Sniper Install: '70 Pontiac LeMans

I just had to share this story. Randy bought his Sniper EFI System and got a bit backed up against his dealine to get it installed. So, with plenty of automotive experience but no EFI background, he had 3 (long) nights to install the Sniper EFI System and Holley Dual-Sync Distributor after work. At the end of the install he would drive the 525 HP 1970 Pontiac Lemans around the block a few times before starting the trek from Iowa to Alabama, where he would deliver it to it's owner: his 85-year old mother.

World's Toughest Customer

If this scenario is making your eyes open a little wider then you and I think alike. And if so then I can tell you that you're going to like this story. Randy was gracious enough to put this into writing and I'm excited to share it with you.

Randy’s Sniper EFI Story

The car in question is a 1970 LeMans with a .030-over 428, modded with aluminum heads, roller cam, and a host of other internals from Butler Performance. It uses an Edelbrock performer RPM manifold with Holley street Avenger carburetor. Ignition was MSD 6AL-2 with MSD billet distributor.

Engine Bay Before/After Engine Installation

The car has always run well enough once it warmed up, but between the moderately aggressive cam and low vacuum, it has been hard to find a carb setting that would allow no-brainer starts and driving whether the engine was hot or cold, winter or summer. The electric choke, without further trickery, is not sophisticated enough to handle every condition. Additionally, sometimes I have no choice but to use ethanol-blend fuel -- which has caused vapor lock issues on numerous occasions. I have insulated the underhood fuel lines with foam and reflective skin, but that only delays the issue. The car is driven cross-country every year or two, and sitting in an Atlanta traffic jam while watching the fuel pressure fall away is a sickening experience.

Now, all of this is not the end of the world for the average gearhead, but this car belongs to my 85 year-old mom -- it’s her pride and joy. I’m in Iowa, while she lives in Alabama with my sister and her family. Mom still enjoys driving the car and taking it to shows, cruise nights, etc. Unfortunately, cold start and warmup could be an eye-watering experience, and several vapor lock incidents were enough make them wary of taking the LeMans out in hot weather. Also, the ignition advance required to provide a good idle made for occasional kickbacks when cranking a hot engine. Finally, when parked in the attached garage, the place reeked of gasoline for several days after a drive.

Randy's Shop Hand

Mom was hanging in there, but the family began asking when I was going to take the old Pontiac off of their hands.

I had tried to make the car as drivable as I possibly could, but this combination of factors was turning the LeMans into an unwelcome guest. I knew I had to make it completely turn-key reliable, or mom was going to have to say goodbye to her baby. The solution seemed obvious: Fuel injection. But what system?

EFI System Research

I began doing research on all the various self-learning systems and FAST EZ-EFI had impressive specs. There are numerous EFI comparison articles in the car magazines and generally, most of the systems seem to work well. Major issues are rare. I was interested in the MSD Atomic System, since I already had an MSD ignition in place.

I suppose this should be a tipoff that when installed properly, and with careful attention to detail, things are likely to work. The guys at the car magazines don’t really fool around.

Due to an already-packed summer schedule, I knew I had little room for error and would have almost no time for troubleshooting, so I changed my search terms when scouting EFI systems. Instead of looking for positive info, I started searching for problems. I would search for “xyz issues” and often would find online tech forums or bulletin boards with a flood of frustrated guys who had fought with their various installations.

And man, there are a LOT of EFI horror stories, even with the new generation of self-learning systems. Often these issues revolve around incompatibility between various components.

I spoke with another fellow -- a machinist and absolutely meticulous craftsman - who had fought with his FAST EZ-EFI system for nearly a year. After numerous issues and swapping everything piece-by-piece to search for failed components, he yanked it all and went back to a carburetor. The now-familiar stories of endless waiting for technical support, and manufacturers finger pointing at each other’s components, were all there.

At this point I laid out my framework for the best chance of a super fast, successful installation:

3) Don’t half-ass any part of the system.

2) Buy everything from one vendor (any issues stay under one roof) and do exactly what they say.

1) Access to effective, quick technical support was an ABSOLUTE MUST.

While doing my research, I came across Chris Myer at efisystempro.com. This was exactly what the doctor ordered.

On their website: "Tech Support Guarantee: EFISystemPro.com customers will always have access to a technician who has complete Holley EFI Tier III certification. More than that, we race what we sell, so the training is not theoretical."

In my day job, I see a lot of technical support in action. The chain of support from welcome desk, to first level, second and third level engineering can be a painful and slow process for those with an urgent need for help. Going with EFISystemPro.Com lets you skip straight to the most knowledgable support staff, from your first tech query to the last. It’s an incredible resource. I chose to go with them, primarily for that reason.

Interior Restoration Before/After

EFI System Selection: Sniper EFI

So, I contacted EFI System Pro and they laid out a recommended system. While my MSD distributor could be made to work, some people have had issues with magnetic triggering and that was quickly verified by researching online.

I went with the Sniper system, coupled with Holley dual-sync distributor. I REALLY liked the fact that most sensors and electronics are built into the Sniper’s housing. Most systems have warnings about placing the ECU away from noise sources - but I don’t have a lot of options where I can place things. Keeping it all located on the throttle body makes for a simple installation. Plenty of online troubleshooting involved chasing down interference from noisy components. Magnecor wires and resistor plugs were in place already, so I went for a fresh set of plugs and left it at that.

