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EFI Swapping A Dragster With A Holley Sniper Stealth 4500: Part 1

By Brian Wagner December 10, 2019Electronic fuel injection (EFI) in drag racing was considered a black art for the longest time — it was mysterious and difficult for those accustomed to carburetors and mechanical fuel injection. As technology has progressed, EFI has permeated every corner of drag racing, but for many grassroots racers, it’s still oft considered too complex. We decided to see how easy an EFI swap could be on a big-block-powered dragster built for bracket racing, using a Holley Sniper Stealth 4500 EFI system.

Carburetors have been a staple in drag racing since the beginning of the sport and most racers are accustomed to making them work. The electronic jets that EFI brings to the table scares many racers, however, the upside to the technology is huge even in a bracket racing application. So why not take your typical big-block Chevy dragster and convert it to EFI to see if there really is a benefit?

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Holley’s Sniper series of EFI systems were designed to make EFI swaps simple on older engines, with its many features like simple wiring, an ECU that’s a part of the throttle body, and self-learning abilities. There are several different systems available from Holley based on an engine’s size and horsepower output that make it easy to get the right one for your application. The Sniper EFI Stealth 4500 is designed for engines that make at 800-1,500 naturally-aspirated horsepower, or up to 1,250 horsepower with forced induction. The throttle body is a direct fit replacement for Dominator-style 4500 flange carburetors on the Sniper 4500.