Stock PCM/wiring or Holley Terminator X?

[Bob Kazamakis]

So due to a drunk, my 14 caprice is no longer my daily driver. Bought it back from insurance and now plan on dropping the L77 (alloy gen 4 6.0) into my 1970 Buick with a manual trans. Engine has a basic bitch BTR ls3 stage 2 cam and supporting mods.

Looking at what it takes to get it running and trying to figure out if it’s worth trying to cut down stock wiring and buy HPT to try and tune it or just drop the coin on a terminator X kit. https://www.holley.com/products/ls_power/ls_efi_systems/parts/550-905


so what would you sloppy boys do?
Boost isn’t out of the question since I’d be getting headers and shit for it anyways, might as well buy different China headers Or Holley turbo manifolds.

so what would you sloppy boys do?

Click to read more...

 

[truckdoug]

if you dont already have HP tuners, holley

 

[1quick]

I’d do the terminator x deal, it looks solid with tons of extras over what a stock pcm would do, I’m planning to do something similar on my boat next year carb to efi conversion with the self tuning feature

 

[flynfrog]

As a HPtuners user get a Holley. HPtuners is the worst company in the biz. They keep screwing over their customers and bricking people devices. You also wont have to fight the factory ecu and get lots more features.

 

[Jon01]

Do you care about keeping the stock dash/gauges functional?
If so, I'm not aware of a way to run Holley stuff and maintain stock outputs...I could be very wrong here as it's been a while since I dug around on it and then I didn't dig very deep.

 

[truckdoug]

Do you care about keeping the stock dash/gauges functional?
If so, I'm not aware of a way to run Holley stuff and maintain stock outputs...I could be very wrong here as it's been a while since I dug around on it and then I didn't dig very deep.

you can do a side-by-side install to keep factory gauges and bcm stuff happy

 

[Jon01]

you can do a side-by-side install to keep factory gauges and bcm stuff happy

Good to know - I was hoping to run a T-X in my boat.
In that case, no reason at all to mess around with stock controller/harness. The Holley stuff is better in every respect IMO.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

Do you care about keeping the stock dash/gauges functional?
If so, I'm not aware of a way to run Holley stuff and maintain stock outputs...I could be very wrong here as it's been a while since I dug around on it and then I didn't dig very deep.

This is going in a 1970 Buick and its got a mechanical speedo, speedhut tach and speedhut typical gauges (volts, temp, oil pressure)

 

[Jon01]

This is going in a 1970 Buick and its got a mechanical speedo, speedhut tach and speedhut typical gauges (volts, temp, oil pressure)

Exactly. I'm not sure how you get the stock speedo working with a Holley system.
Do they have any kind of output to drive one of the many conversion boxes?
Or do you have to find a way to get the output out of the trans?

 

[denmah]

transmission aspect is abig one, usually the holley take the wheel is the way to go unless you want the 6l80e, but honestly its more than likely easier to sell it working and good and 80e swap and do wild things all 100% supported with holley, other than stock gauges and other things right, it all depends on the goals and more

 

[truckdoug]

Exactly. I'm not sure how you get the stock speedo working with a Holley system.
Do they have any kind of output to drive one of the many conversion boxes?
Or do you have to find a way to get the output out of the trans?

there is a speedo output in the harness, you dont need to burn an output to run a dakota digital/speedhut/jegs

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

Exactly. I'm not sure how you get the stock speedo working with a Holley system.
Do they have any kind of output to drive one of the many conversion boxes?
Or do you have to find a way to get the output out of the trans?

I’m still not sure what trans I’m running. The car has a Muncie m21 currently, if I can find a t56 for a reasonable price I’ll snag one of those. Ok also not opposed to doing a speedhut gps or digital speedo. No auto for this car.

 

[truckdoug]

depends what you wanna do with it. cant beat the close ratio for auto-x and general fun having. i'm working on a '66 chevelle with an m20 and we've decided to change motors rather than rustle up an m21 or m22. its easier to get more cubes than find a good rock crusher lol

drag car? auto hands down.

also gps speedos have come a looooooong way. they are more than acceptable now.

 

[LikeABauce302]

Go with the Holley system. It reduces a lot of wiring headache.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

depends what you wanna do with it. cant beat the close ratio for auto-x and general fun having. i'm working on a '66 chevelle with an m20 and we've decided to change motors rather than rustle up an m21 or m22. its easier to get more cubes than find a good rock crusher lol

drag car? auto hands down.

also gps speedos have come a looooooong way. they are more than acceptable now.

My goal is just plain fun

 

[Racer X Garage]

I cant say enough good things about Terminator X. The idea of using a factory pcm/harness is not something I will ever consider after working with the Term X. On that car you can get the OG gauges to work with the exception of the speedometer unless you keep the 4 speed. Just have to maybe use some thread adapters to match the factory sending units for oil/coolant.

 

[Great White Drake]

The x system came out a year after I spent like $1600 on a speartech harnes which uses factory computers. But I needed a gas pedal and everything from scratch.

I’m still contemplating selling it all to go x. Fml

 

[Boostie]

Terminator X wiring was super easy. Essentially plug in and play other than some basic power connections to get a engine running.

 

[codemanrose]

Look at my pic lol. BUT, I typically have people go towards termx stuff as they are so broad in everything they want to do. It's the easy factor and just one size fits all.
I'm cheap AF and do my own harnesses and the stock stuff does 95% of the stuff I want. Anything else I need I either look at arduino to finish it off or 3rd party.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

So the car I’m pulling the engine from is a factory flex fuel car. Will the Holley kit work with the factory e85 sensor stuff?

 

[flynfrog]

yes

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

Nice!

Hoping to use as much as I can from the car. Unsure about using the fuel pump or not. I know it’s the same part number as a zl1 camaro pump so might be enough for a a modified dontbsme build.

Another score is the hefty power cable and grounds since its got the battery in the trunk too.

 

[flynfrog]

you can always start with it and change it out or add one when you run out of fuel.

Matt was using the ECU to turn on a second pump under boost.

Focus on getting the car running not nailing down every detail or else you end up in Boomer ARP doing it right project on jackstands land.

 

[daturbosix]

holley. its so cost efficient and user friendly.

its almost cheaper than doing a stock PCM/HPT setup.

 

[daturbosix]

oh, and just buy the X Max. in case down the road you want to shove a modern auto in it.