megasquirt, EMB, or bandaids need help
 

I am in need of advice i'm not sure what engine management option to go for.
I've read and heard some about all three of these options but am not sure on which would work best for me and my setup.

I have a 90 miata stock ecu and a 1.8 swap with begi-s non-intercooled, fmu, and on 5psi. I know there is alot more to unlock but i'm more concerned about reliability and easy install and tuning.

My options are megasquirt, Emanage Blue, or FM voodoo box with Bipes.

I dont have a lot of money left and am able to get an Emange for 100 bucks.

What i'm looking for is pros and cons to each of these systems and how difficult it is for a :noob:

Read up in the ECU forum and figure out what you want. I suggest a MS if you are willing to learn. It will be worth the time invested learning it.

What's your goal? Do you think you'd ever revise that goal and want more?

Who doesn't revise their goal and want more?

IMO, Megasquirt is difficult to learn but worth every second you spend learning it. Also, megasquirt is affordable when you consider what you are getting. If you build your own megasquirt, which I suggest you do (time willing) its the best bang for your buck. If you have brain build it, you're getting the second best bang for your buck.

I'm not at all familiar with the EMB so i dont know what to tell you in terms of a comparison to megasquirt but it would be silly of you to go with bandaids at this point. With the wealth of knowledge on the MS, you might as well just go with it.

I've said it before and i'll say it again...if I can figure it out (and i'm still in that process of figuring it out) anyone can. You just have to dedicate the time to learning it.

There are lots of people that are happy with 180hp. Not many on this board though.

my goal right now is to get the car running smooth at 5psi. I would also like to have something that allows me the option of running more boost in the future.

I was going to say go EMB for your 1.6 until you got the 1.8, but seeing as you already have the 1.8, I'd go MS. I know once I build up a 99 motor I am just going to run MS and sell this EMB kit.

I've run a couple piggybacks on other cars and while they worked, they didn't offer anything close to what the megasquirt offers. What you get is really amazing for the price. I can't imagine trying to justify going any other route for engine management.

Is the megasquirt really difficult to tune? I've read that several people have to send theirs back for testing and then retune it just sounds like alot of hassle.

people still consider the EMB or EMU?

as a stopgap until we upgrade. No point building a MS for the 1.6 when I am going to have a totally different motor, setup, aspiration in a year or so.

so in your opinion which would be more difficult to setup and tune EMB or megasquirt

OMG. Just search dude. You want an MS, you just don't know it yet. Right now you're thinking "what's the easiest". Read for days in the ecu forum and your mind will be made up. If you get some EMB and have problems, there's a few people on this forum running it that might can help you. If you run MS, there's a few hundred running it.

there are more than a few running EMB, and I am willing to bet that a decent amount running MS now used to run the EMB. For either option there is plenty of support here, however the megasquirt's functions are top notch, the EMB is very limited, but it will get you started if that is all you want. With either of these you are going to have to learn something...

so i guess most common option is the MS??? thats cool, ill probably buy mine soon, ill start by tunning NA and then work my way to FI