Microsquirt install tips and basic info

[vannatta20]

Hey everyone. I have a swap thread titled"5.3 swap the easy way" and wanted to contribute some more. My other swap vehicle is a 1968 firebird. 6.0 with ls3 topend and T56. I read about some guys using microsquirt to control the engines.

This is a assembled PCM that will run most engines. The computer is the size of a credit card! It cost 320$ with a basic harness! So I went on ebay and I got myself a unit and gave it a shot. I sold my swap harness off my firebird to pay for it so I crossed my fingers I could get it to work. The harness comes with each wire marked and I simply soldered my connecters on off of a junk harness. It took about 5 hours to do this. This harness is MUCH SIMPLER.

The computer can only run LSx engines efi in batch fire mode as well as wasted spark. This means bank 1 fires the injectors all at once and same with bank 2. Only 2 wires on the pcm control all the injectors. Super simple. The cam sensor is no longer needed. It is only need for SFI injection to help time the injectors.

I wired up the crank sensor, TPS, MAP, Coolant temp, and IAC. I am running it in speed denisty mode with a LC1 wideband hooked up the the microsquirt. Whats sweet is when you have a wideband you can enable the self tuning mode in the software. You can even adjust your fueling tables with AFR ratios I got it started fairly easy. Only issue was the IAC. It is not longer used BUT has to be adjusted manually to bypass air for it to idle. I only did this once and it starts and idles great with my smallish cam.

The software is free(tunerstudio) but you can upgrade for a little $ to get self tuning and more advance features. You can tune on the fly and have nitrous and turbocharging options.

This computer does not control the transmission. I have a t56 so thats a big reason why I did it. Ive been tuning with hptuners for awhile now and really wanted to see what else is out there. Im happy with it so far.

[vannatta20]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q9M...8WVmguq8PdgAbw

[vannatta20]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-Bc...8WVmguq8PdgAbw

[vannatta20]

[littlevictories]

I messed with MS1 back in the yahoo groups era. pretty neat. had a SB Olds running on it fairly decent. ended up just going back to q-jets though, those carbs just ran for me.

any reason not to just go MS3 right out the gate? i like the way that auto tune sounds, but the RTT function seems to work pretty well.

i would def consider it if i was going at it from the ground up again. especially if i was doing a manual trans. i have seen some stuff about the MS trans controller which sounds neat.

cool that there's other stuff out there than just the HPT pay-per-tweak set-up.

[vannatta20]

Price. 320$ for a well built computer and harness is awesome. MS3 Pro would be the one to get if you have the $$$. I have so much money invested in hptuners its depressing. I have over 2000$ in the hptuners module and unlocking gen 3 trucks to help my brother business swapping LSx engines. The MS trans controller is under going more development and hopefully they will get all the bugs worked out soon. Using the LS1 pcm is superior for daily driving and what not. For racing and doing it on the cheap the microsquirt is a nice option. Very simple to tune compared to learning how to tune with hptuners.

[littlevictories]

i agree HPT gets spendy. Got a grand in that hole myself. (counting cheap laptop and a wideband) But it ain't buggy at all and the support is nice when you get stuck.

i been keeping an eye on these fellas here. sounds like someone with initiative could make a run at some DIY hardware and use the obd2 stuff.

http://www.gearhead-efi.com/Fuel-Inj...-Tool-Released


I may have to point my pop at the MS unit. he tends to run th400's and the like. get him into some LS power on the cheap.

[BR3W CITY]

Cool writeup, but please add some spaces in your text man. Its really hard to read blocks of tech details and such when they are all crammed together. I had to copy the text and split it up (I'm nitpicking, but I know it helps people on long posts).


How did you guys have that much $$ into the HpT stuff? I have the full custom OS and all that, wideband logging etc, and I don't have even $1k into it.

[vannatta20]

Hptuners 650$ for pro.

1500$ to unlock gen 3 vortecs. (Needed to unlock it to support my brothers business and have control to freely change OS as needed and not pay 100$ in credits each time)

300$ hptuners made me pay extra due to a licensing error. Still mad about that

289$ to repair it since a customer obd2 port was wired wrong and messed up my unit.

