MS3 and EDIS 8

[garrycol]

Ok - developing options.

Are standard Landrover RV8 coil packs compatible with the inbuilt MS3 coil drivers?

Thanks

Garry

[jsmcortina]

Those coils look to be the later type. The earlier Escort and Fiesta coils had a larger diameter tower with no central pin.
Image here: http://www.msextra.com/doc/pdf/html/MS3 ... 4-216.html

As standard, the MS3 has "logic" coil drivers. It requires an external module (e.g. Quadspark) to drive high-current coils.

If you check the resistance of the stock coils you should be easily able to confirm if they are high current (low resistance) or logic coils. Read through the hardware manual in the section covering ignition coils.

James

[garrycol]

James - Thanks for the information.

Unfortunately I don't have any of the Landrover coil packs so I was hoping someone had the information so I don't unnecessarily buy coil packs.

Cheers

garry

[347Mike]

Before starting a full MS sequential COP conversion on my small block Ford, I wanted to get the 36-1 wheel and sensor installed and tested. I got all the EDIS 8 components (coil packs, plug wires, VR sensor, EDIS 8 module, etc.) for $40 at the local salvage yard and the wheel from DIY Autotune. To me this was the key step to making the conversion - having an operating crank trigger. I mounted the wheel and sensor and wired up the EDIS 8 system.

I could not get any spark out of the system (the module was in "stand alone" mode). PIP and SAW were not connected to anything. I was able to see voltage rise and fall when metering the sensor with the engine running at different RPMs (on the existing still installed distributor ignition) so I was confident the sensor was operational. I put two spark plugs into one of the coil packs and grounded them. No spark. Frustrated, I connected a tach to the IDM pin of the EDIS 8 module to see if the module was reporting an RPM, started the engine and there ya go. Excellent spark out of the coil packs. I then wired up the coil packs to the engine spark plugs and had a running engine with a fixed 10 degrees of advance.

So my EDIS 8 module was wired only to +12V, ground, two wires to the VR sensor (no shielding but kept away from plug wires and coil packs), and the coil packs. Once I added the IDM pin to the tachometer, it worked.

Mike

[garrycol]

Thanks for that I will connect the tach - did your tach actually work connected there or is it just the load of the tach that is needed.

Cheers

Garry

[jsmcortina]

I'm not aware of connecting IDM when I was using EDIS8 on my car.

James

[Rick Finsta]

I'm not sure where you came down on this, but you do NOT want to run in a camshaft at 10* BTDC timing. Everything gets way to hot way too fast with retarded timing like that. I've seen the plastic pins in a collapsible steering column BOILING due to the red hot headers a few inches away even with a barn fan on the engine bay.

[garrycol]

Thanks Rick - I was advised that as a standard OEM static timing is 3 BTDC at 800rpm then the default EDIS of 10BTDC would be OK for around 2000rpm with no load to run in the cam.

I guess it is the joy of forums that you get a lot of conflicting advice which does make decision making hard when you are new to the topic.

[DaveEFI]

Given the 10 BDTC setting is a limp home mode, I'd not expect it to do any damage to an engine. Even more so at low revs/no load.

[garrycol]

I have a block temperature sensor so I will watch it with interest.

[garrycol]

Just an update - I was able to run the cam in with no apparent issues - actually ran for about 40 minutes - temp went to just under 90 and just sat there.

Today I had to move the vehicle and it drove really well with just EDIS 8 providing the ignition - engine starts first go and I was able to drive up to about 80kph and revs up to 3000 with no issues at all - including up steep hills - would not have known the ignition was fixed with no advance being provided with increasing revs and load.

I would certainly not have driven it faster or with much higher revs but it does go to show that EDIS 8 as a default is good enough to get you home if needed.

I ran it on petrol and gas - no issues on either.

Garry

[Rick Finsta]

Glad you got it going!

[garrycol]

Thanks - I was surprised how well it ran just on EDIS 8.

[garrycol]

The 4.6 Rover engine I am using never had timing marks on the crank pulley or a marker so I used the procedure of determining TDC through the spark plug hole on number 1 cylinder on the compression stroke - I did the procedure quite a few times and consistently got the same result and marked the crank pulley and set up a pointer.

When running on Edis 8 the timing light was showing 14 BTDC rather than 10 - so EDIS is either firing a bit early or my marks are a little out - it is a bit hard to tell which is wrong at this stage. I am using the highest Octane fuel I can get and I am not getting any knocking but if I have to start on starting fluid it does knock until running on petrol and there is no knocking even under load. So my thoughts are my marks are out.

When I have the entire MS3X system up and running and using the tuner program to sort out my engine map - will MS3X actually be able to work out exactly where my TDC really is or do I need to adjust the VR sensor or trigger wheel to take into account the possible 4 degrees difference.

Thanks

Garry