Why EFI?

[DMCMW Dave]

You can run odd fire with megasquirt. But in order to do so you need MS3, and most DMC owners are running MS2 or MS1. )

I didn't realize this. Thanks for the update. I have not messed with it for a long time.

I went to EFI for two reasons:

1. I wanted to tinker and see if I could accomplish the challenge.
2. I planned to (and did) upgrade my heads/cams/exhaust, and you can get a much more optimal tune (and hence power) with full control of the fueling across the power band.

Personally, I think it is much more time consuming and expensive and difficult to convert to EFI than fix an existing K-Jet issue. So personally I wouldn't do an EFI conversion as a way of avoiding K-Jet issues.

I'm much happier with EFI than the stock k jet. My k jet was clogged everywhere and the price to replace all of it was to high for me at the time. .

A completely agree with both of these. MS is great if you like to experiment and don't mind issues along the way, potentially want to start doing more exotic engine mods that get you out of the K-Jet range, and economically might make sense if the entire K-Jet system is junk to start with and you meet the other condition (don't mind issues along the way) as well.

[alexwolf1216]

I would actually like to do this, but it seems expensive.

[dn010]

I would actually like to do this, but it seems expensive.

Not to mention all the time worth of research (where to put sensors/triggers, wiring, tach signal, spark plugs to use, fuel/spark control methods, etc) and fabricating (trigger wheel to engine, coil pack mounting plate, distributor hole cover, etc) as well as calibration, among other things that you'll be doing.

[Jonathan]

Not to mention all the time...

You don't have to be around our DMC community for long to see someone come and go. It happens where you got into something you hadn't expected and your "live the dream" dream of driving one of these cars got delayed long enough to lose the enthusiasm and throw in the towel.

Nobody wants that on day one and it is very difficult to walk away trying to keep your head up if the dream turned to nightmare.

If anyone out there is new to these cars, or new to old cars in general, I would recommend going the route of as normal or stock as possible until you get some time and experience of ownership under your belt.

These cars can be brilliant tests of your patience and perseverance even when you're just trying to get it back into good running order like the way the factory had intended. Adding the twist of making a car driveable again while switching to EFI can put you farther over that thin line from success into failure.

Making a car run well with an engine mod is probably best left for seasoned DMC owners or others with a knack for this sort of thing. I would say that the majority would hinder their chances of enjoying owning one of these cars if they tried the modifications on their first go around.

"If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything" as the saying goes ( ) but knowing to only bite off as much as you can realistically handle has some value too.

[alexwolf1216]

You don't have to be around our DMC community for long to see someone come and go. It happens where you got into something you hadn't expected and your "live the dream" dream of driving one of these cars got delayed long enough to lose the enthusiasm and throw in the towel.

Nobody wants that on day one and it is very difficult to walk away trying to keep your head up if the dream turned to nightmare.

If anyone out there is new to these cars, or new to old cars in general, I would recommend going the route of as normal or stock as possible until you get some time and experience of ownership under your belt.

These cars can be brilliant tests of your patience and perseverance even when you're just trying to get it back into good running order like the way the factory had intended. Adding the twist of making a car driveable again while switching to EFI can put you farther over that thin line from success into failure.

Making a car run well with an engine mod is probably best left for seasoned DMC owners or others with a knack for this sort of thing. I would say that the majority would hinder their chances of enjoying owning one of these cars if they tried the modifications on their first go around.

"If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything" as the saying goes ( ) but knowing to only bite off as much as you can realistically handle has some value too.

True that.

[Josh]

You don't have to be around our DMC community for long to see someone come and go. It happens where you got into something you hadn't expected and your "live the dream" dream of driving one of these cars got delayed long enough to lose the enthusiasm and throw in the towel.

Nobody wants that on day one and it is very difficult to walk away trying to keep your head up if the dream turned to nightmare.

If anyone out there is new to these cars, or new to old cars in general, I would recommend going the route of as normal or stock as possible until you get some time and experience of ownership under your belt.

These cars can be brilliant tests of your patience and perseverance even when you're just trying to get it back into good running order like the way the factory had intended. Adding the twist of making a car driveable again while switching to EFI can put you farther over that thin line from success into failure.

Making a car run well with an engine mod is probably best left for seasoned DMC owners or others with a knack for this sort of thing. I would say that the majority would hinder their chances of enjoying owning one of these cars if they tried the modifications on their first go around.

"If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything" as the saying goes ( ) but knowing to only bite off as much as you can realistically handle has some value too.

I swapped the engine right off the bat

[Jonathan]

I swapped the engine right off the bat

Haha, listen here Mr. Schattenawesome...

What you were able to do in your first year borders on freakish. Good freakish though. Car in rough shape, engine swap, drive it across the continent for DCS. Oh, and how about I finish my engineering degree in the meantime? Awesome, my friend, simply awesome.

I had guys in my engineering graduating class back in the day that I swear wouldn't have been able to put their bike chain back on if it fell off on their way home from class. Your resume could embarrass some of the professors much less the fellow students. Rarified air up there where you are. Good job

[DMCMW Dave]

This will probably piss off a few, but a drastic home-brew mod such as MS EFI has a nasty impact on re-sell-ability and probably resale value. It will decrease the resale audience if not the price. It's much more difficult to find someone who understands/appreciates/isn't afraid of the modification than not.

The value part might be debatable, but buyers by and large don't want undocumented improvements. If you built it you probably understand it, but the next guy won't understand it, won't have documentation, and will find that the number of people out there who can help solve problems is much smaller than on a stock-configuration car. An informed buyer will immediately deduct the cost of turning it back to stock from the selling price, which is a very good reason to carefully pack up all the original parts and NOT sell them off.

Even if you plan on keeping the car forever, when you do this sort of thing, please take the time to make good notes of everything you did, where you got it all, custom settings etc., put it all in a binder and hide it in the car somewhere. If nothing else when your descendants sell off the car the next owner will have a chance of maintaining it. You may even thank yourself in a few years!

[DARCOM]

I plan to be buried in mine.

[dn010]

So glad I am not alone on that one!