Daniel F., 1982 DeLorean DMC-12

ramblerman
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Daniel F., 1982 DeLorean DMC-12

Post by ramblerman »

Name: Daniel F.
Vehicle: 1982 DeLorean DMC-12
Engine: Original 2.85 liter PRV V6 (odd-fire) with custom headers, true dual exhaust with dual cats, Dynomax muffler, K&N air filter and Accel coil.
Injection: Converted from Bosch K-Jetronic mechanical port injection to MegaSquirt powered EFI. Yeah baby! I utilized the stock intake manifold and idle air speed motor.
Description: If gullwing doors and a stainless steel body weren't cool enough, having MS EFI will certainly attract some more attention! :)
1982 DeLorean DMC-12 - Running on MegaSquirt!!
1985 Corvette - Factory L98 350 with TPI
1975 Bricklin SV-1 - May get MegaSquirt someday!
ramblerman
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Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:34 pm
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Post by ramblerman »

So far today I had it running for a total of about 25 minutes and it's getting better and better. Being able to adjust fuel in "real-time" is incredible! You can actually hear the engine running differently when you adjust something!!

I have a lot more tuning to do with the laptop! However, the very first time I cranked it with MegaSquirt, the engine came to life and never stalled out. After being prepared for the worst, after reading many, many posts on this forum, I was very pleasantly surprised by the ease of starting. I attribute this mostly to working diligently and carefully and reading certain parts of the MegaManual over and over.

I still have to make another bracket and figure out the routing for the air ducting and air filter, so I haven't done on-road tuning yet, but for now all I can say is: Holy Guacamole!!!
:D :D :D :D
1982 DeLorean DMC-12 - Running on MegaSquirt!!
1985 Corvette - Factory L98 350 with TPI
1975 Bricklin SV-1 - May get MegaSquirt someday!
efahl
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Post by efahl »

ramblerman wrote:After being prepared for the worst, after reading many, many posts on this forum, I was very pleasantly surprised by the ease of starting.
Daniel,

Good job, got any pictures?

Your experience, i.e., starting and running right away is the norm, I'd guess that over 90% of the installs have few or no problems. If you just read the forums you come away with a huge bias, because people don't come here to discuss how well their installation went, they come here to get solutions to problems. :) The same is true of every "hotline" forum, you'd think the sky were falling from reading the support call list, but in reality things normally go very well.

Eric
ramblerman
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Post by ramblerman »

Hi Eric,

Right now I have quite a few pictures, but they are all "work in progress" pics. I am hoping that once I make my last bracket, finalize the air duct routing (it's a tight engine bay - in the rear of the car), and clean it up a bit that I will post some links to photos. You know what they say - You never get a second chance to make a first impression...

You're absolutely right of course about forums being mainly comprised of questions from people with problems, and not usually positive aspects. It is great though to be expecting the worst and be pleasantly surprised, instead of the other way around. :)

Thanks,
Daniel
1982 DeLorean DMC-12 - Running on MegaSquirt!!
1985 Corvette - Factory L98 350 with TPI
1975 Bricklin SV-1 - May get MegaSquirt someday!
ramblerman
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Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:34 pm
Location: Arizona
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Post by ramblerman »

I now am getting more and more comfortable with the tuning process. I am still running rich though (about 9:1 AFR). I took it out the other day on the freeway for the first time and got it up to about 90 MPH (the speed limit was 75). It ran great! I also got some good datalogs for the first time.

At this point my only major problem is that I had to route the air ducting and the air filter too close to the passenger side header and the muffler piping. After the engine warms up I have seen my IAT as high has 196 degrees F! Obviously it can't stay this way, and I am looking into possibly doing some creative cutting of the fiberglass inner fender to pull some colder air from inside there.

I can't believe that in my first "success story" post I forgot to mention the most important thing: The MegaSquirt computer and all of it's incredible features would not exist if it were not for Bruce Bowling and Al Grippo. These guys are incredible and continue to further the development of the MS EFI controller and it's technology.

Daniel
1982 DeLorean DMC-12 - Running on MegaSquirt!!
1985 Corvette - Factory L98 350 with TPI
1975 Bricklin SV-1 - May get MegaSquirt someday!
ramblerman
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Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:34 pm
Location: Arizona
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Post by ramblerman »

I have now put about 1500 miles on my car with MS, including a 1,000 mile round trip from AZ to CA and back to AZ. At first I was concerned about taking my car on such a long trip, but afterward I realized that I had nothing to worry about and MS did whatever I wanted it to do. Even though I built and installed MegaView, I brought my laptop along with me just in case I needed to tune something "in the field". I never turned on my laptop once!

