Aftermarket EFI, my humble opinions

10sec.et · Last edited by 10sec.et on Fri Feb 20, 2015 3:11 pm; edited 1 time in total

ive installed just about all of the popular systems. even a Hilborn stack setup. some i wouldnt use again. however, there are some decent ones out there. heres what i have experienced.....

FAST EZ EFI:
i dont like it. i always have to run through initial setup over and over, playing with injector sizing, to get it even remotely close. even then, it takes forever to learn. i would rather use a carb.

MSD Atomic EFI:
better but still has its issues. you need a fresh motor. anything not right and it freaks out. ive had connector issues with pins pushing out as you put them together. it still doesnt seem to have enough adjustment. im not crazy about the timing control either. i can never seem to get one to run REALLY good. always just "acceptable". i can still do better with a carb and good ignition box.

FAST XFI:
functions pretty well but can be a lot of work tuning. you certainly need to know how to tune if youre going to use this system. with a good tuner, this system is tough to beat.

Holley HP/Dominator EFI:
my personal favorite. similar to the FAST XFI only it has a "learning table". this is great because you can get it close, drive it until it learns the fuel table, then transfer that table over to the main VE table. takes a lot of time out of the tuning process.
*Edit* a lot of the data, during initial setup, has to be manually entered. this has been a struggle getting used to after being spoiled with EFI Live. i find myself going back and hunting for that parameter that i overlooked.

Factory EFI Systems:
well, they are what they are. very sophisticated. enough tables and adjustments to thoroughly screw something up. if this is what you have, dont mess up a good thing. find a good tuner and be happy.

i wrote this because i always have people asking me these questions. again, these are just my opinions based on what i have experienced personally. i hope this helps someone on the fence about how to fuel their engine.

SMOKEmUP · Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 3:33 pm Post subject:

What about Megasquirt? Any experience with it?

10sec.et · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 1:07 am Post subject:

i have not. i actually forgot about that. i wouldn't mind getting my hands on one to check it out. here's another one that looks promising.... http://www.mastmotorsports.com/view.php?id=234&c=26&s=5
i didn't get to tune it but i did have my laptop hooked up and got to go through some of the tables. its pretty in-depth. reminded me of the GM computers. lots to adjust.

Paul P · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 7:41 am Post subject:

There are a few more that I would guess to be worth a try.

BigStuff3
Accel Smoke?
Edelbrock Smoke???? Ha Ha

af2 · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 1:54 pm Post subject:

10sec.et · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 10:57 pm Post subject:

one of the main issues i run into on some systems is they can be ridiculously overly complicated to use. i know how to tune an engine but navigating the software can be a nightmare. unfortunately, the only way to know is to try it. considering how the hotrodding world is gravitating to LS builds, i would want one that supports drive by wire, sequential injection, a MAF, and the ability to control a 4L60 or 4L80. if Ford is your thing, you probably want to be able to tune cam timing and such on the mod motors. transmission control as well.

clay · Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 11:22 pm Post subject:

I really appreciate your input on the different systems. You were going to be my go to guy for information on them but I haven't anybody show me the money to actually do a conversion. Several talkers but that's as far as it ever went. Clay

SMOKEmUP · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2015 1:39 pm Post subject:

Paul... I haven't used edelbrock EFI. The system I have is the Accel made in the early 90s, it runs on DOS! YUCK.

I use HP Tuners for my 02 Camaro. I'd recommend it for anyone with a factory LS.

10sec.et · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2015 5:59 pm Post subject:

HP Tuners and EFI Live are what most are using for the factory stuff. both are great. i use EFI Live.

af2 · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2015 8:27 pm Post subject:

10sec.et · Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 12:51 am Post subject:

speaking of tuning software..... i bought LT1 Edit from these guys http://www.carputing.com/
its pretty straight forward and simple enough to use. their customer support is great. that being said, they aren't going to teach you how to tune if you don't already know how. you will need some basic tuning knowledge. i would highly recommend them if you're tuning late model stuff.

10sec.et · Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 12:52 am Post subject:

Adam, if you can find someone with EFI Live, you wont need that Stage 2 Hyper Wink

Paul P · Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 3:19 pm Post subject:

phydeaux · Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2015 9:43 am Post subject:

I would like to get into factory EFI tuning one day. Naturally I want to start with a PCM that has ZERO effing support (Siemens Simtec 5.g). I have the pinouts for the thing and the diagrams for the twin Infineon chips, but it looks like I will have to barebones reverse engineer the software from scratch. Lord knows I have plenty of time on my hands. :roll:

10sec.et · Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 3:28 pm Post subject: