I am looking at going to electronic ignition. I have heard enough bad press about pertronix and others that I've decided on HEI. I would like a plug and play drop in distributor and TA offers one. I am just seeing if anyone has used that one or another like it and their experiences. I have a 72' Buick 350 that runs ok, but I would like a little bit more reliability. Any incite on the matter would help greatly. -Bud
Another drop in HEI distributor conversion using a stock GM case, cap, and rotor is being made by a gentleman named Dave Ray. I have one in my 455 and it runs great. He will build one from your stock distributor with whatever advance characteristics you specify. Here is a link. http://www.davessmallbodyheis.com/
How long was the turn around for you? I would like to keep driving while I wait to do the conversion. Also, did he rebuild your distro or just do the conversion? I like the idea of a new distro, but a rebuilt one would be fine. I have heard great things about his conversions and I like the fact that I won't have to grind on my intake to fit it. Thanks. -Bud
I recall that turnaround was about a month. He completely rebuilds any distributor you send him and it can be the one from your car or, you could send him one from a junk yard so you could keep driving while you wait for yours to come back. Here's a statement from his web site: "When I convert your distributor, I completely rebuild it as a matter of course. I have to completely disassemble the distributor for cleaning and minor machine work to fit parts, so it makes sense to perform repairs and rebuild it at the same time as the conversion. During conversion, I replace both bushings, hard-chrome the main shaft for reduced wear, recondition all parts to be reused, and install new electronics, vacuum advance, cap and rotor. All distributors are curved to the engine and drive-line application, and performance spark tested before return."
Can you tell me which HEI wires you are using? I have been looking up Accel 8mm wire sets for my engine, but can't get a straight answer from any of the supply sites which ones are direct fit replacements. I would like a black set, not neon yellow or baby blue like most of their high performance sets seem to be. Or if there is another brand I should look at, any input is greatly appreciated.
There are no exact fit wires, period. Want them perfect, buy a universal set. They come without the distributor end finished. You cut them exact and install the distributor end and boot. The MSD super conductor wires are what I use. The important thing is that the wire be spiral core, NOT CARBON CORE. Last time I looked Accel wires were carbon core, and that makes them junk IMO. http://www.msdperformance.com/Produ...r_Conductor_8_Cyl_Multi-Angle,_Universal.aspx
Dave does great work. His website is down right now. Dave has had several health issues in past years. Hope he is still with us.
I ended up ordering an HEI unit from TA Performance today. I hope to have it by the end of next week and I'll post how it works out for me. I'll take a look at the MSD wires, I had heard great things about Accel from others, but if they don't live up to the hype then I'll spend my money else where. I'm not looking to drag race my 350, so solid performing HEI 8mm wires are all I'm after. Thanks for everyone's advice so far.
Well, I got the HEI unit from TA Performance. Not sure if it is the unit or my car, but it has yet to run with it in. I thought at first it wasn't getting any spark, because it just kept turning over and over with not even so much as a pop or kick. Checked it out (Pulled a plug and and wire, set it on the washer fluid tank, got spark). Next I figured I was horribly off on my firing order and referenced my manual again and double checked thing interwebs. 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2, I have it memorized by this point. So, I pulled the distro again, reset the timing mark to zero after verifying compression stroke with a gauge. Lined up the #1 pretty much dead on with the cap (felt the notch as I moved the distributor) and tried it again. Not a damn thing. Went through all these steps again, put the points back on, fired up. Tried the HEI, turns and turns. Finally after flooding the carb until it leaked on the manifold, I quit for the night and charged the battery. I tried it again today, restarted from the beginning. If I hold WOT and turn it, it will eventually fire up for a strong second and either die or misfire (like a shotgun) and then die. Tried 180 out, even worse. Went back, sounds like it wants to start and then quits on me. Had the wife crank it while I adjusted the distro and throttle, but couldn't get it. Again I'm going to sleep with a non-running car and 250$ worth of HEI "improvements" sitting dead on the engine. I'm about to say the hell with HEI and go back to my points setup. At least it ran reliable when it warmed up. Any advice or if you think I missed something let me know. Again this is the HEI unit from TA Performance. Obviously not from them, instructions were a one page write up and it came in an unlabeled box with not even a number to call. A little disappointed after having great experience in the past. -Bud
It should start but if you did pull resistor wire and bump voltage up to 12 that could be the issue since its a performance distributor it may need full voltage. Do you have a tach wire in it? If so pull it. Could also be in the could in cap. Try a jumper wire that can be turned off that's 12 volts . recheck all connections. .
Running 12+ volts to the cap from the ignition wire. It's a 72 Buick 350, but my car is an 85 Cutlass which was wired for HEI on the 231 V6 that came with it originally. I actually had to get a ballast to run the points on the 350, which had ran ok until now. I'm starting to think maybe the module is defective or the coil. It doesn't make any sense why I can dial in points right away, but I put this HEI unit in and nothing.
I think someone else had a problem recently with a bad module in a new hei. Pull plug wire and see how strong spark is. If ATS orange at all or weak/ none its possible. Also check and see if there is dielectric grease under module. If not module is bad by now. Its a heat transfer agent.
Good rebuilt stock HEI and get a MSD box, Always guys upgrading to digital selling their used analog boxes cheap, they tend to last a long time.
After a lot of aggrevation, I figured out what the problem was. I alligned TDC again, but this time I left the distributor in. To my surprise the rotor wasn't in the same spot, so I adjusted the wires. Tried firing, fired and died. I alligned it again, to my surprise the rotor was in another spot. That's why it would fire once and backfire or die, the damn rotor kept moving on me. I pulled it and compared it with the points distributor and sure enough it had a 13 tooth gear instead of 14. I'm guessing TA sent me a big block instead of a SBB distributor. So after probably 12 hours in the garage, a gallon at least of fuel, and enough aggrevation to seek counseling. So it wasn't the coil, the module, or anything electrical, it was the F'n gear. So fair warning, if you buy an aftermarket distributor form TA Performance CHECK EVERYTHING!!! It would help if it came with a box with a PN on it, instead of a blank white box and styrafoam so I could verify that's what I bought. Thanks for all the help and hopefully this keeps someone else from going through 3 days of B.S. and chasing your tail. Now I have to decide if it's worth it to send it back to TA or just swap the damn gear myself.
