'71 350. Want Dave's Small Body HEI Conversion. Where to Mount Module?

Stock '71 350 GS. I want to have Dave do a HEI conversion, but I'm confused where to mount the external module.

The core I'm sending him is the 'good' one, that will accept the module underneath the distributor body. However, Dave explained in his spec sheet that it must be mounted externally.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

The module will interfere with the timing cover on the 350, so put it where it is dry and cool. You could put it under your dash lip if you like, it is only two wires...

 

Have you talked to him lately? Last i heard he was way behind & nobody could reach him.o No:

 

I contacted him via email yesterday.

 

Good to hear :beer

 

And he replied? That's good news!

 

Did he respond? Sounds to me like he's still out of commision.This is pasted off " that " Buick site he's on dated 1-09-2010o No:

My name is Milton Stott, and I have been a friend of Dave's for over 30 years, used to hang out at his shop here in So. Cal. when he lived here. I did all kinds of errands and some of the packaging, invoicing and installation sheet, shipping for him.

I have been in contact with Dave just recently, and I should be at his shop in Nevada January 20. He has given me his info on how to post on his account here, and let everybody know his condition, and that I will be going to his shop to get the 7 distributors he has had done for months out to those that have them coming.

I can tell you he just is not happy about those 7 distribuors still being in the shop. I will tell you the person more pissed off about this than all others combined is Dave himself. Even when he is healthy, he can get fully ballistic irritated when things don't go right for his customers. When it is his fault, WHICH IS NOT OFTEN, he just doesn't ever forgive himself.

So far, as it happened, he was injured moving his sister in February, broke two ribs clean off his spine and dislocated his shoulder, almost got impaled on a curtain rod.

He was recovered from that, and had the 7 distributors done, and ready to go. All he had to do was invoice, install sheet, package and ship.

He went to Summit Racing in Sparks, Nv., for parts the next day, and on the way back, was involved in stopping a robbery at a convenience store. He got shot twice, left hip and abdomen. He spent two months in the hospital on that one.

The day after he was out of the hospital, he was at his house, getting ready to go to the shop, AND SHIP THE 7 DISTRIBUTORS OUT, when he collapsed in his driveway, out cold. So, back to then hospital, full respiratory failure, severe lung infection, traced to something he contracted in the two months he spent in the hospital with the gunshot wounds recovery. This gave him no contact with the outside world infrequently, more severely the last few months. Doctors stopped his e/mails and phone, and finally, his internet workings, they just didn't help him get any better. He was put on induced coma at one point, had two operations, and got better. He was pronounced dead twice, and came back, had 2 operations on his lungs.

He was just a couple of days away from getting sprung, when another disaster hit him, while still in the hospital.

He got bit by a black widow spider. They know it was that, because the spider was found dead, under his bed. He is still going back and forth to rehab, he has taught himself how to walk all over again, and now is getting back to being able to speak right again. He is as sharp mentally, as he ever was, but still extremely physically weak. He has lost just over 100 pounds. It hasn't been easy for him, but I know, he is one tough customer, and all these health and injury problems just didn't have a chance taking him out.

As I said, I should be at his shop by January 20, and will ship the completed distributors out when I get the shop office up and running again, shouldn't be a day or so after I get there.

If you have a distributor at Dave's, and it has been there for months, it will get shipped out, by me. Please don't reply to his e/mail, or this posting until the end of January if you don't receive your dist back, it will take that long to get everything back to the usual Dave's craziness and lunacy.

If you have questions, PLEASE hold them until the end of January, and send them via his shop e.mail, info@davessmallbodyheis.com One of us will answer you only after the end of January.

I understand there are NO distributors at Dave's that are NOT done, all are completed and in line to be shipped. I will know more when I get up there.

I am the head purchaser of on the shelf and prescription drugs for a very large chain of drug and notions stores on the west coast, and have taken a leave to get this done for Dave. I am also a car person, and have a number of older cars in my collection, with a few Buicks as well, so I am not unfamiliar with what Dave does, I use over 40 of his conversions in my car collection, and have 4 waiting for him when he gets full on up and running again. I plan on being at Dave's for a full month to help out.

It took me a few months getting info on Dave's condition, and I only got that because of the business I am in, makes it a small bit easier to speak with doctors, not a bunch easier, but a little. I had to rack down where he was first, then contact his doctors. Not being a relative, if I wasn't in "the medical business", I'd have still been in the dark about Dave's conditions.

I do know there are a lot of phone messages and e/mails to read and follow up on already. I'll try to get them all done after I ship the backlog out.

