Bob`s Blog

test of pre

When I was adding the conditioning circuitry to enable control of additional sensors, there was one aspect of the documentation that was confusing for someone new to the project. The MegaTune software provides support for seven spare ports. Each of the spare ports can be configured in software to enable when specific conditions are met. The enable can be active high or active low, depending on the setting. There’s also an option for the initial condition state when the MegaSquirt powers up. There’s even functionality to use boolean logic between essentially any real-time parameter relating to the engine to result in an enable on the spare ports.

The confusing part is the naming convention. This is how the MegaTune documentation and software specifies the spare ports:

• FIdle - PM2 (DB37 pin #30)
• Injection LED - PM3
• Accel LED - PM4
• Warm-Up LED - PM5
• IAC1 - PT6
• IAC2 - PT7
• Knock Enable - PA0

The problem is, there are no pins on any of the MegaSquirt board schematics using this naming convention. The documentation for MegaTune doesn’t provide a mapping for where these pins route on the board. If you want to know where the pins map, you have to look at the schematic for the MegaSquirt-II daughtercard.

If anyone is interested, here is the proper mapping for where these pins map on the board. Make sure to verify them for yourself before testing. I’ve read that different MegaTune software versions have some of the pins reversed.

• FIdle - PM2 - Pin34/PTA1 on board schematic
• Injection LED - PM3 - Pin7/PTC0
• Accel LED - PM4 - Pin8/PTC1
• Warm-Up LED - PM5 - Pin9/PTC2
• IAC1/IAC2 - PT6/PT7 - Effects Pins 35-38
• Knock Enable - PA0 - Pin18/PTD3

From MegaTune manual: “The two spare port “T” pins (PT6 and PT7) are normally used to drive the stepper motor chip (IAC1,2). When you set pin PT6 high, it will make 1 of the 4 stepper output pins high and the other low, and no effect on the last two - which are controlled in the same way by pin PT7. So, by picking 2 of the 4 IAC outputs, you have two 12V spare pins that will directly drive about 0.5 Amps with no transistor needed. This is more than enough to drive a relay directly. If you are going to use port PT6 or PT7 as spares (IAC1,2), IdleCtl should be set to 0. This will keep the the stepper chip ‘always enabled’ and not turn it on and off, which would prevent the port from working as intended. ”

Jeff was convinced that the Megasquirt-II would be a great addition to his Gen-I small block Chevy project. In case you’ve never heard of it, the Megasquirt is a do-it-yourself electronic fuel injection and ignition controller. In the realm of standalone electronic engine management and datalogging systems, it’s essentially the only viable and well supported open source option. It can be obtained as a DIY kit from one of the many online distributors or you can purchase it fully assembled for around $400. There are countless mods and additions available on the Internet to add features for just about anything you could think of. Sequential injection will be possible with the release of the MS-II sequencer board. If you want MegaSquirt on your motorcycle, ATV, or snowmobile, there’s a smaller surface-mount, yet fully functional option, cleverly called MicroSquirt.

For geeks who love learning about EFI, control systems, and electronics, it’s a total wet dream. It’s a boon for people who desire absolute control over what their engine is doing, need something truly customizable to the extreme, but would rather not spend the money on a $1500 commercial off-the-shell EFI system.

I’ve been following the project for over seven years, but I never actually caved in and ordered a kit myself. I either had programmable fuel/ignition management through other means or didn’t have a car that needed it. I finished assembling the kit for my brother a few days ago. It was a bit tedious, but I used lead-free solder, which is more difficult to flow. I would say if you have decent soldering skills, designate at least three hours for assembling your first kit. Since my brother will be using a Vee configuration engine, I added the conditioning circuit to the prototyping area for dual narrow band oxygen sensors. We also had the knock sensor and control module from the LT1, so I added support for ignition retard under knock.

Here’s a photo of the completed kit with cover removed. The second is a photo of the Relay board.

Originally, we planned to use a carburetor setup on the motor, but I realized we had everything we needed for fuel injection and ignition control. The 95 Camaro project car came equipped with an LT1 small block V8 that had a thrown rod. We decided it would be cool to adapt the the LT1 intake manifold to the small block Chevy heads and block. The angle of the bolt holes needed to be modified, the coolant and EGR passages on the heads needed to be blocked off, etc. I finished assembling and testing the kit yesterday. I’m looking forward to tuning the motor with Jeff.

My brother Jeff recently became the owner of a 1995 “Fourth Gen” Camaro. The existing LT1 engine had a thrown rod that obliterated the number eight piston and thrashed the inside of the block. When pouring water into the radiator, it would immediately gush out of a tiny ‘bullet’ hole in the oil pan, a telltale sign that terror had taken place beneath the glossy veneer. The previous owner fit the description of a classic curbstoner scum bag from what I heard. He claimed he was quoted $900 to repair the engine… yeah right, the damage that we saw would easily require a new block, heads, pistons, connecting rods, and a full rebuild. Needless to say, it was immediately apparent that whoever blew up this motor had been committing deadly driving sins.

