Standard Distributor to HEI

RAILSKINNER · Addicted!

Standard Distributor to HEI

dualquadpete · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Not a "heck" of alot to do, once you have the dist. in & timed. All you need is a "full" 12V source wire, that's switched by the key!!! Don't use the existing wire as it will either be a resistor wire that cuts the voltage back to 7 to 9 v for your points set up or may have ballist resister that does the same thing!! Hook up to 12v keyed source & away you go.

RAILSKINNER · Addicted!

futher looking at the HEI. i noticed 2 places that a wire can go to . one TAC the other ones BAT so this is probuly where the 12 volt supply goes too

Beaumont4008 · Uber Guru

Yes the Bat is were it goes.

mike67sd · Veteran Member

The best way to do it is to run a whole new wire from the fuse block to the distributor.

Like Pete says, make sure it is switched on by the key and you're laughing.

The little coil wire (supposedly) wont be able to supply enough current at start up. Try 14 guage wire and you can either connect to the plug with the battery and tach connections (if you got one with the distributor) or you can put the little female connectors on your power and tach wires to hook up to the male bayonet connectors on the HEI.

I recommend getting a curve kit for your HEI while youre at it, and if you like to tune like I do, an adjustable vacuum advance as well. If you have a cam with more duration and or overlap than the stock model in your engine, you probably have the initial timing at around 18 BTDC and it should be about 38 BTDC all in, or you may find you get detonation at certain RPM ranges ( usually above 3500 RPM)

Good luck and enjoy the HEI.

Elroy · Poncho Master!

you can go right off the back of your ign switch too. Remove the existing igniter wire and replace it with a 14 or 12 guage wire direct to the dist.

dualquadpete · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

RAILSKINNER wrote:

futher looking at the HEI. i noticed 2 places that a wire can go to . one TAC the other ones BAT so this is probuly where the 12 volt supply goes too

This is the spot, 12 volt to BATT. Tac terminal is for Tachometer if you have one in car, if not,it's there when you want to hook one up!!!

1965CS · Guru

Also make certain there is no voltage drop on the wire during cranking. I had this problem randomly where sometimes the voltage would drop to 7-8 volts....not enough to fire.

Beaumont4008 · Uber Guru

1965CS wrote:

Also make certain there is no voltage drop on the wire during cranking. I had this problem randomly where sometimes the voltage would drop to 7-8 volts....not enough to fire.

Thats right . I have also heard of this on some older cars. If this is the case you would have to run another wire from your R terminal on your starter and splice it in your wire going to your Bat terminal on your distributor. That way it gets a solid 12 volts on the start mode.

-- Edited by Beaumont4008 on Monday 8th of March 2010 11:52:56 AM

87 player bird · Poncho Master!

Depending on the engine (350, 400, etc...) You could probably still pull one from a post 75-77 carin the wreckers, re-build it for under 150$. Might just need the"brain on top of the cap replaced. Hei Distributer is the way to go. Or you can shell out big bucks for a billet one that fits under the origonal cap. Either way, good luck.

Beau67SD · Veteran Member

Been following this thread on wiring a HEI dist. so thought I would take a look at mine last nite...hummmm, looks like all that was added was a plug in to the end of the old + wire from the coil. Checked voltage with key on and cranking and it only gets 8-9 volts. Seems to start OK but will probably be better with a full 12volts! So I assume the White/Red/Black cross tracer wire from the bulkhead is a resistor wire? (I have a wiring diagram so I make me appear that I know what I am talking about LOL) Does the yellow wire to the solinoid need to be 12V or is it sending 12V to the old coil at startup/ or does it get 8-9V at startup to supply the solinoid? I guess I am asking which way the power goes on the yellow one,from the coil or from the solinoid. What I need to do then is run a 12V from the back of the Ign Switch (12 P) purple wire directly to the HEI and by pass the White /Red / Wire?? Thanks!!

Beaumont4008 · Uber Guru

The yellow wire from the solinoid R terminal supplies the coil with 12 V on start up only after started there will be no power from this wire. The resistor wire then supplies the 9v to the coil positive terminal. Some have no problem with out the yellow wire hooked up to the HEI but we had a board members car that would not start until this wire was hooked up. And have heard of others. Does not hurt to hook it up to be on the safe side.

RAILSKINNER · Addicted!

This is Great info Guys

RAILSKINNER · Addicted!

gonna tackle the wiring this weekend hope she starts

66 Beau · Poncho Master!

If you fire it up and it won't shut off - the power supply to the distributor is still powered up. It needs to be fed from a source that gets switched off when the key is turned off.

If you crank and crank and it won't fire but you get a little bark when you let off the starter (it might even catch just as you give up and let off the starter) then the power to the distributor is on a circuit that gets cut out when the starter engages (like the headlights).

Ask me how I learned both of these!

timbuk · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

ok my 6 banger nova hei has one wire from the hei coil to the terminal on the starter farthest away from the engine. been having problems starting,do i need a new source from ignition?

timbuk · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

timbuk · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

timbuk · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

how did my car even run always had intermittent starting trouble over the years.......

427carl · A Poncho Legend!

87 player bird wrote:
Depending on the engine (350, 400, etc...)
You could probably still pull one from a post 75-77 carin the wreckers, re-build it for under 150$.
Might just need the"brain on top of the cap replaced. Hei Distributer is the way to go.
Or you can shell out big bucks for a billet one that fits under the origonal cap. Either way, good luck.

OR http://www.jegs.com/i/Accel/110/59107C/10002/-1

rabbit64cs · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I always run a 12 g from the ignition , giving a solid 12 v to the hei. You can leave the wire from the Starter if you want , the one that is only live while in the crank mode, that way...the hei is hot while cranking.

Magician40 · Poncho Master!

Roger is correct, just use constant 12v from the ignition fuse box to the BAT terminal on the HEI. Don't worry about starter wire connections. My TACH hooks up to the TACH terminal on the HEI and works perfectly. This up grade makes the engine start better, idle smother. One thing no one mentioned is you have to open up your spark plug gap. I fiddled around and use a gap of 43 from the stock 35. Put in new AC44's at 43 gap (327), new wires and the engine will run like new. Good luck.
Brian

hawkeye5766 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

timbuk wrote:
ok my 6 banger nova hei has one wire from the hei coil to the terminal on the starter farthest away from the engine. been having problems starting,do i need a new source from ignition?

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Yes: I think the only way your car would run, is if the wire you have from your srarter to your coil is looped with your ignition wire that goes to your switch. In otherwords two wires on your " r " terminal or wires have been spliced somewhere. Have seen it done before but wouldn't think it works very well. The longer the wire run the more the voltage drop.

68 327 4spd · Poncho Master!

Magician40 wrote:
Roger is correct, just use constant 12v from the ignition fuse box to the BAT terminal on the HEI. Don't worry about starter wire connections. My TACH hooks up to the TACH terminal on the HEI and works perfectly. This up grade makes the engine start better, idle smother. One thing no one mentioned is you have to open up your spark plug gap. I fiddled around and use a gap of 43 from the stock 35. Put in new AC44's at 43 gap (327), new wires and the engine will run like new. Good luck.
Brian

Are you saying that you have a factory tach working with a HEI.?

timbuk · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

haha threw in a new module car fired up stilled wired to far side of solinoid is that a good enough place or get new power thru ign