![]() |
Register or Log In To remove these advertisements. |
|
|
![]() |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
![]() |
#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 153
|
Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
Thanks to Geezer I did fix my surge issue. Turns out once I researched how to adjust a Quadajet the passenger side screw was turned all the way in. Motor was starving for enough air for the air/fuel mixture. Idles nice and low and smooth now!!!
My next question is what is the opinion of the board members on keeping points ignition or upgrading to HEI distributor setup??? Not a daily driver by any means but I want this truck reliable - just not sure it is worth the $$. I guess I could keep the factory setup parts in case someone wanted it original some day since it is very original with 64K on it... What do we think????? |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#2 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Victoria, B.C
Posts: 3,794
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
The HEI's are a very popular choice...and way, way better than a points ignition....but anything probably is.
For myself, I use the pertronix electronic ignition system in order to keep the original look by leaving the original distributor and cap, wires etc. Its your own choice...but I would definitely lose the points ignition if thats what you have. Coley
__________________
....for some men, there is experience, skill and effort....for the others...there is visa and UPS LOL 1966 Chevy 1/2 ton (Florida- Red/white) 1972 Chevy 1/2 ton (California- Blue/white) 2005 Chevy Silverado HD2500/Duramax 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#3 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2012
Location: moose jaw, sk
Posts: 92
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
I would go HEI, I have a couple extras pm me
Blaine |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#4 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Bowser
Posts: 13,602
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
Hei is quite tight on the firewall.
Go with a pertronix like Coley suggests. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 153
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
If I change the distributor I always find it very hard to find top dead center when working by myself. What I do is note where the rotor is pointing on the old dizzy then drop the new one pointing at the same direction that I have pre marked in the engine bay.
Is this acceptable??? Looking for the boards opinion on what I usually do. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#6 |
Who Changed This?
![]() Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Simi Valley, CA
Posts: 10,392
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
Just drop the new one pointing in the same direction. You won't have to do that with a Pertronix, and it is as reliable as an HEI (though I have an HEI in mine- it came for free). It's also dead simple to install. You won't have to hunt for where to plug in another power wire, or to route it.
__________________
~Steven '70 Chevy 3/4T Longhorn CST 402/400/3.56 Custom Camper Simi Valley, CA |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#7 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Bowser
Posts: 13,602
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
Point the rotor at #1 on the cap every time and you can't go wrong.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#8 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Idaho Falls, ID
Posts: 233
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
I have a pertronix converted distributor that I pulled out last year. If your interested pm me?
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#9 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: El Dorado Ca
Posts: 3,374
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
go with an HEI, parts are available at any parts store, gives a hotter spark than the pertronix....it will fit in our old trucks...I put one in my 72 4x4...
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#10 |
Hittin E-Z Street on Mud Tires
![]() Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Greenville, SC
Posts: 23,090
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
I swapped my C10 to an HEI back in 2002. It's been so dead nuts reliable and trouble free I bought a conversion version for my Ford 289 (it's a GM HEI base/rotor/coil/cap but machined with a Ford shaft and cam gear). It absolutely needs an IGN on 12 V source (easiest to get from the ignition switch). The wire to the points dizzy is only 8V and while it will run an HEI for a little while, it won't run right and will eventually burn up either the control module or coil.
The distributor is only tight on the firewall if your V8 was installed in the wrong (straight 6) position.
