For the love of a tractor engine: The life and times of the 18R-G

[RAd28]

*36/1 metal trigger wheel
*EDIS 4 trigger sensor
*EDIS 4 coil pack
*EDIS 4 coil pack driver
- cost would be about $200 shipped to your door from http://trigger-wheels.com

i'm a little confused...

after looking on the MegaJOLT site, i found this:



from what i can tell the MJLJ just replaces the Ford ECU to control the EDIS module, so to get this working on my car, i still need an EDIS module, trigger sensor and coil packs... but it looks like they've got 1 trigger sensor, 2 coil packs, 1 coil driver (not 4 of each )... is there any reason why i have to use an EDIS coil pack? couldn't i use the commy coil packs instead (phreakin' easy to get, and pretty grunty i'm told)

[o_man_ra23]

Gerrard,
RE magnets can be bought for a couple of bucks at Jaycar... and they are Phreakin strong. The Fraud EDIS module can probably be purchased quite cheaply from the states, might be worth looking at.

[timbosaurus]

Hey Rad,

You are right, there is nothing wrong with using two commy coil pack instead. I just wanted to show how much it would cost to get the most complete/least work/least opportuntity for problems setup. If you were having the edis unit, sensor and trigger wheel sent over, the coils would be pretty cheap to throw in.

The coil driver is indeed housed in the EDIS module, and the ford coils are just your standard double ended jobbies.

So you will still need the EDIS module, the VR sensor, and a 36/1 trigger wheel.

Unfortunately Aussie ford never used EDIS, so it has to come from overseas, but check recent fords for VR sensor and trigger wheel.

The EDIS module looks after all the signal conditioning of the VR sensor, knows exactly where the crank is, and CAN run standalone (just not very well). By default, the missing tooth should be located at 50deg BTDC, and with no input from any other module (ie: running standalone), the EDIS module just fires all cylinders at 10deg BTDC. (limp home mode i guess)

With the addition of another module (Ford used its EEC, but you would use the MegaJolt) connected to the EDIS unit, however, you can adjust the timing from about 60deg BTDC down to 10. This "communication" between them is handled over the PIP and SAW lines, but don't worry, you wouldn't have to understand how It's pretty simple though, if you need to find out.

So to sum up, if you wanna do it on the cheap and you have the commy coils, you will still need...

- 1 "EDIS 4" module (ebay is your friend)
- 1 VR sensor (should be able to find one locally, check the AU's)
- 1 36/1 trigger wheel (should be able to find one locally, check the AU's)
- 1 Megajolt kit (if you wanna save the $100 but don't wanna assemble it, have it sent to me and i'll send it up complete)

This means your crank sensor will also be ready for Megasquirt if you ever decide to go that way

All just suggestions of course, if you can find something off the shelf for that price, definately go for it


Timbo

[Norbie]

If you're looking for an off-the-shelf solution it should be possible to track down a second-hand Haltech ignition computer (I5?) for not much $$$.

[RAd28]

Norbie - the one your thinking of is the IG5, and it seems that they're near impossible to find, and they go for well over $300 each... but your right that is another option...

Timbo - already looking for parts... thanks for the help

Owen - thought Jaycar had them, but hadn't gotten so far as looking...

out of curiosity, and abit off topic... what's the deal with the 36/1 trigger wheel? why is it missing 1 tooth

[Norbie]

The missing tooth tells the ECU where TDC is. This is used on engines which don't have a separate "home" signal, eg 1JZ/2JZ has a sensor on the camshaft so it doesn't need a missing tooth on the CAS.

[timbosaurus]

If the trigger wheel was the same all the way round, the computer would know how fast it's spinning, but not where in the cycle it is. Makes sparking at the right time a tad difficult

So the missing tooth in a "known" degree of the cycle tells the computer (EDIS module in this case) where it's at.


Timbo

Edit: bit more info...

If you are running wasted spark, you only need to know where the crankshaft is in it's cyle (ie: you need to know TDC, but doesn't matter whether its compression or exhaust stroke because it will spark regardless)

If you run true mulitcoils (one per cylinder), you also need to know which stroke is at TDC, and thats when you also need a cam position sensor.

[o_man_ra23]

And to add to Timbo, your dizzy runs off the cam timing, so retrofitting the CAS into your dizzy is like running a Cam angle sensor, rather than crank.

[Norbie]

True, however a dizzy-mounted CAS still needs a home signal, whether it be a missing tooth or a separate sensor (as in 1G's).

[EldarO]

this thread is too massive to read, i dont have enough time.

according to the first few posts of the thread, the 18RG i bought today doesnt exist.

its a 250, EFI, out of an RX63 Cressy.

whats going on?

also, i have a choice between keeping the 250 head, or swapping with a 230, by the info on here, the 230 has better cams, although, im assuming that the differences in compression are made by the head? id like confirmation.

Cheers.

Elmo.

[TA-022]

meh ... some1 efi'd the carby version? been done.

[timbosaurus]

this thread is too massive to read, i dont have enough time.

according to the first few posts of the thread, the 18RG i bought today doesnt exist.

its a 250, EFI, out of an RX63 Cressy.

whats going on?

also, i have a choice between keeping the 250 head, or swapping with a 230, by the info on here, the 230 has better cams, although, im assuming that the differences in compression are made by the head? id like confirmation.

Cheers.

Elmo.

Yes, yes and no.

Yes, the engine you have has been modded. 250 is the most common head.

Yes, the 230 head has "better" cams. They are no TRD items, but preferable to the 250 ones.

No, the compression is not in the head. the early motors had higher comp pistons. in fact, the 230 head is rumoured to haved the most restrictive port design of all.

Timbo

[The Witzl]

Keep the combo you have now elmo, no point going to a 230 head.

Yes this thread is massive.

[timbosaurus]

From the dyno figures I have seen, the difference between a solid stock 18RGU (250 head), and a combo of the "best" stock bits (9.7 bottom end, 253/270 head, 210 cams etc) is lucky to be 10KW.

I think the trouble and expense you have to go to to find all these bits and rebuild the engine would be better off spent on a programmable ECU for your engine. You'll probably still have cash left over for some TRD-spec budget regrind cams

Elmo, did the car this is in originally have EFI RG as standard? Cos it's possible that the motor has shit itself over the years and someone has just shoved in whatever short motor they could find. Or they heard that the RGU has slightly higher comp than the RGEU and swapped it for that reason. Who knows...

[o_man_ra23]

Squirt it, regrind cam it and save your bikkies for some 12:1 pistons. Being that its from an RX63, I would hypothesise that it was EFI from factory, and the rest is the mod.