm sure you're talking about the positive crankcase ventilation. It's best for the hose to head up over the valve cover and lead into the intake hose just before the turbo, but alot of people do just run the hose down and to a catch can to catch all the crap coming from it. Search for "catch can" and you'll find what you need.

About the charcoal canister, this is always something I've wondered too, I think you just leave it as is. I have mine hooked up like that and there's no oily mess for me. I'm not sure if it does actually pressurize the canister, but I think it's got something to do with "ported" vacuum sources in the throttle body.

Ohh and the other thing, if you're just tuning for fuel then this isn't that important. But if you're installing the ms for ignition too then you need to pick a fuel octane to tune for then stick to it (or use higher). For example I'm just running low boost at the moment so I thought I'd tune my car for 87 octane, it was previously tuned for 92. I had to pull tons of ignition timing to get it to stop pinging. So my point is, if you tune it with 92 or 94 in the tank, never put in lower. Remember you can't always get 94 everywhere .....

Sounds great though, it's a beautiful car!

[volvoluvin]

There's no way in hell that Kenny was the one who covered up that wiring, my megasquirt wiring is (I think) quite good and he keeps ribbing me about "so when we gonna re-wire that?".

Like I said, I think Kenny is golden, it's winky and his boys that are the problem.

Venting the block, I'm sure you're talking about the positive crankcase ventilation. It's best for the hose to head up over the valve cover and lead into the intake hose just before the turbo, but alot of people do just run the hose down and to a catch can to catch all the crap coming from it. Search for "catch can" and you'll find what you need.
Great stuff, we are going to go with a catch can set up for now.

About the charcoal canister, this is always something I've wondered too, I think you just leave it as is. I have mine hooked up like that and there's no oily mess for me. I'm not sure if it does actually pressurize the canister, but I think it's got something to do with "ported" vacuum sources in the throttle body.
We've removed the canister as it wasn't installed properly anyway...(big shock). Sealed up the holes in the throttle body.

Ohh and the other thing, if you're just tuning for fuel then this isn't that important. But if you're installing the ms for ignition too then you need to pick a fuel octane to tune for then stick to it (or use higher). For example I'm just running low boost at the moment so I thought I'd tune my car for 87 octane, it was previously tuned for 92. I had to pull tons of ignition timing to get it to stop pinging. So my point is, if you tune it with 92 or 94 in the tank, never put in lower. Remember you can't always get 94 everywhere .....

Sounds great though, it's a beautiful car!

This was one of the shops first questions as we are doing ignition tuning as well. I've picked 92 as I am going for between 10-12psi. I've been running 94 so as to not have the motor knock like a bastard...even with 92 I was knocking at 7psi...bad tuning I suppose. Should all be cleared up when this is done though...thanks for the tips!

I would love to pop out to your place one day, weekends work?...I live about 20mins away in Poco...let me know!

[The Aspirator]

It's probably a good idea to tune for 92 and throw in 94 whenever you can. What injectors are you going to be running? I'm using stock turbo greentops right now and I'm totally maxing them out with just 10psi, I guess my engine is hungry though.

My schedule is usually all over the place so it's hard for me to make plans, weekends usually aren't that good. We've been trying to setup a little volvo git together at mission dragstrip, I'm thinking may 12th would be cool.

[volvoluvin]

Standard Green tops...don't think they will have a problem delivering the fuel I'm looking for...but we'll see when we start tuning on the weekend...

It isn't necesarry to pop out anytime soon...at somepoint this summer is all I'm saying...

But I would LOVE a day out a mission...I have no clue what the wagon will pull, so it would be super fun to find out.

[The Aspirator]

Well lets try to plan a may 12th thing, I think I'll throw up a thread in events.

[volvoluvin]

Sounds good to me...I'm pretty sure I could make it...the care will be pretty fresh from the MS install, should it should be fun.