__________________
Jesse James 1967 C10 SWB Stepside: 350/700R4/3.73 1965 Ford Mustang: 289/T5-5spd/3.25 Trac-Loc 1968 Pontiac Firebird: Project Fire Chicken! 2015 Silverado Double Cab 5.3L Z71 2001 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4.0L 5spd 2020 Chevrolet Equinox Premium 2.0L Turbo 2011 Mustang V6 ~ Wife's ride ![]() American Born, Country by the Grace of God ![]() 1967 CST Shop Truck Rebuild! My 1967 C-10 Build Thread My Vintage Air A/C Install Project "On a Dime" Trying my hand at Home Renovation! 1965 Mustang Modifications! |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#11 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Stillwater, MN
Posts: 94
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
I have the Pertronix III, (hall effect), conversion with MATCHING coil, (important) in 4 vehicles now and have never had a problem. You can open the plugs to .045 and the engines start much quicker and run smoother. Get the black coil and turn the label to the back and it all looks original. You can leave the distributor clamped in place to do the swap. I usually pull mine and shim the end play and inspect the main shaft for wear/looseness in bushings.
Pertronix makes a complete, vintage look, new replacement for Chev engines. I have 2 of them also, no issues whatsoever, and I drive my street rod 2,000+ miles a year. Can't stand the look of a huge HEI in a vintage engine bay.
__________________
1969 Chev C10 1989 Chev R3500 |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#12 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Buffalo Gap, TX
Posts: 222
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
There are lots of ways to upgrade to the GM HEI, from swapping whole distributors to modding a Chrysler magnetic pickup inside the existing distributor and mounting the HEI module out of sight somewhere else, to buying one of several HEI conversions available online.
Our BubbaTruck is using one of the $80 ebay big-cap HEI distributors, all new parts and it fits and works great in a daily driver. My '62 Ranchero has a Ford dura-spark small-cap electronic distributor with a GM HEI module mounted out of sight on a large heat sink, and has been maintenance free for about 10 years and 20K miles. My '71 LeSabre used an HEI module triggered by a custom electronic distributor for years, until I went to an MSD box. IMHO, it's awful hard to beat the GM HEI system, either in the original big-cap or modified into an original or original-looking small-cap distributor. Dead reliable, simple, and parts are *everywhere*. Pertronix - While some people have super-reliable Pertronix units, what I've observed is that if you do have an issue with their stuff, their customer "service" is poor at best - basically you're on your own. I do have two of their billet series III distributors that are both dead / useless right out of their boxes, if anybody wants one. Pertronix said that I must have wired them wrong - even though I KNOW that I didn't, and their series III are supposedly protected against mis-wiring. UGH.
__________________
My Chevy Truck Project Build Thread '62 Ranchero - 200 I6, 3-on-the-tree, power nothing. '71 LeSabre - 455 Stage 1, power everything. Last edited by jamyers; 10-25-2017 at 04:29 PM. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#13 |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Norfolk,Va.
Posts: 31
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
I say keep the points. I have seen dyno run comparisons on the net ( if its on the net it must be true) that show points run right there with the HEI up to 5000 rpm's. How often do you run your motor past 5000 rpm's. How long does it take to switch out a set of points and a condenser and set the timing, 30 min. max. Just make sure you run a good set of points and condenser like Blue Streak. Just my opinion.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#14 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Buffalo Gap, TX
Posts: 222
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
Quote:
__________________
My Chevy Truck Project Build Thread '62 Ranchero - 200 I6, 3-on-the-tree, power nothing. '71 LeSabre - 455 Stage 1, power everything. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#15 | ||
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Redmond, WA
Posts: 6,332
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
Quote:
Why is coil matching important? What if the internal resistance is different, what kind of problem could it cause? Quote:
__________________
1970 GMC Sierra Grande Custom Camper - Built, not Bought 1969 Pontiac 2+2 427/390 4-speed Coupe 1969 Pontiac 2+2 427/390 4-speed Convertible |
||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#16 | |
Who Changed This?
![]() Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Simi Valley, CA
Posts: 10,392
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
Quote:
The math: 600 RPM, divide by 2, since the distributor turns once for every 2 crankshaft revolutions, gives 300. Then multiply by 4 since 4 plugs will have been fired per crankshaft revolution. That's where the 1200 comes from. So, from 600 to 6000 RPM, the frequency will vary from 20 Hz to 200 Hz.
