Re: [DML] Re: Serious Megasquirt Question

[Stephen Rice <stevedmc@xxxxxxxxx>]

My car is pretty dang reliable and I plan on making a 1,500 mile trek
(one way) from my house in Livingston, Louisiana all the way to
Delaware and back passing through several states (out of the way) such
as Ohio, Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania just because I can.

Although my car is a piece of crap, I have managed to drive many miles
on my car since purchasing it back in November of 2009.  When I got
the car it had about 22,000 miles on it and 2.5 years later I have
almost 48,000 miles on the odometer.

I'm not too worried about fuel delivery for several reasons.  First I
have Ford carburetor which I can maintain myself with nothing more
than a screw driver and $20 worth of parts (if I have to rebuild it)
from AutoZone (which are in stock).  Lets say aliens decide to zap my
carburetor with a ray gun one day.  Guess, what?  All I have to do is
find a junk yard and walk around unil I find an old Ford with the same
size carburetor.

If I need a new fuel filter I can walk into any parts store and pickup
one for about $3.  I carry a spare fuel pump but I may never need it.
All of my fuel pump issues went away after running a ground wire
directly to my fuel pump.

I also don't have to worry about my RPM relay failing because I don't
have one.  If I did have one and it failed, I could easily be back on
the road by bypassing it with a fancy tool called a wire.

If my ignition controller fails on my trip I'll simply call Bill or
Henninger for information on how to replace it with a Ford part.

Like Bill, I also carry a full size spare.  If one of my tires were to
have a problem, I would simply pull over, replace it, and go on my
way.

I learned a long time ago that AAA is practically useless when you own
a Delorean.  First you have to wait an hour for someone to show up,
and then you have to listen to a bunch of garbage from the roadside
guy, and when he can't jump start your car (or whatever it is you
need) he just refuses to tow you and drives off.  I've learned that it
is much easier to just fix whatever is wrong on the side of the road
(you are going to have to fix it anyway) and then go about your
business.  The reality is, even if they tow it to a shop, you are
still going to have to fix it yourself anyway.

My car opreates with minimal electronics.  I don't have cruise
control, don't drive an automatic, and I don't have a fancy smancy
electronic fuel system.  The only thing electronic about my fuel
system is the 12 volt choke (which I can operate manualy if I get in a
bind) and my fuel pump (which only needs 12v to operate).

Anyway, I'll have fun driving 10,000 miles in my car this year while
others are still worrying about rattles and trying to get their cars
to idle right.  I've found the key to being happy with this little car
is just to be prepared for problems and to be comfortable working on
it yourself.  I carry nearly all of my tools in the car at all times
and never worry when things go wrong, I simply fix whatever the issue
is and about my business.

