Anybody else got one of these turds? I'm really pi$$Ed about ever buying this. Put it in before Drag Week, so July-ish, and and I totally regret not putting a Dominator on. So far, the TPS, IAC, and an injector have gone tjts up in roughly 3,000 miles. It has never really run to my expectations of how an EFI equipped engine should. Then again, I've been chasing defective parts. It has thrown 2 codes: #8 injector and a noise fault. Let's examine those.
-injector fault: it has gone pig-rich on start up several times for no apparent reason. I was ignoring the #8 injector fault or dismissing it as a fluke for "falling out of tune" like people say Holley carbs do. I tore it off yesterday to rectify the ground issue, and decided to investigate. I was well versed in accessing the injectors, as they had to come out for access to the aforementioned defective TPS. Sure enough, the #8 injector tests open on the DVOM. Other good injectors are ~11.5 ohms. After much research, I bite the bullet and call the tech line. It turns out that the injectors are proprietary with no alternative application for a better quality piece. They'll warranty it, but then I get the same weird, Chinese p.o.s. it came with. I have found that LS3/7/9 injectors are the physical equivalent, but have the newer connector. I've yet to find a 90⁰ EV6/14/USCAR connector that looks like it will fit into the fitech design. So what to do? Modify for readily available parts, buy a replacement for $44, or go through the hassle of getting a replacement under warranty?
-noise: I talked to a local guy that wires outlaw drag cars. He seemed to think I didn't have enough grounds. Ok, I can fix that; he went as far as to say ground each head to the battery because that's the main ground for the spark plugs. Crazy, right? Not really, if you think about it. I used to build competition stereo systems; I can give you power. This noise thing is a different animal. Anyhow, I found 3M open weave shielding tape, so I'm going ham on some EMI rejection. What peeves me is the fact that all the wires from the FI unit exit the rear, what 4" from the distributor? But, keep it away from any plug wires! Ok, I'll get right on it.
I'm tired of typing. Asbestos blanket is up; flame away!

 

I feel for you. You put something on your car that is new tech and if/when it works, it’s pretty satisfying, just like lots of people say. When it doesn’t work, you tear your hair out chasing it and trying to fix it, with the frustration of being faced with multiple, shitty options, just like lots of other people say. Tough to win.

​​​​​​….

 

I have seen enough bad feedback from guys like Bruce, who know what they are doing to stay away from them. The Sniper is no better, it has major flaws that Holley just scoffs at. Unfortunately, it is either spend 2 grand and up or deal with inferior ****. I will stick to a wideband Qjet. Sorry to hear about the issues.

 

I've done three engines with the Fitech, 2 of the easy street 4 barrel version and 1 six pack version for a Mopar. all three were absolute **** from the start.

The six pack version was so bad the guy actually didnt even drive the car at all this summer he was so fed up with FiTech. the other two are still struggling and really disappointed with the systems. of the three, two fuel pumps have quit already with less than 1000 miles on each..they use cheap walbro pumps you can get on Amazon for $60

Jeremy at FiTech is suppose to be the head tech guy ,, we talked to him while he walked us through the problems on each...no help at all. he actually gave up on them, said he didnt know what the problems were. we actually had him on the phone, showing him the screen of the handheld and doing exactly what he said ...still failed. runs like crap, just stalling on the road for no reason etc etc

then there was the uncontrolled off idle acceleration on the 4 barrel versions that made the cars undriveable,,,in drive just trying to ease into the throttle, they would just scream,,you couldnt pull away gradually without doing a burnout! so they came out with a progressive secondary linkage to solve the problem.

i did one engine with a holley sniper. after a full summer of the owner pissing around, several tows on a flatbed and also a dead fuel pump, its working great now

 

Not that it matters, but this is the Mean Street 800, 4bbl. I have the Tanks Inc setup with their knock off Walbro 255 pump. Don't try to use a 450; the regulator can't handle it.

 

This is the feedback I've been seeing more and more of regarding fitech or sniper.

 

That's a bummer you've had a bad experience with your FiTech fuel injection system. I've read alot of threads that mention it's a love or hate relationship. I hope you can get it figured out.

