Holley Avenger EFI System Install - The Conversion Factor

Because there were slight differences between the size and shape between the old carburetor and the new Holley throttle-body, Green had to make minor adjustments to the Corvette’s throttle linkage for it to work properly. Once this was done, the various sensors in the kit were installed and connected to the computer’s wiring harness. These included the Manifold Absolute Pressure Sensor, Idle Air Temperature Sensor, and Throttle Position Sensor. You’ll also have to make a hole in your exhaust system for the Oxygen Sensor. The kit comes with a small bung that must be welded onto your exhaust, allowing you to screw the O2 sensor into position. The instructions will tell you the best location along the exhaust to make this modification, and Green followed its advice and attached it as close to the header collector as possible.

The system also comes with a Water Temperature Sensor that can be installed into the threaded hole typically used for the water temperature gauge-sending unit. You can use the tapped hole in the manifold for the new sensor, but if you need it for your gauge you can use a T-fitting to operate both. Once all the sensors are installed, the main control unit needs to be routed and plugged into the harness.

The ECU that operates the EFI system should be mounted in a location away from heat. This can vary depending on your vehicle and any accessories you have on it. Green built a small panel that allowed the ECU to tuck away neatly inside the inner fenderwell of the Corvette, between the passenger wheelwell and firewall. Since the Corvette will have aluminum panels covering the inner fenders, this made a safe location to protect the ECU from heat and moisture. No matter where you decide to mount your ECU, Green recommends trial fitting everything first.

The wiring harness also has separate power leads to operate the hand-held tuner and the fuel pump relay. You can take a 12V key-on ignition source from your Chevy’s fuse box and attach another lead directly to the battery. A system like this one also has provisions to use with various types of ignition sources. The Holley unit uses an ignition trigger for the injectors. So it’s wise to read the instructions carefully to see all of the scenarios available and wire the trigger lead according to which type of ignition system the vehicle is using. In this application, the Corvette had an MSD Digital Ignition box, which provides an ignition trigger on the side of the unit. This made it easy to wire the fuel injection trigger lead directly into the box.

Once everything was wired and plumbed, Green turned the ignition key and the LCD display on the hand-held turner turned on. It features a simple menu, allowing you to select approximate engine size, horsepower, transmission, and other basic variables of your application. If you’ve ever installed a power programmer onto your late-model vehicle, you can easily operate the Holley unit. Once the selections were made for this particular Corvette, Green turned the ignition to the “on” position and made sure there weren’t any fuel leaks. Then he cranked the engine over and it started without any hesitation. The Holley ECU automatically fine-tunes the fuel and ignition timing to the engine and also takes into account your driving habits to optimize fuel delivery.

The total time it took to install in this application was about six hours. But no laptop or additional tuning on the dyno was needed. It will be a while before the Corvette gets back on the road and to the track, but judging from the smooth idle from this 500hp street engine, we bet it will perform admirably on both the street and strip. Holley also makes a similar self-tuning system in a multiport fuel-injection design that is available for a variety of engine sizes and applications. But the Avenger EFI system is probably the easiest to install, and can really make a difference in improving your Chevy’s power and fuel economy in a matter of hours.