[volvoluvin]

So we have some more pics of the progress...should be fired up tonight...

http://www.fireandfuel.ca/gallery/Whats-in-the-Garage

Some more "Questionable" work uncovered...who uses a wire connector like this to attach two wires in a car...maybe your house...but in a car?
http://www.fireandfuel.ca/gallery/Whats-in-the-Garage/P5060152

I'm not sure about the Blue Turbo plumbing yet...maybe it will grow on me, we'll see.

Can't wait to drive it!

[MrBill]

Some more "Questionable" work uncovered...who uses a wire connector like this to attach two wires in a car...maybe your house...but in a car?
http://www.fireandfuel.ca/gallery/Whats-in-the-Garage/P5060152

oh, that would be me:) Had em laying around.

[The Aspirator]

Can't wait to hear how it runs! Don't be afraid or suprised if there are some starting problems throughout the first few weeks, don't be afraid to lay your foot into it while cranking if it won't start. It's just part of the process. It's really hard to make megasquirt be as good at cold starts as the stock stuff, but an idle valve would really help things out.

So when it's running let us know how you like it!

John

[volvoluvin]

Can't wait to hear how it runs! Don't be afraid or suprised if there are some starting problems throughout the first few weeks, don't be afraid to lay your foot into it while cranking if it won't start. It's just part of the process. It's really hard to make megasquirt be as good at cold starts as the stock stuff, but an idle valve would really help things out.

So when it's running let us know how you like it!

John
well...got the car back tonight...and I don't care WHAT the HP is...the difference is out of this world...
I can't think of enough words to describe the feeling this car now gives as it pulls from 1500 all the way through to 5500,(I'm a wuss and won't go higher). It's amazing...completely amazing...
We drove around for a good 2 hours with Dave tuning on the Laptop while I tried all sorts of different driving styles...The motor sounds like it's angry angry...I love it!
150 or 250...today, tonight, I don't care...this is one happy Volvo owner...
My guess is 200+, I can't see how it could be less based on the feeling it gives you in the backside...but we'll all find out soon enough...making the booking for Dyno and tune tomorrow.

Cheers
-Phil

PS - I'll be sleeping with the **** eating grin still on my face.

Vid's here:
http://www.fireandfuel.ca/gallery/Whats-in-the-Garage?page=5

[The Aspirator]

Oooooh that 1-2-3 pull sounds positively wicked, can't wait to see/hear/watch it this friday!

If you still have a T-cam you don't need to rev it past 5500, but with any other cam you should set your limiter at 6200 or so, a solid B230 like yours will do fine there. There's guys taking them up to 7200, though 6200 is just fine for reliability.

Edit, found in another thread, IPD turbo cam..... Wuss, take it to 6500 :).

[NeoSpeed740ti]

Where the hell did you get a bolt on TPS for a 740 throttle-body. I had to fab my own adapter (and modify the end of the shaft the tps goes on) so I could use an 850 tps. Part number and the car it was made for would be greatly appreciated.

http://www.fireandfuel.ca/gallery/Whats-in-the-Garage/Throttle_Position_Sensor

*edit* just answered my own question it's an lh 3.1 TPS as found on the 91+ 240s

[volvoluvin]

Where the hell did you get a bolt on TPS for a 740 throttle-body. I had to fab my own adapter (and modify the end of the shaft the tps goes on) so I could use an 850 tps. Part number and the car it was made for would be greatly appreciated.

http://www.fireandfuel.ca/gallery/Whats-in-the-Garage/Throttle_Position_Sensor

*edit* just answered my own question it's an lh 3.1 TPS as found on the 91+ 240s

Not sure about your *edit* comment, it may be the "same", but the actual TPS is from a 1990-92 VW Passat 16V...TPS bolted right on without mods, it’s a TPS and a WOT/IDLE switch combo, so in fact you could use it before converting your car over or if some people wanted to have both MS and their old system wired up in case of failure etc..