Jump to content

Tuning for cruise mpg


Recommended Posts

Stuff about vacuum advance and tuning spark and mixture for best mpg at cruise. Involves the interplay between spark timing, mixture, load and rpm.

I wrote it to sort my ideas out before building the bits and bobs, but might be useful to TRrers with a light right foot.....

https://supertrarged.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/tr6se-34-tuning-for-cruise.pdf

 

Peter

Link to post
Share on other sites

Interesting Peter. You really should get yourself a Megasquirt or similar plus a wide band O2 sensor. Even if you don't want to use it for FI you could use it for ignition only and data monitoring/logging.

 

When I set up my PIe the final stage was at a rolling road (Tipton Garage is highly recommended) and last of all was to play with the cruise ignition settings. The RR was set up to maintain an rpm and with the operator driving the car I sat beside him and adjusted the timing with the laptop. With timing starting at standard distributor numbers we found that the torque would initially increase quite sharply with increased advance, then slow, level off and start to drop again with audible pinking commencing just after the drop off. Settings were left a degree or so before the peak. We picked up 20% torque in places from the standard distributor values.

 

Interestingly enough, the original distributor figures were pretty much bang-on for the WOT condition. That with the original "132" cam, mildly flowed head and 10:1 compression ratio on 95 unleaded. Power @ 148 bhp and 160lb/ft torque and a very flat torque curve. Pulled like a train and averaged >30mpg.

 

Nick

Link to post
Share on other sites

Nick,

Once its up and running I plan to tune the spark for wot running on a rolling road. Finding optimum spark when the water injection is killing detonation is impossible to guess at: the water dose is fixed so drops with rpm and boost, so its 'boost retard 'effect varies.

The cruise tuning does use a wideband UEGO exhaust sensor, and there's electrickery built by a friend to lean the SU under feedback control from the UEGO signal.* I'm told its simple, but electronics passed me by: hence no megasquirt. :) I should look into a rr for cruise tuning, I had not realised that it was feasible to detect small torque changes on a machine capable of measuring 100s of bhp.

I think you have published your efi map, but I cant find it. Could I link to it in the blog post please?

Peter

 

*https://supertrarged.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/tr6se-12-electronic-back-suction-control-of-su/

https://supertrarged.wordpress.com/2013/05/03/tr6se-11-cruise-mixture/

Edited by Peter Cobbold
Link to post
Share on other sites

Interesting to read through the old posts!

Nick was an expert already and Tony for example

became an expert on the MegaSquirt during the last years......

 

If people would know about the benefits and

how easy it is after being fully understood

much more people would try that.

Link to post
Share on other sites

but electronics passed me by: hence no megasquirt. :)

 

MegaSquirt can be seen like a tablet or a smartphone.

 

There is electronic and software in a most complicated way inside

but we do not see that and we do not need to know details.

 

By the way MegaSquirt can communicate with both items!

 

The difference is that a tablet has an AC Adapter that plugs into the tablet

and into the wall at home and a W-Lan that only needs a password but the MS

is not that standardized and its connectors to the engine need some brainwork

and custom wiring. But that is not electronic, it is electrical wiring we already did

several times before at our old cars.

 

Each electric cooling fan or fog lamp needs similar material and work.

 

I bet everybody who uses Windows office especially with EXCEL and already optimized

needles on the SU can learn to fully understand the MS software and than set it properly.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Andreas,

The gulf in my digital knowledge is deep ! - I have never used a tablet or smart phone...my simple mobile phone hardly ever get used....and I've never sent a text.. Mostly its because I dont see the need. :unsure:

But there are other reason why injection is not attactive for my particular project. If an injector partly blocks then I dont just get a misfire, under boost a piston can be destroyed in seconds - silently - by preigntion. The single SU wont do that.

