Best EFI System for BB Chevy

[KAA]

I can only speak for the Holley and Accel systems as those are the only ones I have personal experience with. From what I've read, FAST is one of your higher end systems. I know absolutely nothing about Edelbrock.

Holley Commander 950 Pro:

Low end no frills. Lower cost alternative to DFI. Programmed via laptop PC. Easy to understand and tune. Bank to bank injection. Wideband 02 compatible and can easily accept any manufacturers wideband 02 controller input. Forced induction/NOS compatible. Can control ignition timing using inexpensive, readily available late model small cap GM HEI distributor. Excellent documentation. Good tech support. There is an EFI forum on Chevytalk.org that is virtually all Holley related and a Holley employee who runs the C950 on his car responds quickly to tech questions. Oval port EFI intake manifold is soso. Needs a lot of porting to match oval port heads. Only two sizes of throttle body available. 1000cfm and 2000cfm. 2000cfm throttle body has dominator size flange.

Accel DFI Gen 7:

Things may have changed since I used this system. High quality hardware. Wiring harness is much nicer than Holley's. ECU seems very well built and solid. Nicer software user interface. Programmed via laptop PC. Wideband 02 compatible but was not as easy to adapt a non-Accel wideband 02 controller to it. They tried to make it hard or impossible so you were forced to buy their WB02 controller. I heard they were going to change that with a new software realease but I sold my system before it came out. Several different throttle body sizes and configurations available. 1000 cfm, 1200 cfm, 1350 cfm, 1550 cfm, etc. Oval port intake manifold is much nicer than Holley's. Can control timing but requires a special DFI only distributor. Can run sequential injection with that distributor also. Distributor requires an external ingnition box. Has an injector trim feature that lets you fine tune the pulse width of each injector individually. Very nice feature. Has two different "keys" or "tongles" that let you access different features of the software. The standard key gets you partial access to the software and the "Pro" key unlocks more features. I found this to be VERY annoying. If you lose the key, like I did, you're screwed. The system comes with the standard key. The Pro key is an extra cost option. Stupid. Tech support was next to non-existent. This was also very frustrating.

[KAA]

Originally Posted by Matt H.

i have oval port heads, and i definately want a 4bbl throttle body and tuned port injection,

Not trying to nit pick you but want to clarify the terminology. The 4bbl throttle body EFI systems are not tuned port. They're referred to as Multi-Point, or Multi-Port EFI systems. Your tuned port injection (TPI) systems like the ones found on 84-9? Camaros, Firebirds, and Vettes, have an intake with a large plenum with equal length "tuned" runners and a throttle body located at the front of the plenum. The intake manifolds were specifically designed for EFI. Your 4bbl MPFI intakes are just single plane high rise carb intakes with fuel injector bosses cast into them. Accel, Arizona Speed & Marine, GM, and Street & Performance are the only companies I know of that make a Big Block Chevy TPI style EFI intake.

http://www.azspeed.com/45autpisywgm.html

[BThibodeaux]

Originally Posted by Matt H.

i have oval port heads, and i definately want a 4bbl throttle body and tuned port injection, so it looks like its between FAST, Accel, Holley, and Edelbrock so could anyone just tell me the pros and cons or just the differences of each one?

FAST - From what I know, FAST is probably one of the best EFI companies out there. Their systems are very tunable, and allow for lots of options. However, to my knowledge they do not sell any complete or even near complete systems for the BBC. This means that you will have to piece the components together (throttle body, harness, sensors, fuel pressure regulator, fuel pump, injectors, manifold, fuel rails, idle air control, etc.). This allows you to tailor your system to your exact needs, but it will also be the very most expensive way to go.

Accel/Holley - I think the pros and cons of these two systems have been adequately addressed in the earlier posts to this thread. If you go with the complete Holley system, it is going to cost six to eight hundred dollars more than the Accel. The Accel manifold is probably going to have better flow characteristics, but not many stock hoods can clear it. If you are only looking to make 500HP, optimum flow is not all that critical anyway.

Edelbrock Pro Flo - I had this system on one of my cars. It worked very well for that application (slightly modified ZZ4). It is probably one of the most complete systems on the market. The price is comparable to the Accel system. The downside is the lack of tunability, and the requirement of a custom chip for each application.

If you go with a complete system package, you will want to confirm that the included injectors will be adequate for the kind of power you want to make.

[Matt H.]

ok, so from what ive been hearing FAST is supposed to be very good and so is holley and Accel but i think Edelbrock is out of the picture, but to clear up one issue, price doesnt matter i want to know the best one regardless of price oh ya, would the Accel system clear a 2 inch cowel hood?

[customcam]

Matt you dont work in Fullerton do you?

[mstennes]

I have the Holley MPI C950 Pro Wide Band with the throttle body where the carb would be. If I were going to keep it I would go with FAST's controller. IMO the Holley system is a big PITA. Holley's tech support totaly sucks and actually made things worse. On the throttle body where the throttle attachés is a weak spot it needs to be knurled so I have had slippage which has caused allot of tuning woes. It is low end to say the least and to me it only gives bragging rights that you have a EFI, as a well tuned carb works better. We spent allot of hours tuning only to have anew problem pop up. With some tweaking on the actually program I think it could be better in the cell area. I have talked to allot owners with Holley's system who say the same thing who went with FAST's as it was a better thought out system. To bad you don't have a small block as I will be selling this system here in about a month when I tear the car down. I read somewhere that the computer programmer who wrote the system actually wrote Accells first then Holley than FAST's. Accel has tweaked theirs where Holleys is the same, basically as the first ( I started out with the pre pro system). If you really dig deep you find the reason Holley's is the lessor known and used. Doug F is the mod over at Chevy Talk and a R&D engineer at Holley. Hes a good guy and has helped allot I just got to a point where I wanted a control unit that was faster, and able to process more. The other thing I don't like about Holley's system is, it is set up to use floppy's and a serial port. Most all new laptops have neither. It is also a DOS based system which shows its kinda dated. That being said it will work you just need patience and lots of it. Don't even think about using it without the wide band as that really gives it more tuneablity and it doesn't like big cams either that was a big tuning headache. Hope I helped.

I forgot the Holley system does not like low voltage at all, so if you have a big stereo or other high voltage items go with at least 130 amp alternator.

[ProdigyCustoms]

If you want to step up to a FAST, we can set you up with as complete a package as you need. You will spend $3500 to $4000. But it will be badd ass! We also give a custom start up program.

[Matt H.]

hey prodigycustoms, could you possibly give me a list of parts i would need so i could get a price?

[ProdigyCustoms]

I need you to tell me what you need. And I will need specs and goals to properly size the package.

Email me at [email protected] or call four zero seven 832 1752

[Matt H.]

ok I've been doing a bit of research and from what I've heard the FAST XFI system is a bit too elaborate for what I need so I've narrowed it down to Holley and Edelbrock. Is there anyone out there who has had experience with the Edelbrock system?