Sniper is basicly a simplyfiet Megascuirt progammable injection system. You fill in some parameters and Sniper starts calculating a base map for Fuel Table, Injector dead time, Fuel VE table etc. It has an autolearn feature. It can control ignition too.Chris,
Does the Holley sniper have it’s own tune and timing setting independent of the setting used on the Dyno? Based on what I read the timing and tune are par of the Sniper package.
Craft just sent over the one dyno run. Engine then was installed by another shop whom apparently didn't check the timing. After driving about 140 miles I then started it next morning and herd slight knock only cylinder 1. Third shop came into play here and took off the oil pan and discovered burnt up piston and mention timing was at 40.So if engine damage is due to lean mixture, noise ( knock) should have been heard right from first start up after fitting in car.. You say it occurred after about 140 miles and on your own carb which was not on engine for dyno run. and 40deg timing was also discovered after or during that 140 miles. Im now wondering if the dyno runs at Craft were intended as power runs or simply a quick check after run in time especially with the replacement of carb for your own. If it was an effort to obtain best power readings there would/should be multiple runs & changes to Jetting & Timing.
The installation shop was a hot rod shop. Many resto cars on their garage floor. Both parties know I'm unexperenced and looking for 100% help and guidance. Craft Performance I've been trying best to keep calm and be friendly but the guy is full of excuses and bad advice. Owner himself Lance at craft Performance told me to do my own preload knowing I don't even know what a preload is. Also told me to do 1 and half turns on each rocker. Which ended up not even letting the engine turn over. I then immediately knew he was wrong and backed then all to half turn.It’s a tricky one but I’d say both parties may have a hand in this.
As mentioned above that dyno graph has questionable readings which need to be clarified.
If it was just their dyno carb etc then they wouldn’t have tuned it they’d have just given it a break/bed in and run it up to make sure no leaks and issues. However it should still be safe and those readings don’t seem to line up with that idea.
But . . . You can’t just install an engine that has had new parts fitted - especially EFI and not have it tuned? A sniper has self learning but it has to be base set up and parameters specified etc otherwise it’s just guessing between certain predetermined values, they’re also quite hit and miss from what I’ve heard. Was the engine installer experienced in older engines or just a handy mechanic?
You need to keep things friendly with whoever you’re going to deal with regarding it. As technically neither would be able to offer any warranty as parts were changed and not tuned and the garage were only physically fitting it.
Not sure what you're referring to or meanChris, have you read the CPE Warranty & conditions in relation to that.?
Touching the engine was all approved by the engine builder. He approved me to touch it and another shop to examin it. Thay dyno sheet is old because it shops in California have 4month plus waiting times. It's when craft in Arkansas dyno it. Engine still had to. He shipped, sat in a box waiting for me to fund the installation then got on a shop waiting listYou know, for someone who only joined the website yesterday@ 3:32 am And its now 6:10pm the following day your up to 33 posts, wont tell us what sort of car or who really did what... what's really going on here??? That dyno sheet was last year on 20th Dec 2020, we are nearly 9 months down the track. Dont mean to offend, but without some real data etc we are all guessing!
I can't determine the difference in sound. I sent the engine builder the gopro video and he suggested preload idea. He also broke the engine in at his shop with his dyno graph reading showing a/f ratio 14+. I'm just in middle not knowing if this issue was caused by engine builder running super rich on the break in or the hot rod shop not checking the timing sending me on my way with 40 degrees.I'll repeat what I believe to be the timeline then..
1. Engine was dynoed at CPE with CPE shop carb, timing @ 36deg. Oil & fluids drained for shipment? (CPE policy).
2. Spent ~4 month's in box awaiting time slot in California.
3. CPE policy is to ship dry as above, presume California Hot Rod shop were to refill with oil etc and prime oil system, check pressure. In order to do that they must have removed distributor to prime and check pressure of relief valve. They would then have to run engine to set ign timing, remember the dizzy has been out, this is where I believe your ign timing ended up @ 40deg.
4. In amongst all this you manage to put 140 miles on the car with a Holley Sniper induction system which also controls the ign system.
5. In amongst all that you have had contact with CPE and somehow a decision is made to check the valve lash/preload, you attempt that yourself to the point where you reach coil bind or use up all the valve to piston clearance available and are possibly looking at further damage. Not sure how/why you reached that conclusion as the sound of a loose rocker/valve lash is quite different to a piston knock, presuming you were trying to describe the noise by phone.
6. Its an old conundrum in this case, learn to do it yourself or pay someone who really knows their stuff. That's about all I can say given the limited info provided.
I'll be calling the shop that installed this engine in the morning to ask him about the timing. Why it was at 40 and not at 34. How could it have changed if they did check it and what proof do they have of checking it. Invoice didn't show them checking timing.I would suggest that the key to the a/f ratio is due to the break in procedure, on the the dyno, manually controlled part throttle medium load for an extended time rather than a simple run it thru the full RPM range at full load. 14/1 af is lean-not rich- that is why others were suggesting an A/F ratio of 12.5/1 would be prefered. 14/1 however could be expected in a light throttle cruise mode, but obviously cause damage under full load and full throttle. Have another look @ the dyno pint out, @ 5800RPM, the AF has got to 20.5/1 and BSFC has dropped to 0.228, at a guess this is due to a throttle & load reduction as the operator finish's up the run in period, but I was not there!!! I presume from previous comments that the 'Knock' was not present at initial start up, but made itself known during or after the 140 mile time frame. If thats the case then whomever set the ign timing after installation in the 'invisible' car might have some explaining to do. That person might have an 'out' as the Sniper system apparently some form of self learn/ adjustability with regard to timing, so with the 40deg mentioned at a later stage who knows what the engine had to deal with during the 140 miles.
Thats it, Im out! Gettin too old to be a mind reader.
I know, I said I was done. You need to get a bit clever as to how you ask questions etc... you have an invoice, does it show where they changed oil, primed/checked oil pressure as CPE suggest on their shipping policy, did you give them the CPE info, was it packed in the crate/box, Did the shop even do any of the things on CPE's check list. Did you advise them of it? If they were not advised of the check list then they were flying solo on the whole deal!I'll be calling the shop that installed this engine in the morning to ask him about the timing. Why it was at 40 and not at 34. How could it have changed if they did check it and what proof do they have of checking it. Invoice didn't show them checking timing.