Aftermarket EFI systems what are you running

[jkk]

Hey Guys
Looking into a EFI system had a FI Tech system on another vehicle a few years back. What are any of you running these days pro’s con’ of different systems

Thanks for any info

[SunSoaked]

Avoid Sniper like the plague! Ask me how I know. Spend some time reading the Sniper forum on the Holley website and you'll see. My opinion based on experience is to avoid tbi in general. Spend a few extra bucks and get the real thing. Money ahead in the end.

[SKR]

I'm running a Sniper with no problems. Would recommend.

[sweetk30]

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=776523

here is just some of my HELL i had with a sniper system with d.o.a parts out of the box & 2nd round of parts dead / holley knows of the coolant temp sensor defect yet still ships them to you and no offer of replacement oher than guys just buy a new aftermarket out of there own pocket cash .

i got super lucky and put up 1 hell of a fight and fact list from everything i could find and got a refund deal worked out .

i have since been watching the edelbrock pro flo 4 systems and guys are all having great results . i know of 5-6 atleast on line i have watched / talked with and they all love it . way better system and progressive throttle linkage from the factory over the sniper 1:1 all 4 open at once .

also guys say virtually no adjustments required they self learn real good . 1 guy has had all 4 system . gm stock TBI / fitech / sniper / edelbrock pro flo 4 now . he said he wishes he had just done the pro flo 4 from the start .

and kit for kit the edlebrock pro flo 4 to me has the pest options / service / forum chat room help / quality level hands down . and there now in the same price group bracket to be side by side but i think a better product . the software is layed out stupid easy compared to the holley software i couldn't wrap my head around at all . its free to down load on the google play store for android based systems . edelbrock pro flo 4 set it up in demo mode and play with it .

i have since purchased a edelbrock pro flo 4 system and just waiting on a few small parts then its install time .

the most i can say is holley chat forum hs NO direct holley employee help on site . the f-box group has that covered but i don't do f-b stuff .

do lots and lots and lots of reading before you pull the trigger .

these 2 pics remind me to do my home work first and buy smart . 2nd dead handheld on my wall next to the shop light switches . and the custom sticker i whipped up for the back window of my truck .

[Big Moose]

Avoid FAST, their ECU can't take the heat if mounted anywhere in the engine bay, and goes into flash mode somehow, (had a lot of fun with this, til I figured out what was going on).

[Rickysnickers]

Originally Posted by sweetk30

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=776523


i have since purchased a edelbrock pro flo 4 system and just waiting on a few small parts then its install time .

Please keep us updated on this. I would like to hear how well it works out. I would like to buy one of the systems, but they a little pricey, for me at least.

[sweetk30]

Originally Posted by Rickysnickers

Please keep us updated on this. I would like to hear how well it works out. I would like to buy one of the systems, but they a little pricey, for me at least.

go price a sniper master kit with all the timing stuff and then the edelbrock pro flo 4 kit ...... there basically the same price . holley gets you a external fuel pump kit . edelbrock said so many guys have tanks with pumps they quit offering the pump kit option but do have a few pump options or the sump unit .

me i have the 87 truck tbi tank with a ep381 pump swapped on it direct plug/play and i have 60psi available with return line so i don't need the pump kit .

oh trust me i will post up my feelings on the kit . tracking info shows it the rest of my little parts to be here wednesday afternoon delivery . then i have a few little things to finish and should be install of the kit real soon .

[bluex]

I have a sniper also, no major problems and I have nearly 5k miles on it now. I'm happy with it, but if I was buying today the Pro Flo would at the top of my list. Port injection is better any day than tbi.

[HeloCrewChief]

Put a FAST “EZ” EFI kit in my Chevelle last year. Haven’t been able to drive the car more than 20 minutes since. Horrible system and customer service. You could find endless other stories like mine. Followed the instructions and trouble shooting to the T. Carburetor was much better or would have gone LS for the time and money involved.
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[Leonard60]

I would like to try an Edelbrock pro flo 4 on my 1977 Gmc. Talked to a guy in Edmonton he says they are the Cadillac in efi. Have any of you guys got knowledge on them?? Before I pull the trigger.

[sweetk30]

Originally Posted by Leonard60

I would like to try an Edelbrock pro flo 4 on my 1977 Gmc. Talked to a guy in Edmonton he says they are the Cadillac in efi. Have any of you guys got knowledge on them?? Before I pull the trigger.

nice place to hang out and read up . super nice people on this forum and STRONG edelbrock employee presences .
https://forums.edelbrock.com/

and around 6 guys over on www.ck5.com have them with no problems and easy install and just run it no real tuning required so far they say . 1 guy already has a 12-12.5 mpg average and only has driven it over 120 miles he said .