 

I was actually thinking of putting a Holley Sniper on the 455 in my 75 Hurst Olds at some point but will probably pass now. To spend that much money and then have all the frustration is not something I need.

 

Thank you for telling your story-stories. I was really considering one of those EFI systems as everyone I heard of loved them, or were paid to love them??? Anyway I think I'll just stay stock. Quadrajet not that bad...

 

It turns out that their injectors are NOT proprietary, afterall. These should fit, but not pulling the trigger yet...
https://fuelinjectorconnection.com/c...high-impedance
A friend has a set of low mileage, LS9 takeouts, so depending on price, I may use those. They will require some wiring to make plugs, if they fit physically. The fitech wiring is sloppy, anyway.

 

My Fitech just works. I had a professional mechanic install it, but even he had never done one before, By the time I picked up the car, I had familiarized myself with the controller and basic programming features. I’m talking basic here. It started on the first turn of the key. Sounded like a very fast idle, looked at the controller and it was idling at 800 (default). Checked the CSM and on my car the recommended idle is 500. Couple clicks on the controller. Here comes 500.

If you end up with a lot of electrical interference, you will pull your hair out. I don’t have that gremlin. Is it because I have a stock 330 with only a Pertronix module? Don’t know.

Lastly, one thing that helped me A LOT was having the controller permanently mounted in the interior. 1. I suddenly had digital gauges to tell me exactly what’s going on. 2. Easy to adjust on the fly. 3. If you have a little electrical interference, you won’t have to print a report to see it. You will see it instantly on the controller. For example, if you’re idling and suddenly notice the RPM reading blip up to something clearly incorrect and for just a moment. That’s electrical interference,

I’m in the love it camp. Maybe just lucky?

 

You don’t need to be a genius or mechanic or an electronics engineer to install these and put in the 3 or 4 basic parameters.

that can be done by a kid, it’s very simple.

the problem is the self learning part isn’t self learning. We were even told on one application our exhaust system was messing up the O2 readings. Ya, it was some straight pipe to muffs before axle and dumps temporarily until it went in for a full system.

the tech guy said, ya that’s the problem. We said BS. So he sent the car in for full exhaust.

didn’t change anything. We were on Skype with the tech guy, he was watching everything we were doing, step by step. 3 hours one day.

cleared everything multiple times and started over per his instructions. The guy here working on them over Skype the tech guy is no dummy.

he’s wired race cars and street cars for years.. from nothing. Licensed class A mechanic and electrical specialist. He said it’s a very simple system with very little you can screw up, even if you get into the fuel tables…

 

Mine goes pig fat if you leave the battery unhooked. Now, that could be the bad injector OR the internal battery goes dead. Like I said: it's hard to work with when you're chasing defective parts.

 

i have a few sets of gm injectors off of a truck engine
6.0 with 6.2 heads from factor they are used in the box truck if they will help you with you can have them just put shipping
pretty sure they are considered ls9 but not positive

 

One car we had a problem with the guy was using his main disconnect off if he left it more than a day or two. We thought that was messing it up and it would have to relearn each start up after a few days.

so we ran a tiny jumper so there would be a feed. No difference

 

One of the biggest problems melding new tech into old is the old car has **** grounds. Analog can deal with a ton more resistance than new sensitive electronics.
After that then yes poor quality(read chineasium) junk will prevail.

 

Thanks, man. My friend came through on the LS9 set for $100. I figured I'm just going to make my own plugs- basically 2 Metripak ends, a spacer and some heat shrink. Hold my beer; watch this!
I am on the ground rampage, too. The main ground is a bare spot on the manifold stud and I found a spot on the body of the unit where a cluster of black wires go. They're each getting a 12ga supplement.

I have found that the LS3 injectors are 42lb. LS9 are 52lb. The oe fitech are 62. It says it will support 800hp with the 62s, so I should be fine with the 52s.

 

glad you got it figured out yeah these are industrial ones. Want to say they are 50lb
I been wanting this set up but it really seems like luck of the draw on if it’s plug and play or not

 

Here's going ham with grounds....
Since I am changing injectors, I had the front off,and added a 12ga. It grounds through the mouth pad from the factory, so I added another 12ga there. Then,, I wrapped the power harness in 3M shielding tape with each end grounded. I'm installing a distribution block the battery with a 4ga to the driver side head. There will be 8ga's to the firewall, passenger head,, and coil mount bolt that pick up the 3 injection grounds.

