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Thread: EFI Conversion

  1. #1
    jjy73
    I was looking through my summit racing catalog and happened upon 2 different brands of Fuel injection upgrades for carbuerated engines. Anyone out there have any experience with anything like this? I have an 88 350 mag and was thinking of trying this. They say that it is programmable by a laptop. Any input or thoughts would be great.

  2. #2
    John Cobalt
    Hey JJ,
    I saw an article in a boating magazine where they did this conversion to a Ski Nautique or the like. I think they used a Holley setup. As I remember it took some tuning with the laptop or whatever media the adjustments were made by to get things working correctly. I don't remember whether it was Hot Boat Mag or Boating Magazine. But I know it was one of the two. I can look this weekend if you are interested. I never throw away good magazines.

  3. #3
    jjy73
    John,
    I would be very interested in the article. I believe it is the Holley conversion that was programmed w/ a laptop. Thanks for looking!!

  4. #4
    John Cobalt
    JJ, I have to do some more looking I will see if I can find it tonight.

  5. #5
    John Cobalt
    JJ Here is an article out of Water Ski Mag, you can see it on the Web sight. I see they mention March 96 issue for the Pro Jection I will see if I have that issue tonight. Sorry to keep you hangin
    By Jay Watson
    Dealers talk about it at boat shows, magazine articles showcase its benefits, and some skier you know has it in his '97 closed-bow. Electronic fuel injection is everywhere, it seems, but in your boat. No more. Thanks to companies like Holley and Hirel, aftermarket (or bolt-on) EFI systems bring the benefits of electronic fuel injection - cold starts, excellent idling and rocket-like hole-shot - to skiers with carbureted engines.
    In March 1996, we brought you the first phase of aftermarket EFI: the Holley's Pro-jection TBI system, a unit consisting of a throttle-body approach to fuel injection. This time around, we put the Hirel HyperFlow multi-port EFI through its paces. As we did with the Holley system, we scored the HyperFlow (1-10, with 10 being highest) in areas of system installation, setup and performance. But first, let's look at what makes the HyperFlow tick.
    Hirel calls its ECM "PowerPoint" because it continually checks and improves its calibration, or air-to-fuel ratio, with a patented torque-seeking technique. The ECM has the ability to detect engine problems and save them to display as error codes. A mechanic can use these to isolate the problem. The check engine/tuning light (CEL) performs two functions. First, it is used to tune the engine at a certain rpm. The CEL comes on to tell you the ECM is calibrating at an rpm level, and switches off once it has adjusted itself to the respective rpm. It will also flash rapidly when the ECM has detected an error. A pair of LEDs, in line with the switch controls, indicate error conditions when ECM is in the "test mode."
    Unit Installation: Breathe easy. Hirel recommends using a trained marine mechanic to install the system. As with the Holley unit, we enlisted the expertise of Karl Clements of Water Sports Marine in Waterford, Michigan.
    One benefit to the Hirel system is that it comes assembled as a unit: Intake manifold, throttle body, fuel injectors, ECM, sensors and wiring harness are all attached, making installation relatively simple. The tricks, says Clements, were laying out the return fuel line to the tank, placing the fuel pump and finding room for the fuel filter/water separator.
    Aside from that, installation was a snap; Clements completed it in four hours and charged us $200 in labor time. Installation Score: 9
    ECM Setup: There isn't much work to be done here either, as the HyperFlow basically calibrates itself. We did, however, manually prime the fuel system and check for fuel leaks. Clements used an additional external pump to pull fuel through the filter and fuel lines to the engine's own electronic pump.
    Next, we set the idle by placing Switch 1 at zero so the ECM could "learn" the idle rpm and subsequent throttle blade angle. After the engine warmed up, we positioned the idle adjustment screw on the air valve to set the desired engine rpm at idle. Switch 1 was set to position "2," allowing the ECM to learn the new throttle "idle angle" and "idle rpm."
    To finish the ECM tuning, we took the Hirel-enhanced Sanger to the water. This was a simple process because the ECM self-calibrates as the engine runs through the rpm range. Using the CEL as a guide to how the system is working, we went through various learning rpm programs, finishing with an idle-to-wide-open run in 200-rpm increments. During the run, the CEL continued to confirm that the ECM was indeed learning. Once the CEL went out, we waited 30 seconds before stepping up the rpm another 200. Overall, the entire setup went smoothly and was finished in 1.5 hours. Setup Score: 8.5
    On-Water Performance: As the results indicate (see "Inside the Numbers," below), the Hirel system provided increased top speed, along with quicker acceleration times and shorter distances to speed, when compared with the carbureted 350. Drivability also improved, as the idle remained steady at 650 rpm. And both cold and hot starts needed only one turn of the key. Since the installation, I've put about 20 hours on the system and the more I run it, the better it performs. When pulling a skier, the tach sticks to an rpm level like glue; times through the course are more consistent. I can definitely feel the difference between MPI and carburetion.
    How does it compare with the previously tested Holley? The Holley is a bolt-on TBI system, which uses the engine's existing intake manifold. This can lead to a compromise in airflow to the engine. With Hirel's integrated intake manifold and learning ECM (PowerPoint), airflow and air-to-fuel ratios can be better optimized, resulting in better overall performance. The results prove that point. Every performance aspect of the Hirel conversion engine improved after the carburetor was removed, whereas top speed actually decreased when we added the Holley system. True, the Hirel system is more complicated, which is reflected in its cost: $2,629 when compared to $1,300 for the Holley. Performance Score: 9.5
    Jay Watson, a Midwest sales rep for Sanger Boats, loves to tinker. This is his second EFI article for WaterSki. For more information on the Hirel HyperFlow system, call 954-785-2665.

  6. #6
    twistedpair
    If you can't beat em', Buy em'.
    Holley Acquires Hirel Technologies' Fuel Injection
    [ February 20, 2003, 02:40 PM: Message edited by: twistedpair ]

  7. #7
    jjy73
    John,
    Thanks for the article! Quite informative. Was the unit a marine only, or an automotive. I can't imagine alot of difference!!!

  8. #8
    John Cobalt
    JJ,
    I'm pretty sure both conversions this guy did were Marine use systems. I'm guessing but from other research the U.S. Coast Guard has to approve most anything used in the engine compartment of a boat. Therefore one would want to use only Coast Guard approved fuel delivery and electrical components for the extra protection marine grade equipment gives for explosions. With regard to the systems being the same from automotive to marine. Usually from what I have seen the biggest difference is that Automotive Injection Systems use an Oxygen sensor and Marine applications do not. This also means the computers are slightly different because they do not monitor that particular sensor and it is my understanding that generally a fuel map on a Marine engine is set in stone because there is really no way for the computer to monitor a lean/Rich fuel mixture without an Oxygen sensor. There are Mass Air Flow sensors which would allow for some performance modifications but for big changes unless you go to Aftermarket ECM (computer) programmers such as Arizona Speed and Marine to have your ECM reprogrammed your not going to see the performance gains of high end parts. This is probably more info than you needed and I would gladly stand correction from any chaps that have hands on experience with installing either of the systems mentioned.
    Have Fun

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