So...you have got your MS V8 running ...x is not quite right ..how do

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

So, .....you've got your MS V8 running ....what now ?

I have had a number of phone calls over the years now, all pretty much saying similar things, it runs,

but how do I....and it does X Y Z not quite right....and what should I ....sort of questions.

So, as I have a few minutes I am going to do a Fast Brain dump of a number of useful things around

what you should consider doing now your MS V8 Runs, but maybe not as well as it could.

THIS IS REALLY REALLY BASIC STUFF - this needs to be done to all installs

to get things on the right track !

The MSQs I provide will run a Rover V8 "Quite nicely - bludy well" out of the box

,.... if yours doesn't it's something basic you have done wrong !!!!!

Don't go messing about with complex settings - track down what is wrong and sort - this guide will help you on these basics.

So,

You have the engine running - thats a key hurdle done - its now basic tweeks and settings to get it that bit

better - then - and only then move on to more advanced stuff !

Some peeps engines run really fine on my standard "Cooking MSQS" where others don't. That's due to the fact that MS MSQ

I give out is a "One size fits all" for each engine spec, and not a MSQ that is perfectly mapped to YOUR engine and the exact

parameters YOURS wants and needs over another similar engine.

Also MS Cannot fix things that are not right, it may be it wasn't a great issue on the Lucas EFI, maybe it is now, so you

have to make sure that your engine is set up properly before you start blaming MS !.

A few "Engine" things to consider

PLUGS - you now have a 40,000v System, not a 9,000v one, this means scooted plugs and bangs pops and misfires

can kill a spark plug on ONE backfire, so make sure your plugs are good condition and better is new best plugs for

any Rover V8 are NGK BPR6ES, avoid multi prong junk, can cause huge issues.

Remember ONE backfire can kill a plug, and seeing it spark on the plenum top out of the engine means FA....often

it will spark outside, and then die trying to fire under compression.

Timing.

REALLY essential that the timing is what it should be. For majority of V8 8 Degrees at tick over is about right, but

check you specific engine. Use a Timing light, and check on No 1 against the engines timing marks. Now, its easy

for the timing to be slightly out if you have not got the trigger wheel spot on. you SHOULD persevere and get the

adjustment so the light is spot on, but to get it right quickly you can fool the ecu by adding or removing advance in the software

o to megatune, >Spark>Spark Settings, then go to bottom box - and add a positive value for increasing advance

and a minus symbol and a number for less advance and click "Burn to ECU"

I prefer to have zero trim and the wheel at the right point, bear in mind some Lights will show dual spark, i.e.

double the value, so you might also need to divide the reading by 2 !!

You can't get a properly mapped Fuelling table if your spark TDC / Idle timing is wrong, it means the entire

spark table will be off, and will tune incorrectly, get the timing spot on before anything else !

Plenum.

There is a butterfly which needs to be set correctly, if this is not MS will NOT be able to control tick over, to adjust

the butterfly there is a screw hole that takes an Allen key (Often it has an anti tamper plug in it - remove) and

adjust the butterfly so the tick over is around the 850 ish RPM when the engine is warm, this can be done easily

by connecting your PC to the ECU and reading the rpm dial. Aim for over 72 degrees !

TPS.

The TPS is a major input to the ECU, it needs to be calibrated.

To do this (and its then stored in the ECU) open Megatune > Tools > calibrate TPS.

This then shows 2 boxes , with the ignition on, click on get setting - your looking for say 20-30 or less,

then press the throttle to the floor and click bottom box, 250-300+ is good, if the boxes read the wrong

way around its wired wrong !

If you can't get these sorts of reading check you are getting Wide throttle opening FULLY, i.e. push the

pedal then see if you can manually move the linage / cable plate further.

Once you have these sorts of Values TPS is calibrated.

Misfires.

Misfires are tricky to identify, but a super easy way is get the engine running, then CAREFULLY squirt a little

squirt of WD40 on the cast exhaust manifold for each cylinder. It should disappear immediately, if it doesn't

and stays damp compared with other cylinders then simply either the plug isn't working or the injector isn't.

For a Coil pack to fail it will be 2 terminals and 2 x misfires.

Fouled plugs do not simply sort themselves out, if its run / running superrich they will prob be toast as you'll

get bangs and pops and misfires, back to new plugs. If you have a continuing misfire do a compression check,

MS can't cure mechanical problems.....

Air filters.