 

LS9 injectors are installed. Had to make some custom "plugs" out of Metripak connectors and shrink tube, but it looks like it'll work fine.

 

I admire your dedication. I hope you reworking this setup gets its functioning correctly.

i have the same workbench sorta…. a bunch of stuff that gets pushed back to accomadate my current project…right down to the folgers can w nuts and bolts (actualy a couple of them). One day my buddy said nice you keep the SAE in one and metric fasteners in a different one. I laughed and said yeah every time i need one or the other its still a PITA sorting thru to find the one you need nevermind sorting metric n SAE too. (Hes also the guy who suggested just using a metric fastener when i cant find the right hardware for the Olds on hand) (blasphemy )

 

Hahaha! Thanks. There's probably 8-9 Folgers cans, plus buckets: plumbing, long bolts, injection stuff, clutch and brake stuff, weird electric stuff, etc
Ground system is next. Then, back on the 3800 rebuild.

 

its...................................... "self learning"

 

🤣🤣🤡🤡

 

Mine works like a champ. Hope your experience gets better.

 

Finally making some strides since resolving to myself that it's not as self learning as advertised. Here are things you should know:
-LS9 injectors do fit and work, but you need to adjust the settings for them. Specs for offset and dead time are in HPT table format if you find any. I took an educated stab in the dark based on some information I found. They are advertised for 52lb/hr@58psi. I had mine flowed, and they did 53lb @ 43psi.
-Youtube has the most education you'll find. Look up Nabors75 and LS6454SS, 2 Canadian guys that have good explanations of the finer points.
-The "Pro Cal" software DOES NOT come with non-power adder models. I found some old post on a Pontiac forum with a link to a dropbox that I followed to a rar file.. The software comes with the "K-line drivers" that your computer needs to talk to the unit.
-Datalogging is easier than I thought, but you need the laptop to see it.

 

Update: took it out for a ride, ran 2 logs. Plug in the 'puter, find the log files, and 1 has very little information. The other had everything, but no header labels, just numbers. I closed it, and it fvcking deleted! Dammit!
I still hate it, but it is running much better.

Another tidbit I forgot to mention: the "cam selection: 1-4" in the initial setup are actually base fuel maps. I was on 3, and knocked it back to #2. It was stepping sideways in 4th on a damp road and not going pig rich, so that seemed to help a bunch.

 

Man, just when I think I got this thing, BAM! It kicks me in my junk again. Vintage Chief helped me a bunch getting the laptop hooked up, and now I can access everything and stream data. However, in that process, I lost my "help" section that gives a description of each setting.
it has been smoking out the exhaust during idle, despite reading 14.3 AFR. I figured it was excessive fuel, so leaned it out and had it pretty good. Then, the idle jumped to 1500. I noticed that the TPS was being erratic, so that makes number 3. Prior to that, i had noticed that the rear injectors aren't firing. I have to call tech tomorrow to ask some questions. If the ECU is bad, I'm going to be really torn between putting their crap back in or ditching it for an MS3.

 

Here are two things I know that may help...

• When you have sudden glitches, it's usually an electrical interference problem. On a dark night, idle the engine and open the hood. Look for mini-light-shows around the ignition system, wires, cap, plugs, etc. Fix them all even if it means giving up those mega-dollar, super plug wires.
• Shields must only be grounded at one end. Otherwise a minor current flow could exist that would mess up your signal.

I hope you continue to progress as well as you have in the last few months.

 

Hows your self learning coming along? 😉

When you call tech to help yourself learn, ask to speak with Jeremy. I hear he’s the go to guru 😁

 

So, I replaced the TPS; had to remove the unit. Put it back on and the rear hole injectors started firing again. FML I hate this thing.

