Howell Odd Fire V6 Fuel Injection Kit Install

After reading Scott's thread about changing his intake gaskets to solve an unstable idle issue, I broke down and threw a set of intake gaskets in it.
I could not directly find any leaks. And the gaskets made no improvement in idle. At least its an easy job on a Buick.....

 

Small update.....
I should have a replacement tach filter tomorrow or Monday. I called and explained the bouncing rpm signal to Troy from Howell.
He gave me a series of electrical tests to preform. The tach filter failed those tests.
When I asked what would cause the tach filter to fail he told me it could either the Petronix damaged it.... or my HEI has an issue.
Troy is not a fan of the Petronix setups...... I told him that he should tell Matt (owner of Howell) that he just bought me a tach filter.....

 

I installed the new tach filter after work yesterday. The jeep fired right up and high idled smooth (cold start).
As soon as the idle dropped down it started to idle funny. Check engine light came on with a MAP sensor code and a rich exhaust code. I had been doing various electrical and injector pulse tests prior to installing the new filter so I disconnected the battery to clear them. After connecting the battery I fired the jeep up and it idled pretty darn good. Not perfect but just about acceptable.

As I closed the hood my phone started exploding. One of my dads neighbors shot a pig on their property (back pasture) but it escaped into ranch land and they couldn't bear the thought of it suffering.... "Bay area transplants"
I loaded up the dog, rifle and headed out in the jeep to recover the critter. We intersected the pigs trail perpendicularly and the dog instantly picked up on blood. I have no idea what has gotten into my dog lately but she took off running full speed down the trail in the direction that the pig went.... this left me no choice but to run that direction as well. Out through the pasture, over the fence, down a hill, through oak roughs, across dry creek bed and up a big hill on the other side stood the pig just below the crest. My dog was about 100 yds from the pig but on its trail and closing fast. Not wanting my dog to interact with a wounded pig.... or have to chase the pig once it crested the hill I decided I needed to take a shot. Taking a knee in the dry creek bed I cracked a round off. Don't know what happened there but the pig did a 180 and acted startled but un-hit. Now my dog was at 50 yds and closing with the pig was facing her direction. Estimating the yardage @ 250-275 but treating it like it was 200 due to the uphill angle...... I told my self to calm down and take another shot. The shot felt good and I heard the bullet impact the pig as dirt/dust flew off him. He fell and was kicking as my dog arrived, ran a wide circle around the pig before sitting down and looking back my direction as if to say "I found it."
Relieved that I was able to avoid a wounded pig/dog encounter I walked back to the pasture to get the jeep before driving it up the hill to get the pig.
Turns out the neighbor shot the pig in the jaw...... maybe thats why they specifically said they didnt want it to suffer? They must have know they had no business shooting a pig.....




Back to the fuel injection.......

I was not even a mile down the road after clearing the code when the check engine light came on again. I continued on to deal with the pig and checked it when I got back home. Code 45 rich exhaust.......... I could have guessed it by the smell.
Before changing the tach filter I had a constant lean problem..... now it's too rich......
My guess is that the poorly filter signal was causing the computer to not feed enough fuel...which I increased fuel pressure to compensate for. Now that the computer is receiving the proper signals the increased pressure is supplying too much fuel. Perhaps the new prom chip that I received, but have not installed, will not be necessary after all.
It would appear that the tach filter was damaged some how by the petronix coil..... and I have been fighting that all along. This is what Troy from Howell is thinking.
Next step will be to hook up the scanner to see what the Block Learn/Integrator numbers are and lower fuel pressure accordingly.

 

well did you keep the pig

 

I gave it to a readily accepting family.....

 

Turned out that, Yes. It needed a new gasket. It was old. The real problem turned out to be a bad Throttle Position Sensor.

 

I hooked the scanner up and took a look at the block learn and integrator numbers. Both were in the low 100’s at idle. Explains the rich condition....
I lowered the fuel pressure to 12 but the numbers were a tick too lean..... upped it to 13 and everything looks good.
We took the Jeep out to run errands today... 60 miles or so total. I’m pretty happy with how it runs.

 

Here it is..... I still need to button up the spark plug wires and TBI harness.

 

Glad to hear it's doing good!

 

Nice job following this through to completion. It sounds like if the tach filter hadn't gotten damaged it would be a near bolt-on.

 

I think it would be a bolt on project.

 

So with out going back through all the posts the pertronix killed the tach filter? So if I end up buying this kit I need to swap in an HEI distributor and get rid of my pertronix?
Thanks Todd

 

That would be Troy's opinion at Howell. When I asked him how the Pertronix could have killed the filter, he couldn't say...... I think his quote was...."they are just wierd... um they do wierd shi*..... HEI will always be better".
I really have no idea my self.... perhaps we need another guinea pig to try it...... Howell replaced my filter under the 90 day warranty.

 

Well, since this is a known issue with Pertonix, might have been the first thing to look at? I dunno? Maybe this is the first time they have seen this?

 

So did Troy ask about your ignition first when all the troubles started?

 

the issue is known by Howell how I wonder? other engines?

 

When I ordered it the owner said as long as I didn't have points it would be fine.
The first time I called for tech support Troy said I should get an HEI.

 

For those unfamiliar the hei has a dedicated tach output at the distributor where the pertronix replaces points and you still wire the tach to the coil. There could very well be a issue with it not talking the sweet nothings as the pcm likes.

 

so you could be getting crazy signals possibly from the coil?

 

That is the thought. Or possible that the old school coil setup is prone to voltage spikes?