HEI Distributer Upgrade

[Hubert]

I am upgrading my 1974 Roadrunner with a 318 engine with a new HEI Distributer, new coil, and wires. Only instructions are DO NOT USE THIS WITH A BALLAST RESISTER. As we all know 74,s have a resister. Instruction state to attach the red and black wire from new distributer to the coil. So my question is what happens to the wires on the original coil. Don,t know where they go? Also will something not work if the ballast resister and the other 2 items on the fire wall are not hooked up? Does this new HEI replace all of them? Thanks in advance.

 

[Geoff 2]

Is this a GM type HEI dist, 5" cap, coil-in-cap? If so, it has two connections, marked on the cap 'Bat' & 'Tach'. Self explanatory. I am assuming your car has a single bal res. The wires that connect to the bal res need to be connected together & connected to the Bat terminal on the HEI. Job done.
Congrats on the HEI. Open your plug gaps to 0.060".

 

[Pool Fixer]

I do not consider gm HEI on a mopar to be an upgrade. OE mopar electronic ign seems solid enough to me.

 

[Geoff 2]

You might not consider a GM HEI an upgrade, but it is........for a number of reasons:
- more spark energy
- bigger plug gap
- variable dwell
- no bal res to fail
- less external connections, so less failure areas.

HEIs are being made for engines that NEVER had them originally. NOBODY is making Chrys dists for other brands of engine. There is a reason for that.....

 

[73DreamRunner]

I just finished up doing my 73. I dug out the resistors in the back of the ballast and ran a 16 gauge wire to work as a splice for the blue and brown wires and used my original wire to the positive side of the coil. The original negative wire is not used because the negative coming from the hei is used in its place.

 

[Krooser]

You might not consider a GM HEI an upgrade, but it is........for a number of reasons:
- more spark energy
- bigger plug gap
- variable dwell
- no bal res to fail
- less external connections, so less failure areas.

HEIs are being made for engines that NEVER had them originally. NOBODY is making Chrys dists for other brands of engine. There is a reason for that.....

That's because the Chinese haven't made the effort...

 

[Pool Fixer]

You might not consider a GM HEI an upgrade, but it is........for a number of reasons:
- more spark energy
- bigger plug gap
- variable dwell
- no bal res to fail
- less external connections, so less failure areas.

HEIs are being made for engines that NEVER had them originally. NOBODY is making Chrys dists for other brands of engine. There is a reason for that.....

…. in a vacuum with zero context. It’s a 74 Roadrunner with a 318. Great car but I see this as a cruiser scenario. Stock electronic ign system more than adequate… and OP could be out cruising instead of trying to figure out how to rewire his ign system.

 

[RemCharger]

Would that big gross ice cream pail even fit by the firewall? How about aircleaner clearance.

 

[Hubert]

I am upgrading my 1974 Roadrunner with a 318 engine with a new HEI Distributer, new coil, and wires. Only instructions are DO NOT USE THIS WITH A BALLAST RESISTER. As we all know 74,s have a resister. Instruction state to attach the red and black wire from new distributer to the coil. So my question is what happens to the wires on the original coil. Don,t know where they go? Also will something not work if the ballast resister and the other 2 items on the fire wall are not hooked up? Does this new HEI replace all of them? Thanks in advance.

All set. Unhooked the ballast resister and placed a jumper wire between the wires leading in and out of the resister.

 

[71Beeper]

Could have kept the original set-up and did this instead....

 

[Plymouth71]

All set. Unhooked the ballast resister and placed a jumper wire between the wires leading in and out of the resister.

Can you show me in picture or sketch form, I have a Skip White HEI distributor I'd like to try installing. Missing the instructions

 

[RJRENTON]

You might not consider a GM HEI an upgrade, but it is........for a number of reasons:
- more spark energy
- bigger plug gap
- variable dwell
- no bal res to fail
- less external connections, so less failure areas.

HEIs are being made for engines that NEVER had them originally. NOBODY is making Chrys dists for other brands of engine. There is a reason for that.....

To point out some misconceptions......
1. More spark energy.....spark energy is determined by the coil, not the coil's switching device, in this case the GM module. It can handle more coil primary current resulting in higher coil secondary voltage....it's a function of the volts/turn ratio of the coils primary to secondary design and the inductive reactance of the coil.
2. The higher the coil's secondary voltage, the larger the spark plug gap can be tolerated without misfire.
3. Dwell is a function of the module's internal timing network. Dwell is a function of the TIME it takes to recharge (or energize) the coil's primary, IMMEDIATELY after completing the prior spark event. This timing network is a function of the dV/Dt function measuring coil reactance. The reluctor assembly determines WHEN the spark advance is to occur, but the dwell TIME is determined by the module is not variable.
4. Yes...there is no ballast resistor, aka bal res, (to those rhat do not know how to spell the word) is not required as the module can switch the coil's higher primary current.
5. Tes..fewer connections yield less chances of corrosion and failure possibilities
If you're going to comment on an issue or subject, get it correct......
BOB RENTON

 

[Geoff 2]

Bob,
I got ALL of it correct. And I didn't need your help to do it......
Sadly, in your rush to find fault with what I say, you have let bull **** get in the way...again.
You claim that [3] dwell time determined by the module is not variable. Completely wrong....
Below is part of the HEI info released by GM...& how the module controls dwell.
You must lead a very sad life.....

 

[RJ Squirrel]

Thank you Geoff for posting that simple explanation, it was the piece of the puzzle I was missing.