Ok here's the deal my distributor was from e-bay and painted red when I got it and said it came off a 72 350 buick So I swapped the gear poped it in my 455 and made sure my coil was getting 12 volts by running it it's own wire. The car has what I consider a magor lack of performance since I installed the HEI. I am changing springs and wondering if it would be beneficial to swap weights from my old points dist into the hei. A picture of my springs are below the rusty ones are off the HEI Should I swap them into the HEI as well? because they are lighter and the car ran great with the points dist.
Buy a set of springs (moroso/summit/jegs/whatever? -they will have 3 (three) SETS of different springs, which you can interchange.. -they are only about 5 or 6 bucks for a whole set.. otherwise, go for the softer springs, and you'll get the advance curve in earlier... Good luck!
ok Well I tried both light springs but it made alot of pop's caused the engine to shift like it had a huge cam and ran like crap. So I tried the light one and the heavy spring and it caused it to do the same just less. So I am thinking since this distributor came off a 350 engine originally that I probably need to buy a set of springs that would go on a buick 455 hei not a buick 350 hei.... Is that possible? I have a stock engine non stage one. This is a 71 electra 225
Do you have a timing light and a working Tach on the car? Setting up your advance is easy if you have these two things. The GM HEI typically has alot of mechanical advance built in to the distributor. That advance in stock form doesn't come in until 4000 RPM plus. Just changing springs without looking at your timing is shooting in the dark. My advice is to buy the Crane adjustable vacuum advance. (Jegs part# 270-99600-1, 22.99) It comes with 3 sets of springs that are awesome. You can get all your advance in as early as 1600 or as late as 3200, and in between points by mixing and matching the springs. But first you need a good advance timing light. Sears makes some of the best. I've tested them against my top of the line Snap -on light and they are very close. The model 2194 is a good one. Once you get the light, adjust it to the total you want to run(try 32*). Then rev the motor slowly(vacuum advance disconnected and plugged) until the timing mark stops moving up. Adjust the distributor at that RPM so that the timing mark lines up with the 0 on the timing tab. At that point you will know your total timing, and the RPM it is all in by. Then you can play with the springs to get your advance in early (like 2500 RPM) You'll also be able to adjust the new vacuum advance cannister for amount and rate of advance. Check with Dave the ignitionman for a better way to limit the advance than what Crane recommends in their instructions. Hope that helps.
smart I am really smart I used both the old springs from my points dist in the hei and it ran too choppy, I ran one light one heavy spring and it ran too choppy so I put it all back the way it was originally to find out I was crossing #3 and #4 plug wires so I just wasted alot of my time only to try it all again later. But thanks for the help i'd buy a kit if I had a job but currently I don't so i'm just trying to stick to the poor man's mods.