For the fuel supply, Car Craft’s ‘Giant EFI Test” didn’t mince words in their EFI reviews- just do it right, and go with an in-tank pump. So, we bought an Aeromotive Phantom fuel tank with the in-tank 340 lph pump. The big Poncho makes about 525 HP so the whole package looked like a good fit. Meanwhile, I watched every official Holley video on Sniper system installation that I could find.

EFI System Installation

I could only give myself about two weeks to install and tune the system before ferrying the car to Alabama. Of course, that turned into 7-8 days by the time I actually got started. Along the way I peppered Chris with questions and he was gratifyingly rapid in responding.

Frankly, replacing the gas tank, swapping out the old fuel supply lines and filter, installing new fuel supply, 10micron filter, return lines, wiring, and venting was the biggest and slowest part of the job. I hadn’t anticipated what fittings I’d need and spent a few days running around trying to get everything sorted out. My super low-profile air cleaner base didn’t clear the fuel inlet and outlet of the throttle body, so I had to modify that, along with the air filter. That took another evening. By the time I finished with that stuff, I only had a few nights for the EFI work under the hood.

While the sniper can control ignition timing, Holley recommends initial fire-up and testing without this enabled, to keep things as simple as possible. I was planning to keep my MSD 6AL-2 in place with this EFI system, although I had run into some limitations with the MSD on how much advance I was able to bring in for highway cruising.

I also watched Holley’s online videos covering installation of the dual-sync distributor. I tried to do that as a first step, got stumped on wiring, and had to get pointed in the right direction by Chris. Turns out the crank light on the distributor doesn’t work right until the Sniper is connected, so I had to wire the throttle body first. OK, with that sorted, the distributor position could be set at 50 degrees BTDC and it was in.

I was also unable to find a wiring diagram/ instruction that laid out exactly what do do with my specific ignition - for example, do I use the 6AL-2 and run a zero advance setting in that box? The wiring diagram that came in the box seemed ambiguous- Chris sent me a link to an updated schematic - but with one day left before departure I decided to bypass the 6AL-2 for now and just get it running with full Sniper control over timing and ignition. So I used the Sniper coil driver module and used it to drive the Blaster coil. I started out WITH full Sniper timing control enabled.

I wasn’t sure about the AC idle bump connection- I have one wire on the compressor- Chris quickly replied that I was NOT to connect that input to the AC compressor lead, and that it likely would not be needed in any case. OK - just saved the ECU with that one!

By this time, it was 10PM on the last night before departure, so I hit the sack with all my hopes pinned on a smooth experience the following morning.

Final Configuration and Delivery Road Trip

Departure day, we spun the engine with plugs removed and checked for spark. Yes. Now we spun again and used the static timing function to align the distributor precisely for 15 degrees. Ok.

Connected the fuel relay and flushed the fuel line, then connected the fuel lines to the throttle body.

Double checked the parameter settings on the LCD, set static timing for 15, and tried to start the engine for real.

It started almost instantly at 40 degree OAT and settled into a smooth idle within seconds. I was delighted, to say the least!

After it warmed up, (without choking me with rich fumes, by the way) we revved to 4000 and checked timing. I had to dial in 300uS of delay into the ignition parameters to keep timing constant across the rev range. I checked with Chris if that value was OK (because the manual has you increasing in 20 uS increments) and he reassured me that it was fine.

I took a couple of quick drives around the neighborhood, came home, checked for leaks or any signs of distress, did one good rolling burnout, buttoned things up and packed my bag.

Initial startup was at 10AM and I hit the highway for an 860-mile road trip 4 hours later.

I took a laptop with me, but in my haste forgot the CAN/USB connector , so was limited to tweaking settings via the LCD.

The trip was completely uneventful, I fiddled with various settings as we went along and peppered Chris with questions. He was as responsive as usual and I tinkered with AF targets and cruise/ WOT timing settings to see what effect they had. We got stuck in a lengthy traffic jam outside of Nashville, and had no fueling issues whatsoever. The car idled calmly the entire time we sat in traffic or crept along.

Hot and cold starts were immediate, throttle response was worlds ahead of the previous setup, and the fuel economy was good. Engaging the AC has no effect on idle speed, as the Sniper automatically compensated to keep the idle at 850 RPM, even with no AC bump enabled. I’ll need to get into the fuel tables with the laptop to dial in the best fuel/ignition curves for economy, but the system is running 100% right out of the box. The next time I have my hands on the car (could be a year or two), I’ll work on integrating the 6AL-2 CDI system and optimizing the AF and spark curves.

Mom and other family members were completely delighted with the Pontiac’s newly-improved manners. The ease of starting completely erases their concerns about “will it run?” after parking on a hot day. Drivability when cold is no different than any other modern car.

A huge bonus was absolutely no gas smell in the garage after parking. No carb to get heat soaked and boil off. This LeMans has a new lease on life, and hopefully mom will continue to drive it and enjoy her musclecar for a while longer.

In all, the Sniper EFI upgrade has been a huge success and I can’t thank EFI System Pro enough for their support during this process.

Mom at Daytona

Chris's Parting Thoughts

No, not everyone who installs the Sniper EFI System has this level of success. But it is my experience that complete success is the outcome the vast majority of the time. And our team is here for you when you are challenged, just as we were for Randy.

I know that Randy would love to hear your comments so reply below and we'll relay them to him for his response.

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