As an update to the above posts, I re-routed my air ducting and filter. I cut out a larger hole in the fiberglass underbody (pontoon) and put a conical K&N filter in there so the engine can pull air from inside the fender. The IAT temps went from almost 200 F. to around 135 F. when the engine is fully warmed up.

Also, my gas mileage is getting better and better with every adjustment to the VE table. As it sits now, I have about 2 to 3 more MPG than stock, and am convinced that it can be better than that!

By the way, for all of you stock Bosch K-Jetronic CIS users: By going to MS, I have completely gotten rid of all of the seeking and hunting when cold at idle and the engine now idles rock-solid around 750 RPM.

Daniel
1982 DeLorean DMC-12 - Running on MegaSquirt!!
1985 Corvette - Factory L98 350 with TPI
1975 Bricklin SV-1 - May get MegaSquirt someday!
injuhneer
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Post by injuhneer »

I see that this thread is a couple of years old. Just wondering if Daniel still has the DeLorean.

I have a 1973 Citroen SM that has a Maserati odd-fire V6. I am considering Meg or Microsquirt as an EFi conversion.

Any insight or info about your PRV odd-fire would be appreciated.

-Mike
ramblerman
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Post by ramblerman »

Yep, I definitely still have the DeLorean! I have put thousands of miles on the MS EFI and have been very happy with it. I would NEVER go back to mechanical fuel injection (or carburetors) on engines again.

The only thing that I never really bothered to finalize was the cold weather starting. I am reminded that I should do the cold tuning everytime I go to start the car and it is 35-40 degrees outside in the morning, but that really is a very short time of the year here.

MegaSquirt appears to handle odd-fire engines with ease. In fact, I have had the foremost DeLorean expert drive my car so he could see what it was like, and he told me that it is one of the smoothest idles he has ever seen in an odd-fire DeLorean! Of course, I am still using the original electronic ignition system for the odd-fire V6, and the MS1 with v2.2 board handles fuel only!

Daniel
1982 DeLorean DMC-12 - Running on MegaSquirt!!
1985 Corvette - Factory L98 350 with TPI
1975 Bricklin SV-1 - May get MegaSquirt someday!
injuhneer
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Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 6:54 am

Post by injuhneer »

ramblerman wrote:Yep, I definitely still have the DeLorean! I have put thousands of miles on the MS EFI and have been very happy with it. I would NEVER go back to mechanical fuel injection (or carburetors) on engines again.

The only thing that I never really bothered to finalize was the cold weather starting. I am reminded that I should do the cold tuning everytime I go to start the car and it is 35-40 degrees outside in the morning, but that really is a very short time of the year here.

MegaSquirt appears to handle odd-fire engines with ease. In fact, I have had the foremost DeLorean expert drive my car so he could see what it was like, and he told me that it is one of the smoothest idles he has ever seen in an odd-fire DeLorean! Of course, I am still using the original electronic ignition system for the odd-fire V6, and the MS1 with v2.2 board handles fuel only!

Daniel
Hello and thanks for replying.

I have converted the Maserati to a hall-effect ignition (Pertronix) so the old dual points system in stored in a box now.

How much of your FI system did you replace to accomodate the MS? I plead ignorance of the DMC-12 fuel system.

I am starting from scratch on this system since this motor had breaker point ignition and 3-2bbl Webers.

-Mike
ramblerman
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Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:34 pm
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Post by ramblerman »

Mike-

The DeLorean originally used Bosch K-Jetronic mechanical fuel injection. In my case, this meant that I did not have to drill out holes or weld in bungs for the fuel injectors to fit into, since coincidentally the holes in my heads were a perfect fit. However, this is where the easy part ended...

I DID have to build the computer, wire up about 25 additional wires, run the vacuum line for the MAP sensor, figure out where I was going to install the engine sensors (original sensor locations with adapters, or new locations), make my own fuel rail from aluminum fuel rail stock extrusion, plumb the fuel lines to and from the newly created fuel rails, create the custom brackets I needed to mount everything to the engine, move a couple of things around the engine and engine bay to make room for everything and finally tune the system with a laptop for a very long time!!!

Was all of that worth it? Hell, YES!! Would I do it again? In a heartbeat!! If you are starting with a carbureted vehicle obviously you will also need to modify your intake or create a new one!

Daniel
1982 DeLorean DMC-12 - Running on MegaSquirt!!
1985 Corvette - Factory L98 350 with TPI
1975 Bricklin SV-1 - May get MegaSquirt someday!
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