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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 16
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HEI Problems
Hello my name is Dennis and i'am new to your wonderful site, I have a 67 CST C-20 that was my fathers truck then my brothers that recently passed away, he was a mechanic and rebuilt the original 327 block has 72k and updated to HEI distributor, have never had one problem with this baby until yesterday it just quit while driving it, like someone shut the key off! in checking with a 12v tester it has constant power at batt wire to dist, but has no power at tach wire while cranking, replaced control module, nothing, could it be either the coil pick/up? or the coil itself in the cap? please any help would be greatly appreciated, it is my only way to work, and had my brother not passé last month it would be running, thank you so much.
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#2 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: southeasternfoothillsofusa
Posts: 1,557
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Next, like you suggested, I'd suspect the pick-up coil. But do the easier 'power on while cranking' check first. Sam |
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#3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: daytonabeach
Posts: 22,956
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Re: HEI Problems
me i'd check to see that you have a dedicated 12v source to the hei as plenty of guys just used the original wiring and that burns up the hei because of the resistance wiring in the original wiring
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#4 |
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Mesa AZ (Near Phoenix)
Posts: 2,302
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Re: HEI Problems
Might want to go to the Mad Electrical site. He has really good Tech tips and I believe this subject is one of them. You could even give him a call as Mark is really savvy on this subject. Here's a link;
http://www.madelectrical.com/ Tell him one of the guys from the 67-72 Chevy Trucks Forum sent you.
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"Life is too short to drive a boring vehicle". Later, Wayne ![]() |
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#5 |
Msgt USAF Ret
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Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Posts: 8,714
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Re: HEI Problems
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VetteVet metallic green 67 stepside 74 corvette convertible 1965 Harley sportster 1995 Harley wide glide Growing old is hell, but it beats the alternative. |
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#6 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 16
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Re: HEI Problems
There is no power while cranking, and control was replaced, so I will try the pick/up coil, hopefully that's it? could it also be a bad ground? do these HEI distributors just flat out quit with no warning? cause like I said before this truck has never let me down, and I believe it was converted to HEI about 20 years ago. I really appreciate all your help and advice, cause i'am flat stumped. short of buying a whole new HEI distributor. Thanks again ~ Dennis.
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#7 | |
Msgt USAF Ret
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Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Posts: 8,714
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Re: HEI Problems
Quote:
Run a wire from the battery positive post to the BAT terminal on the distributor. Crank the engine, If there is no spark then the distributor is faulty. If it sparks then the ignition system (key switch or wiring) is the problem.
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VetteVet metallic green 67 stepside 74 corvette convertible 1965 Harley sportster 1995 Harley wide glide Growing old is hell, but it beats the alternative. |
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#8 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 16
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Re: HEI Problems
What I mean is using a test light and probing the tach wire on that goes to the distributor while hooked to the positive post on the battery, it should flash everytime for each cylinder I get nothing, so im told its either the pick/up coil or the in cap coil itself.
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#9 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 16
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Re: HEI Problems
Vettevet, I was told that run from negative on the battery to batt terminal on the distributor with key on should should light and be steady, for testing the control module, and positive on battery to the tach wire on the distributor cap and cranking engine should flash test light, and that test is for the control module. Now im confused did I mix up the procedure for those tests?
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#10 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 16
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Re: HEI Problems
[QUOTE=DHighway;7279285]Vettevet, I was told that run from negative on the battery to batt terminal on the distributor with key on should should light and be steady, for testing the control module, and positive on battery to the tach wire on the distributor cap and cranking engine should flash test light, and that test is for the pick/up coil . Now im confused did I mix up the procedure for those tests? did I goof?
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#11 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 16
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Re: HEI Problems
At this point replacing the whole distributor seems better for me, I pave highways not chase down electrical on a old but sweet 67 Chev truck.
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#12 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 16
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Re: HEI Problems
Quote:
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#13 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 3,077
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Re: HEI Problems
The tach output on the distributor is just that--an output. It means little as a test.
You need to check the 12V input to power the HEI. If the engine cranks, you most likely don't have a ground problem. So assuming 12V in, and no spark, best guess w/o pulling the cap is a bad module. Maybe the coil, but that's rare. Simply ordering and shotgunning parts is a great way to waste money, and not much more. For some reason, people choose the most expensive part that's hardest to replace to swap for no reason. What did you choose? |
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#14 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Mesa AZ (Near Phoenix)
Posts: 2,302
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Re: HEI Problems
Quote:
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"Life is too short to drive a boring vehicle". Later, Wayne ![]() |
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#15 | ||
Msgt USAF Ret
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Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Posts: 8,714
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Re: HEI Problems
Quote:
Quote:
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VetteVet metallic green 67 stepside 74 corvette convertible 1965 Harley sportster 1995 Harley wide glide Growing old is hell, but it beats the alternative. |
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#16 |
Msgt USAF Ret
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Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Posts: 8,714
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Re: HEI Problems
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VetteVet metallic green 67 stepside 74 corvette convertible 1965 Harley sportster 1995 Harley wide glide Growing old is hell, but it beats the alternative. |
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#17 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 16
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Re: HEI Problems
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#18 | |
Account Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Traverse City MI
Posts: 147
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Re: HEI Problems
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#19 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: bisbee, arizona
Posts: 1,529
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Re: HEI Problems
dialetric grease is important to cooling the control module. If you skimp on it or dont put any at all on it the module will fail.
I made this very mistake. brand new module failed in less than 3 months. |
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#20 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 16
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Re: HEI Problems
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#21 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: May 2013
Location: WEST PALM FLORIDA
Posts: 1,174
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Re: HEI Problems
This is what I would do , if you power the distributor and it does not fire , its a distributor problem, making sure the wire from the selinoid is hooked so that you have power while cranking , if it does fire its a wiring problem , my guess is a wiring problem , as you say there is no power to the distributor . Could be the distributor is hooked to a random fuse , Ive seen that most of the time , check your fuses , the power wire to the distributor does not flash
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#22 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 16
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Re: HEI Problems
Thank you for you advice 67Chevelle, but I fixed it, it was the pick/up coil, and the shaft was worn as were the advance cuve weights, so I bought a performance distributor, and it fired right off.
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#23 |
Msgt USAF Ret
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Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Posts: 8,714
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Re: HEI Problems
Kudos to you and my sympathies for your brother.
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VetteVet metallic green 67 stepside 74 corvette convertible 1965 Harley sportster 1995 Harley wide glide Growing old is hell, but it beats the alternative. |
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