Incredible resource -- EMS book

every time i stop at a book store i always peruse any sections/books about cars. every once in a while i'll find a decent book going into some or rather much detail about the subject matter. but a few days ago i hit the jackpot (as far as i've seen car books go)!!! the book is titled How to Tune and Modify Engine Management Systems by Jeff Hartman. Published recently in 2003, it contains many color illustrations.

Although i don't have an EMS, nor would i ever need one with a 3S NA car, i find the topic interesting as its the crux of the car. This book starts off by explaining fuel injection compared to carburetion, the history, pros and cons of each, different systems of fuel injection, pros and cons...and the list goes on. The detail of each chapter is incredible: easy to understand with definitions and summaries at the ends of the chapters. There's even a few blurbs and a picture of the 3000GT!

I'm just on chapter 2 titled "Understanding Automotive Computers and PROMs", but this book tells so much about basically everything there is to know the engine and how it performs. This is not for the beginner, as it assumes a decent amount of knowledge about cars, but if you read about car at www.howstuffworks.com, you should be prepared.

For those still interested in my premature book review, here are the chapter titles:

Ch.1 - Understanding Fuel Delivery
Ch.2 - Understanding Automotive Computers and PROMs
Ch.3 - Sensors
Ch.4 - Actuators and Actuator Systems
Ch.5 - Hot Rodding EFI Engines
Ch.6 - Recalibrating Factory ECUs
Ch.7 - Interceptors and Auxiliary Computers
Ch.8 - Standalone Programmable Engine Management Systems
Ch.9 - EMS/EFI Engine-Swapping
Ch.10 - Roll-Your-Own EFI
Ch.11 - Installation and Startup Issues
Ch.12 - Designing, Modifying, and Building Intake Manifolds
Ch.13 - EMS Tuning 101
Ch.14 - EMS Troubleshooting
Ch.15 - Emissions and Onboard Diagnostics

Then chapters 16-27 are dedicated to project vehicles that include: small block chevy, supercharged jags, dodge challenger, focus turbo, turbo CRX Si, del Sol turbo, turbo Jag XKE 4.2, turbo-nitrous Lotus Europa 1.6L engine swap, mr2 turbo, mr6: v6 swap with compound forced-induction (basically a car with a turbo AND supercharger), vw golf 1.8T overboosted, turbo M3 roadster.

the end contains a huge list of EMS suppliers.


i got this for $30 retail from Borders, but you can pick it up for $20 from amazon.com here http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0760315825/qid=1124075691/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-5212427-3931847?v=glance&s=books . And you can read some of the reviews there.

all in all, spend the 30 bucks and learn a whole lot of info, and highlight, circle, underline so you can reference it later on. best 30 bucks i've spent in a long long time (and no, i don't buy a lot of car books, this is my 3rd in about 5 years).

lol, just download the PDF manuals that AEM gives you with the EMS. They are very good in themselves.

I'm glad i decided to come over to this corner of AF for a look around. I bought that book in late May. I've spent countless hours browsing through this book. It's very difficult to read, there is so much information on each page it's allmost impossable to read it from cover to cover.

Most of the last month I've been reading Chapter 13. EMS Tuning 101. It breaks everthing down from VE, Fuel Burn rates, Spark Timing, AFR's. You name it. This book has it. Awsome Book.

I've also read/have the following. But "MUST" say this book Takes the Cake!!

Auto Math Book (cant reamber the Author's name)

Forced Induction Performance Tuning A Practical Guide to Supercharging and Turbocharging
by A. Graham Bell

Four-Stroke Performance Tuning
by A. Graham Bell

Maximum Boost: Designing, Testing, and Installing Turbocharger Systems (Engineering and Performance)
by Corky Bell