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Sniper EFI on 195.6 OHV

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amcfool1 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amcfool1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/23/2022 at 1:10am
hey, I understand. my 77 Hornet is not a daily driver, it is a true "hot rod", in the old school sense. So, if something fails, it fails, and we will fix it and move on. I was a carburetor loyalist until I got this Sniper set up. My 77 Hornet AMX (yellow:) is a work in progress. I'
m trying to build a car I would have ordered new if I could, though in 1977 I was 17 years old and had a seriously negative net worth. :). Somewhat better now!
Anyway, here's the story. Most expensive AMC I ever bought. Paid $3000. for it about ten years ago. looked good, ran, like crap. Original engine, no. some wacky Mopar! BBD on it, SR4 trans. could not keep up with traffic. Rebuilt carb, wrong carb, got right cab, rebuilt it, ran a bit better. Still sucked. Put a rebuilt MC 2150 on it, a little better again, but still sucked. Said ...sod it...went whole hog.
Got a real "C" code 77 motor. Took it to a pro shop. Hotroding 101 , shaved head to go from 8.0 to 9.0 compression, SBC valves, 1.84 IN/1.5 Ex, positive seals. Harlan Sharp rollers. +.030 bore. rods weight matched, of course new pistons. Lunati "Voodoo" cam, 256/262, If I remember correctly. Cloyes true roller chain. DUI ignition, crank .010 under, new balancer, whole assembly balanced. Intake/exhaust upgraded to a 1982 Eagle setup, some port matching. Whole new 2" exhaust w/free flow cat. Champion aluminum Rad with Eagle thermal clutch fan, and possibly a few other things I forget right now:) Also got rid of the SR4, and put in a Modern Driveline WC T5,with,a .73 OD. oh, also went from the stock 2.73 peg leg, to a 3.54 gear, with an Eaton TruTrac. (In a stock AMC 15, I DARE anyone try!:)
So, a lot of effort/money. Put my tried and true MC 2150 on it, ran ok. but just ok! Ms. Rona came along, a couple of our competitors shut down., we did not, (I run a printing press), overtime up the wazoo! hey, a little extra money. bought the Sniper BBD, got to keep the economy going:),  and what a difference! Woke that motor right up! It now inadvertently will chirp a tire, with posi! I finally feel I am unlocking the potential of this really expensive 258. This car can now PASS new cars on the interstate, whereas before, we were cowering in the slow lane.
Anyway, that's my story, hope I didn't offend anyone.   thanks,  gz
george z
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AMXRWB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/23/2022 at 9:00am
Many of these hobby things are a expensive toy to tinker with.It is better to try and fail than to never do it and wonder.You get only one life and it goes by fast.The problem with TBI is when the injectors run out of fuel you have no float bowls like a carb.Then you have a large amount of air in the gas line to pump out.If you have an small engine that will turn over easy you are ok.Most of the time you will run out of battery when you try to crank the air out of the system and get the fuel up to the TBI.

Edited by AMXRWB - Apr/23/2022 at 9:02am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/25/2022 at 7:33am
An OEM type in tank pump is very reliable. I run 90s XJ pumps. Yeah, if it does fail on a trip I'm kinda screwed, but again... it's very realiable. I went through some aftermarket external pumps as noted before. Even a Carter didn't last in a daily driver. Since 2006 I'm only on my second Jeep replacement pump... a Bosch turbine style. The first didn't fail entirely though. The check valve failed and it would loose all pressure shortly after stopping. Not a big deal, just made it take slightly longer to crank. Just 10 seconds or so longer. I always turn the switch on-off a couple time when the car has sat a few weeks to build pressure (all will lose pressure over a lengthy time) -- had to do that every restart. Saw that as a sign and replaced it shortly after... maybe five years ago. Don't drive it so much anymore, this one should last a long time!
Frank Swygert
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tomj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/30/2022 at 12:05am
More hilarity from Holley. 

