I have a 96 F150 that I have worked with several tuners to get lined out, but it just isn't "right". I bought the truck for my son 4 years ago when he turned 16 with the understanding that if he didnt wreck it before graduation we'd turn it up. When we bought it , it was a "show truck" with lots of bling (most of it shiny and half assed) so I spent a lot of time sorting out charging and cooling issues due to an overtaxed charging system and mismatched cooling fans etc...It has an Edelbrock performer EFI intake and throttle body, shorty headers, cobbled together cold air kit for the factory MAF that I have fixed the vacuum leaks and corrected the IAT sensor placement and wiring. it also has WAY too much cam, sounds great but its a dog and he drove it that way for 2 years. It was reliable but truly down on power ,that didnt bother me for a 16 y/o, but after a while the nasty idling truck that couldnt pull the skin off pudding needed to be fixed. The 96 model has a hybrid OBD I/II one year only EEC system and I have worked with 3 major tuners but no one can seem to get a workable tune for it. I have spent more time and money than I care to admit and could have just bought the Holley system to begin with (which I thought about) but thought at the time I could save a few bucks and didnt need 10 10ths performance. Mechanically compression and leak down are solid, no vacuum leaks, fuel pressure is good. I haven't pulled the engine down past valve covers and intake but the internals at that level are clean no indications of poor maintenance etc.. in short I dont see a mechanical issue. The plugs look good (light tan / light grey) SO has anyone used the Terminator X Max system on one of these trucks? I know that there is a Fox system and feedback from those users is welcome but I'm looking for info on the "universal" system in particular. My son is coming home on leave soon and I'd like to at least let him know I have a plan to get the truck running right. Any feedback is welcome. Obviously this will be a bracket racer only as it is fully emissions deleted (bought that way) but I'm planning on keeping PS PB and A/C so its easier and more comfortable in the staging lanes...so off road only solutions are welcome as long as all systems work normally. Any feedback is welcome, Thanks
Holley terminator x max for 96 F150
- Thread starter OKSnake08
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I would think of the Holley as more engine specific that vehicle specific. What engine does that truck have 2V 4.6? Either way, I’d look into buying the Holley that fits that engine and not the truck, per say. I wouldn’t go with a universal kit. You might want to figure out what you need for harnesses and piece together a kit. Look at specific things like fuel rail pressure, and the compatibility for your stock gauges. I put that system in my Cobra clone and it wasn’t as simple as plug and play. Ended up having to buy the Holley Digital dash and a few other sensors as well in order to make it all function. For cheap, but reliable sensors, check out LowDollarMotorsports.
If you’re serious about doing it I can give you the number for a remote tuner that is absolutely great with Holley EFI and will help you put together the necessary kit. He helped me a ton with my car. Great guy.
Sam
If you’re serious about doing it I can give you the number for a remote tuner that is absolutely great with Holley EFI and will help you put together the necessary kit. He helped me a ton with my car. Great guy.
Sam
It’s a 302 4R70W so it looks like p/n 550-943 is what I will need but I haven’t talked to Holley tech yet. The online info looks like it has GM weatherpack connectors, is that why you needed different sensors? Dash compatibility is another concern since this year gets its speedo signal from the rear end via a tone ring. The system runs ~$1700 and I figure it will probably be double that by the time all the “Surprise!” issues pop up and get corrected. Is your ECU in the cabin or under the hood? Initially I thought Holley said it had to be on the interior but after reading the install guide they say it can be under hood as long as it is protected from spray and the connectors face down. I know it isn’t like the dominator ECU which can be mounted externally. Looked at the dominator but it seems like overkill for this app and a steeper learning curve to tune. After all was said and done are you happy with the performance and drivability? I appreciate your feedback on this and if there are any sites or sources that were helpful to you please pass those along. Thanks, A.T.
I needed a fuel pressure sensor that I used on my fuel pressure regulator after converting the car over to a return style fuel system. Also, I needed an oil pressure sensor in order to monitor that via the Holley digital dash.
Your dash will be the biggest thing to iron out. In my case, as similar to yours, it was just more cost effective and easier to buy the digital dash.
The Dominator is a great ECU and has a ton more outputs, which can be helpful, but at what cost? A good deal more.
Look into how you’ll be wiring your fans as well, that will take up some outputs.
All in all, after working out some kinks, the Holley is great. Most of the kinks were installer error on my part or tuning issues. Once you get the hang of the tuning software, it’s real easy and allows for some serious fine tuning. Don’t be mislead about the “self-learning” thing. Yes, the system will adjust the fuel mapping on its own in order to stay at targeted commanded a/f, but it’s not as simple as slap it in and it’ll learn the rest.
If you pull the trigger, my best advise would be to reach out to my tuner from the start. Let him build your tune and get all the bugs out from the get go. At the same time, you will learn a great deal about the software, so it’s a win-win.
Your dash will be the biggest thing to iron out. In my case, as similar to yours, it was just more cost effective and easier to buy the digital dash.
The Dominator is a great ECU and has a ton more outputs, which can be helpful, but at what cost? A good deal more.
Look into how you’ll be wiring your fans as well, that will take up some outputs.
All in all, after working out some kinks, the Holley is great. Most of the kinks were installer error on my part or tuning issues. Once you get the hang of the tuning software, it’s real easy and allows for some serious fine tuning. Don’t be mislead about the “self-learning” thing. Yes, the system will adjust the fuel mapping on its own in order to stay at targeted commanded a/f, but it’s not as simple as slap it in and it’ll learn the rest.
If you pull the trigger, my best advise would be to reach out to my tuner from the start. Let him build your tune and get all the bugs out from the get go. At the same time, you will learn a great deal about the software, so it’s a win-win.
E-Fan add-on module (Sealed)
Dual Electric Fan Module. Sealed unit with dual 35A relays and fuses. Simple hookup for adding 2 fans to any vehicle. Even Holley EFI
www.currentperformance.com
Look at this website for additional parts that may be needed. As well as LowDollarMotorsports for additional sensors.
Thank you again for the information, if you don’t work for Holley they should hire you as a spokesman. Just kidding around, the real life “this is how it works info” was what I have been looking for and your feedback was exactly that. The “plug it in , start it up, and let it do all your tuning seemed to good to be true so , yep , it is. But it does seem to be an easier to learn so a better bet for me. I’m just tired of paying insurance on a non runner and getting the “hey it used to run then you worked on it” look from my son when he’s home on leave. If this doesn’t work I’ll just put a 100’ copper rod into the tank and let Oklahoma weather take care of it. Whole new level of Lightning. Shoot me your tuners contact when you get a chance and thanks again for the info. It’s after work Friday so Cheers! Thanks, A.T.
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