My experience with an HEI conversion

So I had a thread going about troubleshooting my Duraspark, where I resolved to try an HEI. First I was gonna use just the module, but my cap and rotor were pretty tired too, distributor was questionable, and pretty soon it started to make sense to use one of these "Wysco" branded GM+Ford bastard HEI distributors on eBay. For the ~$80 it costs, I think you just can't beat that for having a complete new ignition system. Time will tell if it lasts, but it seems like a quality part. It's billet aluminum, probably built by the finest 8-year-old crafstmen the third world has to offer, but man does it run! Really did the trick. No more stumbling, revs to the sky and pulls all the way. Also it's kinda nice to pull all that ugly Duraspark parphenalia out and replace it with just one part. Check it out:







I did have to get an offset air cleaner 'cause the HEI is a bit bigger than the Ford distributor and a regular drop-base 14" won't clear it. But with that and the new wires, sure makes for a shiny and colorful engine, don't you think?

 

it looks good

 

How does it wire up? Looks like 5-6 wires coming out of it (not counting the plug wires).

Been looking at them on e-bay...

 

I would just tuned up my Duraspark for less than 80 bux and kept it.

The HEI is big and ugly IMO.

To each his own.

 

1 wire to power, and 1 wire for tach scott. we run em in every thing here.

 

But there are a couple of other wires coming out of it...looks like 3 at the top, 3-4 at the bottom.

 

Need some info on that radiator thxs Greg

 

Looks like Summit (Griffin) circle track, 19X22.

 

Think the radiator came from Jeg's... Those other wires you see on the distributor are just running from under the cap to the coil on top. Only wire from the car I'm using is the original +12 coil wire, and eventually I'll use the tach conenction. All this came out:



...Surely you don't think the HEI is more ugly than that? Maybe I could have fixed up the Duraspark for what I spent, don't know, but HEI is a really good system. Some times the "other guys" do get something right. I would put a Ford rearend in my Chevy. Why not a Chevy ignition in my Ford?

 

Is there a similiar conversion for the I6 engines. Specificaly the 250 ??

 

A quick look tells me probably not, BUT, are Ford V8 distributors physically capable of being put on an I6? Either the 302, 351, 429/460? 'Cause there are HEIs available for all those, and maybe if you could bolt on that distributor body then you can take the guts and cap for a 4.3 or 3.8 GM V6 HEI and that should work. Or you could just use the 4-wire HEI module and an external coil on a freshened-up Ford distributor...

 

So the coil is on top. Never really paid attention to that. It alot cleaner though.

 

You didn't put the spark plugs back?!?

That is one bada$$ distributor then!

Seriously, I don't know what half that crap is.
I like to run the DS distributor, MSD box, and coil.
Pretty simple to me, and I can run whatever air cleaner and carb combo I want.
My uncle went with that HEI and found that he had to relocate/change fuel lines, air cleaner, and move his custom MC bar.

Also, GM guys aren't crazy about that system like you would assume.
They retain coil/module frying heat inside!
GM guys that know what they are doing convert to a remote coil and remote module (read MSD box) to beat the heat.

It's all personal preference I suppose.
But clean that DS up that's in the pic, and it's beauty in my eyes...
There is pros and cons for everything I suppose.

 

Well, the plugs and wires did go back in. =) That's a Duraspark module, some kind of vacuum switch, remote coil, half a pound of nasty old wiring harness, and one floppy worn out distributor.

Technically when you run an MSD box it's really not a Duraspark OR an HEI anymore. I agree MSD is better than HEI, (better than Duraspark too) but apples to apples... You're just using the pickup from the old system at this point, and in that case I'd say any decent distributor should work fine.

I guess I just decided to run the HEI because I was fed up chasing gremlins. Too many possibilities. I knew that a full swap of the ignition system was a certain fix, and HEI was something I'm familiar with. And I replaced five ugly parts with one shiny one... Shiny and bright red... Hey I bet that's the problem!

Whenever I replace the cap I promise to get a blue one.

 

That setup is available for the I6's. I think a few guys over on Ford Six are running them (and love them from what I read). I personally am running just the HEI module mounted to a heat sink on the firewall. Still using a Duraspark II distributor. It works well.