Best HEI Distributor to swap?

[socalkevin68]

I'm thinking of upgrading my ignition and tossing the points type dist...
Been lookin around and would like you guys opinions as the easiest, best and decent price for a hei dist?
I've never done it before but i'm sick of messing with my points, dwell etc...
just wanna set it and forget it ....
would like a dist with the coil on cap.........but not sure what brand or where to purchase it..
thx kevin

[72TXSuperCheyenne]

I recently went with a MSD Street Fire dizzy ($125) and MSD Street Fire plug wires ($35) and saw an immediate positive effect.

The plug wires are almost zero resistance and it smoothed the engine out.

--Jeff

[Hottrucks]

I think your going to see that the best bang for the buck is the Skip White HEI's there about $50 ......

[Sinister]

Originally Posted by hottrucks

i think your going to see that the best bang for the buck is the skip white hei's there about $50 ......

x2

[GASoline71]

But... sometimes you get what ya pay for...

...just sayin'...

gary

[Sinister]

I've been running an HEI I got from fleabay for about 4 years with zero problems. Same one Skip White sells. Here's an interesting link:http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/hei-...on-178744.html

[Tynee]

Originally Posted by GASoline71

But... sometimes you get what ya pay for...

...just sayin'...

gary

Yep, but there have been a bunch of guys here on the board that have tried the skip white, and you won't get a better product at 4 times the price (or so they say).

Here's my experience buying an HEI:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=334664

I wound up paying too much to buy a dizzy local because I needed it in something less than a week, by the time I finally got fed up with trying to make the cheap carp work.

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by GASoline71

But... sometimes you get what ya pay for...

...just sayin'...

gary

I'm another one running one of the HEI's from Skip White. I've had it in over a year with probably 15 K on it and it is a great unit for the money.
Also, one thing to remember and I checked before buying mine. If you do need a part for one, all of the tune up parts for a stock Delco will hook right up. No having to have something shipped red label from Summit or Jegs because the replacement part only fits one model of distributor.

I've got three or four old Delco Hei's hanging in the garage and it will cost more for the pieces to put one of those in shape then the new one did.

Yes you can spend a lot more to be able to say you have one of the designer label ones if that is what spins your wheels but from what I and others have seen these units are fully reliable.

['72customdeluxe]

Originally Posted by Sinister

x2

x3

Originally Posted by GASoline71

But... sometimes you get what ya pay for...

...just sayin'...

gary

works for me

[Jack_71C10]

x4 on the skip white dizzy.
2 years and still going strong.

[GASoline71]

Then I guess it's just me...

Gary

[grayharville]

I found mine underneath the seat of an old stepside thats been sitting atleast 5 years. I changed the coil to an Accel supercoil and have abused it ever since!

[socalkevin68]

Thx guys..I just got off phone with skipwhitperformance.com and my new dist will be here in a few days...I went ahead and got the wires too..(figure i'll need the heavier wires anyways)..
Next question...Where would i look to see how to hook up new dist.?
I"m kinda new but more than willing to learn..
thx
kevin

[BIGBLU 72]

just put a MSD street fire dist in my Jimmy and it made a ton of difference. it runs alot smoother and has a lot better trottle response over the old points set up i had

[jim zag]

MSD Streetfire is the ONLY one I buy to put in the CRATE Engines I sell!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tynee]

Originally Posted by socalkevin68

Thx guys..I just got off phone with skipwhitperformance.com and my new dist will be here in a few days...I went ahead and got the wires too..(figure i'll need the heavier wires anyways)..
Next question...Where would i look to see how to hook up new dist.?
I"m kinda new but more than willing to learn..
thx
kevin

In the FAQ section of this board is a good write-up on how to properly wire one. If you need more input from there, somebody on the electrical section can point you straight.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ad.php?t=17403

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ad.php?t=13698

[socalkevin68]

thx

[71meangreenc10]

Make sure if you get one with vaccum advance that it is adjustable, all curves are not the same.......

makes life easier...


Smitty

[jhwkns]

Originally Posted by 71meangreenc10

..all curves are not the same...

^Wise words.

All distributors are not created equal. Most H.E.I. systems are about worthless after 4,500rpm. A good one is some of the cheapest horsepower out there. One that gives you your optimum total timing. Here's an excellent article by Steve Davis of Performance Distributors.

I've had a Performance Distributors D.U.I. for 13 years. If I ever wear it out, I'll be buying another.

[HOGDADDY]

Originally Posted by jhwkns

^Wise words.

All distributors are not created equal. Most H.E.I. systems are about worthless after 4,500rpm. A good one is some of the cheapest horsepower out there. One that gives you your optimum total timing. Here's an excellent article by Steve Davis of Performance Distributors.

I've had a Performance Distributors D.U.I. for 13 years. If I ever wear it out, I'll be buying another.

^2.

I have purchased 3 of them over the years for different vehicles still have 2.
Excellent distributor and custom calibrated for your application.

http://www.performancedistributors.com/

[Bpokey]

Originally Posted by GASoline71

Then I guess it's just me...

Gary

Not just you anymore. I had a Procomp HEI on mine for about a year and it crapped on me this morning. I think it was the module but not sure. When I opened it up all the connectors to the module looked really sloppy and cheap. I just bought a new Accel HEI for $128 and I am back up and running. This was the first time ol' reliable left me on foot, lucky I was close to home.

[junkyardjohn]

I'VE BEEN USING JUNKYARD HEIs SINCE THEY FIRST STARTED SHOWING UP THERE OVER 25 YEARS AGO. I BOUGHT A SLIGHTLY USED ACCELL BILLIT ONE OFF OF A MEMBER HERE ABOUT 8 YEARS AGO, & FINALLY BOUGHT ABOUT FOUR OF THE $50 EBAY HEIs ABOUT SIX YEARS AGO. I HAD THE COIL GO OUT ON ONE OF THOSE ON MY 1980 BIG BLOCK TRUCK LAST YEAR , MADE ME WALK ABOUT 5 MILES HOME, BUT IT WAS A NICE DAY, & I'VE HAD ZERO PROBLEMS SINCE. (EXCEPT THE VERY OCCASIONAL MODUEL) U HAVE NO COPLAITS WITH ANY OF EM JOHN

[Old Money]

skip white dizzy and wires and twenty minutes later. it is great, my total advance was set to high from factory so i found a mechanic with a fancy timing light and backed it down and it runs better than ever. old money