# 2.0l 16v 9a itb megasquirt build picz



## sachadesousa (Jul 5, 2010)

Hello so i decided to share my build due to all the great people on this forum who directly and indirectly helped me on my way.

Bought an 89cabby with a 9A already swapped in running off an ABA motronic EFI. Which lasted about 1.5 weeks before the engine grenaded. The swap was so poorly done and engine didn't have any sort of tuning which i believe led to it's demise... 










Part 1: The Carnage!










what happened to my bearings










crank bearings










crank is fried










me and block, i removed the head before dropping the block... this is before getting an engine hoist which makes life easier... much easier










block disassembly 

Part 2: New Things!

because of how badly bearings went, the pistons were impacting my head on the up strokes, so both head and pistons had to be replaced i was lucky enough that the good people at the "Source" had a 9A long block in decent condition and cheap.










donor engine










Left: new scat forged con rod, Right: original con rod. This wasn't necessary to buy, the scat ones didnt have an oil chanel running through, but instead had notches cut on the crank end to eject oil upwards and lubricate the piston pin.










oil pump










refabed crank, they undersize the journals so you have to get oversized or thicker bearings to match










Wiseco pistons 1mm oversize










Left: old Right: new










Piston and con rod










inside of block after machining, shop oversized bores by 1mm to accommodate pistons

There are many other things i dont have pictures of that were purchased, like ARP headstuds, a custom COMETIC headgasket etc.

Part 3: The Build!

now the fun stuff!!!!!










block after chemical bath, i made sure to use solvent to clean off any excess oil off and tape gasket surfaces with tape before priming










after doing some research i decided to go with a self etching primer and so far i like the results










block after desired color has been added










went a little overboard and wasted time on the upper plenum as well










crank install (used royal purple engine build lube)










pistons in



















ARP










the rest of the stuff.... now i regret not stripping and painting my tranny. i was in a hurry to get it done.










dropping it in










isn't she a beaut! 



still ran like shoit even after checking and douple checking timing. i wasnt going to be satisfied until i actually had o2 readings and a computer to peek in on engine characteristics, which brings me to part 4

Part 4: Megasquirt!

being cheap and all i decided to get the unassembled kit and do all the soldering myself, which was hours of fun. I went with the MS3 and added 2 drivers for semi sequential spark... the ms2 and ms3 (if i recall) can out of box run a coil for distributor and 2 banks of injectors, but since i wanted to go distributorless i would have to modify the unit. all the info you need is in the mega manual

also when you get an unassembled kit you have to flash the firmware to the board, before you can even communicate with a computer tunning application. this should all be easy for someone with basic computer and soldering skills... read on










the board being assembled










semi complete running tunerstudioMS, on the left where the harness would normally connect, i installed a jimstim, a board which simulates engine sensors so you can verify that everything is working in the comfort of your house rather than leaning over your car.










another picture of the MS3 hooked up to TunerStudioMS, this time i have my Hyabusa throttle hooked up to see and calibrate TPS readings.










because im going distributor-less the MS3 needs a crank position sensor, if i were to use a distributor, the hall sensor inside would have been sufficient. I bought the 60-2 wheel, sensor and bracket from 034 motorsports. and it fit like a charm. so after that all you have to do is a little math to figure out the trigger offset and then imput that into the MS3.

the megasquirt base tune is usually enough to get the car going, but you have to tell it basic things such as how many cylinders you have, and what size injectors etc, READ THE MANUAL AND READ IT AGAIN!!!!!










i would not reccommend this to anyone who is shy of doing wiring because it does make a mess.

Part 5: ITBs!

So as stated earlier i purchased a Hyabusa throttle body which included injectors and a tps... im not using the bikes injectors now, im only using them to plug the holes in the throttle. for plenum modifications, i just cut the lower plenum maybe 1.5" from the base and attached silicone hoses to make plenum to throttle... 



















other things to consider when buying your throttles is the spacing between each cylinder... the newest throttles cannot be seperated, they are cast as one piece... so i seperated mine and used threaded rod and washers to get them close enough... also i shaved off a little material to match my manifold to the hose...













first start up, due to vaccum leaks i had a high idle (about 4k)



how it runs with a little lovin'

Part 6: Where i Stand!

well i can run the car and its lovely, its only for 30sec at a time due to the coolant flange coming in contact with the itb, i am running without water...

and i have to do a serpentine conversion or somehow relocate my alternator lower for the same reason..


Tell me what you think.

-Sacha


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## Prof315 (Jan 5, 2009)

2 suggestions.....

1: Instead of building the extra injector drivers on the mainboard just get an MS3X. Best $100 you'll ever spend. It'll give you 8 Hi-Z injector drivers, 8 logic level spark drivers, and a TON of I/O.

2: After installing the 3X cut 3 teeth off of the distributor and wire the output to the MS3X cam-in. Boom you'll have full sequential and could run LS coils that are P&P with the 3X. Nothing is hotter or more reliable.

