A recent discussion on the Crane Fireball thread attracted my attention to the Megajolt system. Is anyone using it? Is it worth the effort to install over stock FI electronic ignition?
The tinkerer in me wants to dig further into this, but I want to understand what benefits I'd be looking at...
Megajolt Ignition
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manoa matt
- Posts: 3442
- Joined: Thu Oct 26, 2006 4:28 pm
- Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider 1800
- Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Re: Megajolt Ignition
RacyDave is the only one I know currently running that setup, Jason Miller might also.
You can find all information on the megajolt website. http://www.autosportlabs.net/index.php? ... rs_Welcome
Jason Miller of Miller's Mule makes custom parts and carries most of the components.: http://www.millersmule.com/
There are a few sellers on ebay that have all then needed parts for the setup, with the exception of the control box and sensor mount. There is one seller that always has several kits for sale at once, but I've watched the auctions and I think he bids against himself to drive the price up.
You can always go to a pick and pull and get everything there much cheaper. Look for 4 cylinder Ford Escorts from 91-99.
The theory is that spark timing must be precise, and directly related to TDC. The pistons push on the connecting rods, which in-turn push on the crank, which pushes on the front crank pully, which drives the timing belt, which drives the camshafts, which turn the distributor. Remember the timing belt is rubber and can stretch slightly, also all the gears, bearings, and cog wheels have tolerances that when added up can induce a variance in the spark timing at the distributor.
By running a crank sensor, you are taking the timing event right off the crank and reducing spark timing error, resulting in better idling, and better performance. The megajolt system is a total engine management system that can control the injectors, and the spark. The megajolt Jr system only controls the spark so it can be installed on naturaly aspirated cars. The best part about the megajolt jr is that it's a programmable system. You download the software from the website and use a laptop to tune the advance curve to the exact needs of your particular engine, with the aid of a MAP sensor or a throttle position sensor. It's a 3-D advance curve, as opposed to a 2-D advance curve like a typical distributor.
There are two options with the megajolt jr system. If you are electrically inclined and adventerous you can buy the kit and build the control box yourself and pay about $80. Or buy the assembled and tested box for $160. If you can source all the other parts of the system from a pick and pull, and fabricate some custom parts, you might be able to have a good system for a couple hundred.
Since its not a plug and play system it's not for everybody. You have to find a way of mounting a trigger wheel to the front crank pulley, find a way to mount the trigger wheel sensor, and a few other custom wiring splices. Once complete you need to have a friend with a laptop to drive around simulating various engine and load conditions to tune the system.
You can find all information on the megajolt website. http://www.autosportlabs.net/index.php? ... rs_Welcome
Jason Miller of Miller's Mule makes custom parts and carries most of the components.: http://www.millersmule.com/
There are a few sellers on ebay that have all then needed parts for the setup, with the exception of the control box and sensor mount. There is one seller that always has several kits for sale at once, but I've watched the auctions and I think he bids against himself to drive the price up.
You can always go to a pick and pull and get everything there much cheaper. Look for 4 cylinder Ford Escorts from 91-99.
The theory is that spark timing must be precise, and directly related to TDC. The pistons push on the connecting rods, which in-turn push on the crank, which pushes on the front crank pully, which drives the timing belt, which drives the camshafts, which turn the distributor. Remember the timing belt is rubber and can stretch slightly, also all the gears, bearings, and cog wheels have tolerances that when added up can induce a variance in the spark timing at the distributor.
By running a crank sensor, you are taking the timing event right off the crank and reducing spark timing error, resulting in better idling, and better performance. The megajolt system is a total engine management system that can control the injectors, and the spark. The megajolt Jr system only controls the spark so it can be installed on naturaly aspirated cars. The best part about the megajolt jr is that it's a programmable system. You download the software from the website and use a laptop to tune the advance curve to the exact needs of your particular engine, with the aid of a MAP sensor or a throttle position sensor. It's a 3-D advance curve, as opposed to a 2-D advance curve like a typical distributor.
There are two options with the megajolt jr system. If you are electrically inclined and adventerous you can buy the kit and build the control box yourself and pay about $80. Or buy the assembled and tested box for $160. If you can source all the other parts of the system from a pick and pull, and fabricate some custom parts, you might be able to have a good system for a couple hundred.
