Jeremy here from Holley Performance, and we brought in Matt, one of our EFI engineers
to help introduce the Sniper Hyper Spark ignition system.
So Matt, aside from the initial EFI install, which we solved with our EFI kits, one of
the most challenging aspects of controlling timing with the ECU is correctly phasing your
distributor, which is why we came up with this foolproof installation tool.
So Matt, why don't you show us how to use this cool tool to set our distributor reference
angle.
Sure, not a problem.
Our first step is to verify that we are on the compression stroke on cylinder one and
the balancer is reading zero.
That indicates that we are at top dead center on that cylinder.
The next step is to install the distributor, first start by removing the distributor cap.
If your kit came with a gasket, make sure you install the gasket on the distributor
before putting it in the engine.
Don't forget, sometimes you'll have to rotate that oil pump shaft so that it aligns with
the gear on the distributor.
That's correct.
Go ahead and drop the distributor in the engine and make sure that the distributor housing
completely seats against the engine block or the intake manifold.
So does it matter which direction our rotor is facing?
No that will depend on your spark plug wires if they are long enough to reach to the number
one terminal.
Ok, so is this where we get to use this installation tool?
It is, let me show you how.
take the cap and place it on the rotor, you'll see that it's not aligned with the housing,
but what you can do is now rotate your distributor housing until the cap drops down on both the
housing and the rotor.
It doesn't matter which direction you spin the housing, as long as you have access to
the pigtail.
So this really is a foolproof way of establishing the correct reference angle.
Yeah, it's as simple as locking down the distributor at this point.
Let's do it.
Make sure you use a wrench to tighten the nut.
So now we can install the distributor cap?
No, not quite yet, we need to mark number one cylinder.
So how do we do that?
Installation tool has a little indication that allows you to put a mark on the distributor
housing where your number one cylinder will be.
Now you can put the distributor cap on.
Man, this installation tool sure makes it easy.
Yeah, it's patented design really simplifies the installation.
Sure does.
Let's go ahead and tighten the screws down on the distributor cap
and the mark that we previously made on the distributor housing with the insulation tool
is now shown here, this indicates where this number one spark plug terminal post is.
Well, that seems simple enough.
Yeah, the Hyper Spark distributor use a sensor to provide the Sniper EFI with an RPM signal.
What else do we have to connect?
Next to connect is the ignition box to the coil, for that you can use the harness that
comes with the ignition box.
It's got the main plug that plugs directly into the ignition box, it's got two leads.
Now those I know need to go directly to the battery, don't they?
They do, power and ground directly to the battery, and then there is a connector that
goes directly to the coil.
You'll notice we still have a connector with two loose wires.
Where do we need to connect those?
Well, the red wire on the ignition harness and the pink wire from the distributor harness
needs to be connected to a switch 12-volt source.
That source needs to be hot while cranking as well as while the ignition switch is in
the run position.
Ok, what about the white wire?
The white wire, it needs to be connected to the Sniper, the way you do that is you use
the 10 pin output harness that comes with your Sniper EFI and find the wire that's labeled
points output, that white wire will connect to the white wire on the Hyper Spark ignition
system and that's as simple as it gets.
So that's providing RPM signal?
Yes, that provides the RPM signal that came from the distributor that went to the Sniper,
now the Sniper is providing an RPM signal to the ignition box.
To provide a spark.
Correct, don't forget to plug the ten pin harness into the Sniper EFI.
So is that it for the installation?
Ignition system is completely installed, the only thing we've got left to do is program
the Sniper to communicate with the Hyper Spark ignition system.
And just how do we do that?
Through the Wizard that comes with the Sniper EFI, it's very simple and we brought this
C-20 here today that has the Hyper Spark ignition system already on it, as well as a Sniper
EFI throttle body.
Perfect, why don't you show me!
Yeah.
So now that we're in the truck let's go ahead and power on the Sniper and send a configuration
to it.
Ok.
The first thing to verify with installing the Hyper Spark ignition system is to make
sure that the firmware on the handheld and on the ECU are compatible to the Hyper Spark
ignition system.
Ok, where do we do that?
So if you press fire and then ECU HW/FW, it will list out the firmware version of what
firmware is on the Sniper EFI itself, 1.1.1 is the minimum version to be used with the
Hyper Spark ignition system.
So we're good there?
Yep, the ECU is good, let's go ahead and check the handheld and by pressing that back button
once and pressing local setup and then local info.
It lists out 1.1.7 as it's device firmware, that is also the minimum version to be used
with the Hyper Spark ignition system.
Alright, we are good there, but what if we didn't have the updated firmware?
There is a really good walkthrough video on Holley.com that walks you through how to install
new ECU firmware as well as handheld firmware.
Perfect.
So being that we are good, let's go ahead and start going through the Wizard, the Wizard
this would be, this is no different than any normal Sniper install, the very first install
this is how you would go about doing it.
So we are going to choose the 4150 version of the Sniper, choose our number of cylinders,
choose our displacement, our idle speed, our target idle speed, type of camshaft type we
have, if we had a power adder now is when we would choose it.
Like nitrous?
Exactly, we don't have that and now we have an ignition type question.
I see they added the Hyper Spark distributor to the list.
Yep, the Hyper Spark distributor, that's why we had to update our firmware to make sure
that that appeared so I will press the next button, it's going to ask for a timing number
at wide open throttle and so we are going to choose something appropriate for this engine
here, we're just going to choose thirty degrees, but it is important to choose something appropriate
to your application.
Now it has a start button here that when you press that start button it will actually put
the calibration in this ECU for this Sniper that is already configured for the Hyper Spark.
Ok, so they can communicate?
Yep, so we can go ahead and do that, and will say at the end of it please cycle the ignition,
so we'll go ahead and do that, cycle the ignition off and we will go ahead and turn the ignition
on.
I hear the fuel pump.
The fuel pump turned on because we sent the calibration.
We'll choose something that gives us the ability to see the RPM signal, so right now it says
stall, but let's go ahead and see if we can start this up.
Yeah instantly let off right there, so we've got RPM signal and it looks like it's running
so it's important that we verify the timing is set correctly.
Alright, I'll get the timing light set up.
Alright perfect, I'll set it up in the handheld here.
What you need to do is go back to the main menu and press tuning, system, and then static
timing set, what that allows you to do is put a timing number that will read constantly
on the balancer so in this instance we've got a 15 mark so I'm going to press set and
on the balancer it should say 15.
Go ahead and check it now.
Alright, 15 degrees on the button.
Awesome!
Perfect!
THAT'S What we were expecting, good to go.
So I'll go ahead and press clear and close and we can shut the truck off.
Glad that the timing was synced at 15 degrees.
Yeah, it was dead on at 15, but what happens if it is not?
If it is not, it's as simple as loosening the distributor hold down and rotating the
housing, advancing it or retarding it so that it matches whatever you have commanded in
the handheld.
You weren't kidding, this whole system has been super easy to install.
Yeah the installation cap makes it a breeze to set your crank reference angle and everything
else is plug and play, it's really a truly engineered system for Sniper EFI.
It's a great way to add ignition timing control to the Sniper ECU.
With that timing control, you get some added benefits of improved fuel economy, improved
idle stability and possibly, even more power.
Well great, I appreciate you coming over and helping us do this install.
Yeah absolutely, any time.
Alright, thanks for watching, for more information on the Sniper Hyper Spark ignition system,
visit our website at SniperEFI.com