 

Still-at-it update 587: their solution to the rear holes dropping out was "new" (9/2021) software. Got it loaded, then the starter took a crap. AND, since I can't leave anything alone, I yanked the trans to change 1st gear and syncros. Then, I replumbed the clutch lines.
So, I fire it up yesterday, and it heads right for the rev limiter. I start looking at factory settings and they're way whacked. Software is corrupt; going to reload and reprogram this morning. I hate this thing.

 

Finally, some good coming out this thing! It turns out that a lot of recommendations are crap, including the "tech Tuesday" videos put out by the company. Some genius "tech expert" sent me the wrong software, even after their lengthy quiz about details of the handheld (USB on the bottom, 5 drill spots on the left side, none on the right). Got that straightened out, then set about trying to tune. If you follow their guidelines for base VE map (based on 4 vacuum ranges, labeled as "cam-mild to wild 1-4), it doesn't work so good. I ended up on map 1 (14 inHg or higher) instead of maps 2 or 3 based off my 10.7 idle. I have also been consulting "Super Tune" Dave from the Outlaw garage around the corner. He mainly deals in FuelTech and Holley, but gave me some general advice on leaning out the tune by telling it the injectors are bigger than they actually are. Fitech does this from the factory by having 63lb injectors and the software showing 70.5. Even factoring in the smaller 53lb LS9 injectors it runs best with the injector size set correctly and a 75% scaling. I even found an offset chart on the internet and corrected them to the LS9s.
I still have a couple bugs to work out like a hanging idle and some low rpm surge, but it is actually running the way it is supposed to now.
I have to address a high rpm breakup, which I believe is ignition related first. It didn't show on the datalog, so I don't think it's fuel. I have a few things to try.

 

Finally fixed it with a Quick Fuel Brawler 950... Lowered the floats, cranked idle screws in a turn, and 1/2 turn out of the throttle blades=14.5 afr idle/perfect .

 

Might not feel like a good thing, but many thanks from those of us following along who haven’t taken the leap to EFI yet.

I’m a qjet guy. I’m keeping an eye on the EFI & EV advancements in case I want to swap over at some point. So far, I’m standing pat with factory solutions. I’m not convinced on EFI reliability and EV batteries just ain’t there yet for range. At least not for 4,000 lb cars from the 1960’s.

Was at a local car show on Saturday. Spoke with a guy who had a 72 442 HO & sniper EFI on his 455. He said he’s getting 14-15mpg on the highway. That’s more or less what I’m getting from my qjet. I’ve burnt days learning & tuning it. Maybe weeks. But it looks like my analog performance is close to his digital performance.

With the EFI cost north of $2,000 for the same MPG, I can wait. I got far enough into tuning that I put 02 sensors on each exhaust bank to be sure combustion is complete: lambda 1.0, or AFR ~13.8 (alcohol fuel in CA) from idle, to part cruise, to WOT. I believe EFI is a big leap for people who don’t want to take time to learn & tune carbs. Not a knock, just a time vs. hours judgment each person gets to make.

Honestly a carb is “a gasoline soaked rag” over the intake as compared to fuel injection with MAF/nano-second precision. But these EFI tuning issues turn me off. All parts have teething problems, but I’ll wait on EFI until it’s bolt-on-and-go for a couple of years or several thousand miles reliably. If it’s not more reliable than HEI, I don’t want to depend on it just yet. The computer programs might work just fine, but unless the sensors and injectors are good quality, you’re facing an uphill battle which will be be very frustrating. For hobby cars, I’d rather settle for second best and enjoy driving them.

Yes, the qjet is outdated. Yes, it’s not prepared for today’s alcohol infused fuel. But it’s “Peak analog” as a friend of mine once said. I think Jay Leno said “And you can fix it with a hammer!”

Much as I like the old stuff, I’m excited to see what the future brings to our antediluvian V8’s. Again my thanks for exploring the EFI frontiers on engines from the 60’s and 70’s!

My Dad said “How do you identify a pioneer?”

“By the arrows in his back”

Having known a pioneer, my thanks for taking the arrows.

