Holley Sniper reliability issues

[kody472]

I just scheduled a tuning session with Rich from FAST Man EFI, Fuel Injection, California - https://www.fastmanefi.com/

Spoke with him on the phone this morning. Fuel mapping and all that is above my knowledge. The tuning session also comes with him teaching me exactly what he's doing, so I'll have a better idea of what's going on.

 

[Rustyj41]

I had a lot of the same issues. I added the full hyperspark setup with CDI, a corvette style regulator, a fuel pump can’t remember the name now, and fuel injection damper and ALL of my problems disappeared.

Oh and I wrapped the entire harness in faraday tape.

 

[kody472]

The tuning session went well, but it was a lot longer than expected. Rich was not familiar with the 2F, but we ended up figuring it out. Fueling tables were completely out of whack and was running super rich. He took almost 3 hours with me, trial and error, until we got it right.

We got the base tune dialed in, and now I just have to drive it so it can learn properly and get accustomed to my driving habits. He was shocked at how this 2F didn't care much if it had a ton of fuel or a little bit of fuel. The thing just runs.

So, he's now a little more familiar with it, if anybody wants to reach out and give him a shot. Super knowledgeable guy on these systems.

 

[bhsdriller]

So it was what @Lead Head and @cruisermatt suggested earlier in the thread

 

[Lead Head]

So it was what @Lead Head and @cruisermatt suggested earlier in the thread

Kody isn't the OP. The OP vanished.

 

[kody472]

@Lead Head
Right. Im not OP, but both you and @cruisermatt were right. The VE tables were completely wrong. Mine now look more like yours Lead.

Now it runs great and I trust it to get me to SAS in a few weeks.

 

[Winkz]

Still around, life delayed things for me. Looking for a tuner to take a look at mine as well. @kody472 - glad to hear positive results on your end!

 

[Lead Head]

Still around, life delayed things for me. Looking for a tuner to take a look at mine as well. @kody472 - glad to hear positive results on your end!

If you could send me your tune/config file, I wouldn't mind taking a look and modifying VE table and some of the other parameters, and get it a lot closer to where it should be. Probably to the point where it will be able to correctly auto-tune and adjust itself. What you have right now is just so far off.

 

[POTATO LAUNCHER]

@Lead Head
Right. Im not OP, but both you and @cruisermatt were right. The VE tables were completely wrong. Mine now look more like yours Lead.

Now it runs great and I trust it to get me to SAS in a few weeks.

We have run into injector problems with the Sniper. They fail and there arent off the shelf available but are Holley proprietary parts.
Get an extra pair in your console to have just in case. 10 minute swap when they fail vs. waiting a week or two to get it running.

 

[sims]

I've been following this Sniper thread. I too have installed a Sniper on my 2F. I had early teething issues like stalling at stop signs. I fixed that with changing the tune (idle delay or something like that). Anyway everything was great except WOT near or at redline. The 2f just bogged out until I backed out of WOT and then things would settle down somewhat. Not great but better. After thinking about the stock carburetor with a progressive secondary venturi and the Sniper's lack of same. It seems the 2f cannot pump all of the air available at WOT with the Sniper. So I heard about Redline Cruisers Sniper Venturi Inserts. I took the plunge and installed them and they immediately changed the entire WOT experience. The 2F now pulls up to redline without the previous bogging. I'm real happy right now and the Sniper is re-learning and getting better. It kind of makes sense since the Sniper can support engine sizes at least 100 cubic inches larger than the 2F. The Redline inserts reduce the air flow enough for the Sniper and the 2f to maintain programmed AFM. YMMV but so far, so good for me.
SimS

 

[kody472]

We have run into injector problems with the Sniper. They fail and there arent off the shelf available but are Holley proprietary parts.
Get an extra pair in your console to have just in case. 10 minute swap when they fail vs. waiting a week or two to get it running.

View attachment 4176526

That's the part number for the Snipers we use? I'm going to order a pair now, if so.

 

[POTATO LAUNCHER]

That's the part number for the Snipers we use? I'm going to order a pair now, if so.

Correct part for the 2300 Series Sniper. 522-101X , not sure if that kit is a pair or single injector. May check the supplier.