[SunSoaked]

Sweetk30-
How much for a "Sniper Sucks" sticker? I need one. You could probably sell enough of those to pay for the Pro-flo.

[dieseldawg142]

if your looking for reliabilty jkk, you can't go wrong with edelbrock imo.
i have a first gen pro-flo on my crew that i installed in the early 2000's, almost 20 yrs later i'm still running it. only issue ever was replacing the fuel pump once when i got to far out in the bush and pretty much drained my tanks getting back.
and customer service is great. i called their hotline a few yrs ago and was actually talking to one of the designers of the first gen pro-flo, guy was extremely helpful and full of knowledge...

[jkk]

[QUOTE=dieseldawg142;8465012]if your looking for reliabilty jkk, you can't go wrong with edelbrock imo.
i have a first gen pro-flo on my crew that i installed in the early 2000's, almost 20 yrs later i'm still running it. only issue ever was replacing the fuel pump once when i got to far out in the bush and pretty much drained my tanks getting back.
and customer service is great. i called their hotline a few yrs ago and was actually talking to one of the designers of the first gen pro-flo, guy was extremely helpful and full of knowledge...[/QUOT

Thanks for the info

[liftlawssuck]

I have fixed/repaired Holley Sniper kits on a few cars and I have no problems with them. Most of what I see is from poor installations. Specifically grounds and shielding. When going this route with any of the brands is a different world. It is now all electrical. Troubleshooting and tuning is the same theory but in a different way. You need to be up on theory when going EFI. There is a thread in the 67-72 side going right now about someone going back to carb. Again I have no issues with Holley and it in fact wakes the car/truck up to a whole new level. However you need perfect clean grounds and shielding from EMI. These 2 problems are what most people I have talked to and what I have fixed are seeing. You fix them and you'll have no problems. I can't stress enough of a very clean install. Something you can get away with when going mechanical anything. There is a lot of cushion room with mechanical things. Electrical...not so much.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by liftlawssuck

I have fixed/repaired Holley Sniper kits on a few cars and I have no problems with them. Most of what I see is from poor installations. Specifically grounds and shielding. When going this route with any of the brands is a different world. It is now all electrical. Troubleshooting and tuning is the same theory but in a different way. You need to be up on theory when going EFI. There is a thread in the 67-72 side going right now about someone going back to carb. Again I have no issues with Holley and it in fact wakes the car/truck up to a whole new level. However you need perfect clean grounds and shielding from EMI. These 2 problems are what most people I have talked to and what I have fixed are seeing. You fix them and you'll have no problems. I can't stress enough of a very clean install. Something you can get away with when going mechanical anything. There is a lot of cushion room with mechanical things. Electrical...not so much.

I agree w/your philosophy. Where grounds are concerned, I over-do them just to make sure I CMA.
What would you recommend for the electrical EMI shielding side of things? Any pointers, tips, or tricks??

[liftlawssuck]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

I agree w/your philosophy. Where grounds are concerned, I over-do them just to make sure I CMA.
What would you recommend for the electrical EMI shielding side of things? Any pointers, tips, or tricks??

I try to use shielded wire when I can. However what wire the kit comes with is not shielded wire. So I sleeve them with braided shielding. Can get it at Summit Racing and places like that. Run all wires away from distributor and plug wires. Especially if running an HEI. All connections must be solid/secure crimps. I run all grounds back to a ground bus if possible. If not run all grounds back to battery. Grounds are crucial with these as to not pick up stray voltage. Chassis grounds are not good enough. Again chassis grounds are fine for just to make something work like lights or other small electrical components. But when you get into computer type electrical it's a whole other world. The back of the Holley where the wires plug into has to be shielded as well. This is prolly the most critical as it is where the brain of the system is. None of this secretive as Holley is aware of EMI and stresses it as well. Especially running GM motor with HEI. Ford motors aren't as big as the distributor is far enough away.

The most common thing I hear is when someone says they try to tune it but every time it's different. That's usually EMI causing that. The ones that I have played with were exactly that.

I am by no means an electrical guru but I love to mess with electrical troubleshooting and figure it out. But being an aircraft mechanic with a fair amount avionics installs doesn't hurt. The ones I messed with were me asking if I can give it a go at making it run right. All of them have been successful in the end. All of them also have been, IMO, poorly installed. So I basically reinstalled them my way and went from there troubleshooting.

