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Anyone in south Fl recognize this boat? Need some help.

GotDiesel

Member
I am finishing up a project boat. The limited knowledge or rumors I have heard is Elite built it or at least the motor. I don’t know who put the rest of the package together, but it was told to me that it never ran right. We go it with an erratic lean pop. Thought the sniper just needed to learn. 30 minutes later, we lost an engine. A year later, it’s all rebuilt and we’ve gone through everything we could think of, but we’re back to a bad tune (or appears to be). I’m just looking for any info like “they tried this or that”, or “I worked on that boat and this needed to be done”, etc. just hoping for a little insight to not spend the next 6 months chasing things someone else did.
I ask here cause no way someone built all this in their garage as a one off. This boat must have taken some collaboration.

It’s a Jason wolf hull, a PE90 cont with 520 conversion,Procharger, gearbox, 78” prop, Holley sniper efi, and pacemaker ignition.
 

terrible ted

Well-known member
Cant really help. The guys I use to know are all gone. In your description running rough. I would say Its really down to ignition and fuel. If the mechanics are good now. It running rough that sounds timing issue.
 

SWAMPHUNTER45

Well-known member
Try looking up Abner he builds gear drive, ProCharger, Fuel Injected aircraft. Kwan has his contact info. If anyone can set you straight he would be able.
 

John Fenner

Well-known member
Lean pop, meaning a sneeze, ok, first of all, you have to be completely positive and double check top dead center for the ignition to fire correct, next,, be sure the firing order is correct off of the coil packs to the plugs, the sniper EFI I am at a guess that it uses O-2 sensor(s) for tuning, they get very lazy quickly due to the lead in the avgas if that is what you are burning, many variables to look into.
 

Slidin Gator

Well-known member
Try looking up Abner he builds gear drive, ProCharger, Fuel Injected aircraft. Kwan has his contact info. If anyone can set you straight he would be able.
X2 on Abner in Okeechobee, this is his specialty.

If it's the occasional pop, it can always be an intake leak, (timing already being mentioned). If it sounds like popcorn, it's pre-ignition / knock.

We go it with an erratic lean pop. Thought the sniper just needed to learn. 30 minutes later, we lost an engine. A year later, it’s all rebuilt and we’ve gone through everything we could think of, but we’re back to a bad tune (or appears to be).
If you are trying to tune that motor in self learning mode searching for optimum A/F ratio you are assured of running lean. Versus automotive applications, an aviation motor needs to run pretty rich under load, throw in a supercharger and call it pig rich. Your gonna want to map out the full tune yourself (or get some expert help) to keep that setup in check. Start at excessively rich and work your way towards lean versus the other direction.

Lean pop, meaning a sneeze, ok, first of all, you have to be completely positive and double check top dead center for the ignition to fire correct, next,, be sure the firing order is correct off of the coil packs to the plugs, the sniper EFI I am at a guess that it uses O-2 sensor(s) for tuning, they get very lazy quickly due to the lead in the avgas if that is what you are burning, many variables to look into.

I'm in the middle of researching this stuff for a couple of projects, the following is me rattling off what I have read, not what I have done.

The Sniper uses the Bosh LSU 4.9 O2 sensor, which does claim to be lead and Methanol compatible, the NTK unit is claimed to be more lead resistant, but at another $140. Eventually the lead will kill them all. I would definitely test the O2 sensor, Bosch supplies instructions, or just replace (keep old for spare). Make sure sensor is mounted pointing somewhat down (moisture shock) and at least 2 feet from exhaust exit (muffler included). The 2-foot minimum is to keep any air that gets sucked back into the exhaust from causing a lean reading (Might actually help your issue:)).

Finally, I am researching multi-port systems but I'll assume the sniper is similar. I'm pretty sure you can set them up to run open loop without the O2 sensor, just using MAP, Throttle position and timing sensors. The OEM injection is still mechanical, strictly throttle position for fueling. The point is that the motor needs to run rich, there is not much point in trying to optimize A/F ratio, except to make sure it is rich but not blowing black.
 

Slidin Gator

Well-known member
GD,

After barely doing anything on my stuff, I got to thinking about the Pacemaker (PM) setup vs. the sniper vs. the Procharger. I have experience with the PM ignition, just ripped a procharger off another motor in favor of more cubes. No experience with sniper (might soon).

Below are a couple of my threads involving the Pacemaker system:
Pacemaker Install
Tuning a Lean Running O-540 & 6AA / M5-4 Carbs

In your case, how have you tuned the PM to compensate for positive MAP? The PM can support up to 3 different timing maps for staging nitrous, boost etc. Unless specified during ordering, the standard unit comes wired for 2 map tables. I do not know if the built in PM MAP sensor supports boost (the Holley MPFI stuff requires an external MAP sensor for boost). While on the subject, where is your MAP plumbed to?

Regardless, I would tune out the Pacemaker MAP in favor of fixed timing until you have the injection sorted out. For safety I would set timing to whatever the PE90 manual calls for less 2-3 degrees. Timing needs to be running a bit retarded from factory spec under boost.

Personally, I would keep the PM trigger and coil setup and otherwise hack it to run ignition from the Sniper.

Too many Cooks in this kitchen👨‍🍳🧑‍🍳👩‍🍳
 

GotDiesel

Member
Thanks guys. I have an appointment Friday with a tuner for the sniper to map out the fuel, but we have decided it’s a temporary deal. I’m gonna build a true port injection manifold and ditch the sniper and go dominator style /ls park Ecu. The learn function in sniper is never gonna work- we’ve come to that realization.
 

Slidin Gator

Well-known member
Thanks guys. I have an appointment Friday with a tuner for the sniper to map out the fuel, but we have decided it’s a temporary deal. I’m gonna build a true port injection manifold and ditch the sniper and go dominator style /ls park Ecu. The learn function in sniper is never gonna work- we’ve come to that realization.
I'm not gonna argue with port injection for sure, but before jumping ship ask why you think the Dominator MPEFI will run where the Sniper won't?

This has been done before. Talk to Darrin at Pacemaker and Abner about injection and ignition options.

Got stuff to swap for a Sniper for sure! Start with a 65 mm cable operated throttle body...
 

GotDiesel

Member
I'm not gonna argue with port injection for sure, but before jumping ship ask why you think the Dominator MPEFI will run where the Sniper won't?

This has been done before. Talk to Darrin at Pacemaker and Abner about injection and ignition options.

Got stuff to swap for a Sniper for sure! Start with a 65 mm cable operated throttle body...
Plans are probably cable driven TB, but whoever built this used a 2barrel manifold and a 2300 sniper. I have gotten tidbits about this boat and no one who knows about it is willing to talk to me about it. They have all washed their hands of ii for some reason. All I was told was that it never ran correctly.
My tuner said the HP or Dom had more control that sniper. Think it had to do with inputs
 
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