Jeff has been building up a small block chevy piece mail in the basement for a few months. It began with an L05 block from a Suburban. He had the service overbore performed, purchased some nicer heads, a “streetable” performance cam, along with a Summit Racing rebuild kit. The heads were advertised as Vortec, but when they arrived, we realized they were just traditional SBC ports.

Originally, we thought electing a carburetor setup would make for the simplest build and installation. Our thoughts on that changed pretty quickly. My belief has always been to avoid doing things the easy way. Moreover, we realized a decent carb and manifold setup can cost around $900. Plus, with the LT1 and supporting sensors, we had almost everything we needed to retrofit a tuned port fuel injection system to the SBC. I had been itching to try out a Megasquirt standalone EFI system.

We decided it would be chic to adapt the the LT1 intake manifold to the small block Chevy heads and block. It would take a bit of machining, but without a doubt, the end result would be worth the effort. The engine would gain a snappier throttle response, better fuel economy, and excellent cold weather robustness. Not to mention that with the Megasquirt, we would have complete control over the fuel and ignition maps, with provisions to later use forced induction. More on forced induction in another post…

But I regress.. For the LT1 retrofit, some new bolt holes must be drilled, a few old holes need to be filled with magical JB Weld, and some existing holes must be re-angled. On each head, there are two coolant passages and an EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) passage. When using either carburetion or throttle body injection (TBI), the gasoline does not atomize well at cold temperatures. It is for this reason that on the older style intake manifolds, coolant would flow through passages inside the manifold to warm the intake air stream before entering the heads. Modern fuel injection doesn’t require such nonsense, and it is best for the intake air to remain as cold/dense as possible. Since the heads are normally fed with coolant by the intake manifold, we needed to route coolant into the heads through an alternate path. We decided to block off one of the coolant passages on each head, along with the EGR and use a remote mount thermostat housing to run coolant to each head through a pipe fitting we installed on the LT1 manifold. Since the LT1 uses a confounded contraption called an Opti-spark for handling ignition, it did not have a distributor. This meant we needed to make provisions on the LT1 manifold for an old style GM HEI distributor. We haven’t finished with this final piece of the puzzle yet, but we intend to use the old manifold to create a template for the distributor location. We’ll then drill a hole in the manifold, install a custom fabricated distributor hold down along with a spacer bushing to correct the angle. There are two types of GM HEI distributors, remote coil and integrated coil. Since the Camaro engine bay is smaller than my Mazda RX-7, we’ll be forced to use the shorter distributor, with a remote mount coil. Shouldn’t be a problem.

Borrelia Slowly Spreads Throughout the Body –

Approximately 4-6 weeks following the tick bite, the first
systemic signs of Lyme disease that may or may not occur are in the
form of flu-like symptoms or malaise. These symptoms include sore
throat, severe headaches and neck aches, severe fatigue, chills and
fever, and swollen lymph nodes. Upper respiratory symptoms are usually
not present with LD, distinguishing it from other flu-like illnesses.
While the LD-flu symptoms can spontaneously resolve themselves,
patients can experience relapses.

Soon after the onset of Lyme-flu, arthralgias and/or myalgias
(muscle and joint pain) may begin. The arthralgias appear to primarily
involve the large joints (i.e. knees, elbows, hips, shoulders),
although smaller joints (e.g. wrists, hands, fingers, toes) may be
involved. The pains are generally described as severe, jumping from
joint to joint, and may be present for only short periods of time. Pain
in the teeth and in the temporal-mandibular joints (jaw) is common.
Neurological involvement will cause associated paresthesias (muscle
twitching, burning sensations, prickling / shooting pains, and
numbness). Lyme disease can cause palsy of affected areas, but
it’s more likely to cause neurosensory deficits before
neuromotor disease.

Facial nerve (Bell’s) palsy is another neurological symptom of
Lyme disease. Encephalitis or encephalopathy may manifest as cognitive
dysfunction, including short-term memory loss, and psychiatric symptoms
such as panic, anxiety, or depression. The encephalitis and facial
paralysis tend to occur within the first few months following the tick
bite, but may also occur as part of a relapse at any time.

Other symptoms in this stage of the disease may include
blurred vision, uveitis, ringing in the ear (tinnitus, which was one of
my first symtoms) and/or hearing loss, shortness of breath,
palpitations or tachycardia (rapid heart rate), chest pains, abdominal
pains, diarrhea or irritable bowel, testicular or pelvic pain, urinary
incontinence/urgency, dizziness, tremors, dysautonomia, and hepatitis.

Borreliosis: The Clinical Disease

Lyme disease is an extremely challenging infectious/toxic
disease for both doctor and patient. It can exhibit many different
symptoms. The clinical picture of LD can be similar to fibromyalgia,
including: chronic fatigue, joint pain (arthralgias), muscle, fibrous
tissue and tendon pain. Lyme disease can also manifest primarily as a
neurological disorder, including fatigue and many neurological
symptoms. It is important to remember that there are hundreds of
symptoms that are caused by LD and it can mimic many diseases; for this
reason, LD is often called, “the great imitator.”