-Steve Rice
#16510



On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 9:12 AM, content22207 <brobertson@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> You didn't say "my" list of possibilities, you said "anyone's" list of possibilities -- a very significant difference.
>
> Considering the fabrication necessary on my part, I am very glad carburetion is not on "everyone's" list of possibilities.
>
> Bill Robertson
> #5939
>
> --- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "jtrealtywebspannet" <jtrealty@...> wrote:
>>
>> Cars get stuck on the side of the road for all kinds of reasons. Like running out of gas (a very common one). Some are there because people get arrested and the car is left there to be towed. Going to a carb wouldn't be on MY list of possibilities. Obviously you and I and 15 others have an honest difference of opinion. That's OK. Converting to a carb is a lot faster, easier, less complicated, and cheaper than converting to EFI so for some it may be a better choice. Not me. BTW, in my area of the country you do not see very many cars stuck on the side of the road, not like you used to. Cars have become MUCH more reliable and in my area of the US at least, people for the most part do not drive old cars around all that much. They do still run out of gas or leave their lights on when they park.
>> David Teitelbaum
>>
>> --- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "content22207" <brobertson@> wrote:
>> >
>> > "For anyone unhappy with the stock K-Jet and contemplating some kind of conversion going with a carburetor wouldn't even be on the list of possibilities."
>> >
>> > Curious -- I have helped 15 owners other than myself (2 cars) do that very thing. Certainly seems possible to me....
>> >
>> > I pass by dead cars on the side of the road all the time. To state that cars don't die on the side of the road is just plain ridiculous. Are you driving around with your eyes closed?
>> >
>> > If cars aren't dying on the side of the road, what is keeping AAA in business? Can't be the folded paper maps they used to sell.
>> >
>> > Bill Robertson
>> > #5939
>> >
>> > --- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "jtrealtywebspannet" <jtrealty@> wrote:
>> > >
>> > > There are so many single point failure modes for an automobile that it is simply impractical to be prepared for ALL contingencies. You could blow a C/V joint, ball joint, TAB, tie rod end, fuel line, alternator, and on and on. You take care of the car as much as you can and do your PM. When all else fails you have a 3A card or keep a bicycle on a luggage rack. Properly installed you probably have a higher MTBF with electronic ignition and fuel management than with most of the other systems on the car. If you are going to drive a 30 year old car you had better have a back-up plan! From my experience with automotive electronics, they seem to have gotten VERY reliable, much better than they were 30 years ago!!!!!!!!!! In the majority of cases if you do experience a problem the motor will still run, not well but still run. Many failure modes will fail into a "Limp Home" mode. You are correct, if you do lose the controller you are screwed, extremely rare. I have seen it in flood cars. It can also happen if you jump the car and do it backwards. Is EFI more complicated than K-Jet or a carburetor? You Betcha! It is also a LOT more reliable. For anyone unhappy with the stock K-Jet and contemplating some kind of conversion going with a carburetor wouldn't even be on the list of possibilities. BTW, if you are thinking of doing an engine conversion you WILL be using EFI. Unless you are considering going to steam! Heck, EVERY electric car is run on computers and you don't see them dying on the side of the road. And airplanes, trains, elevators, etc.
>> > > David Teitelbaum
>> > >
>> > > --- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Owen" <omalbec@> wrote:
>> > > >
>> > > > What is your contingency plan today should your stock Ignition Control Unit craps out (it is 30+ years old after all)?  Or your stock RPM relay? Or your fuel pump? Or.... we can play this game all night. It doesn't matter one iota if your fuel delivery is mechanical if your spark control is electronic.
>> > > >
>> > > > I for one believe that whether one is K-Jetted, carburetted or EFI'd, AAA or classic insurance with towing package is probably a prudent investment.  I don't care what your fueling mechanism, if you lose your spark control, you're screwed.
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > > > --- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "content22207" <brobertson@> wrote:
>> > > > >
>> > > > > I mean controller replacement. My little brother had to replace the onboard computer in his Oldsmobile not too long ago. For some reason the thing died while he was at work.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Onboard electronics do die. I helped a DeLorean owner last year whose Bosch ignition module had died (his dead ECU donated the harness connector for the adapter my Duraspark module is using).
>> > > > >
>> > > > > All electronic devices are subject to failure. It is unrealistically optimistic to claim that one's own devices will never fail. If I was totally dependent upon an onboard controller for my fuel delivery, I would definitely have a contingency plan.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Bill Robertson
>> > > > > #5939
>> > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > > > > --- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "DarkStar Media" <darkstarmedia@> wrote:
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > Define "dies"...
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > If the computer shorts out it's dead anyway and no laptop or phone will do
>> > > > > > anything about it, just like any ECU.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > Baring that they are extremely reliable and once setup just run and run.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > If there is a re-boot while running (usually only if you are screwing with
>> > > > > > it) you see a hiccup but the MS ECU tends to recover before the engine drops
>> > > > > > more than 100rpm (think slight stumble).
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > Richard
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > -----Original Message-----
>> > > > > > From: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
>> > > > > > content22207
>> > > > > > Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 3:31 PM
>> > > > > > To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> > > > > > Subject: [DML] Serious Megasquirt Question
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > If the onboard controller dies, do you have to reload all the fuel maps from
>> > > > > > scratch? If so, is there a smartphone interface so you don't have to upload
>> > > > > > them from a laptop?
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > I'm thinking about what happens if the controller dies while you're on a
>> > > > > > trip.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > On my own car I am only dependent upon the ignition ECU, and I carry a spare
>> > > > > > for that (Duraspark is my primary ECU and the original Bosch unit is my
>> > > > > > backup).
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > Bill Robertson
>> > > > > > #5939
>> > > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > > >
>> > >
>> >
>>
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Steve Rice
#16510


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