Comments.....

Nice Job so far! The Busa ITBs are probably a bit large even for an overbore 2.0L but it'll scream! The original ITB injector holes make a great spot for building a vacuum plenum which you will want.


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## sachadesousa (Jul 5, 2010)

Prof315 said:


> 2 suggestions.....
> 
> 1: Instead of building the extra injector drivers on the mainboard just get an MS3X. Best $100 you'll ever spend. It'll give you 8 Hi-Z injector drivers, 8 logic level spark drivers, and a TON of I/O.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the feedback, 


I thought everything the ms3x did was logic level as there isn't really any drivers on that add on... Maybe I'm wrong

Also I never understood the reasoning behind having a crank and cam position sensor unless having a vvti system or something along the lines of that. The 60-2 has amazing resolution as is, is it just used as a fail safe?


Yes the busa throttles scream, the vids don't do it justice, I've got to get some filters on tho.

I added the drivers for spark to run a ford edis coil (cheapest I've found so far) and also if I were to be totally sequential would I notice any real performance gain?

My mr2 that will be receiving 4th gen 3sgte which has cop can benefit from logic sequential spark that is what I will be doing to it


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## Prof315 (Jan 5, 2009)

sachadesousa said:


> Thanks for the feedback,
> 
> 
> I thought everything the ms3x did was logic level as there isn't really any drivers on that add on... Maybe I'm wrong
> ...


The MS3X has the following, 8 Hi-Z injector drivers, 8 logic level spark drivers that I have used with LS coils, Toyota 4 wire COPs and Honda 3wire COPs. VAG coils require a booster circuit be built. 6 medium current PWM capable drivers, cam in (VR or Hall), flex fuel in, 2 ground triggered inputs for nitrous, transbrake, launch control etc..., 1 12V OR ground triggered input, PT4 which is an unbuffered selectable I/O, and 3 spare 0-5v ADCs which can be used for a 2nd O2 sensor, second MAP, MAF, certain pressure sensors or extra thermistors with the addition of a bias resistor, the through holes are already there.

Full sequential fuel and ignition which requires the addition of a cam signal to the RPM/TDC primary signal needed for batch fire or semi sequential and waste spark, BUT having full sequential fuel and ignition allows you to use individual cylinder trims for both fuel and spark as well the ability to control oversized injectors more accurately and in general much better idle and low end drivability since you have the ability with MS, to tune the injector timing. With MS3/3X it's silly NOT to go fully sequential.


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## sachadesousa (Jul 5, 2010)

Prof315 said:


> The MS3X has the following, 8 Hi-Z injector drivers, 8 logic level spark drivers that I have used with LS coils, Toyota 4 wire COPs and Honda 3wire COPs. VAG coils require a booster circuit be built. 6 medium current PWM capable drivers, cam in (VR or Hall), flex fuel in, 2 ground triggered inputs for nitrous, transbrake, launch control etc..., 1 12V OR ground triggered input, PT4 which is an unbuffered selectable I/O, and 3 spare 0-5v ADCs which can be used for a 2nd O2 sensor, second MAP, MAF, certain pressure sensors or extra thermistors with the addition of a bias resistor, the through holes are already there.
> 
> Full sequential fuel and ignition which requires the addition of a cam signal to the RPM/TDC primary signal needed for batch fire or semi sequential and waste spark, BUT having full sequential fuel and ignition allows you to use individual cylinder trims for both fuel and spark as well the ability to control oversized injectors more accurately and in general much better idle and low end drivability since you have the ability with MS, to tune the injector timing. With MS3/3X it's silly NOT to go fully sequential.



In order to effectively trim individual cylinders wouldn't I need o2 and or exhaust temp sensors on each run? Right now I run without aux air or even a knock sensor lol! That sounds a little costly. I understand that if I were to go low z high flow inj it would be vital due to the amount of fuel. I think in my situation that is too much... My mr2 on the other hand will be made for extreme speed so no such thing will be overlooked.


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## Prof315 (Jan 5, 2009)

sachadesousa said:


> In order to effectively trim individual cylinders wouldn't I need o2 and or exhaust temp sensors on each run? Right now I run without aux air or even a knock sensor lol! That sounds a little costly. I understand that if I were to go low z high flow inj it would be vital due to the amount of fuel. I think in my situation that is too much... My mr2 on the other hand will be made for extreme speed so no such thing will be overlooked.


Yes you would need multiple O2s or EGTs for accurate individual fuel trims. Knock sensors and MS were sketchy till very recently.
Don't waste your time with low-z injectors on anything. There are hi-z injectors out there now as big as 1000cc/min (and bigger).

The main point I was trying to make is that you can't build extra circuits on the main board as cheaply as you can buy an MS3X. And that sequential fuel and ignition IS worth the extra time and work and money.


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