180$ for a wideband.

1000$ for a tuning course so I dont screw up anyones engine and have a better understanding of everything. I have yet to make a dime but its great helping people getting there vehicles running for the first time. well over

3000 grand invested.

[Matt Cramer]

Originally Posted by vannatta20

This computer does not control the transmission...

There's a (currently experimental) program to let you use a MicroSquirt to control the transmission instead of the engine.

http://www.msextra.com/forums/viewto...?f=123&t=55850

So having engine and transmission control would need two separate MicroSquirts. (It could also run a 4L60E or 4L80E behind a carbed engine.)

[vannatta20]

Sweet!

[BR3W CITY]

Originally Posted by vannatta20

Hptuners 650$ for pro.

1500$ to unlock gen 3 vortecs. (Needed to unlock it to support my brothers business and have control to freely change OS as needed and not pay 100$ in credits each time)

300$ hptuners made me pay extra due to a licensing error. Still mad about that

289$ to repair it since a customer obd2 port was wired wrong and messed up my unit.

180$ for a wideband.

1000$ for a tuning course so I dont screw up anyones engine and have a better understanding of everything. I have yet to make a dime but its great helping people getting there vehicles running for the first time. well over

3000 grand invested.

Ok you can't count the 1k for YOU learning how to tune it...and you can't count the wideband or the com port issue since both situations can occur with MS just the same.
But aside from that, especially if you are trying a business, you NEED an HpT rep. Our guy takes care of all the BS with the dongles if we have failures, upgrades etc.

[vannatta20]

I simply answered your question on why I have so much money invested with hptuners.

I took a hptuning specific class and I included that. I had to since I had a hard

time grasping it from just reading how too's of the internet and no one local to help me.

I understand you can just spend 450$ on the hptuners and 170$ on a wideband.

I guess I can re-word myself and just say I have alot invested in tuning. Ill leave it at that so no one gets confused and thinks it takes 1000's$$ to tune.

[Bigdav160]

I'm using a Microsquirt on my Suburban. I mounted the controller to the accellerator pedal bracket.

There is an additional controller that can be purchased for transmission control called the Megashift

[boostedc20]

In your video you talk about plunger position in the IAC. I bought the plug and play pre modded microsquirt and harness from efisource.com and I'm getting ready to start hooking everything up. My question is do I need to do anything to the IAC to make sure it idles? I understand the adjustment screw but do I need to mess with the valve itself?

[boostedc10]

Originally Posted by boostedc20

In your video you talk about plunger position in the IAC. I bought the plug and play pre modded microsquirt and harness from efisource.com and I'm getting ready to start hooking everything up. My question is do I need to do anything to the IAC to make sure it idles? I understand the adjustment screw but do I need to mess with the valve itself?

Wow that is quite the creative screen name you have there

[boostedc20]

Originally Posted by boostedc10

Wow that is quite the creative screen name you have there

Lol, I thought I was the only clever one around. JK killer truck man.

[vannatta20]

If the IAC valve parked its self all the way screwed in it will allow to much bypass air and it will not want to start or idle. It needs to be in better position. You cannot pull on it hoping it will unscrew the plunger. I got lucky

and grabbed one out of another spare throttle body and it was in a better position. It let it idle. The best way would be to put the IAC on a running motor the unplug it and transfer it to your engine. then adjust idle to what u

want with the idle screw on the throttle body.

[boostedc20]

Originally Posted by vannatta20

If the IAC valve parked its self all the way screwed in it will allow to much bypass air and it will not want to start or idle. It needs to be in better position. You cannot pull on it hoping it will unscrew the plunger. I got lucky

and grabbed one out of another spare throttle body and it was in a better position. It let it idle. The best way would be to put the IAC on a running motor the unplug it and transfer it to your engine. then adjust idle to what u

want with the idle screw on the throttle body.

Thank you.

[aknovaman]

You can use a ford fast idle solenoid off a taurus and use the FIDLE to control it with tuner studio. Then just block off the factory iac passage. Connect it by screwing a barbed fitting into one of the taurus ports and connecting it to the EGR port on the intake.