Sniper Build Thread (1 Viewer)

[coultl]

I've been benefitting a ton from the various Sniper content here...and all the other content too. Thanks all! I figured I'd share some details of my setup in case it helps others in the future.

Fuel Tank:
I started the project here with the plan to install the pump in the tank. My tank did not have the flat spot where the hold is drilled and the pump is installed. (see photo) Really strange. Pulling the tank wasn't to hard, just slow with all the stubborn hoses. The tank has been reinstalled now with new gaskets and some new hoses...most of the hoses looked good. (I have a Mosely Motors in tank fuel pump kit that's untouched if anyone wants to make me an offer. )

Fuel Pump:
It would be so much better if this was in the tank, but since that's not an option I installed the pump on the frame rail. I designed and 3D printed some brackets out of ABS plastic for the pump and the post fuel filter. These mount to the frame with a few drilled and tapped M6 holes. The steel is pretty thick under there! I used what Holley recommends for the filters: NAPA P/N 3033 for the pre filter and a NAPA P/N 3482 for the post. For the pump, it's a Walbro GSL394BX. I just ran the pump yesterday and...it's not quiet. There was no pressure in the line so hopefully it's a little more quiet when everything is installed. I don't think there's anything I could do outside of a surge tank under the hood, but I didn't want to go that route.

Fuel Line:
I wanted to used as much of the factory hard fuel lines so I just cut out a section of the feed line that runs under the truck. The factory line is bent away from the fuel rail in two sections and that's where I cut. This line is 8mm which fits a 5/16" hose perfect. The problem is that most fuel hardware seems to be 3/8" as are my filters and pump. I drilled out and soldered on 3/8" barbs onto the factory lines so that everything in that section is 3/8". Next up I'm going to plumb the hard lines to Sniper with 5/16" hose.

Header:
I had a JT Outfitters header ceramic coated black and used a Remflex gasket along with a stud kit. On my first install the tolerances on the headers were too loose and the washers didn't fully catch the headers. I tried centering it perfectly but still had the issue. Frustrating. I drew up some custom washers with a tab so they would fully catch the header flange. I had these laser cut online and it only cost like $40. I got ordered 1/4" thick just for overkill.

Desmog:
The car is registered in Montana and that's the only reason I can do all this. I also removed all the smog gear under the hood. Got rid of about a mile of vacuum hose. I think I got most of those parts from TLC including the air pump idler pulley. I removed it all carefully so it can be reinstalled if I ever feel to need do a showroom rebuild.

Up Next:
I need to finish the fuel lines under the hood, route the throttle cable, wire in the Sniper, fab the exhaust from the header to the cat, and setup the few vacuum lines that still need to be there including the HAC (I'm at 5k feet). Then it's on to tuning the Sniper. I'll send photos once I get there!

 

[coultl]

more photos

 

[coultl]

P.S. The valve cover looks better than it does in the photo but I'd still love to clean it up while I'm doing this. Any recommendations for how to do that? I don't really have the gear to do a full on polish...but I guess I could do it by hand.

 

[OSS]

I guess I could do it by hand.

Not really possible.
The valve cover - no matter how dull grey, oxidized and thrashed it may appear, can be polished to a mirror chrome reflective finish that’s truly dazzling.
But it requires a big ass mounted heavy duty buffing wheel and plenty of patience and compound.

I tried polishing the cover in just one little corner as well as I could by hand - to see if I could do it, and no way. It hardly looked any better.
So I took it to a polishing shop - and bingo!

 

[coultl]

Making progress and sharing a quick update.

Exhaust:
I welded up the pipe that goes from the header to the cat. This was made using the Vibrant Performance 64604 flex joint, 3 feet of 2.125" 0.65" stainless tubing, the flange that came with the headers, and a flange that I cut off an old Toyota exhaust. Not sure if the flex pipe is needed, but it felt like a good idea. My TIG welding sucks...but it should work fine. The 02 sensor bung was added on top just after the collector. I ended up painting that section with high temp paint as it came with the header and was not stainless. It all fits and is leak free.

Fuel line:
I ran 5/16" EFI fuel line from the factory hard lines to the Sniper. I chose to run these along the firewall and behind the engine. A couple 90 degree AN fittings were used on the Sniper to make the routing work. I also sheathed the the hoses in silicone/fiberglass fire protection tubing...not the full length, just the last section where they are close the engine and exhaust. Overall, the routing keeps the hoses pretty short and less visible.

Intake:
I used an adapter plate from Downey to mount the Sniper to the manifold. The place where the EGR plate attached to the manifold is now a 3D printed block off plate. This is a pretty high heat location for ABS...but we'll see. I also designed and 3D printed an adapter to connect the sniper to the factory intake. The reliefs in the design are just there to try to make it look like sheet metal. Again, a pretty hot location, but I think the ABS will be okay. I'm leaving the carb cooling fan in place. Next, I need to work up bent threaded rod as the threaded hold in the sniper does not line up with the hole in the air cleaner.

