Safari Turbo/Megasquirt Fuel Injection Project

[Chip Birks]

You're brave! I went with 145x65x15s for my 3.5ers. I bought a set of 175x55s but was too nervous to try to pinch them on. The 145s fit great, and look way better than the old 135s looked. I hated how tall they were, the 145s look much better.

[petew]

I have been running these tires for over a year already.

These are some 185/60-15 tires. They were about the widest I could get to fit the 3.5 inch wide Centerline wheels I had prior.
I knew I was going to upgrade to wider wheels.
They are about 23.5-24 inches tall. A little on the small side but gives a nice big/little look for the buggy.

I would love to get another pair of BFG's for the front but I'll have to wear these out first.

I'd go a as narrow as I could if I were you. The 185s on my LWB buggy were pretty ordinary. I was running 38psi in the back tyres and 18psi in the front. LOL

[Ol'fogasaurus]

18#s and 38#s that could be good or bad depending. Depends on the type of tyre, sidewalls, road contact area when pressured up and several other things. That is a big disparity though.

[Clonebug]

You're brave! I went with 145x65x15s for my 3.5ers. I bought a set of 175x55s but was too nervous to try to pinch them on. The 145s fit great, and look way better than the old 135s looked. I hated how tall they were, the 145s look much better.

If you could believe it I had a set of 205/70-15's wedged on the 3.5 inch wheels for a couple days....they were too high of a profile and rubbed the fenders on a corner and slight bump. They even used the tubes I had with my 155 SR tires.
I have run 155SR, 165/70-15, 205/70-15 for three days... and now the 185/60-15 tires. All the aforementioned used the same tubes due to the two piece wheels but these are now tubeless and seem to fit really well.
The only thing I don't like about theses tires is my speedo is at about 95% of what it was with the 165 tires. What setup is correct I don't know.......but they look really cool!!!!

Besides the 205's I ran for three days this is the first set of new tires I have run on the buggy since I got it going in 2004.

New tires drive oh so smooth compared to 10 year old tires.......

[Clonebug]

I'd go a as narrow as I could if I were you. The 185s on my LWB buggy were pretty ordinary. I was running 38psi in the back tyres and 18psi in the front. LOL

I run 18 lbs. in the rear and 12 lbs. in front.

[Clonebug]

I have the pan all ready to tow to the car wash for a much needed bath. I'll pick up some degreaser and power wash it to get it all nice and clean for another year or two of driving hopefully.







I should be ready for the body in a few days.

I might get the neighbor over to see if he can modify my intercooler to fit the back of the buggy. I'll have to see how that goes since I've spent a fair amount already and the Wife is giving me the look of death.

I do have a Swap Meet to go to the first weekend of April and need to save a little cash for that experience.....

[Clonebug]

Oh,.....the joys of having a rain day and the Wife having to work.....

I hooked the Buggy behind the truck this morning and took it to the war wash. A can and a half of degreaser and some hot soapy water made quick work of the dust and grime that has accumulated over the last couple years.
It's all clean and ready for the body after it dries out.

[rubenski]

So fresh and so clean!

[petew]

Man, I just keeping thinking... "pregnant rollerskate".

[Clonebug]

I got the body put back on Monday and have been picking away at the list of things to finish.

Since I still can't post any pics you will have to put up with a description instead.

I have all the wiring finished and the fuel tank in....I also installed a new plug for my license plate lights so I don't have to cut a bunch of zip ties anymore to remove the rear bumper.

I have the drivers seat installed and I have primed the fuel pressure side to check for leaks.....everything looks good.
All I really need to do yet is install the passenger seat and the turbo and it is done.

The weather has really not been very conducive for buggy driving so I might have to wait to put insurance on it. I probably won't hold off very long due to wanting to give it a test.........

[Clonebug]

So I thought I would try to fire up the engine without the turbo installed just to see how it ran.....
It started right up after about three revolutions and idled with a cam lump for about 15 seconds....I thought Cool!!!!

Did you know an EFI engine will start, idle and run pretty good even if you forget to hook up the map sensor hose and the O2 sensor which is on the turbo pipe.......DUH!!!!

I am such an Idiot sometimes!!!!!
That is all.

But Hey!!!! I runs!!!!

[petew]

Good start. LOL

[Clonebug]

I now have a running engine.
The turbo is reinstalled and all I need to do is install the passenger seat and put the rollbar back in. I'll hold off on the rolbar for a while but the seat needs to go in for the laptop to ride along.....

My new fangled EGT sensor and gauge are working.
My dual read CLT for the head and oil temp is working through the switched relay....

My engine is running on the new 45# injectors and the EGT gauge is on the TS dash thanks to Mario.....

I am ready to drive it as soon as I put the insurance on tomorrow and the weather cooperates....WOOT!!!!

Now once the pics are working I can start post some....if I take them.....

[Clonebug]

Mileage 84,003

The 2017 driving season has officially started...

I put insurance on the buggy Thursday but since my Daughter borrowed the tuning computer while they went to the coast for 4 days, I couldn't tune until I got it back.

So yesterday afternoon I finally was able to go for a ride since the sun actually popped out for a little while.

I Filled up with fuel and then made a little 30 plus mile loop with county roads and almost ten miles of freeway. That gave the autotune a chance to work it's magic due to a complete new Map with the 45# high Impedance injectors.

When I started all I had tuned was the idle map area that I had tuned after warmup earlier in the week in the garage. The rest was just a calculator percentage change from 32# to 45#.
With Autotune on "Very Easy" it changed the tune pretty quickly and the leanness went away as I drove.
I varied my speeds and load going from 45 mph to 65 mph until I saw a County Sheriff behind me and then it was a steady 52 mph until I pulled off to let him by......
The freeway run was from 65 to almost 90 mph trying to vary the load from 65-70kpa to 165 kpa in short bursts.

I found anything over 10 lbs. boost was too lean and I had detonation so I stopped and bumped the boost part of the map to 100 VE and that fixed the pinging. I was now really rich at 10.0:1 afr but it was better than too lean. I can work down from that.

On the way home I went to my favorite testing road and did some roll-on full boost runs from 55 mph. It pulled realllly hard and on the third test I got an abrupt cut and backfire......that ended my testing until I figured out what it was.

At home I found out that the backfire was my overboost protection which is set at 260 kpa. The hard cut occurred at 261 kpa. That ends up being 23.2 lbs. boost and more than I have ever run!!!!

Here is a screenshot of the section.

First Test 2017-03.jpg

This happened at 3600 rpm which is 200 rpm lower than where my 21.5 lb. limit usually happened last year. I will have to readjust my EBC to keep the boost down for a while till I get the tune closer.

I also was able to get my new front discs settled in and I am now happy with the pedal feel. At first I had quite a bit of travel but once everything seated I now have a great pedal with engagement coming in with great feel and a lot less pedal travel.

The wheels have smoothed out the ride and the tires don't wobble like they did on the old rims. There is a slight vibration after 80-85 mph but I won't spend much time that high.

So after all the PITA getting these brakes installed I think I am happy. They are definitely not a bolt on experience and need some tinkering to get them to work right.

On with the tuning!!!!!!

[Chip Birks]

Glad to hear is back on the road. I was thinking about your project yesterday while i was out for a drive in mine, wondering when we were going to see this exact update. Well done!