The air filter on many V8s ESPECIALLY the serpentine and V belt 3.9s is far far too small. Its a factory bodge

that they did to gain fuelling consumption. Power is simply Air + Fuel ratio to a mix value. More air in = more fuelling,

hence why when you boot an engine you use more fuel than at less footy downy time ). So, what Rover did was to

LIMIT to amount of air that could get into and through the AFM and Air Box, meaning than they could drop the fuelling,

with a resultant loss of BHP etc, but better MPG. MS and the maps I give out are set for the engine having a decent air

filter and one of my AFM Tubes which as standard is around 51MM and mine at near 80mm these plus a decent

air box = better BHP & Power and what my MSQs are set to. Shoving one of my MSQs on a std 3.9 Air boxed V8

will see it run rich at higher high rpm as no where near enough air is getting in !>

So, either remap the VE (Fuel table to suit (daft idea) or fit a proper Air Box - 200/300 TDi will do much much better , and

best is a V8 90 Air box, which I try to have some 2nd hand - they are HUGE ! and is basically what's on my 5.2 V8 !

Tick over.

to get a stable tick over you have to do a few things, but, basically its really one of the LAST things you should do !

in fact Tick over, Warm up enrichment and cold start settings are all LAST !....you need to sort the VE table (fuelling table) out 1st.

This is because the VE table gives IT'S settings to the others. I will explain.

Lets say you have a cell in the VE table at say 50 The WUE table will say at X temperature add Y% to the VE cell at 50.

Lets say its adding 30%, so 50 now becomes 65 as it need more fuelling to warm up.

So, you spend an age on the WUE table sorting out smooth running and start up.

Now you go data log your VE table, and that cell that was 50, is remapped to say 41. The WUE the next day will be awful,

as the table will say, ah, its the same temp so add 30% to that cell that was 50, and is now 41, so you will get 53, not 65 !.

as you alter most of the cells logging the fuelling table WUE is fed FROM the VE table, change the VE Table and WUE will

need to be redone.

So, VE Table tuning 1st !

XXXX How to VE Tune XXX

Similarly Tick over. These cells often need to be tuned after the VE table as they might need to be manually tweaked to

get things nice and solid. If you get the tick over sorted then write down the cell locations and values as remapping the VE

WILL overwrite these cells almost certainly !

If you can't get tick over low enough, check the plenum butterfly, and the PWM remove and blank off, and the throttle cable, if it

still misbehaving you have an air leak. Simple way to find is to spray CAREFULLY) wd40 over hoses and plenum / trumpet /

valley gasket joins etc - if rpm rises threes yer leak !

PWM

Needs to be tuned after VE after WUE and from cold the basic settings I have in my MSQs do work pretty well once the VE

and WUE is sorted, you CANNOT tune tick over with the PWM in the system, it HAS to be removed. Its a powered closed unit,

so disconnecting it doesn't work, it will allow air in !. remove PWM and block BOTH hoses with solid rods / dowels and jubilee clip,

its the only way, leaving PWM connected while doing tick over means PWM will just work against you !

Tuning your engine.

about 4/5ths of the MS ECU is designed to start the engine, and the other 1/5th to keep it running. As such there is a lot of

tuning you can do to help it start better and easier and smoother.

The main area peeps will notice maybe its not dead right is on warm up. Really for this you need PWM Control (auto choke)

and the ECU set up with my default settings, then its time to fine tune. The give away all is not perfect is the engine doing

some hunting whilst warming up.

These is a load I have written on this elsewhere, so I will find it and place it in here

XXX PWM SET UP XXX

Now, the key area controlling the engine warming up is the WUE (Warm Up enrichment table)

XXX WUE TUNING HERE XXXX

If it runs super super rich, connect the Megatune, and look at the Water temp, if it says -40 sensor is dead - fit a new CTS - avoid

intermotor like the plaque, use a FAE one as these seem to be best, carry a spare, the sensor can die from being ice bucket

challenge in being shoved red hot into ice cold water, one day they just die !

I will be adding various items to this post as I go, so it will be a growing thread !

Nigel

[dangerous doug]

Nice little write up there nige. I'll be printing it off and putting it with the manual as were hopefully fireing it up this weenkend

[Fatboy]

Bless you for this... I've been in the huff with mine for weeks because I couldn't get it tuned. (It is burning an amazing amount of fuel, like Sherman Tank mpg levels of amazing). I'll print this out tomorrow and have another crack at it..