Cheers
Chris

 

It was meant as a cautionary tale, only. Day 3 of being back in a carb isn't all roses, either. The cold start with no choke is just that, compared to efi. And, low rpm manners suck. BUT, my God, that sumbich hauls @$$! I'd swear it picked up 100hp.
I didn't notice any mileage change, (4 speed with no OD) so i guess the old carb was dialed in pretty well. I need to start changing jets on this new one, as part throttle cruise is around 15-16afr, a little on the lean side, and WOT is only about 13.6-7 where it should be 12.5-8.
The Holley efi horror stories are fewer and further between, but I think that comes down to sheer volume of units sold.


The nail in the efi coffin:
Last post was 4/3, and there was yet another chapter i skipped over. I had it dialed in pretty well, however it still was dumping fuel on a large MAP/TPS transition (3000 rpm cruise, then put it to the wood), resulting in a full rich bog, 9.5:1 afr. I went rounds with fitech Bryce via email, and he was ADAMANT that my fuel system was inadequate, the injectors too small, my settings wrong, etc. It was all my or the car's fault. I had seen a youtube vid from a guy in Canada with a big block, 4 speed Chevelle, and he was changing the VE tables- something I was hoping to avoid. It was inevitable, and my last resort on the computer tuning front. Low and behold, I found a huge fvck up in their fuel map. The 100kpa line was 98, 106, 103, 101, 99 at 2700, 3600, 5200, 6000 rpm. 106 is not a smooth transition from 98 to 103, so I fixed that and went around the block. Same fat fuel dump. I tried twice more using the same method, pulling fuel from the top 2/3 of the fuel table, and it still dumped fuel from part to WOT. That's when I threw in the towel and pulled the trigger on the carb. Here's the obviously lean O2 sensor I pulled out 🙄

 

As an electrical engineer with a lot of 'noise' experience, I feel I need to make a comment on electrical grounding. In an analog world where the apparent noise frequencies are less than 100 kz, ground is pretty much ground. As the frequency of digital noise increases, the impedance of the ground wire increases to the point where a ground wire smaller than 10ga does absolutely nothing. It actually appears as an open to the noise source. A flat ground braid 1/4" or wider solves the problem.
Also, in a digital world, multiple grounds can also cause issues, essentially ground isn't ground. On my car, I tied all the the EFI ground to the battery cable ground bolt, and ran a separate 1/4 ' braid directly to the battery clamp bolt. This provides a single ground point for the engine and it's accessories.
My FiTech liked to load up at idle, but I had a first gen unit, and it needed a firmware update. Fuel economy went from 8.2 to 13.8 and my eyes don't burn anymore. I'm still dorking with the tables, but so far it is running OK.

 

Changed jets today, up 4 in the front and 2 in the rear. That brought the afr in a good bit. I think I might go up 1 in the front. That's 2 days of adjustment and test drives. I can't wait to hit the track. Mileage? Don't know yet. I'm playing! 😁
oh, and it comes with rear jet extensions for wheelies.

 

U on the way
I have a Fast 2.0 with the SportmanXL ECU on my 455. Prior to putting it on I heard many stories from many brands. Typically the issue was the units running way too rich and in some cases so rich that the engine was damaged. My engine is well off the beaten path with a bigger cam and considerable modifications. Initially I tried to make the Fast EZ 2.0 work. A couple of calls to Fast and I had the Sportsman ECU and harness on the way. Cost wise the swap was fairly cheap. They also changed out my alternator as it was also having its own issues. I do also run the Fast alternator just so that we can play with timing. Once the new brain and harness was installed and the car running I took it to a good friend of my who runs a Dyno / tuning operation. Interestingly enough he picking up on my O2 sensor not working properly and we swapped it out. Touch wood but since that time the system has worked very well. I am not saying that the Fast product is better than anyone else's but mine works well. The Fast folks have been good in replacing stuff when it was not right. Now that it has a good tune in it , it continues to learn and run well. I had it in the mountains for a couple of days a week ago or so and the engine ran well the whole time. So far my electric fuel pump has been up to the task but it does creep into my head that it can fail and leave the car dead on the side of the road. I worked on offshore rigs in Malaysia for sometime. When we had a well that gave us big issues the local hands would smuggle a live chicken out to the rig and do the sacrifice on the rig floor. Maybe it's that time?????

 

So, rummer, how much do you have tied up in the FAST stuff that's running on yours?
Did you do the install and tuning?