First Start:
I still need to connect the throttle cable and get the wiring in place, but I couldn't help but hot wire it to try it out. Pretty crazy that without any tuning, it just started right up. It idles great but I have not taken it out yet. One thing I'm already seeing is that when it's a really cold start (it's been 20 F here in CO) the idle stabilizer valve doesn't seem like it can keep it running. It's at 100% open and the engine can't quite keep going. Making the cold start richer could help. I adjusted the throttle stop so that the ISV is at ~10% when the engine is at temp, so that's not the issue. It also just might take a little throttle to keep things going for the first 30 seconds. Not a big deal.

I'll post all the files for the 3D printed parts once the build is done and I'm not making any more updates to the files.

 

[MoaByte]

Looks good. Your O2 sensor might be too close to the collector. I had to move mine and it helped.

 

[cps432]

You’re gonna love it. I used to be in Boulder. I bet we’ve passed each other.

@MoaByte is right, you’ll want to move that O2 bung back to at least behind the flex pipe.

My truck didn’t like cold starts when I was in Colorado running the sniper. It didn’t like doing anything with the sniper till it was 170 degrees. I still had issues with stalling out.

I’ve been in Florida since November and I have had it die on me once or twice after running for a solid 30 seconds. Not sure what that’s all about. Once it’s running it is really awesome. I am curious about how it would handle extreme cold like Montana gets.

What do you have your advance set to? Did you Recurve the dizzy?

 

[coultl]

Yeah, the O2 is a little close but the pipe after the collector on the headers is pretty long so hopefully I'm okay. We'll see!

I bet I did see you in Boulder. I always try to keep track of all the Land Cruisers! Ha.

I'm set at the factory suggestion of 7 degrees right now. I'm at altitude and will also engage the HAC. I think that's another 5 degrees? I didn't recurve the dizzy. I run premium gas and I'd be surprised if this causes knock...but that also sounds a lot like famous last words... Any advice on that?

 

[cps432]

Yeah, the O2 is a little close but the pipe after the collector on the headers is pretty long so hopefully I'm okay. We'll see!

I bet I did see you in Boulder. I always try to keep track of all the Land Cruisers! Ha.

I'm set at the factory suggestion of 7 degrees right now. I'm at altitude and will also engage the HAC. I think that's another 5 degrees? I didn't recurve the dizzy. I run premium gas and I'd be surprised if this causes knock...but that also sounds a lot like famous last words... Any advice on that?

Recurve the dizzy with a full desmog and a sniper install. You don’t need the HAC with a sniper. Run regular fuel with the sniper. Advance the dizzy to 10-11* btdc.

 

[MoaByte]

Good advice right there.
At your altitude 10° would probably be fine without any mods. But with the significant curve of the FJ60 distributor and the failure of the plastic advance limiting pin, you may need to play with it. This isn't something that you can just read about, set it and call it good. Consider running and tuning to 85 octane. I'd advance 1° at a time listening for detonation while pulling hills. You do not want more than 32° total advance regardless of base timing. The trouble is max vacuum advance and max centrifugal advance don't happen at the same time.

 

[MoaByte]

Sorry, please don't get discouraged. Too much advance and you might burn a hole in your pistons, to little, you will waste fuel and have no power. The problem is that the advance curve is designed for an EGR. The EGR is a device that makes cars at sea level run like cars at high altitude. . There is a chance it might work just fine if you hook the vacuum hose to secondary advance port.

 

[coultl]

Thanks all. Not at all discouraged! I have already replaced the pins on the dizzy. Mine were toast just like everyone else. I get that I’ll need to run somewhat lazier timing due to the advance that’s designed to work with the EGR. I’m just not convinced that it amounts to more than a few degrees at most. At WOT there’s no EGR anyhow. I think the fact that the HAC just chunks on a full 5 degrees at a set altitude shows that it’s not that sensitive. Feel free to tell me I’m full of s$&t.

 

[coultl]

Also, sounds like a recent comment might be mixing up the Exhaust Gas Recirculation with the High Altitude Compensation. The EGR adds cooled exhaust gas into the intake. That gas is inert (no O2) which dilutes the charge mixture and lowers combustion temps. It’s all in the name of making less NOx. The HAC is a cool little mechanical mechanism that closes a valve at a set altitude (give or take) which sends vacuums to a secondary advance diaphragm on the dizzy. This increase the advance by 5 degrees. It’s also makes a small adjustment to the air fuel mixture through a bypass, but that’s not at play with the Sniper installed. My car no longer has the EGR but I will keep the HAC so that I’m less likey to get knock if I ever drive to a lower altitude. I’ll start without it and might eventually get a recurve…

 

[cps432]

