EFI Kit Additional Component Buying Guide

Posted by Chris Myer 06/24/16 1 Comment(s) General Studies and Buyer's Guides,

So, you've decided to buy that new Holley EFI kit you've been dreaming about.  Great!

But wait just a second!  We know you want complete satisfaction with this experience.  And nothing is more frustrating than getting a great kit like this and then finding out you need just a few more components.  Or, worse yet, going through a difficult installation challenge only to find out that some widget was available that would have made all of this so much easier.  That's what I'm going to talk about here.  I'll take this kit-by-kit and talk about the not-included components you must have as well as the optionally-available parts that will make your live easier.

Holley Sniper EFI Kit

You will see that at the entry level the Holley kits are extremely complete and really require almost nothing else for you to be successful.  The Sniper embodies this.  The only thing you need to provide that is not in the kit is a source of fuel that flows 228 liters per hour (LPH) against 43 PSI.  If you are like most users and are installing this in a carbureted car, we have a great resource for how to do this.  You will find an absolutely amazing amount of inforrmation on the carubretor to EFI fuel system swap at Fuel-Pumps.Net (one of our other websites.)  That site provides every iota of information and a precise list of parts you will need.  As you read that keep in mind that you do NOT need a regulator since the regulator is built into the Sniper.

Because, as of this writing, the Sniper still has not been released, I cannot say with certainty what other components are required.  But I am guessing that it will be similar to the Terminator (below) in that a fuel pressure sender and oil pressure sender are optional.  For those installing on an application with a GM HEI Small Cap distributor, the wiring harness mentioned below will likely work too.  If you pre-order one of these we plan to follow-up with you before these ship to ensure you know what is needed and have an opportunity to order.

Holley Terminator EFI Kit (Throttle Body Injection)

Like the Sniper Kit above, you are going to need a source of fuel, and in this case you will need to have a good EFI fuel pressure regulator.  Again, the link above will give you a encyclopedia of information on the carb to EFI fuel system swap.  Check it out.  The Terminator EFI is also available as a master kit that includes a great basic fuel system, but in my experience if always has something you don't need and leaves out something you do need.  Probably best to just order the basic Terminator and let us help you get the exact components you need.

Because the Terminator includes only the required sensors for operation, there are a few sensors it does not include but I would suggest are essential to your happiness:  Fuel Pressure and Oil Pressure.  Links are provided below.  Note that, at this writing, Holley does NOT provide a connector for the oil pressure sensor--just the fuel pressure.  Fortunately, wiring pigtails are included with the sensors.  If you buy a sensor for the oil pressure I will throw in the crimp pin and give you some coaching on how to add the extra wiring.

No additional components are required for the ignition other than whatever method of coils/timing/distribution you have on the car.  All of the Holley EFI kits are able to be adapted to just about any ignition.  The Terminator instructions do a good job of discussing how these can be connected, and for an even more thorough treatment of the subject take a look at the Holley Wiring Manual and Diagrams, particularly pages 13-26.  But, if you are installing this system on a small- or big-block Chevrolet engine with a GM Small Cap HEI distributor, or on a engine with the Ford TFI distributor, do yourself the HUGE favor of adding the ignition adapter harnesses for these distributors.  The trouble they save is more than worth the cost.

Holley Terminator LS Kit

Because this kit is made to use all of the factory sensors on the LS engine, it is really as complete as it can be.  Of course, since you are likely installing this into something that never had EFI, you will need an adequate EFI fuel supply.  The LS engine calls for 58-60 PSI of fuel but that is set by the regulator.  This means any good EFI fuel pump (ie, Holley or Walbro) should work great.  Again, for carb-to-efi swaps, use the reference linked above under the Sniper EFI Kit.

Avenger EFI Kit

The Avenger kits are limited to small- and big-block Chevy applications and they are very complete.  They even include the fuel pump, regulator, and filters.  It still may not hurt to reference the carb-to-efi guide linked under the Sniper kit just for good measure.

Like the Terminator, the Avenger doesn't include fuel or oil pressure sensors.  Unlike the Terminator, connectors for both sensors are provided in the main harness, so adding these is a slam dunk.  You will absolutely want to monitor these so be sue to add them.

At the time of this writing I believe that the Holley Small Cap HEI ignition harness (mentioned above in the Terminator EFI kit) is included with all of the system except the TBI kits.  If you are buying one of the Avenger TBI kits then consider either the GM HEI or Ford TFI distributor harness if installing on those applications.

Finally, although the application-specific kits include intake manifolds, they don't include mainfold gasket sets.  These are normally very easy to source locally or let us know if you need help with that.

HP EFI Kits

At this level, the engineers at Holley figure the engine builder needs more flexibility so they don't include things that are specific to the horsepower requirement.  So no fuel pump, regulator, or injectors are included.  All of these are available on HolleyInjection.Com under the EFI Components pull-down.  As expected, the fuel and oil pressure sensors must be added as well.  And again, if you get an kit that includes an intake manifold, you will need to source the gaskets separately.

Dominator ECU

At this level everything is ala carte.  You buy the ECU itself and then add every component you need.  I have started a series of articles that give detailed instructions on how to do this and I intend to finish those some day--I really do!  But, until then, consider me your personal system engineer.  I have a questionnaire that I provide and, upon completion, will provide you with a complete shopping list.  Not only that, but I will even do the initial ECU setup for all Dominator systems pruchased from HolleyInjection.Com at no additional cost.  You'll still need to get dyno tuned, but this should literally let you start the engine once you've installed everything correctly.  That's kind of hard to beat I think--at least I've not heard of anyone else who does that.

1 Comment(s)

Gary Scott:
01/5/17, 11:11:41 PM
Reply

Hello i have a 1980 GM dually with a 454 Im in L.A. and have to get it smoged i would like to upgrade to EFI can I use a Sniper set up and pass CA smog I know it wont pass visual inspection but if emisons are all thats tested will i get it passed

Chris Myer:
01/6/17, 11:00:34 AM

While I can neither answer this definitively or give anything that implies a recommendation regarding CA Emissions standards, I will be happy to engage this on a hypothetical / academic level. Because of the superior atomization and more precise fueling of an EFI system like the Holley Sniper EFI it will almost always create cleaner-burning combustion mix than a carburetor. Forced to guess, I would say that if your Dually will pass emissions testing with the existing carburetor that it might also pass emissions with a Sniper EFI system (provided that all emissions controls are identically implemented during the carb-to-efi swap.) I do not recommend doing anything that is not 100% in compliance with local, state, or federal regulation. :-)


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