 

[cruisermatt]

I've been correcting other people's Snipers installations for about five years now and they do work fine when installed correctly but my opinion is pretty solidified that they are the most overhyped mod of the last 25 years. I love EFI but the expense and time to do it correctly just doesn't make sense on a 2F

 

[POTATO LAUNCHER]

I've been correcting other people's Snipers installations for about five years now and they do work fine when installed correctly but my opinion is pretty solidified that they are the most overhyped mod of the last 25 years. I love EFI but the expense and time to do it correctly just doesn't make sense on a 2F

Agreed Matt. Not a fan of them. Several vendors over hype and sell unnecessary things to the uneducated IMHO..

 

[cruisermatt]

Agreed Matt. Not a fan of them. Several vendors over hype and sell unnecessary things to the uneducated IMHO..

I'm obviously a big LS guy but I have really become an OEM purist with the 2F / Toyota stuff since I started the shop and having to stand behind repairs

 

[POTATO LAUNCHER]

All that said this will be some good information for someone trying to get their Sniper set up and running efficiently. Hopefully it helps at least one person.
This is what this community is about my friend.

 

[DrRock]

I’ve been extremely happy with the Sniper but I did take my time to install the in tank pump, redline air filter mount and plenum and performed this on a new engine. I also use the truck from sea level to 11000’ elevation and this is where having EFI is really nice. No struggling with mixture issues for different elevations. That said, installing these is not as straightforward as it’s often implied. As with most aftermarket items, these Snipers never just “bolt on”. There is always a level of faff involved to get things working correctly. I’m fortunate that I spent many years tuning ECU’s on race cars so I had previous experience with setup and debugging of EFI systems.

In summary, if you plan on doing a Sniper upgrade, take your time, establish a plan and have a baseline of knowledge of your engine ( vacuum readings, timing setup, valve adjustment complete, exhaust in good shape, electrical system health etc) prior to commencing the swap.

Hope this helps someone in the future.

Cheers, James

 

[kody472]

I’ve been extremely happy with the Sniper but I did take my time to install the in tank pump, redline air filter mount and plenum and performed this on a new engine. I also use the truck from sea level to 11000’ elevation and this is where having EFI is really nice. No struggling with mixture issues for different elevations. That said, installing these is not as straightforward as it’s often implied. As with most aftermarket items, these Snipers never just “bolt on”. There is always a level of faff involved to get things working correctly. I’m fortunate that I spent many years tuning ECU’s on race cars so I had previous experience with setup and debugging of EFI systems.

In summary, if you plan on doing a Sniper upgrade, take your time, establish a plan and have a baseline of knowledge of your engine ( vacuum readings, timing setup, valve adjustment complete, exhaust in good shape, electrical system health etc) prior to commencing the swap.

Hope this helps someone in the future.

Cheers, James

That seems to be my take on it as well. I literally live at sea level, and I'm taking this to SAS in a few weeks. I'm also not a carb guy; they never taught us that voodoo when I went to automotive school.

I put my Sniper on a freshly rebuilt engine. @wngrog did my install and was great. It really didn't start to mess up until I blew a head gasket weeks later due to the builder (not Nolen) using an aftermarket gasket. Pretty sure that screwed up all the "learning" it did. Regardless, it's turned out great now after the tune, and I have no issues with it. The Sniper and header combo really makes a difference (or at least that's what I feel on the butt dyno).

 

[DrRock]

That seems to be my take on it as well. I literally live at sea level, and I'm taking this to SAS in a few weeks. I'm also not a carb guy; they never taught us that voodoo when I went to automotive school.

I put my Sniper on a freshly rebuilt engine. @wngrog did my install and was great. It really didn't start to mess up until I blew a head gasket weeks later due to the builder (not Nolen) using an aftermarket gasket. Pretty sure that screwed up all the "learning" it did. Regardless, it's turned out great now after the tune, and I have no issues with it. The Sniper and header combo really makes a difference (or at least that's what I feel on the butt dyno).

Yes, I missed the carb whisperer class too and despite having several motorcycles with carburetors, I find them very fussy to work on. My other reservation was the dwindling supply of OEM parts to support carburetors. In the end, do what you feel most comfortable fixing. Looking forward to meeting you at SAS.

Cheers, James

 

[kody472]

Yes, I missed the carb whisperer class too and despite having several motorcycles with carburetors, I find them very fussy to work on. My other reservation was the dwindling supply of OEM parts to support carburetors. In the end, do what you feel most comfortable fixing. Looking forward to meeting you at SAS.

Cheers, James

Same.

Looking forward to it too. Can’t wait to get up there.