My EDIS Conversion Fread

[Rickysbmw320i]

As some of you know, I am installing EDIS on my 323. I figured I would make a thread about it so if other decide to do the same, this could help them. Thre actually is not a whole lot of info on it so Maybe this could even be put under the sticky thread.... if all goes well

So, I will start off with parts I have collected. i am using autosportlabs megajolt light jr. system. Instead of using a TPS (thottle posistion sensor), I'm using MAP (manifold air pressure). And since I do not have a manifold with the three carbs, I have to tap into each runner which will collect into a reservoir. This measures the load on the engine with a vacuum signal.

First thing I have is a trigger wheel from an early 90's ford escort. it is a 36-1 tooth trigger wheel. Thankfully the junkyards are full of escorts, so there was no problem findin one.



Second thing you need is the sensor that reads the trigger wheel. I also grabbed that from the same escort. the sensor has a magnet like tip and everytime a tooth goes by that sensor, a pulse is created to tell where the crank is.




The last two things you need from a ford is the electronic Spark control box and it's brains. I grabbed one of a ford Exploder because of the six cylinders I have. For 4 bangers, grab one from a escort and for 8'ers, grab one from a t-bird or something with EDIS running 8 cylinders. Make sure you grab the brains and as much wire as you can.





This is the "chip" that autosport labs will send you. here you can see the vacuum hook-up. Also notice the box. That chip slides into the box and has room for one more chip





That other chip i Baught was the hard rev limiter. I decided to go with
one well because i think it is a good idea. and if someone drives my car and mis-shifts and attempts to hit 10k rpms, they cant.




This is the Vacuum reservoir I made. I made it out of copper and brass. Most people use PVC but i think it looks tacky. So made this out of ten pieces and I think it turned out fairly well. it is 1 1/4 tubing i braised together. you can see how each runner will have an entrance in it, and it all goes out to one exit.



Last but definitely not least, This is a wiring diagram i made for myself to make things a bit easier. The web site does give small diagrams of each unit but i really wanted one where you can see everything. I can replicate this later so it can be understood easier but for now, my rough sketch will have to do.






So far everything as gone well minus one thing. I can not see how to get the damn crank pulley off. I already have a 60-2 trigger wheel on there with the pulley. So, I have to talk to Rob and see what he has goin on with this. It doesn't look stock what so ever.

I will keep this updated as i go along.

-Rick

[shauer]

Excellent write up!

The EDIS controller you got from the junkyard came off of a 6-cylinder engine as well correct? Ford has separate controllers for 4, 6, 8 cylinder setups and they are not interchangeable.

On the Ford crank pulleys I have seen, the 36-1 wheel is pressed onto the pulley and can be "convinced" to come off with the careful application of force.

You can also get "generic" 36-1 trigger wheels from multiple sources. Here is one: http://www.diyautotune.com/catalog/t...eels-c-48.html

I like your vacuum log, that's exactly the same way I made mine. I soldered some 16ga brass strip to mine for mounting tabs so I could mount it to the intake manifold bolts. You might need a vacuum restrictor in line between your vacuum log and the MAP sensor. It helps smooth out the MAP signal a little.

Again, great write up and great progress. You will love the EDIS setup once you get it running.

- Steve

[Layne]

Yes you can tell by the connector that is a 6cyl EDIS Module (it's not called a brain! it doesn't think).

I think the rev limiter is not needed. If you just set the advance at 10 deg at 7500 (or whatever), it can't go past that.

[shauer]

Layne -

How can you tell from that picture that the EDIS controller is for a 6 cylinder? As far as I knew they all use the same connector and some of the pins are not used / hooked up inside the controller for 4 / 6 / 8 cylinder configurations.

I'm not trying to be a wise-ass with this, I'm just wondering if there is something that I'm missing.

- Steve

[Layne]

They do not use the same connectors. The roundish key slot that you see on the right side here is exclusive to the 6. Also on the right instead of having a screw through that hole, there is a sort of button that goes in a keyhole looking slot. That's only on the 6. For our purposes you should drill that out and use a screw. You can see the difference in the connectors here.

