I have been using a junkyard HEI for around 2 years. When I took the green machine to a MOPAR cruise last year I was expecting to get some flack for a GM part in my MOPAR but instead I got several "it really works? WOW how clever"

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Im working on a distributorless ignition system for the slant. Plans are crank triggered, computer controled advance curve with driver's seat selection of curves capabilities, plus selected curve back and forward (two buttons, one advances the selected curve initial point and the other retards it) and in-car new curves dialing. I'm the "machinist" of this project, I have a friend who's an electronic engineer and slant six geek as me, and we're working on that (early stages). We're working MPEFI minded, and we'd like to use 6 coils (as for new cars wich has one "small" coil per sparkplug.

So far I designed the crank wheel and the pickup holder and timing regulator. My buddy's working on the computer wich would tell the engine wich cyl is to fire when (since the crank wheel only has 3 magnets) and also the crank wheel has other series of magnets placed offset 10 degrees, so the computer can actually "read" the crank speed for some calculations that my friend told me about but he got me dizzy with and I don't remember.

I hope that we may have some success outta this adventure.

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Juan Ignacio Caino

Please use e-mail button istead of PM'ing. I do log in sometimes but I'll be answering quicker thru e-mail.

Yep, the 4-pin GM HEI module is a nice, cheap, reliable, easy route to electronic ignition with several benefits over the Mopar box (no ballast resistor, hotter spark so you can open up the plug gaps to 0.045", smaller, no special wiring harness, etc.).

Duster's article says you need the special GM connector plug, but that's not so. You just need to make sure you get the correctly-sized female blade disconnect terminals. Three of them are 1/4", the "odd" one is 3/16". When I did this on my '65, I mounted the HEI module to a piece of 1/4" by 2-1/2" by 3-1/2" aluminum on the left inner fender.

It's wise to run a NAPA Echlin long-tip rotor # MO-3000 with a high-power ignition system. This rotor's contact blade is 0.060" longer than stock, which cuts down on arcing within the cap. Make sure your distributor bushings are good and your cap contacts are ground on-centre, though! (Echlin MO-4 and MO-40 caps are frequently found, new out of the box, with off-centre grinding so some of the contacts are tiny crescents and some are almost full circles...the longer rotor can hit the too-large contacts and stuff breaks...)

I just picked up an electronic ignition distributor on ebay, and was planning on doing the GM HEI conversion. Does anyone have any coils that they have run that they like? I'm open for new and used suggestions.

Thanks!

MJ

I've used several different coils with fine results. The stock coils aren't bad, though officially they're not designed for use with electronic ignition, and they can sometimes heat up/break down with HEI 'cause they run hotter without the ballast resistor (which you bypass for the HEI swap). The compact late-model coils ('91-up Chrysler products, many GM products without coil built into distributor cap from '75-up, etc.) work well, and are cheap/plentiful in wrecking yards. If you want to keep the stock coil location, there are plenty of options in aftermarket coils. An MSD Blaster is a fine coil, for instance.

When I did my GM HEI swap I got an internal resistor coil that was the same size and shape as the stocker. I have since swapped to a huge orange racing coil that my brother in law had lying around in his garage.

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70Val, why an internal-resistor coil? One of the big benefits of the HEI system is that it doesn't require a coil resistor at all.

What would the pro/cons of getting an internal resistor coil?

The MSD Blaster (v2 and v3--dont know what the difference is) both come in a resistorless and one with a resistor. The price difference is only about $5 on the MSD Blaster 2, ($35-$40) and the Blaster 3 is also about $40. Just wondering.

Did you have good luck with your blaster?

MJ

Even on systems that require a coil resistor, I don't like internal coil resistors, 'cause they just add extra heat. They generally work OK on systems designed for an internal coil resistor, but if the resistor fails, the whole coil must be replaced—another "gotchya".

It's a moot point, though, with HEI, which tolerates but does not require a coil resistor (and works best without one).

When I did the swap I was lead to believe the resistor was needed. I jumpered my BR and got a the internal resistor coil. I believe you about not needing one now though. The coil must have gotten hot because every time I would take the coil to distributer wire off there would be oil in it. Also when I decided to move it to the inner fender it would NOT fire horisontally.

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sorry something got foobared here andi coulnd't delete it. ignore and read next one

Is there any benefit to moving the coil from the engine to the say the fenderwell or elsewhere? I was able to get a good deal on a coil and get an HEI from a junkyard for $7 so I'm ready to roll.

MJ

I moved it for ease of access, location is cleaner and possibly cooler working envirnment. Plus I could use shorter wires from coil to ECU.

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