__________________
~Steven '70 Chevy 3/4T Longhorn CST 402/400/3.56 Custom Camper Simi Valley, CA |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#17 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Bowser
Posts: 13,602
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
One more thing to consider!
Your air cleaner might not fit(without a riser) if you use an hei |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#18 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Vancouver, Washington
Posts: 1,644
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
Had this problem myself and a cleaner base can be found that gives clearance too...
__________________
1968 Chevrolet C/10 LWB - 327, TH350 - 4/5 Drop |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#19 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 153
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
So here is something VERY odd. I changed plugs today and took the time to trace every spark plug wire and mark them at the dist cap to make sure previous owner had things proper. I swear to god that the #1 and #3 spark plug wires were in each other's proper distributer cap position - yet the engine ran - Is this even possible.............. I switched them back to proper position and it runs fine. Very odd.............
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#20 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Buffalo Gap, TX
Posts: 222
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
One more thought - take a good *close* look at that points distributor if you decide to keep it, either with points or a conversion. A worn shaft / bushings will let the dwell wander all over the place, and a worn base plate (where the points mount) can let the dwell and timing shift around a lot as the vacuum advance moves.
Also, if you swap to an HEI distributor, you'll need new HEI spark plug wires - depending on how new the existing ones are, the additional $$ might be a factor.
__________________
My Chevy Truck Project Build Thread '62 Ranchero - 200 I6, 3-on-the-tree, power nothing. '71 LeSabre - 455 Stage 1, power everything. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#21 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 153
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
67ChevyRedneck - why would the wire that powers the coil be only 8V?? Mine seems to be a thick 10 or 12 gauge wire to my coil. Seems to me it would be 12V....... I guess I could put a multimeter on it with the key on to double check.
Wire is brown in color for some reason and my tach wire which seems very factory since it comes out of the original harness is yellow and not green.... Mine is a 71 so maybe 67-68 only had 8V to the coil and they changed it for the last two years...... |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#22 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: portland, OR
Posts: 48
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
HEI.
I have had 2 pertronix units fail (out of 4). One was bad out of the box, one failed after about 2 years. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#23 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Austin, TX, USA
Posts: 7,717
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
For an oddball that doesn't have a GM HEI solution (Nissan Z car, John Deere Tractor, Willys Jeep) the Pertronix is a great solution. Ran one on my 240z for years until I swapped a set of triples on it. Won't pull enough vacuum for the OEM distributor so switched to a Unilite w/out vac.
I've got an MSD distributor and amplifier (6A, 6T, 6AL) on some vehicles, and it's the right solution for them. But for a GM street driven vehicle, it seems crazy NOT to run the HEI. They are very high output induction ignition that work great. And they are inexpensive. And parts are available everywhere. And they are reliable. And did I mention they are cheap and they work great? There is an old hot rodding adage that says "90% of carburetor problems are ignition". So take that off the table by ditching the complication of the points. (And I still have points on quite a few vehicles so I'm not a hater.)
__________________
44 Willys MB 52 M38A1 64 Corvette Coupe 68 Camaro 'vert LT1 & TH700 69 Z/28 355 12.6's @110 69 Chevy Short Step 4 1/2"/7" drop 72 Jimmy 4WD 4spd 4" & 35's 02 GMC 2500HD 4x4 Duramax |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#24 | |
Who Changed This?
![]() Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Simi Valley, CA
Posts: 10,392
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
Quote:
__________________
~Steven '70 Chevy 3/4T Longhorn CST 402/400/3.56 Custom Camper Simi Valley, CA |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#25 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Newhall CA
Posts: 1,195
|
Re: Fixed surge issue - thanks to Geezer!!! Now HEI or keep points....
anything electronic is better than points...dont buy made in china and you will be glad you made the swap
__________________
69 SWB 780hp Hellcat powered, manual 6 speed, currie 9 |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Bookmarks |
|
|