Making a pnp adapter for ms?

[ThatOneEuroE30]

So I was screwing around on diyautotunes site and see the regualr ms2 kit is way cheaper then the pnp kit. so i got to thinking Could i cut a 55 pin ecu and make an adapter? Kinda like one would to get a square c101 to connect to dircle or like guys use for 24v swaps. I plan to make it my self just wanna know if its possible and even worth it. the money i save would put me on wasted spark and help pay for some of the wide band.

[nando]

IMO - at this stage, it's a waste of time. get the PnP kit, either from DIY or from Whodwho. the end.

I've built a lot of PnP kits & adapters, you'll spend a lot of time and end up with something half as nice, and you'll likely run into issues that need to be fixed.

wasted spark costs like $50 (using GM coils), so I don't see that savings being worth it at all.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

IMO - at this stage, it's a waste of time. get the PnP kit, either from DIY or from Whodwho. the end.

I've built a lot of PnP kits & adapters, you'll spend a lot of time and end up with something half as nice, and you'll likely run into issues that need to be fixed.

wasted spark costs like $50 (using GM coils), so I don't see that savings being worth it at all.

Alright. I guess Ill get the pnp kit

[ThatOneEuroE30]

Do you have link to the gm coils?

[E30-325iS]

Buying a pnp kit also pays for a developed product with warranty and support, how much value you place on that would depend on your abilities and how confortable you are resolving any issues that come up.
If you are comfortable DIYing then diyautotune has a kit for about the same price as ms2

http://www.diyautotune.com/catalog/diypnp-bosch-55pin-unassembled-kit-p-385.html

Or have a look at this.

http://wiki.diyefi.co.uk/index.php?title=BMW_E30_Megasquirt_%26_Wasted_Spark_Conversion

[ForcedFirebird]

Do you have link to the gm coils?

They came on almost all GM 3x00cc v6's of the 80's up.

[Northern]

http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=68448

That's what I followed for my iX. I think I found one on ebay with coils, connector, and plug wires for ~$50 shipped

[barbierij]

IMO - at this stage, it's a waste of time. get the PnP kit, either from DIY or from Whodwho. the end.

I've built a lot of PnP kits & adapters, you'll spend a lot of time and end up with something half as nice, and you'll likely run into issues that need to be fixed.

wasted spark costs like $50 (using GM coils), so I don't see that savings being worth it at all.

I disagree with the "half as nice" comment. I put a v3 board in the motronic case and I think it looks great. Plus, I can just take the entire MS out of the case and use it in something else if i want. It was a fun build and I am probably going to make another soon. Plus it cost under $300 and left me with extra cash for the JimStim, Wideband, and TunerStudio registration.

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1955911-Quick-status-update-from-barbierij

[ThatOneEuroE30]

I disagree with the "half as nice" comment. I put a v3 board in the motronic case and I think it looks great. Plus, I can just take the entire MS out of the case and use it in something else if i want. It was a fun build and I am probably going to make another soon. Plus it cost under $300 and left me with extra cash for the JimStim, Wideband, and TunerStudio registration.

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...from-barbierij

Where did you get it for under 300 with a 55 pin connector?


edit: just saw link. gonna try and do what you did. Expect many pm's through the process haha

[barbierij]

Where did you get it for under 300 with a 55 pin connector?

I had a spare ECU around and cut the connector off. Then I hand built the MS v3 board and put it in the motronic case. Pretty easy.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

I had a spare ECU around and cut the connector off. Then I hand built the MS v3 board and put it in the motronic case. Pretty easy.

This?

http://www.diyautotune.com/catalog/megasquirtii-programmable-efi-system-pcb30-kit-black-case-p-119.html

I'm trying what you did for sure. when you put the wire in the plug did you put pins on each wire and then essentially plug them in?

[barbierij]

Yes, that is the kit I bought. I clipped the pins off the old board and left them in the connector. I trimmed them down about 1/2" just enough to get a good solid connection. It takes a steady hand to keep the wire on the pin and solder it.

yellow "grabber" things help too, especially with holding that diode in.



and this helps too if your hand is too shaky.

[ThatOneEuroE30]

Yes, that is the kit I bought. I clipped the pins off the old board and left them in the connector. I trimmed them down about 1/2" just enough to get a good solid connection. It takes a steady hand to keep the wire on the pin and solder it.

yellow "grabber" things help too, especially with holding that diode in.



and this helps too if your hand is too shaky.

Alright what about on the other end? From the 55 pin I see you wired it from the plug they give you in kit

[barbierij]

I pretty much did what Ryan did in the link below, except for the idle control. I just used a resistor to pull it closed.

http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50206

I used the 37pin connector from the kit for the wires, and used a straight 37pin d-dsub male connector for the board side like the one below

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/0/2937MEA-ND

[george graves]

IMO - at this stage, it's a waste of time. get the PnP kit, either from DIY or from Whodwho. the end.

I could go either way with this. It might be a fun project for some people. I say if you feel up for it - do it.