MSefi.com read only forum (Jan.15,2018)

Hey Guys,

I'm hoping to get some help here on my setup. Built up my MS a year ago and hooked it into my car, but mostly in a passive mode (just logging). My intentions were to slowly migrate over to FI one element at a time. My first hurdle is ignition.

My MS setup is getting a RPM reading @ about 170 rpm during crank, however I'm not getting a spark at the spark plug. I have a timing light hooked up on cyl 1 and I do not see it flash. Tracking the issue back, I moved the clamp to the coil wire and I do see spark. So this leads me to the fact that my distributer is out of alignment. This is where I am baffled! Based on my trigger wheel settings, the spark should be occurring in the right spot (where I have the distributer set right now) With Engine at TDC, I have rotated the distributor so that the terminal lines up with the rotor.

I have myself an aircooled vw type 1 (4 cyl) engine running with the following details;

MS II v3 running ms code
Ford 36-1 wheel with a VR sensor (direct trigger)
Mallory Hyfire VI
Mallory distributer (locked/vacuum disabled)

The first tooth after the missing tooth is on 90* BTDC, and my sensor is mounted at 10* BTDC. (pics included). Based on this, I have the following settings;

Teeth: 36
Missing teeth: 1
Skip teeth: 18
delay teeth: 8
Input capture: Rising Edge
Cranking trigger: Trigger rise
Coil charge: standard charge
Spark output: going low

I have attached my msq, log, and some links to photos of the setup.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/67436802@N ... 958310414/
I would greatly appreciated if someone could help and double check my setup.

Thanks,
Michael

cytogen,

I couldn't say about the ignition settings without more info on your setup (where is the sensor located relative to the missing teeth when cylinder #1 is at TDC on the compression stroke, etc.), but it looks basically correct. I don't know what the ignition box you are suing needs for a spark output setting or dwell period - these could certainly cause issues if they are not right (though the spark should be offset, not absent if the spark output setting is wrong - though the dwell setting could intyerefere with the spark, I suspect).

However, your fuel pulse widths are only 1.1 to 1.3 milliseconds. Subtracting an opening time of about 1.0 milliseconds, and that is very little fuel. You probably need to use longer cranking pulse widths.

Your have you hot cranking pulse width set to 3.0, and the cold cranking pulse width set to 11.0 (unless you are using the 'table' option - I didn't look to see).

Since your req_fuel is 7.0, I would start with 90%*7.0 = 5.4 for the 'cold' cranking pulse width, and 30%*7.0 = 2.1msec for the 'hot' cranking pulse width. But since your pulse widths are already longer than this, this isn't likely to be the problem. If you are using the a table for the cranking pulse widths, and the values aren't in the 5.4 to 2.1 msec range, you should change them so that they are.

Instead, I would look very carefully at your air temperature sensor. It is spiking from 12.5 to 169.9 in your datalog, and this is causing at least some of your problems by causing Gair to fluctuate between 84 and 112 when it should be relatively stable. The coolant sensor signal looks okay.

Lance.

Lance,

Thanks for the reply.

I'm pretty sure I have the trigger wheel setting are correct as well. The sensor is mounted on the 10* mark when the #1 cylinder is at TDC. Since the first tooth after the missing tooth on 90* BTDC, this gives me skip teeth of 8.

So I was tinkering around some more and I think I have discovered my issue with the spark. I was following the instructions for setting up the MS for MSD 6a. However, I have Mallory Hyfire. Based on the instructions there, it stated to set the dwell and spark duration to 25ms. Well tonight I reverted this back to default settings and I am now seeing the spark on the #1 spark plug.

Just as a confirmation, in the MS instructions, I says that on the MS II board, the setting for spark output in backward. In order to mimic a distributor output (going low), I should in fact be setting it to going high?

I have not move on to the fuel yet, after I get the ignition setup, it'll be the next hurdle figure out. I'll make the changes you mention regarding the crank pulse.

I check the connection to the temp sensor and it was loose. This has now been fixed.

I haven't tried starting it yet, but now that I see spark at the plug, I'm going to hook up the fuel pump and try starting it tomorrow.

Thanks again Lance.