The prognosis of Lyme disease depends a lot on how soon the
disease is caught and how well it is treated. Early, aggressive, and
comprehensive treatment improves the prognosis tremendously.
Unfortunately it is difficult to diagnose many cases early because they
don’t present themselves with obvious Lyme disease symptoms.
They often show only one or a few subtle symptoms that can easily be
misdiagnosed as something else.

Lingering Lyme: The Chronic Persistent Infection

Some symptoms and signs of Lyme disease may not appear until
weeks, months, or years after a tick bite. This stage typically
involves intermittent episodes of joint pain or numerous neurological
symptoms such as: meningitis, Bell’s palsy, dysfunction of cardiac
rhythm, and migratory pain to joints, tendons, muscle and bone.
Arthritis is most likely to appear as brief bouts of pain and swelling,
usually in one or more large joints, especially the knees. In some
patients, the first and only sign of Lyme disease is arthritis. In
others, nervous system problems are the only evidence of Lyme disease.
However, any combination of symptoms can be present.

Primarily unique to humans, neuroborreliosis (the neurological
form of Lyme disease) can include numbness, pain, Bell’s palsy
(paralysis of the facial muscles, usually on one side and more often
the left), and meningitis (fever, stiff neck, and severe headache).
Dysautonomia (a dysfunctioning autonomic nervous system) and
irregularities of the heart rhythm may occur.

In a minority of individuals (11%), development of chronic
Lyme arthritis may lead to erosion of cartilage and/or bone. Other
clinical manifestations associated with chronic neuroborreliosis
include neurologic complications such as disturbances in memory, mood,
or sleep patterns, and sensations of numbness and tingling in the hands
or feet (parethesia).

The course of the disease can best be described as persistent,
with periods of worsening symptoms, often cyclical every few weeks or
monthly. Especially disconcerting are persistent symptoms such as pain,
headaches and fatigue. Some patients are more symptomatic than are
others, which may reflect gender and genetically-determined differences
in response to infection. The disease is progressive, destructive, and
debilitating, and in severe untreated cases, it can be fatal.

Chronic Borrelia can also cause a degenerative skin disorder
now known as acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA).

Lyme disease causes metabolic/endocrine dysfunctions that lead
to weight loss or commonly chronic weight gain.

Generally, women struggle with chronic Lyme disease more
severely than men do. It is not known for sure why.

List of Lyme Disease Symptoms

As I mentioned before, every organ and organ system can be
affected, here’s a list of some of the LD symptoms as they
relate to specific areas of the body:

• Head – headache, neck pain, facial pain and
  paralysis, difficulty chewing, pain in teeth, dry mouth, loss of
  taste/smell, numb tongue/mouth. Peculiar metallic or salty taste is
  also common in LD. This is likely due to the BLPs present in the system.
• Bladder — frequent or painful urination, repeated urinary
  tract infections, irritable bladder, interstitial cystitis.
• Lung — respiratory infection, cough, asthma, pneumonia,
  pleurisy, chest pains
• Ear — pain, hearing loss, ringing (tinnitius), sensitivity
  to noise, dizziness & equilibrium disorders.
• Eyes — pain due to inflammation (scleritis, uveitis, optic
  neuritis), dry eyes, sensitivity to light, drooping of eyelid (ptosis),
  conjunctivitis, blurry or double vision, swelling around eyes / bags
  below the eyes.
• Throat — sore throat, swollen glands, cough, hoarseness,
  difficulty swallowing
• Neurological — headaches, facial paralysis, seizures,
  meningitis, stiff neck, burning, tingling, or prickling sensations
  (parathesia), loss of reflexes, loss of coordination, equilibrium
  problems/dizziness (these symptoms mimic an MS, ALS, or
  Parkinson’s like syndrome)
• Stomach — pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal
  cramps, anorexia
• Heart — weakness, dizziness, irregular heart-beat,
  myocarditis, pericarditis, palpitations, heart block, enlarged heart,
  fainting, shortness of breath, chest pain, mitral valve prolapse.
• Muscle & skeletal system — arthralgias (joint
  pain), fibromyalgia (muscle inflammation and pain)
• Other Organs — liver infection / hepatitis, elevated
  liver enzymes, enlarged spleen, swollen testicles, and irregular or
  ceased menses.
• Neuropsychiatric — mood swings, irritability, anxiety,
  rage (Lyme rage), poor concentration, cognitive loss, memory loss, loss
  of appetite, mental deterioration, depression, disorientation, insomnia

• Pregnancy — miscarriage, premature birth, birth defects,
  stillbirth
• Skin – EM, single or multiple rash, hives, ACA
• Another interesting symptom often noticed is an increased
  susceptibility to electrostatic shock. This is likely due to the BLPs
  causing a change in the electro-potential in our cells/nervous system.
  Some of these toxins are likely sodium channel agonists and can change
  the electrical potential of our body. Thus, the likelihood of
  electro-static shock.

One or more of these symptoms is not diagnostic for LD, except
for a bulls-eye EM rash. A diagnosis for LD is a clinical one and must
be made by a physician experienced in recognizing LD symptoms and
history, experienced in interpreting lab results and recognizing a
response to treatment. Always remember that negative serological tests
are not reliable and cannot be used solely for a diagnosis. These tests
frequently are incorrectly negative.