Can I swap to HEI with these parts?

[shifty]

Okay, I mentioned in a previous thread about having a distributor from a 1981 Monte Carlo and I wanted to move to an HEI system.

My engine came with this distributor and the guy who sold the engine said I would love using this over a points system. I don't know if it will really work or not, although he assured me if I went and bought the ignition coil to mount in the top of the dizzy, I could move away from points and never look back.

Just curious if anyone can give me their 2¢ on this.

Here's a picture of the motor I just put in the truck before I took it off its makeshift crate and dropped it into the truck. The dizzy is attached with its respective vacuum advance. Anyone care to give me your thoughts on whether this is impossible or if this is a distributor off an '81 Monte Carlo?

TIA

[thisolechevy]

YES DO THE SWAP!!!! I swapped to h.e.i. and I will never go back it is the first modification I do to all of my vehicles now! yes just a new coil for the top and she should be ready to go, they are only $28 and last for ever mine is 3 years old and has never had a problem.

[shifty]

So, I don't hafta buy one of those ignition boxes? All I hafta do is rewire like this diagram shows?:



What about setting up the timing? How do I know where to center the dizzy before dropping it into the block?

[Tx Firefighter]

If you install a new coil, make sure and install the little metal ground strap. Lots of guys forget that, and burn up coils.

HEI will transform your engine. Much better starting, running, and mileage.

By the way, that distributor did not come from an 81 Monte Carlo. They never had inline engines.

[thisolechevy]

yes just re-wire the dizzy as the diagram shows and you are good to go! as far as centering the dizzy, just drop it in and find TDC then center the dizzy on one plug post, run that wire to number 1 cylinder then wire up accordingly.

[shifty]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

By the way, that distributor did not come from an 81 Monte Carlo. They never had inline engines.

V6, maybe? I dunno. I have no idea where it's from, but he swore it was from an '81 MC.

Here's what he said:

the distributer was ordered for an 81 Monte carlo with the 250 six.The coil was the same as all the engines with electronic ignition. but Auto Zone has them as does almost everyone else and they are cheap. Since i wanted electronic ignition that wasnt available in1970.

I bought all this stuff at the atlanta swap meet .The line on the balancer lines up with "0" on the timing pointer if i remember right. but you need to have the valve cover off, turn the engine to watch the rockers. and make sure its on the compression stroke. then drop in the distributer, with the pointer facing forward which will get you in the ball park to get it started. just put the #1 plug wire on the nearest terminal the follow the firing order for the rest. and you will be real close. also. when you drop the ditributor in make sure the oil pump slot is lined up . you may have to turn it with a screw driver a little to line it up .

Beats me. If he bought it at a swap meet, there's no telling what it's really from. But I'd love to know.

[busterwivell]

I never saw an 81 Monte Carlo with a 250 six. By then, any six cylinder was a V6, I think, and measured in liters.

[shifty]

Beats me. I don't like Monte Carlos. I like trucks and el caminos. Well, okay, and I have wet dreams about '67-70 chevelles, but that's another story entirely.

[busterwivell]

Then maybe you should buy my 70 El Camino

[shifty]

Link me up with info and pics? Has it been in AZ all its life? TIA

[busterwivell]

TIA? Yup, Original Tucson car/truck. No rust nowhere. good interior. PO took out all AC/heat stuff, but I've got it all to put back in. 350/350 10 bolt. Needs a paint job. Runs, but needs work. If I kept it, I'd throw in a crate motor and be done, install AC system back and paint the car and drive it. The body is super straight.

[krue]

tia thanks in advance

[busterwivell]

Duh? ok, thanks

[shifty]

How do I know what kinda coil to put in the dizzy without knowing what car it came out of ?

[VetteVet]

I had a 1980 Monte Carlo with a 3.8 v-6 also known as a 231 cc and it had HEI. The distributer in the picture looks different but the view is hard to tell. I've got a v-6 distributer in the garage and I just went and looked at it. I think the coils are the same as the v-8, not sure though. Too bad you aren't closer you could have it.
vv

[Tx Firefighter]

V8 coils interchange with the I6 coil.

