Megasquirt Support Forum (MSEXTRA)

With 2000 miles on the swap, it's probably time for a success story.

I started with a 5.0 out of a 1997 Explorer. The Explorer 5.0 has more compact accessories, the best factory GT-40P heads, and the best factory intake. Plus it has already has a cam sensor in place of the distributor.









Then I picked up a 1997 BMW M3 with a busted engine.



I chose the MS3X setup with the 3.00 mainboard.

I practiced soldering on the JimStim:







Then assembled and tested the kit.







To get the engine ready for the car, I installed LS coils:



And pulled out any extra wires (anything emissions or transmission related got yanked):



Then bolted on a T5 from an '04 Mustang using a '95 V8 bellhousing:



Here you can see my hydraulic clutch slave adaption and the exhaust crossover to mate up with the original catback.





I used the Mustang base map from this page. That configuration with throttle body, intake, and GT-40P heads is actually pretty close to what I've got.

I modified it to take 36lb injectors and use sequential spark with the LS coils. I started with speed density then connected a MAF and tuned that using the table blend feature set to 100% MAF. With MAF I found that I needed significantly less acceleration enrichment and response seems sharper.

I'm using variable launch control, flat shift, traction control, and more. My MSQ is attached.

Here are a couple videos of the first fire and the first drive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2oPHbASZCk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGhDUtQvRek

I'm daily driving the car rain, shine, and since I found a set of winter wheels/tires on Craigslist, snow. I've autocrossed and rallycrossed and had a blast. I've seen as high as 24mpg on a tank, but typical is 15-17mpg daily driving around town. I hope to get it on the dyno this spring.

There's a ton more info, pictures, and more on my build log at http://www.mikaelvroom.com

That's awesome! I love the convo with your wife in the first video, haha mine has pretty much been the same with my wife

Thanks! One thing I didn't mention is that the Explorer also comes stock with a 36-1 crank wheel, so I have it doing sequential fuel and spark without any modifications besides the LS coils.

Here it is smoking the all-seasons that originally came with the car:



Out in a snowstorm earlier this year:



And RallyCrossing:

Awesome build!

Do you think you can share your MAF calibration table? Is it for the explorer maf? I am doing a similar build in a volvo.

I pulled your .msq but saw that it was only using speed density.

Thanks!

So I did MAF kind of the hacky way. I tuned on Speed Density first with the MAF hooked up. I pulled a MAF from a junkyard Explorer and loaded a curve from this site:

http://info.efidynotuning.com/maf.htm

I see now they actually list the '98 Explorer MAF in there. At the time I don't think Explorer was listed and I think I used the 5.0 T-Bird curve.

Then I enabled dual tables with blending and set it to 100% table 2, which is the MAF. This way I can still use autotune to adjust VE table 2 and dial in my fuelling without the MAF curve actually being exact. All of that should be in my tune.

Someday I may actually try and tune it to MAF for real but it runs so well right now and it's nice to be able to use AutoTune.

Laminar wrote:So I did MAF kind of the hacky way. I tuned on Speed Density first with the MAF hooked up. I pulled a MAF from a junkyard Explorer and loaded a curve from this site:

http://info.efidynotuning.com/maf.htm

I see now they actually list the '98 Explorer MAF in there. At the time I don't think Explorer was listed and I think I used the 5.0 T-Bird curve.

Then I enabled dual tables with blending and set it to 100% table 2, which is the MAF. This way I can still use autotune to adjust VE table 2 and dial in my fuelling without the MAF curve actually being exact. All of that should be in my tune.

Someday I may actually try and tune it to MAF for real but it runs so well right now and it's nice to be able to use AutoTune.

Thank you very much!

Walkaround video with a look in the engine bay, under the car, and exhaust noises!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRWM9tTDUxg

For the last autocross of the season, I pulled my headlight to get air right into the filter. Previously, intake temps were around 150 degrees from sitting in the hot engine bay. With the headlight pulled, they dropped to 110 degrees while staging and down to ambient while running.

Only a couple of small changes this year. I installed a longer intake tube that puts the filter right behind the (absent) fog light for cooler air.

Took it to the drag strip and ran a 14.0 @ 96mph on the stock Explorer cam. Last autocross event of the season is this weekend and I'm a shoe-in to win XP in my region.

Hi Laminar.
Sorry for thread Hijack.
Could you provide more pics/details for your Clutch slave?
I am using a Tsuru II slave but I like your solution better.
I have a 1995 5.0 with World Class in a Locost 442 Chassis.
Thank you very much in advance.
Angel Acevedo

Laminar wrote:With 2000 miles on the swap, it's probably time for a success story.

I started with a 5.0 out of a 1997 Explorer. The Explorer 5.0 has more compact accessories, the best factory GT-40P heads, and the best factory intake. Plus it has already has a cam sensor in place of the distributor....

Here you can see my hydraulic clutch slave adaption and the exhaust crossover to mate up with the original catback.





...

Chanoquin wrote:Hi Laminar.
Sorry for thread Hijack.
Could you provide more pics/details for your Clutch slave?
I am using a Tsuru II slave but I like your solution better.
I have a 1995 5.0 with World Class in a Locost 442 Chassis.
Thank you very much in advance.
Angel Acevedo

I modified my setup slightly from original, so the bracket looks a bit hacked up ;). I went with an Exedy SC636, which is a slave from a Miata. Same size as the Datsun one, but with a different inlet point to maximize exhaust clearance.

Here are a couple of pictures I could find of the bracket. It attaches at three points to add strength.





Are you on the LocostUSA forums? I'm there under this same name. I originally intended to build a Locost but once I had kids I ended up building this M3 instead so I could haul the kids around.

Here's my latest tune for those interested.

This is still with the stock Explorer bottom end, but now with aluminum Canfield heads, a cam, and a ported Explorer upper and lower intake. Dyno'd at about 280hp/330tq to the wheels.