Since its not a plug and play system it's not for everybody. You have to find a way of mounting a trigger wheel to the front crank pulley, find a way to mount the trigger wheel sensor, and a few other custom wiring splices. Once complete you need to have a friend with a laptop to drive around simulating various engine and load conditions to tune the system.
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racydave
Re: Megajolt Ignition
Matt is correct. Search my posts, or e-mail me. I have a program to share from my 2 L. A laptop is necessary, plus special parts that I got from Jason Miller at Millers Mule machine. I love mine, but its not for everybody.
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mosu
Re: Megajolt Ignition
Matt, thanks for the detailed description, the background info really helps understand the advantage of getting a reading straight off the crank. I didn't realize that there was enough accumulated play in the internals that it would make a significant difference in ignition timing.
Dave, I will shoot you an email so I can get more details about the implementation from you. I have an engine on the stand ready to go in, so this is as good a time as any to get this done.
Dave, I will shoot you an email so I can get more details about the implementation from you. I have an engine on the stand ready to go in, so this is as good a time as any to get this done.
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BrianAz
Re: Megajolt Ignition
Hi,
Another source for the EDIS ignition is BoostEngineering in CA. The website is http://www.boostengineering.net/ Click on EDIS 4. I got my parts there and the control box from Autosport Labs. I never did get to mount it on my Spider. Instead I got a 6 cylinder coil pack and module at a pull-a-part yard and am in the process of mounting the system on my Alfa GTV6.
Getting the parts off a car in a breakers yard is pretty straightforward, except for the trigger wheel. There you need some serious hardware like an impact wrench. The ignition module is body mounted near the headlamps on the passenger side, or at least it is on the 6 cyl cars such as the Ford explorer. The Ford escort model year is look for is 1990 to 1993, I read that somewhere in the 90s, the ignition module got integrated into the engines ECU so that would make it very difficult to swap into another vehicle.
The guy at Boost Engineering gets his part from pull-a-part yards, used parts but the trigger wheel is the original type and the one I got fitted onto the front of the Spider pulley (2.OL FI engine) after a small amount of machining to the internal diameter. However that may be an issue if you are using a belt drive on the outer groove (for AC ?).
All you need to know about EDIS can be found in http://www.megamanual.com/ms2/EDIS.htm and http://www.dainst.com/info/edis/edis.html
Good Luck,
Brian.
Another source for the EDIS ignition is BoostEngineering in CA. The website is http://www.boostengineering.net/ Click on EDIS 4. I got my parts there and the control box from Autosport Labs. I never did get to mount it on my Spider. Instead I got a 6 cylinder coil pack and module at a pull-a-part yard and am in the process of mounting the system on my Alfa GTV6.
Getting the parts off a car in a breakers yard is pretty straightforward, except for the trigger wheel. There you need some serious hardware like an impact wrench. The ignition module is body mounted near the headlamps on the passenger side, or at least it is on the 6 cyl cars such as the Ford explorer. The Ford escort model year is look for is 1990 to 1993, I read that somewhere in the 90s, the ignition module got integrated into the engines ECU so that would make it very difficult to swap into another vehicle.
The guy at Boost Engineering gets his part from pull-a-part yards, used parts but the trigger wheel is the original type and the one I got fitted onto the front of the Spider pulley (2.OL FI engine) after a small amount of machining to the internal diameter. However that may be an issue if you are using a belt drive on the outer groove (for AC ?).
All you need to know about EDIS can be found in http://www.megamanual.com/ms2/EDIS.htm and http://www.dainst.com/info/edis/edis.html
Good Luck,
Brian.
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spiderrey
- Posts: 2623
- Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2006 2:08 pm
- Your car is a: 70 124 spider-74x19-03 ranger edge
- Location: San Dimas, Ca
Re: Megajolt Ignition
I have an edis ignition on my car. Got the setup from Croft, he preprogrammed it for my engine. Its based on the ford setup. Works flawlessly, if it has adjustments that can be made, I wouldnt have any idea how to do it. Allisons has a similar setup that uses a custom distributor. It would be interesting to learn more about racydaves setup though.