As I said, I hope this is allowed, Dave said it should be OK in my posting this here. When all this stuff is over, I will start an account here, and post here. This will be my ONLY, and last post on Dave's account here.

Regards,

For Dave Ray.
Milton Stott.

 

That is quite a story and nothing you'd wish in anyone.. Poor fella...

I tried to contact him to do a distributor for me but never did get a reply. In the end JW did it and I was very happy with the price and results.

 

I will be at Dave's place on Saturday. From there, I start to get the place working again, so I can get the backlog out. Dave is resp0onding to e/mails and most phone calls, is ambulatory and trying to get the whole thing working again. I figure it'll take a few days to get everything back up to speed there.

I'll know more when I get there.

Then, Dave will go forward from there about the 1st of February.

Dave is pretty beat up, but is in good spirits, and is chomping at the bit to get back into the swing of things. Nice thing about all this is, his mind is still as sharp as it ever was, and he hasn't forgotten anything.

Regards,

Milton

 

Wasn't he also Special Forces??? I heard he is a tough guy, but wow!

- Bill

 

Yes, and a great guy too! I hope you recover soon Dave.ray:

 

I spoke with Dave and I'm going to go with his conversion for my 71 350 GS.

However, I want to keep a stock appearance and I just don't know where to externally mount the module.

People have suggested mounting it on a carb stud or intake manifold bolt, but isn't the module susceptible to heat damage in these areas?

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks

 

Why is there an extra module? Is this different from a pertronix or Crane XRi kit? I have a stock cap with the Crane kit installed by JW and everything fit under it. no extra modules.
Maybe Dave does something different.

 

I have an HEI distrib from Dave for my 71 gs 350, but then decided on MSD (so I have the module you need to mount in my hand). It is a standard GM module used from the 80's, about 4" by 2". You want to keep it dry and cool. If I were using it, I would mount it under dash (both cool & dry and very easy to get to). Were ever you mount it, you must run wires, so go thru the firewall. The mounting holes are 2.125" apart, and I'd say about 3/16" thru holes for mounting.

I think I would use wire ties and strap it up, easy as it gets...

It will NOT fit on either the carb stud or cleaner stud! Needs to be about 1/8" bolt dia.

 

Thanks for the reply, and the pic. Were you happy with Dave's HEI conversion when you were using it?
Thanks

 

Hell yes, best thing going and looks completely stock! Fantastic work and he checks 100% of the performance before he ships back. I P/U mine from him in person when he still lived in Whitter, CA. and brought it with me back to Cincy. He showed me his test equipment, machines and process, what to do for adjustments when on the dyno... :TU: :TU: :TU: Great guy!:Smarty:

 

Dave will build any bracket you can come up with to mount the module. All you have to do is get him a diagram, and it will be made.

I have had Dave build me more than a dozen of his small body HEI's that required remote modules, and I have mounted 8 of them to carb studs, with NO adverse effects, they all work excellent. I have 42 of his conversions in my car collection, not one has ever had a problem.

I, for one, would like to see pictures of the JW true small body HEI conversions, and see just how close to one of Dave's they are. Dave doesn't use Pertronix, Crane (which is now out of business from what others have reported), nor Mallory parts, does use one MSD part for every conversion he does, he builds his own real HEI conversions.

I am leaving for Dave's place tomorrow, should be there tomorrow night. I don't know how bad the shop and his home are, may take a few days to get the whole thing back up and working, so, stay calm. I'll keep everyone up to speed.

Regards,

Milton

 

I'm sure glad someone has finally heard from Dave. I'm not the worrying type, but was getting concerned that nobody had heard from him.

They say truth is stranger than fiction......this sure backs that up.

Glad Dave is one tough customer!!:beer

 

I've known Dave for probably 10 years now. Many only know him online, he's a tough guy with a great personality once you get to know him. I too went thru a similar unfortunate situation as he has recently. Being on a ventilator and induced coma is no walk in the park for a 20 something, let alone someone with wisdom years on them. I was down completely for 6 months and spent another year in therapy. I hope to hear from him at some point, but realize he's got a rough road ahead of him. I wish him the best.

To the guy asking about hei placement. You can make the wires any length you want as it's two wires on each side. However, the unit/module must be mounted to a grounded surface. On my '72 Electra I didn't care where it was and mounted in on the intake manifold using a bracket to mount it. So find a place, route the wires, and make sure it's grounded.

-Guardrail Killer

 

cyberbuick (guardrail killer), Dave says hello to you.

Regards,

Milton