And for best fuel effciciency the carb can produce a better mixture with finer droplets than injectors ( unless modern very high pressure common rail is used ). Slide 60:

http://www.powershow.com/view/1e2c2-NmY0Z/Chapter_IV_Spark_Ignition_Engines_22703_powerpoint_ppt_presentation

Smaller droplets produce a more uniform mixture distribution in the cylider allowing a leaner mixture to burn smoothly on every cycle.

The blower's turbulence and heat also helps evaporation so I reckon the mixture is going to run leaner than more conventional fuelling.

Its an experiment. Please don't get me wrong, I do like to see different approaches to modifying our engines - including megajolt. :)

 

Peter

Edited by Peter Cobbold
Link to post
Share on other sites

Andreas,

The gulf in my digital knowledge is deep ! - I have never used a tablet or smart phone...my simple mobile phone hardly ever get used....and I've never sent a text.. Mostly its because I dont see the need. :unsure:

But there are other reason why injection is not attactive for my particular project. If an injector partly blocks then I dont just get a misfire, under boost a piston can be destroyed in seconds - silently - by preigntion. The single SU wont do that.

 

So I see a good reason to start right here and now.......

Lots of people here have a lot of experience with MS & Triumph

and would be happy to support the progress I believe.

 

For the SU thing, although I do not see blocking injector, I have a nice idea:

 

You could set the SU very lean and add fuel with a single injector driven by MS after the blower.

Additionally you watch the AFR with a LC-2 in the exhaust and correct it with the Megasquirt.

 

For free you get the Megajolt features added and you can be sure with a total failure of

the injector the engine will not break.

 

What you can do with a MS2 is to fire a warning light if a defined AFR is too low or high.

Like with a big warning lamp for oil pressure you can put it on the dash and after some time

when you rely in the MegaSquirt you can take it away or leave it for information.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Andreas,

I plan a big red warning light - for low water pressure ! Above about 4psi boost water will be the only defence against knocking the pistons apart !

At one time I was planning a second jet in the carb, for ethanol - to bring up the octane to around 103RON. But decided the fire risk of a 3 gallon tank was too great. Water feels safer, but there is a power penalty.

I looked into a hybrid Lucas PI plus an SU to add extra fuel, triggered by boost. But the injector blockage issue remained.

Peter

Link to post
Share on other sites

Add LPG in the wet phase with MegaSquirt also as a chemical blower

and you do not need all that stuff any more.

 

In these days Lucas PI is a bad solutiion because a closed loop with the

exhaust gas measurement can not be established.

 

Friend of mine is on turbo trip with modern electronics on a

4 valve intercooler engine and handles 40 psi of boost.

Pretty good to bring a 2 litre beyond 300hp.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Add LPG in the wet phase with MegaSquirt also as a chemical blower

and you do not need all that stuff any more.

 

LPG 109RON ! It would be interesting to see that on a s/c TR.

I didn't kown Megasquirt does liquid phase LPG injection. It needs a high pressure pump in the LPG tank to get the pressure high enough to stop it boiling at underbonnet ( ie injector) tempratures. So more complex and expensive than LPG-carburettor. But the evaporative cooling effect- terrific.

Edited by Peter Cobbold
Link to post
Share on other sites

Very common in Germany.

Friend of mine built several systems.

I was involved in one where we swapped a Honda from TBI

to a multiport injection with four injectors.

Power increased and fuel consumption was in the range of petrol

and not 10% higher like often advertised.

It worked for 100.000Km and saved a lot of money due to cheap LPG.

 

A little hole is drilled into the manifold and from the injectorbox

a small tube like a inner pencil tube is guided into the hole.

The injector boxes contain the injector and a jet to limit the flow

what is not necessary for Megasquirt because we can set the timing

in a wide limit.

From the tank in the rear with the inline pump a tube is guided to the

rail to the injector boxes.

No box of tricks and all easy to build!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Please familiarise yourself with our Terms and Conditions. By using this site, you agree to the following: Terms of Use.