Holley is really great with support if you go this route and need help. Along with peeps on here. You'll be amazed at the difference these things make in performance.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by liftlawssuck

I try to use shielded wire when I can. However what wire the kit comes with is not shielded wire. So I sleeve them with braided shielding. Can get it at Summit Racing and places like that. Run all wires away from distributor and plug wires. Especially if running an HEI. All connections must be solid/secure crimps. I run all grounds back to a ground bus if possible. If not run all grounds back to battery. Grounds are crucial with these as to not pick up stray voltage. Chassis grounds are not good enough. Again chassis grounds are fine for just to make something work like lights or other small electrical components. But when you get into computer type electrical it's a whole other world. The back of the Holley where the wires plug into has to be shielded as well. This is prolly the most critical as it is where the brain of the system is. None of this secretive as Holley is aware of EMI and stresses it as well. Especially running GM motor with HEI. Ford motors aren't as big as the distributor is far enough away.

The most common thing I hear is when someone says they try to tune it but every time it's different. That's usually EMI causing that. The ones that I have played with were exactly that.

I am by no means an electrical guru but I love to mess with electrical troubleshooting and figure it out. But being an aircraft mechanic with a fair amount avionics installs doesn't hurt. The ones I messed with were me asking if I can give it a go at making it run right. All of them have been successful in the end. All of them also have been, IMO, poorly installed. So I basically reinstalled them my way and went from there troubleshooting.

Holley is really great with support if you go this route and need help. Along with peeps on here. You'll be amazed at the difference these things make in performance.

Thanks for an excellent explanation. Your points to note are appreciated!

[SunSoaked]

Multiple ECU failures within 100 miles have nothing to do with electrical installation and Eli issues. And although the tech guys on the end of the line were always nice it did nothing to fix the issue.

[sweetk30]

Originally Posted by liftlawssuck

I have fixed/repaired Holley Sniper kits on a few cars and I have no problems with them. Most of what I see is from poor installations. Specifically grounds and shielding. When going this route with any of the brands is a different world. It is now all electrical. Troubleshooting and tuning is the same theory but in a different way. You need to be up on theory when going EFI. There is a thread in the 67-72 side going right now about someone going back to carb. Again I have no issues with Holley and it in fact wakes the car/truck up to a whole new level. However you need perfect clean grounds and shielding from EMI. These 2 problems are what most people I have talked to and what I have fixed are seeing. You fix them and you'll have no problems. I can't stress enough of a very clean install. Something you can get away with when going mechanical anything. There is a lot of cushion room with mechanical things. Electrical...not so much.

did you read my sniper story ?

i had a point by point list at the end of all my problems . the biggest being 6.25mpg average in 500 miles of mostly around town driving in the 30-50 mph range and a bone stock L31 vortec 350 brand new from gm long block . i removed the sniper and dropped on a used dont know the condition edelbrock 750 cfm carb and i have been driving it since and basicly doubled my fuel mileage and i have yet to turn a single screw or jet or rod or spring change .

i know there is a lemon thats rotten in every truck load . . . i sure got mine on that unit.

[liftlawssuck]

Originally Posted by SunSoaked

Multiple ECU failures within 100 miles have nothing to do with electrical installation and Eli issues. And although the tech guys on the end of the line were always nice it did nothing to fix the issue.

I’m not saying that you can’t have your problems with them. Heck even LS motors have a very bad history when you dig into them. Especially the earlier ones. Head bolts, lifters to name a couple. But from what I have seen and people I know who work on them the problems were fixable. Evan after multiple parts had been replaced per Holley. Poor Installations can take out certain components if not installed properly. A static discharge from you handling certain things can do it.

[liftlawssuck]

Originally Posted by sweetk30

did you read my sniper story ?

i had a point by point list at the end of all my problems . the biggest being 6.25mpg average in 500 miles of mostly around town driving in the 30-50 mph range and a bone stock L31 vortec 350 brand new from gm long block . i removed the sniper and dropped on a used dont know the condition edelbrock 750 cfm carb and i have been driving it since and basicly doubled my fuel mileage and i have yet to turn a single screw or jet or rod or spring change .

i know there is a lemon thats rotten in every truck load . . . i sure got mine on that unit.

I didn’t read your post. I’ll check it out.

Yes bad lemons are out there for sure. I personally wouldn’t put one on my trucks unless I got a smokin deal on one. If I were to do something like that I’d just do an LS swap and be done with it. But for me I’m old school and love my Holley carbs. They never let me down in 30 years of running them. So yea I’m with ya by running a carb.

[sweetk30]

Carb is temp setup . Edelbrock pro Flo 4 ready for install next weekend .

My thread is in the engine section .

[SunSoaked]

I might add the ECU failed on the bench after being "fixed" by Holley. 4 wires- not convinced it was an installation issue. I'll reiterate that my Pro-flo worked flawlessly for 10+ years with zero issues.

[sweetk30]

big update today on the edelbrock pro flo 4 ....... THIS SYSTEM ROCKS OUT OF THE BOX

read up on my little self induced problem and how its doing so far in my build thread page 7 . http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=755514&page=7

30 miles and loving every bit of it over the sniper . that units not even in my rear view mirror any more .