NOR-CAL General Chat.

[McGyver]

Anyone have a MegaSquirt tuner/dyno recommendation in the Bay Area?


I've had my MS2 ready for a few months, but have been putting off the conversion until I get smog done in Jan. I'd like to get a few baseline power runs before the conversion and a few more after using whatever tune I put together. The final step is installing the turbo and making some serious power. (I was very generous to myself this Black Friday)

[2mAn]

Anyone have a MegaSquirt tuner/dyno recommendation in the Bay Area?


I've had my MS2 ready for a few months, but have been putting off the conversion until I get smog done in Jan. I'd like to get a few baseline power runs before the conversion and a few more after using whatever tune I put together. The final step is installing the turbo and making some serious power. (I was very generous to myself this Black Friday)

My buddy in San Jose has been tuning it all himself. I think in the subforum theres people who can give you a base map or something...

What are ya cooking up? Saw you mention wanting turbo parts in the Black Friday thread

[dadsbmw]

Anyone have a MegaSquirt tuner/dyno recommendation in the Bay Area?


I've had my MS2 ready for a few months, but have been putting off the conversion until I get smog done in Jan. I'd like to get a few baseline power runs before the conversion and a few more after using whatever tune I put together. The final step is installing the turbo and making some serious power. (I was very generous to myself this Black Friday)

The Bay is really wanting for good shops to help us out. That said, I think Blacktrax in Fremont can tune Megasquirt, and are actually the only shop I could find that didn't turn me away.

[McGyver]

My buddy in San Jose has been tuning it all himself. I think in the subforum theres people who can give you a base map or something...

What are ya cooking up? Saw you mention wanting turbo parts in the Black Friday thread

I've been working on e30s for a little over a decade, been a mechanic a couple of times, have done some engine swaps, and have been learning fabrication (machining and welding), but I've never really gotten into engine management or building. So I wanted a project that forced me to learn the stuff I've been avoiding:

• Building my MegaSquirt taught me a ton about electronics and engine management.
• I've got an engine at a machine shop to build a 2.7L for turbo (for when the current m20b25 dies).
• I've been trying to take everything slow to research, I really wasn't ready to buy any turbo stuff, but after having a diypsi T3 manifold under my desk at work since last black friday, I decided to take the plung. So I just ordered a BW s257SX-E, TurboSmart WG and BOV, CX Racing intercooler, and some 60lb Siemens injectors.
• I've tested and rebuilt a couple of alternators, also made my own volt meter (DIYs coming soon)
• I'll be building my old 3.73LSD into a 4-clutch diff.
• I have a 110v mig and bought a 110v/220v tig to learn aluminum, but haven't had a place to use the tig since I bought it in May. (I desperately need a workshop space in/around SF)

The car is also sitting on some 16" 5-lug ACS wheels. After dumping this much money into it, I think I seriously need to either learn bodywork/paint, or send it out.

[2mAn]

Nice, I think Ive seen pics of the Laguna car here and there. Is that the only one you have now? Tape player still work? Whats in the deck? ... also werent you building tool for the lollipops or something? I thought I saw something about that

[McGyver]

Nice, I think Ive seen pics of the Laguna car here and there. Is that the only one you have now? Tape player still work? Whats in the deck? ... also werent you building tool for the lollipops or something? I thought I saw something about that

I daily the Alpine and occasionally drive the Laguna, it needs a valve adjustment and I don't want to do that until I have my plug-and-play remote starter trigger finished (another DIY coming soon). I've used a tool that plugs into the OBD port (connected to pins 11 and 14), you press the button and the starter turns over the engine to get it in position for the next valve. Since you only trigger the start relay, fuel and spark never happens. It's WAAAAY easier than manually turning the engine or rolling the car in gear.

That's actually my backup CM5908, the original one stopped working because the band stretched out. Eventually I'll find a replacement band and repair it. I'm not sure what's in it at that moment (my glove box if full of tapes and I have more in the trunk). Currently it's got Van Morrison in there.

Yeah, I have a bunch of tool's I've deigned/built; Spring Pad Risers (low offset wheels+big tires=rubbing), engine/tranny mount cups (use OEM rubber for NVH, cups prevent movement like Delrin), tool to press CAB out of the lolipop, TAB removal/install tool, Rear Trailing Arm Adjustment Plates, e30-to-e36 TPS adapter, housing for the Bosch 55-Pin connector (to make MS2's DB37 PnP on the stock connector), a bracket to mount the Bosch 3x2 coil for wasted spark, distributor block-off plate (because wasted spark), and various other non-car related stuff. (I'm happy to share PDFs of the designs)

[2mAn]

I loved listening to cassettes on the last E30, and also bought a Bluetooth cassette thing in case I wanted to "get modern"

Most of my cassettes are old HipHop. I have some Cypress Hill tapes that I cant/ wont listen to. Its strange to listen to them when you're not stoned lol

[McGyver]

I loved listening to cassettes on the last E30, and also bought a Bluetooth cassette thing in case I wanted to "get modern"

Most of my cassettes are old HipHop. I have some Cypress Hill tapes that I cant/ wont listen to. Its strange to listen to them when you're not stoned lol

Man, I love listening to the tapes. In my first e30 (~2007) I couldn't wait to tear out the CM5908 and put in a CD player. I guess my tastes have changed because now I really enjoy the analog feel of everything.

On another note, I just found an ad for workshop space, but I'm going to need some other people to make it affordable. So hit me up if you're interested in getting in on some shop space. Per the ad, it's already got 220v, there's power to get some serious work done with my tig.

[jpod999]

For that price you might as well move out to the suburbs where you'll have a garage! I did my swap in three separate residential garages, two of which were rental homes :p

[McGyver]

Yeah its pricy, but get several people together and it'd be a fun hobby shop and nice to not have to leave the city. The major perk is having a space where the owner expects car work and not having to worry about being sneaky or getting kicked out.

[McGyver]

Been in SF since Oct, been looking for a garage since the middle of Nov, still nothing. I had no idea how hard it'd be to find a hobby workshop in the city, I assumed some sort of collective would be dime-a-dozen.

I'd be eternally grateful for any leads!

[McGyver]

Apparently there's a Cars&Coffee tomorrow at Ocean Beach. Anyone else interested in going/meeting up?

[kronus]

how ass early in the morning is it?

[McGyver]

how ass early in the morning is it?

7-10am



I'd say meet up somewhere around Noe/Castro/Mission around 7am and then roll over to ocean beach.

[oliver.r]