Hillborn Electronic stack injection

[Andy Besic]

Does anyone have any experience with the Hillborn EFI stack injection? http://www.hilborninjection.com/product.asp?Id=361&CatId=10 I'm planning an engine build and my engine builder wants me to try it even though he has no experience with it. Any comments would be appreciated.

Andy Besic

 

[Chris Duncan]

Looks more full race oriented, you may have daily driver issues. your probably not going to pass emmisions if that matters.

Is the builder charging you for his learning curve?

IMHO

 

[Lynn Larsen]

Hilborn is one of the standard bearers where fuel injection is concerned. It has been around for years and one of the Hilborn manifolds and injector bodies was the prime target for many a search to use as the basis for a converted EFI system before they became pupose built. I don't think there will be any question about quality with any Hilborn products,but at $5K+ there shouldn't be.

Hilborn was pretty focused on racing, but I cannot speak for where they are today. Call or email the guys at Kinsler or Inglese and I think they will tell you that Hilborn is the God Father of the American fuel injection.

Here is the 289/302 setup:

Here is the 351 Cleveland and Windsor:

Regards,
Lynn

 

[Dave Wharran]

I agree with Lynn. Everything I've read about Hilborn has been good.
While I can't relate any experiences with Hilborn equipment, I'm running a TWM independant runner setup on my Cleveland engine. Haltech E6K ECU. No problems what-so-ever with street use or runability. It is very well behaved and is happy in 5th gear at 1100 rpm through town or 6000 rpm out on the road. No jerking, stumbling, or ill behavior.

I'm not sure about Hilborn's factory preset ECU. I can tell you that mine wasn't hard to set up. It was done on a dyno by someone familiar with Haltech's in about two hours.
Even so, I've had to tinker with the lower rpm, lower throttle opening maps to address light load lean (flat) spots. Closed loop O2 mode helps, but is not a substitute for proper mapping before it is enabled.
I don't think I'd want to give up the flexibility and tunability that a fully tunable ECU gives.

 

[Andy Besic]

Dave & Lynn,
I am low tech so forgive me if I question the obvious. As I understand the Hilborn system, you give the factory your engine specs/needs and they set it up close. Fine tuning is done with dip-switch or dial adjustments on the ECU. In my simplistic view I thought it would be similar to getting the right jets in carb that also had needle adjustments for fine tuning. Am I way out there? If my assumptions are correct is $5k still expensive for quality stack injection?

Thanks for your shared wisdom.

Andy Besic

 

[Lynn Larsen]

Andy,

Several types of EFI systems have been mentioned. I would suggest you shop around the various options and also pay attention to whether they come with engine or fuel management systems and what the addition of the such a system would cost if it is not included. I think you have a handle on the jist of how Hilborns FUEL managment system works (it is only fuel and not a fuel and ignition management system, I believe.)

Regards,
Lynn