6 cylinder HEI module to external coil wiring question

[camrycurt]

Hey guys,

I have a 230 I6 with a GM HEI distributor with external coil (I think from a '76 6 cylinder truck). The two orange and brown wires that run from the "B" and "C" terminals on the module in the distributor to the external coil are in terrible shape and I want to replace them. The orange wire ("B" to coil +) seems pretty straightforward, but I've got a question about the negative brown wire.

The brown wire coils around the inside of the distributor before it exits the distributor and runs to the coil (as shown in the diagram).

Is there a reason that the brown wire coils around inside the distributor? If I ran a new wire from the "C" terminal on the module directly out of the distributor to the negative side of the coil, would that work? Would I be screwing something up by not running the new wire around the distributor shaft like the old one?

I'm only asking because it looks like a real pain to route the new wire along the path of the old one in and around the inside of the distributor and it would be much easier to just run the new wire directly out and to the coil.

Thanks for the help!

[camrycurt]

Figured I'd post an update to this thread just in case someone finds it in the future and needs an answer to this question.

I swapped the wires this past weekend and ran the negative wire directly from the module out of the distributor to the coil (without coiling it around inside the distributor) and the truck is running great so far. No problems. So it appears that you don't have to follow the path of the original negative wire.

Also, the big condensor in the distributor that's wired in to the positive wire to the coil has nothing to do with the ignition system - it's actually some kind of noise suppression device for the radio. I eliminated mine completely just to clean up some room in the distributor and didn't have any problems with the truck running (of course, the radio might not sound as good but I wouldn't know because mine doesn't work anyway).

Hope this might help someone out in the future.