Step 1: Ordering whats needed (MS components and tools)
Tools-
Only basic hand tools are required for assembly.
* Soldering Iron- I used a 30-watt basic iron to build mine, you need nothing more. You are going to solder small components, it will provide plenty of heat. I picked up mine at a local Radio Shack in a kit for
$7.99
Soldering Iron-Radio Shack
* De-soldering Tool- Accidents happen, be it simply touching an empty "pad" on the board with a tip covered with solder, or soldering a component in the wrong spot or wrong orientation. Its a cheap tool that is a definate life saver. Avalible at Radio Shack for
$9.89..
Desoldering Tool-Radio Shack
* Solder- I used .022" diameter, rosin-core solder. Also I used Silver Bearing, although not required when building the MS. This is a thin-wire solder, which is helpful since you will be working on small compnents in tight places.
$5.89 at Radio Shack.
Solder-Radio Shack
* Heat-Sink Compound- If you buy a kit it will have some, but not really enough...Go ahead and buy a small tube.
$2.99 at Radio Shack.
Compound- Radio Shack
* Electrical Multimeter- This is used to test a few things on the MS when assembling, and helps troubleshoot and insure that you have good joints.
* Phillips head and thin flat blade screwdriver- Used for various screws.
* Small diagonal cut pliers- For cutting off the ends of component leads after soldering.
* RTV Silicone-You only need a drop, its used to "cushion" one of the on-board compnents.
MS and Componets-
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND dealing with
DIYAutoTune.com Megasquirt Kits / Assembled Engine Management Systems, Wideband o2 Sensor Systems and tuning products . They offer a full selection of MS related comoponents, awesome customer service, and super fast shipping. They are also the cheapest way to go that I have found (for new components).
* Megasquirt- You want to order Megasquirt 1 v.3.0. This is what this write-up pertains to. It is the all-around easist way to go.
You can either order a assembled unit and save about 8 hours of work, or build it yourself following the how-to. If you get a assembled unit, be sure to tell them you will be running a missing tooth wheel with a single coil.
If you decide to do it yourself, I suggest you buy the megasquirt in a kit form, this insures you have everything you need and that all components will match. When you purhase from
diy auto tune, you will have virtually everything you need to build the basic MS. Another great thing about dealing with them, is that each component comes pre-labeled, individually bagged, and seperated according to component type. You also get a well built case. I purchased mine for
$187.00.
Megasquirt I-V3.0-Kit
* MegaStim - This is
A MUST in order to reliably test your megasquirt. Its a little bit extra to add to the bill, but if you are wanting to assemble your own, you need this to make sure you are assembling a working unit. I have used the standard V2.2, but they now offer a newer "JimStim", which allows you to test differant ignition setups by simply changing wire "jumper" postions. If you are building a standard MS for a single coil, distributor car (such as the probe), then a standard one is all you need. If not, Id go with the JimStim. Kits for the Standard v2.2 is
$45.00, the JimStim
$56.00.
This is also a great "starter" for those that are beginning to solder. Lets you get the hang of it without risking messing up the real MS. It is also a great tool for learning about how megasquirt works and tuning.
BTW,
BUY THE A/C POWER ADAPTER!!! Its only a few bucks more, but it saves time and money on using 9v batterys. They DO NOT LAST!! They only last a few minutes, and sometimes will cause you to think there is a problem with your MS when acually you just have a bad battery. Its only
$7.50 Power Adapter
Standard V2.2 MegaStim
JimStim Stimulator
Megastim (assembled)-
JimStim (assembled)-
IC Sockets These are the only things that are not in the kit that should be. Since IC chips are EXTREMELY sensitive to heat, this insures you wont burn one up by soldering. They aren't required, but for less than
$5.00, its cheap insurance.
you'll need one 16 pin, two 8 pin, and a 6 pin. Radio shack sells them all except the 6 pin, but you can easily modify a 8 pin to work, and thats what I did and will show you how in the assembly section.
List of IC Sockets
* Tuning Cable- Just a simple DB9 cable,
BUT make sure that it is a true
straight-thru cable...meaning that pin 1 on one end is connected to pin 1 on the other, etc... (tested useing a ohmmeter). They are
$5.50 from diyautotune.com, so I would just get one when you order your MS to insure you get te right one.
DB9 Cable
* Laptop/Desktop- For construction and testing, you can use your desktop, just as long as you have the correct DB9 connector on the back and the apropriate software (located in the assembly section). You will, however, need a laptop for tuning in car. You DO NOT need a new one, in fact, the older ones are best, as they have the DB9 connector where as most newer one do not.
Step 2: Assembly and Testing
DO NOT let this be your first time soldering....Do a internet search on soldering before attempting assembly of megasquirt...Please make sure you are comfortable and confident enough before tackling this project, or you will be wasteing your time and money...
You can either:
A)Buy a "starter" kit and practice, usally these are simple projects (such as a blinking LED) but offer great practice in circuit building, and allows you to successfully learn to solder....
B)Go to Radio Shack and buy a simple blank circuit board ($3) and a pack of resistors ($4) and practice soldering the joints to the board.
All assembly steps are covered in megamanual in the links posted below. I am not going to do a step by step assembly, as that would be a pointless waste of my time and forum space. It is detailed precisly in the links below, and layed out in a easily read format.
V3.0 Assembly (MSI and MSII)
MegaStim Assembly V2.2
However, I will touch on some basic points and give pictures for referance.
Agian, the following pics are for Megasquirt I - V3.0 so the board/components may differ slightly depending on what you decide to order.
Be sure to assemble your MegaStim before starting on the megasquirt itself, as its needed at the end of each section for testing!!!!
