Technical Support - Electronic
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Frequently
Asked Questions
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Questions
Answers
Is your injection streetable?
Very! Combined with EFI
technology our fuel injectors offer superior driveability under all types
of conditions associated with aftermarket street performance. Althought they
perform very well on the street, they are not "street legal" or
suitable for emission controlled vehicles, so we recommend that you check your
local laws first.
Can I convert my old mechanical unit?
Although
it is possible to convert your old Hilborn Injector to EFI, we have found
that after spending the time and money required to accomplish this, it
makes better financial sense to buy a new injector already set up for EFI.
We’ve redesigned
our original castings at the foundry level to accept all the necessary
EFI components, which in the long run, can save you money by eliminating
costly re-machining for conversion. Because of this, we do not offer machining
conversion services at Hilborn Fuel Injection. However, an older hat-style
mechanical fuel injector can be easily converted to EFI, since it does
not require any re-machining.
What ECU do you supply?
The Carabine ECU.
How does your ECU
work?
The Carabine does not require a laptop to tune. It does not require a
MAP, MAF or O2 sensor and it is quite easy to install. We pre-program
the fuel curve at the factory and simple tuning requires only a screwdriver.
The Carabine ECU uses wide open throttle, part throttle, and light throttle
inputs for fuel management. There are also inputs for idle quality, cold
start, and accelerator pump. A rev limiter is provided for those that
require one and optional altitude and air charge temperature sensors
are available. For those unsure about a laptop system, we have the perfect
answer.
How can your ECU work
without an O2 sensor?
The Carabine uses a wide open throttle maximum value and then calculates the
fuel flow for part throttle. It also looks at RPM, throttle position and acceleration
rate to set the air fuel ratio.
What cam profile works
with your ECU?
There
is no need to use strictly EFI compatible parts in your engine
because the Carabine will work with any camshaft, compression ratio or
cubic inch, allowing you to build your engine the way you like.
Is
your ECU sequential?
No, it is batch fire. Sequential helps with low speed drivability but after
around 3300 rpm, all sequential systems revert back to batch fire due to the
physical limitations of the injector.
How well does your injection
system idle?
As a rule, EFI does smooth the idle and on some applications we have seen
a smooth idle all the way down to 700 rpm.
Can I run my vacuum
accessories?
Yes, we provide a vacuum junction block for all of your vacuum accessories,
provided your engine makes enough vacuum to power them.
Will I see a mileage
increase?
In some applications we have seen an increase of over two miles to the gallon.
In order to get the maximum efficiency out of your EFI system, we recommend
you dyno tune.
Can I run alcohol
with electronic fuel injection?
Alcohol is very corrosive and, unless you are prepared to constantly maintain
your fuel system, we do not recommend it. Larger injectors and fuel pump are
required due to the additional flow required.
Is the installation
difficult?
Although there have been numerous successful home installations, a basic knowledge
of engine assembly and electrical skills are required. We also provide an in-depth
installation manual, along with free telephone technical support.
Do I need a return
line?
Yes, our injection system requires a return line.
What if I
don’t
know my engine’s
horse power?
With over 50 years of experience in fuel systems, we can pick a fuel curve
based on your engine specifications. Cubic inch, cylinder head, compression
ratio, cam shaft profile, rpm range, along with blower size, over/under drive
ratio, and boost are some of the specifications required.
How much CFM does
your injector flow?
The standard of using CFM for flow potential was originally designed to aid
engine builders in determining correct carburetor size. This was required to
make sure that an adequate signal was available at the booster for sufficient
fuel flow. Since an injector supplies fuel under pressure for engine demand,
and does not use a booster, we have never seen the need to identify CFM. We
size our injectors by butterfly size because only so much air can flow through
a particular size orifice. It is important to remember that any CFM rating
includes a pressure drop to provide a consistent comparison, such as 28 inches
of water for cylinder heads.
Can I get my injector
polished or plated?
Our standard process is a clear anodize which produces a matte grey finish.
If polishing or powder coating is required, we would prefer to send you an
unassembled casting to be finished by your favorite polisher or coating company,
and then returned to us for assembly. Or, we can arrange for this optional
service for you as a convenience. Due to the machining tolerances, the casting
cannot be chrome plated.
Can I get my ram
tubes polished or plated?
Our standard process is cad-plating which produces a silver finish. The steel
ram tubes cannot be polished, but may be painted, powder coated, or chromed.
We do not offer any of these special services, however, if you plan to use
any of these processes, we suggest ordering unplated ram tubes.
Do I need to run
a thermostat?
Yes, EFI requires a consistent temperature of at least 170 to180 degrees Fahrenheit
for the ECU to exit the cold start circuit.
How much more power
will I make?
As a rule, EFI shouldn't make any more power over your current
combination, but because of the design of an eight stack injector, you
could see an increase of 30-40 hp and 25-30 ft/lbs of torque. You will
definitely feel an improvement in throttle response
and low end acceleration.
Do you have air filters
for my application?
We
do offer billet aluminum air filters for some popular Ford and Chevy applications.
We also supply sprint car styled filters from K&N. For those wanting
to keep the look, our ram tube booties keep large debris out. New to the
market are ram tube seals, which are an economical way of attaching a filter
base to the ram tubes, thus, allowing a custom filter box to be designed.
Should I dyno test
my system?
Although we can get very close with the fuel curve at the factory, we advise
dyno testing to get the most out of your EFI unit. We prefer a chassis dyno
since all the subsystems (fuel system, ignition system, injector) are installed
on the car. Many customers prefer an engine dyno instead. Although this works
fine, there can sometimes be issues with EMI which would not allow for complete
and thorough testing.
What is EMI?
It
is short for Electromagnetic Interference. Picture EMI as an invisible
Slinky wrapped around a wire that grows as current is increased. Certain
components are more prone to producing EMI, such as ignition wires, analog
style ignition boxes, and electric motors. When power wires from these
accessories are run too close, or tie wrapped to other lower voltage wires,
a current could be produced in the lower voltage wire as the EMI Slinky
starts to grow, causing an unwanted signal. This creates a problem with
all types of electronic equipment such as ECU’s. The
remedy is to keep high power wires separated from signal wires, and to
attach the power wires directly to the battery. The battery offers a natural
buffer to absorb those unwanted EMI pulses.
What if there isn’t
a dyno shop in my area?
If there is no dyno shop and you want to fine tune your injector, we can supply
you with an Innovate Motorsports LM1 Air Fuel Ratio Meter. This is a stand
alone O2 sensor that does not have to be permanently mounted, allowing easy
fine tuning of your injector.
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