That is absolutely an inline 6 distributor. The V6 distributor won't fit an inline engine.

Tell them you need parts for a 77 Nova. They had 250 inline engines and HEI distributors.

[VetteVet]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

V8 coils interchange with the I6 coil.

That is absolutely an inline 6 distributor. The V6 distributor won't fit an inline engine.

Tell them you need parts for a 77 Nova. They had 250 inline engines and HEI distributors.

Tx it looks to me like the housing is shorter on mine than the one in his picture.
VV

[busterwivell]

I KNEW someone would unravel this for us...........Yup, Nova 6's were straight sixes. Thanks, Tx

[shifty]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

V8 coils interchange with the I6 coil.

Tell them you need parts for a 77 Nova. They had 250 inline engines and HEI distributors.

OUCH!

Auto Zone: A-1 brand, $123.99
Advance Auto: Cardone brand, $122.88
Napa: Remanuf'd brand, $ 124.00

Wow...pricey. I'm going to go home and see if I can extract a part number from the one I have. I want to make sure this thing is not something I can use before dropping $120 on a new one :\

I'm on my way to look at it now....

[Tx Firefighter]

Dude, a new coil for an HEI distributor will be about 25 or 30 bucks tops.

[shifty]

Oh, sorry Tx, I thought you were saying I couldn't use the one you see in the picture up there and you were suggesting to buy a new dizzy from the auto parts store for a '77 Nova! I didn't realize you were saying to just go get a coil for a '77 Nova.

(I'm a little slow today, still having to take meds, just had all four wisdom teeth removed a couple weeks ago and having complications).

[Tx Firefighter]

You're good to go man.

The dude who said it was a Monte distributor was on crack. Don't worry about it though. What you have is an inline 6 cylinder HEI distributor. It doesn't matter what it originally came out of. They fit any inline , 230,250, or 292.

There were 2 types of inline 6 HEI distributors, coil in cap (which you have) and external coil (the other one, which you don't have). All you need is a coil and you're set. The same coil out of a V8 or even V6 HEI will fit. They are held in by 4 screws. Ask for a coil for any application from late 70's through early 80's, Nova, pickup, van, whatever, just 250 or 292 inline engine. If the coil doesn't fit, look up another one til it does. Any parts man worth a damn will know the part number for an HEI coil right off the top of his head without even needing to look it up.

I did this same swap on my 68 model 292 in my current truck. It makes the engine run sooo much better.

Any questions, just ask.

[shifty]

I think I'm good to go.

Remove the points dizzy.
Attach the brown wire to the new HEI dizzy
Remove the yellow wire connecting the ignition coil to the starter solenoid.
Replace the black wire to the ignition coil with another wire coming from an ignition lead in the fuxe box and run it to the new HEI dizzy. (can't I just use the black wire?)
Remove the ignition coil from truck.
Remember to install the metal ground strap (to the battery or the block?)
As long as I line up the #1 plug on the new dizzy roughly with the #1 plug on the old dizzy, the timing should be pretty close, and I can spin the dizzy back and forth to get it perfect.

Sounds easy enough. The worst part will be the wiring.

I'm going to take pictures of this process and make a FAQ for everyone else to checkout.

[VetteVet]

Hey Shifty you don't need the black wire or the yellow wire and the brown wire comes from the key switch and is a resister wire that cuts the 12 volts down to the coil after the engine is running.You definitely don't want that. Check the FAQs for HEI dizzys and there is a wiring diagram for 67 to 72 trucks there too. you have it right about the ignition lead from the fuse box.
Vettevet

[Tx Firefighter]

The metal ground strap goes from one of the coil holdown bolts to the electrical connector on the distributor cap. It's a funny flat steel special bent thing.

Many guys leave them off and start having trouble because of it.

HEI is worth all the trouble though. Just get it installed and running and you'll agree.