Also, sounds like a recent comment might be mixing up the Exhaust Gas Recirculation with the High Altitude Compensation. The EGR adds cooled exhaust gas into the intake. That gas is inert (no O2) which dilutes the charge mixture and lowers combustion temps. It’s all in the name of making less NOx. The HAC is a cool little mechanical mechanism that closes a valve at a set altitude (give or take) which sends vacuums to a secondary advance diaphragm on the dizzy. This increase the advance by 5 degrees. It’s also makes a small adjustment to the air fuel mixture through a bypass, but that’s not at play with the Sniper installed. My car no longer has the EGR but I will keep the HAC so that I’m less likey to get knock if I ever drive to a lower altitude. I’ll start without it and might eventually get a recurve…

Many of the HAC bladders have gotten stuck open or shut. It's likely yours isn't working or is not functioning properly. Especially, if it lived at one elevation for a long time and the valve and bladder never moved.

I removed mine along with the EGR system. I tuned my Sniper with E85 with about 10* advance. I then drove it from Colorado to Florida with all my worldly belongings packed with me a month later. Once I cleared Raton pass into NM it got happier and happier as I drove through the south close to sea level. I didn't think I would make it over that mountain... seriously... I keep my timing light with me in case I need to adjust anything, but so far the sniper has figured out what to do and I haven't had to touch anything since I set it in Boulder back in October. Though that struggle up the mountain with that heavy load almost made me stop and adjust things. I think it was mostly the weight. I was certainly beyond the recommended tow capacity, even for a new 2F motor. I know now not to ask this rig to do something like that again.

Occasionally, I have it stall out if it's cold and I ask it to start running and driving before it's up to temp, but other than that it's been great without any smog crap. I suspect I have some exhaust leaks that may be part of why I stall out until it's up to temp. The biggest Issue I've had has been with using throttle cables that are too short. It's got to be at least 36" or you won't have a smooth pedal and the Sniper will learn some weird habits because of a jumpy throttle. Since I've gotten my cable sorted out I haven't had any problems with this set up down here.

I'll be making a trip back to Boulder in a couple of weeks. I might stay there. I might keep going to WY or MT... Not decided yet. I have supreme confidence in this set up, so long as my piston rings and crank/cam bearings will hold out. They're the only things in this truck I haven't touched.

 

[coultl]

Ha, yeah my truck isn't quick up hill when I really up in the mountains. I imagine with it loaded down it would be a dog. That makes sense that the HAC is probably not functioning. It hasn't moved in many many years.

 

[coultl]

I wrapped up the throttle cable today and figured I share the details on that. I hear you on not cutting the cable too short. I'm not entirely happy with the setup, but more on that later.

Throttle Cable:
I went with the suggestion found in other posts to use the hand throttle connection at the top of the accelerator pedal. This requires you to drill a hole in the firewall. Not difficult but the hold location doesn't work with the brake booster heat shield. Now that I look at it...maybe it would have with some bending, but I think it would hit. I removed the heat shield which required cutting it. Otherwise, you'd need to fully remove the brake booster and disconnect the lines. The cable I used was from Downey but I think it's a stock Holley part? The plastic bushing added to the top of the throttle pedal is a Toyota part.

The issue with this setup is that it makes for a very sensitive throttle. A small amount of pedal travel results in a lot of movement at the Sniper. It's drivable, just not ideal. I'm going to add an extension to the throttle arm on the Sniper to help with this.

 

[coultl]

Here's a pic of the O2 sensor location. It's about 8" away from the collector which should be enough, but what do you all think? I'm getting some strange behavior from the Sniper and maybe this is the cause...but I'm also just getting into setting up the tune.

 

[MoaByte]

There are many things that will affect the sniper. I'm still suffering a few minor issues such as it hates down shifting, especially when below 160°. What did you set your base AFR's at? I'll have to check what mine are, but other than what I said, it runs great and really gets up and moves compared to the stock set up. I can make left turns into traffic like a normal car now.

 

[cps432]

I had to bend my pedal to the right about an inch and drill through the firewall about an inch over from where most everyone else does. I am running a 4 runner brake booster and it is bigger than the stock booster. I agree with the sentiment about the articulation sensitivity of the throttle and I've thought about putting resistance springs or an extension like you suggest. I'm interested to hear your opinion when you get it installed. I like having more pep in the throttle, but I agree that it's a little touchy in first and second. I could imagine it would cause some issues on a trail if you needed just a touch of throttle to get over something. Then again, my truck crawls over smaller obstacles indiscriminately at idle with no added throttle.

 

[iCruiser]

I have been running 91 on my Sniper from day one over 4,000 miles. Yesterday getting gas I threw in 87 as 91 was not available. Actually thought engine ran as good if not better with 87 octane? I have had a slight hesitation at times accelerating that did not show up running the lower grade. Sniper tuning software does not run on Macs so I haven't been able to play with the mapping.

Any other experiences running lower octane gas on these Snipers? Price of Premium does get your attention these days.