So I pulled the unit and sent it back for warranty repair, due to inoperable MAT sensor, then finally injector failure. 

The bad MAT (mass air temp) sensor read N/A, and all the experts on the forum, and the persnickety forum manager stated that was bad. I spent an hour on the phone on two calls to a Holley tech who said yeah, not right. 

I'd been having random lean spikes that "everyone knows" are ignition misfire. So I swapped the pertronix distrib for a hybrid duraspark/HEI distrib, no change, then the ultimate lean condition of no injector. 

Today got a call from Holley. They found a "loose connector" on the injector. That's the misfire, maybe. 

MAT sensor? Umm Autolite 1100 doesn't have one! The others do, not this one. 

So!  The Holley documentation, the know-it-alls, Holley's own techs, all wrong. What a waste of time. 

So assuming the loose connector was actually that (and I did check it, but not invasively) I'll be getting it back in the mail soon. 

And it will be for sale. Yeah this isn't an enticing sales pitch, but the thing was working well until the injector issue. Which may simply be a connector. 

Sheesh.

1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5
http://www.ramblerLore.com

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote wittsend Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/30/2022 at 11:12am
 Sad to hear that the journey ends with such a thud. I remember the excitement when it first started. I have never adopted an EFI system, but I have swapped older cars to EFI engines. I do believe there is something to be said for a system that knowingly works. It is still a ton of work but at least you knew it worked before the venture started.

My Pinto (2.3 EFI/Turbo/T-5 swap from an '88 T-Bird Turbo Coupe) I will simply put the key in after a lengthy time period since its last drive, blip the key we few times to pump fuel in the line (2 second shut off without the engine turning) and it has never failed to start, does not vapor lock and runs fairly decently.

I know you have an affection for these older AMC engines but maybe it is getting closer to the time that other options are considered that will swap over EFI and other advantages for a car you drive daily.
'63 American Hardtop
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tomj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/30/2022 at 5:29pm
Oh yes, this is the ragged trailing edge for me... I've already sorta-decided the Toyota 22R family is it. Cheap, plentiful, every possible permutation of head, fuel, etc. And my local machinist likes them and does many of them. "Will fit in the hole" at least in SOHC and maybe worst case, carbed (EFI manis stick out, have not investigated AT ALL). 

150HP is a modest boost, and minus 200 lbs is another. And maybe less common on rear drive pickups, whatever automatic got stuck behind them is likely on par with/notch better than the BW M35.

I probably should have done it in the 60. 

I'm gonna make the YF carb work best-case, I'm jetting now, it's behaving nicely and I'm sure I'll get it just fine. 


Yeah my roadster runs like your Pinto. It sits for a month or two with the Battery Tender on it, power on for fuel line fill, flap the pedal a bunch, it's Weber 40 IDF which has no choke at all, starts right up and idles. Sometimes takes a second start after a month, but that's worst case.

There will be no large scale changes to the 60 wagon this year. That was the "winter" project. Now it's driving season. Carb tuning is easy stuff.


1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5
http://www.ramblerLore.com

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/03/2022 at 3:38pm
Well, looks like you got all the kinks worked out though. Reliability is the question now. With faulty parts coming from Holley it's their own darned fault. Even if the OEMs put something out that turns out to be unreliable (like the 80s Cadillac V-4-6-8 fiasco, or Olds diesel...), they will fix the issues and warranty the repairs. It doesn't take them long to do something either -- they pretty much have to!

Frank Swygert
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote nickleone Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/03/2022 at 4:27pm
New emblem

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tomj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/25/2022 at 11:40am
My Holley Sniper Autolite 1100 is now for sale on eBay.

1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5
http://www.ramblerLore.com

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mr_Roboto Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/14/2022 at 6:16pm
I ended up picking up the sending unit. Should do well with a 4.0 swap I think. I hope I don't have all the issues you guys do with in tank pumps but then again my heaps would have to be running long enough to have problems. :rofl:
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