After reading about Melford's issues with his Sniper system, I thought it might be helpful for those running a Sniper system on their rigs to post all things helpful in regards to making the Sniper system function as it should. Maybe this will turn into a good first read for those looking to purchase and run the system. The following are my experiences with the system:
1. Fuel Starvation - when running a tank with no baffles such as the MTS poly tank etc., you can run into fuel starvation issues when running low on fuel and in situations of hard breaking or extreme angles where the fuel can't be picked up to continue providing high fuel pressure to the Sniper unit.
In my situation, I choose to extend the stock pickup tube all the way to the bottom of the tank. I used some 3/8 submersible fuel line. I cut my pickup tube, flared the hard line and installed the tube to extend it to the bottom of the tank. I also flared the piece of hard line I cut off and used it at the bottom end of the submersible line so that I could attach the stock pickup screen to filter out any large sediment etc. Others have used things such as a Holley Hydramat to combat similar fuel related issues. Also, Novak makes an in tank pump that can be run in place of the stock unit. BJ's also sells a baffled tank that fits in the spare tire area. Other manufacturers also make tanks as well, or one could be custom made to incorporate baffles and an in tank pump. Some have also made use of a surge tank and kept the original fuel lines in place to feed the surge tank.
2. Voltage - The Sniper unit seems very voltage dependent. Drops in voltage due to using different items such as the heater, power windows, locks, etc. seem to upset the sniper to the point where it may shut itself down.
In my situation, I am considering going to either a higher amperage alternator, or a one-wire setup. Having am AGM battery probably would not hurt as well.
3. Heat - While the stock Sniper fuel pump is pretty good, having it external and not submerged in fuel could potentially cause some heat related issues. Although I have not read many experiences with this, but just something to be aware of. Take heat into consideration when choosing a mounting location for the pump, as well as the routing of all fuel lines to the Sniper unit.
In my situation, I have the pump mounted on the frame rail just in front of the tank. The fuel lines are run in the stock location. I removed my factory hard lines just to clean up the engine bay etc.
4. Fixed vs. Progressive Linkage - The four barrel version of the Sniper system comes with a fixed linkage. This causes all four barrels to open at the same time on any throttle input. While it makes for some great off the line performance, every day driving becomes a little more difficult. Full return spring pressure is required to open the throttle which can make the pedal feel very stiff. EFISystemPro (
https://www.efisystempro.com/sniper-efi ... inkage-kit) makes a progressive linkage for the Sniper system. This allows the opening of the extra two barrels to happen closer to the 40-50% throttle mark. This allows only one return spring to be utilized on the initial and smaller throttle pressure below 40-50%, making the pedal feel much nicer from a start.
In my situation, this was a night and day change for me. Made things feel back to normal as far as everyday driving. Still able to achieve the punch of all four barrels when needed, but at a much higher throttle input. You will have to adjust your sniper tuning to accommodate for this install, but the process is straightforward and easy.
Looking forward to everyone's input!