Can a Small Block Chevy Be Built for Economy? Part 2
Al Ritter
The FAST EZ EFI has thrown me for a real loop. Thankfully
Bryan Pitcher in tech has been working with me to wring out all the bugs.
Initially the system was constantly logging O2 codes and stalling……then restart
when hot was very hard sometimes up to 40 seconds. Bryan had me enter into the
“info” screen and tell him what the “RFI
“ count was….it was 102 which said there was RFI interference the code
should have read 00. Bryan explained that the wires needed to be replaced, so I
replaced them with Spiro wrap Taylor wires and that remedied the problem, but
the stalling and code logging persisted. The next conversation revolved around
trying to increase the voltage to the pink wire while cranking. The Camino was
actually going as low as 7.9 volts while cranking when hot. Surprisingly enough
the starter speed was still fast, so this caused mixed signals. Bryan told me
that the system actually needs 10 volts on cranking at a minimum, other-wise
the system would act confused and throw codes and have erratic idling.
Begrudgingly I replaced a battery that was originally rated at 535 CCA and
replaced it with a 700 CCA model. Sadly the suggested fixes by FAST haven’t
made much of a difference. I have now spent over $300 to rebuild an alternator,
replace the ignition wires, replace the cap and rotor, and to replace the battery. Bryan Pitcher has
suggested many things to fix a “radio interference” problem that even the
computer doesn’t see anymore. I have done everything he has suggested and yet
the car still stalls and sets an O2 code every time after exiting an
expressway. Finally I have elected to send the ECU back to FAST to have it
checked out, even though Bryan tells me that he’s certain that nothing is wrong
with it.
When looking for an electronic fuel injection management
system for my last car I called FAST and asked if I could purchase a FAST XFI
ECU and connector to have my fuel injection guy make a harness for my car. At
the time they explained to me that I would have to buy their harness because it
was RFI protected and wrapped. Now I have purchased their complete system in
the EZ EFI kit (complete from fuel system to ECU and harness, and yet somehow
they have not protected THIS harness from radio interference. Maybe I’m being
cynical here but I have made every change they have asked for. Originally I
spent about 15 hours installing the system, and now I have spent another 15 hrs
making changes that they required. In addition to that I have spent over 10 hrs
on the tech line with Bryan trying to fix something he insists is the vehicle’s
“fault.”
The EZ EFI comes in two forms, the 1.0 as FAST calls it
which is the one I have, and the 2.0 which is a few hundred dollars more.
Supposedly the 2.0 is more sophisticated but before I purchased I looked online
for reviews of both systems. I virtually found no bad reviews on the 1.0
system. The 2.0 was another story as it has a small port in the ECU that
accepts an SD card. This is the port for you to download a software update from
their website to upgrade to the latest software. As of December 2013 there had
already been 5 updates for the 2.0 system and the reviews were anything but
flattering. I decided to purchase the 1.0 instead even though there is no way
to update the ECU unless you were to return it to the factory and have it
reflashed. My unit had not been sitting on the shelf at a speed shop as the
software had been installed just days before I received it. I have been messing
with this system now for 8 weeks to no avail, hopefully when the ECU comes back
it will work.
Unfortunately the return of the ECU has shown no improvement.
It has been a tough decision but I have decided to remove the fuel injection.
Repeated tries have yielded nothing in a positive way. Atlanticspeed.com has
shown a real commitment to help me with this problem, as they were the original
dealer that I purchased the FAST system from. They have agreed with me and have credited the entire system and supplied me with the new carburetor and associated parts for the changeover. I am disappointed in the
treatment I have received from FAST on the tech end. Repeatedly they have
claimed the problems are being caused by RFI interference even though the
logging system built into the unit says otherwise. I have replaced the plug
wires, the battery and the alternator on Bryan’s insistence all to no avail. If
this IS an RFI problem, I have to wonder why this whole system doesn’t have
shielding built into the harness rather than to blame the vehicle for the erratic
behavior.
 |
| removal of defective EZ EFI by FAST |
I have heard multiple times that “We have over 10,000 units on the
road trouble free.” I feel insulted every time someone says either that or “We
have never seen that problem before.” We have all heard this from time to time
when talking to a company about a problem we are having with one of their
products, and honestly I expect more from Comp Cams, a parent company of FAST. Also a deciding factor in this removal
is……..What if something were to fail in this system 300 miles from home? Which
would be easier to fix, a car with a carburetor or a car with an aftermarket
fuel injection system?
 |
| Only thing left is patching holes in the floor and firewall |
Because the new owner of this car is not all that fuel
injection savvy I am opting for the removal of the fuel injection and the
addition of an Edelbrock #1400 carburetor. This carburetor is calibrated for
fuel economy and comes with an electric choke. In the next few weeks I will
update the pictures and continue with the technical aspect. Stay tuned!
4 comments:
You know, after reading this article I started looking at forums online about this EZ EFI system by FAST, and it seems you aren't alone in your problems. To watch all the TV shows you'd think this is a fool proof system when in fact the opposite seems to be true! And they tell them the exact same thing RFI problems!
I had a very interesting conversation with a friend who runs a near by dyno that I have used numerous times on different projects. He overheard my conversation about my EZ EFI installation and was curious. He told me that a customer had wanted to use an EZ EFI 2.0 on his engine, so he brought it with him to dyno his engine.
So intent was this customer that he had then continue dyno times in hopes of fixing the problems with the 2.0. Sadly the tech staff at FAST told them the same thing they told me "RFI interference."
After 91 hours and a dyno bill alone of $12,000 it was finally decided to switch over to a carburetor. Final results were obtained within 30 min. and the session had ended.
The dyno operator was told the same thing as me by FAST tech people...."we have over 10,000 of these units on the market."
It appears someone is lying!
Have you heard anything about the MSD Atomic version of a bolt on carb replacement?
The new Edelbrock E-Street version looks pretty cool too, any word on these?
If given the choice between three possible choices, Murphy's law would dictate that I would pick the only one that DOESN'T work....lol......no I haven't heard much from the others so far. Maybe the readers can chime in here
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