[shauer]

They do not use the same connectors. The roundish key slot that you see on the right side here is exclusive to the 6. Also on the right instead of having a screw through that hole, there is a sort of button that goes in a keyhole looking slot. That's only on the 6. For our purposes you should drill that out and use a screw. You can see the difference in the connectors here.

Good to know, thanks! I never caught the detail that Ford keyed all the connectors differently.

I knew I should have checked the megamanual again before asking...

- Steve

[BoomerDJ]

-Rick

thanks to my handly 19mm wrench skills

[Jmabarone]

this will be a great thread for those who, like me, plan to go with this setup. good luck!
quick question though, how difficult is it to remove the parts from the escort? I guess I mean, how much time should it take?
Jake

[Rickysbmw320i]

thanks to my handly 19mm wrench skills

you mean by jamming your 19mm through the crank?

this will be a great thread for those who, like me, plan to go with this setup. good luck!
quick question though, how difficult is it to remove the parts from the escort? I guess I mean, how much time should it take?
Jake

umm, I think it would be a very labor intensive job if everything was assembled. Thankfully i found an escort that had a missing head and and the oil pan removed. I think it took all of 15 min if that

-Rick

[Layne]

Getting just the sensor off a complete car is a bitch (note: its held on with torx screws). I never tried to get a pulley, its more effort than making a new one.

[Rickysbmw320i]

Getting just the sensor off a complete car is a bitch (note: its held on with torx screws). I never tried to get a pulley, its more effort than making a new one.

its actually held on by two Phillips screws. that was quicker then the pulley.

[pastaroni34]

Personally, I found getting the sensor off the easy part, it was the crank pulley that was a pain.

The worst part is dealing with the junkyard goobers, all that time an hassle. Screw them, I've figured out how to get a few generic sensors to work with the system and I make my own trigger wheels.

-Jason

[BoomerDJ]

you mean by jamming your 19mm through the crank?

-Rick

best jamming skills ever

[Rickysbmw320i]

Does anybody know how to take this off (the old trigger wheel/pulley)? opposite threads?

[Layne]

No opposite threads, bmw pulleys are just really tight. Make extra sure you put it back to the proper torque spec.

[Rickysbmw320i]

No opposite threads, bmw pulleys are just really tight. Make extra sure you put it back to the proper torque spec.

thanks, so your telling me that to get the pulley/trigger off, i take that giant bolt like thing that will unscrew counter clockwise off?
100% sure? 50%? look familiar to you?

thanks!

[Rickysbmw320i]

k, there is no way i can get that off. I tried just about everything and no such luck. So..... That mean I need to go to a machine shop and they need to seperate the pulley and wheel. Then take the trigger wheel and place a 28.75mm hexagon in the middle and weld it to the crank bolt

[Layne]

ok that is odd, I didn't wait for the picture to load earlier. Is that a M50 pulley or what? Did you take the 6 bolts out or they were already missing? On that type there should be a separate hub and leaving those out would be a disaster. But if you took them out, the pulley should now just slide off (maybe rusted on though). Looks like somebody welded some extra hex onto the center bolt. Don't know why, that is weird. Find out what kind of pulley it is and look at realoem to see how it goes together. I think I'd replace it with a regular one since you have to modify it anyway.

[Rickysbmw320i]

yeah, thanks again layne. The bolts were there, i took them out. i will get some metal lubricant and see if it slides off, if so, that would be great!

[BoomerDJ]

ricky where did you find that one?

[Rickysbmw320i]

ricky where did you find that one?

what you smokin?


find what?

[BoomerDJ]

what you smokin?


find what?

only the good stuff and that wheel ↓↓↓↓

[Rickysbmw320i]

i found it on the front of my engine. it needs off.

[jjgbmw323]

What is the advantage to going with EDIS over someothing like Megasquirt.

[shauer]

What is the advantage to going with EDIS over someothing like Megasquirt.

Megasquirt can also do EDIS as well as control the fuel. If you are only interested in the EDIS capability and don't need to control fuel then the MegaJolt Lite Jr. box is a less expensive solution. For MegaJolt, they took the subset of the Megasquirt circuits required for spark only and made a separate product out of it.

You can do this same thing with Megasquirt. I ran spark only on my dual Weber setup for one season before completing the upgrade to EFI. If you don't want EFI then MegaJolt Lite Jr. would be a better fit.

- Steve