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Thread: HILBORN ELECTRONIC FUEL INJECTION ON BBC

  1. #1
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    HILBORN ELECTRONIC FUEL INJECTION ON BBC

    Earlier this year had problems with this fuel injection and it turned out to be the 02 sensor. It was replaced and engine ran kinda O.K. for awhile. This Hilborn system uses a Holley ECU and harness. Nothing has been changed, no new parts, no new electronics, no new repairs, nothing. This started all of a sudden a couple weeks ago when driving back home from malt shop. Engine starts O.K. and idles (800rpm) O.K. With slow increase in rpm at approx. 1400-2000 rpm engine surges badly, with spitting, popping, and sometimes backfires. This continues with increased rpm until around 3000+ and seems to smooth out. Datalog from ecu shows 02 sensor graph line going wildly up and down and the AFR (fuel) line doing the same. So engine is hunting for the correct fuel to meet the correct A/F ratio needed. Hilborn tech says it is an RFI/EMI noise issue on all sensor wire inputs. Cannot locate any sparking or grounding wires. Rechecked all harness wiring and is routed away from any high voltage (COIL, DISTR., PLUG WIRES, ALTERNATOR WIRE) sources. Installed a grounded carboard & foil shield around distributor and another shield around harness. No help. Disconnected alt wire and no change. Disconnected each sensor (coolant, tps, map, maf, & 02) and no change except on map sensor. When this was disconnected engine died. Hooked laptop and tried some old tunes and engine still surges. Turned off the closed loop system and engine still surges. Checked for any vacuum leaks and there are none. WTF???????????????????????????? Thinking this was a big $7,000. mistake.

  2. #2
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    One thing you didn't mention was whether you checked for exhaust leaks upstream from the O2 sensors. Did you try those old tunes in open loop? Have you put a timing light on it when it's popping and spitting?

    This started all of a sudden a couple weeks ago when driving back home from malt shop.
    This leads me to think you have an electrical problem, probably a bad ground somewhere in the harness.

    engine ran kinda O.K. for awhile.
    Except for this statement, which means your tune probably isn't the best it can be yet.

    There is an EFI forum at chevytalk.com. The moderator is a Holley engineer, and most of the expertise is on the Holley systems. Also, there's a guy here (and there), OLKY55, that has a stack injection and a Holley controller. Maybe he can help you with the stack injection stuff.

  3. #3
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    Ya, no exhaust leaks. This is a '55 with fenderwell headers. No exhaust leak sound and visually checked especially at 02 sensor location. Problem occurs with closed loop enabled and disabled. Distributor advance is locked out and timing is controlled by ecu. Monitored on laptop panel and looks good. Been working with tech for about a year now and still not right. Has always run O.K. hard acceleration in passing gear, at cruise, and at freeway speeds. Problem has mostly been with hard launch from idle and stall. Engine runs rich and bogs down, and hesitates for few seconds before clearing out. Had one tune back in March that was pretty good and tires lit up pretty good launching from idle. Also a problem of occasional spitting/popping thru stacks.

  4. #4
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    I don't want to make little of your problems by any means. The stack injection has to be a tough tuning nut to crack.

  5. #5
    Registered Member OLKY55's Avatar
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    Greetings. I don't have much run time on mine yet, but I have already fouled the plugs, making it run pretty sour. Holley recommended iridium plugs, which seem to have made an improvement. I'm using a Kinsler manifold, with the Holley HP and DIS. Are you running a full exhaust? I know they caution against having the O2 sensor too close to the end of an open exhaust. Mine will spit through the stacks a little, when cold, but does okay when warm. Hope to bring it home this week, so I can start playing with it.
    1955 2D HT, 1957 2D Sedan, 2004 Z06 Corvette, http://s1070.photobucket.com/user/OL...?sort=3&page=0

  6. #6
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    Ya, now after the fact I have also heard the Hilborn system is a bitch to tune. The Hilborn tech guy has a '55 with a BBC almost just like mine that he races. So ??????????? I've fouled several sets of plugs. Haven't tried the iridium type yet. I use the engine builder recommended plugs and have them gaped at .055. Any less gap and it will really load up and foul. The fenderwell headers run into a collector. I have street exhaust pipe coming off the middle of the collector. The 02 sensor was placed as far up the collector as possible just where the 4 pipes come together. The street exhaust pipe exists just below the sensor. There is sometimes a problem with the exhaust swirling around but that is just a fine tune issue. If the headers are uncorked ya, too much fresh air and the engine goes nuts. Need a separate tune for that or turn the closed loop system off.

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