On Wed, June 15, 2011 11:52 am, Peter Johansson wrote: > On Wed, Jun 15, 2011 at 12:17 PM, Matt Bennett > wrote: > >> Very interesting. From my experience tuning my Miata (with an >> aftermarket >> ECU + supercharger), the hardware is the easy part. You've got a lot of >> input and output variables, and in general, just not enough sensors to >> put >> on a roadable car. > > I guess the question here is, how difficult is it to match/replicate > the action of the factory carb and coil/points/rotary-distributor > system? This does not sound as if it would be terribly difficult, > although the only gain would be elimination of the requirement for > regular tune-ups and a potential increase in reliability. In terms of spark- how are you going to replace the trigger? Put a sensor in the (gutted) distributor, or a cranksaft sensor? What about spark advance? (long, long ago, there was a manual control for spark advance on cars!) The carb gets messier, since there are a bunch of hidden feedback mechanisms even in the most basic (relatively modern) carb- fuel is metered by the amount of vacuum but and the floats try to keep a constant level in the area the venturi draws from. You also need some mechanism to richen up the mixture for starting. Basically, I'd say, it isn't simple, and would take a lot of effort. If you're looking to increase reliability and decrease maintenance, probably buying a brand new vehicle is easier. The payoff is really in learning and the experience. Matt Bennett Just outside of Austin, TX 30.51,-97.91 The views I express are my own, not that of my employer, a large multinational corporation that you are familiar with. --=20 http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .