HEI for a 350. What type is best?

[ebry710]

I am a 70's trained mechanic now entering the 2010's. I have always hated points and condenser. I have read all I can find about HEI and am sold on them. I realize there are other systems, but HEI are simple, neat and proven.

My question is, what is the difference?

I have seen MSD used a lot on custom cars, so when I looked up Summit for prices, I found pricing from $150 to $500. (I do have allegiance to either Summit or MSD, even though both are good)

My C-20 has a 350 and I want torque for towing and not hp for racing. I want to idle smoothly. I realize that sounds like a cam/stroke thing, but it means that I do not need high speed adjustments weights. Simple is still the best.

[69sixpackbee]

The only "difference" with an HEI over conventional distributors is that they are self contained units. No external coil as you know, an electronic module, and they still utilize mechanical advance weights. You can get one from any pre '85 small/big block Chevy(Olds/Pont./Caddy are different) and you can utilize it. The parts are cheap and abundant in every parts house. There are alot of websites dedicated to setting these things up. Just search around. Get one from a junk yard. They are easily rebuildable. Make sure the bushings on the weights are good and lubed. Get an adjustable vac. can. Set you timing so that it is all in by 3500 RPM and you should be good to go. It will take some experimenting but it is easy. You don't need those high-dollar units. I have been running a junkyard "dog" for several years without a single hiccup.

I got one from a mid-seventies Chevy small block. Put a new cap and rotor and an adjustable vacuum canister (Crane). I even have the same ignition module in it but I keep a couple of spares in the glove box. I think I invested $75 bucks total.

just my $.02

Bud

[clos69]

Welcome aboard!!....I really can't answer your question on the difference on HEI dizzys but if your looking for a good,cheap one....I would look no further than the ones offered by skip white. I have bought three from him and have had no problems ...so I'm totally satisfied with his products. Check it out here
http://www.skipwhiteperformance.com/Default.aspx

[ChevLoRay]

Yeah, to the forum!

My truck had a junkyard HEI when I bought it. I rocked along for several years and finally had to replace it when the wire to the reluctor became old and deteriorated. For a symptom, when I would let off of the gas and the increased vacuum would cause the breaker plate (still has one) to move, the electrical connection to the reluctor would open and the truck would die. At that point, I'd throw it into neutral and it would restart. But, some sleuthing didn't find that problem and it has a new module and some other labor and still didn't fix the intermittent way it would die.

One day, it died and I'd had enough. So, I hauled it home on a roll-back and dropped it in the driveway. Went to O'Reilly's and got an ACCEL reman. Auto Zone, Advance and O'Reilly's reman distributors all had the same (Cardone) part number. I went with ACCEL, only because I didn't want the Cardone reman. Yeah, the ACCEL is also a reman, but I like to think it is a little higher on the pecking order than the others. My problem was solved.

Now, all I gotta do is replace the pickup coil on the old one and do the bearings/gear and it's gonna be good-to-go. It has a vacuum advance that a Hot Rod magazine article recommended, that is for a 'Vette engine. I don't remember the year model and I don't know if the part number shows, but it was supposed to provide full advance at an earlier rpm than the stock one for a truck.

[Wrenchbender Ret]

I like the original equipment ones. Go through it yourself & you will have a good dependable ign. system for many years.

['72customdeluxe]

40$ skip white ebay hei works great for me, been in about 8K miles. Can't say that for the stock hei with accel parts. The ultimate (not really hei) would be a billet msd and ignition box of some type short of computer controlled..

[ebry710]

I am lucky, the basic truck was inexpensive and running. "Neglected" is the word. The White unit sounds perfect for my budget. I cannot wait to plug it in and to tune her up. I am assuming that the purple wire (now light pink) goes to the HEI and should be replaced.

['72customdeluxe]

If you have the stock points resistor power wire, get rid of it for sure. it will cause problems

[ebry710]

It takes less time to remove the old distributor system then it takes to replace the condenser and gap the new points.

[jim zag]

MSD STREETFIRE! Worth the price! I always put one in any engine I sell. I have not had a problem with one yet!

[colin_havens]

Originally Posted by jim zag

MSD STREETFIRE! Worth the price! I always put one in any engine I sell. I have not had a problem with one yet!

Thats what I run in mine, and I havent had a single problem out of it. It works great.

[truckdude239]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SBC-B...Q5fAccessories

skipwhite mine ran for a few years till i jumped it off and the guy helping ym hooke dthe cables backwards and fried the coil but it is a great unit, with a life time warranty

[sleepertruck72]

My truck has a GM HEI. It seems to work great, the only problem is the caps and rotors from GM seem to be a weak link. I would use the MSD cap and rotor if you decide on the GM HEI. MSD streetfire (I think) would be overkill for a stock engine in my opinion. There isnt much to gain from the $400 price tag, but it does look nice

[red71cheyenne]

Just got a skip white for $42.50 in evilbay. We'll see how it does in place of my stock GM thats FUBAR.

[ebry710]

Jim Zag. Nice engine. I am hoping my second engine looks like yours. I am saving for a 383 stroker upgrade to a 350. Torque and fuel economy is my passion. Right now I just want "Babe" to go from a farm truck to a daily driver.
I think "engine 2" will have a Holly 650, Edlebrook Performer, stroker cam and a HEI. Details will come with the money.

['72customdeluxe]

Originally Posted by sleepertruck72

My truck has a GM HEI. It seems to work great, the only problem is the caps and rotors from GM seem to be a weak link. I would use the MSD cap and rotor if you decide on the GM HEI. MSD streetfire (I think) would be overkill for a stock engine in my opinion. There isnt much to gain from the $400 price tag, but it does look nice

it's just over $100..

[sleepertruck72]

Originally Posted by '72customdeluxe

it's just over $100..

Oops my bad, I was thinking about the Pro Billet setup,

The coil output is just about the same on the streetfire compared to GM HEI isnt it ? Somewhere in the neighborhood of 40K volts ?

[tim21391]

in my opinion. any hei would get the job done.. unlike points. where they start goin bad the day you put them in..

[cleszkie]

I bought a Summit blue cap HEI and the bearings in it seized up on me while cruising down the road at 70 mph. This was about 2 years after I bought the POS. When the bearings seized, the whole unit twisted in its seat from the camshaft turning it, effectively scrambling my timing and shutting down the engine. Long story short, Summit would do nothing for me except refer me to the place that built it for me to pay to have it rebuilt! I promptly bought a Mallory HEI from another vendor, stripped the usable guts out of the Summit unit and have never looked back. Sometimes you get what you pay for

[ebry710]

Except for those $500 units, it doesn't seem worth it to have a HEI rebuilt. A new cap, maybe a new coil, but not a new shaft because of a blown bearing. I wonder what Summit was thinking.

[DT1]

I replaced my stock distributor with a Delco unit two years ago. The ignition module burned out in the first 6 months. I replaced it with a Mallory module and only got 6 months out of that one. Replaced it with another Mallory unit and kept a spare in the glove box. A few months later, it burned out again. Then again. I installed an Accel module two months ago and I'm currently waiting for it to burn out. I know I'm properly heat sinking them.
Not sure what the problem is, but was told that these things generate a lot of heat, especially at idle.
Anyone want to comment on this?

[Roadmarks]

Try the one from Skip White. The cost of the whole unit is less than the parts to rebuild a used stock unit! Mine works good!

Les

1971 C10 350/350 3.73

[69sixpackbee]

I had bought on of the Proform HEI's a while back It looked pretty but the Chinese guts deficated themselves within a few months. I swapped in an OEM module and it was good to go. When I installed my EZ-EFI along with an MSD I got so much RF noise from the cheapie coil and cap/rotor that I finally threw it in the trash dumpster and snagged one from a JY. Set my curve, put in an adjustable vacuum can and it has been fine. Even without the EFI and with the module back in it worked as expected.

Bud

[ebry710]

OK, I understand it is a purple wire that goes directly to the ignition. But which plug does the purple plug into "A" or "B"?

[rpmgroup]

B, A is for tach