HEI Upgrade Help- Update 3/08/11

[83Eagle!]

Hello,
I just ordered the same HEI distributor that thereverendbill got on that big auction site.  It should be here in a couple of days.  

Now I am looking for plug wires, plugs and the other stuff needed.  

I am interested in this upgrade because I hear you can get rid of the ICM, solenoid and the coil doing this upgrade.  Is that true?  If so I am game for this upgrade, because it sounds like a lot of benefit for very little headache.

thereverendbill has offered to help me with this upgrade at the meet this September.  However, I think I am going to get too impatient once the distributor arrives.  

I want to order everything I need.  

Brandon

[Jurjen]

Yes, you can get rid of the coil and ICM.
It only needs a + from the ingintion switch.
That would be the yellow wire that is now going to the ICM.

It needs to be driven as well, so possibly you will have to swap the gear from the old distributor to the HEI dizzy.

As soon as it is installed, timing will have to corrected.

Do you have someone to help you, who has done this before?

[Eagleearl]

You would need the distributor from a late 70's or early 80's Chevy250 or 292 straight six along with the plug wires.
They have the ICM and coil inside. It's a one wire hookup so it cleans up the engine compartment a lot.
You also need an AMC drive gear for the distributor and get them changed out. 

[wagoneerhauler]

The HEI is great because it gets rid of the unreliable and failure prone motorcrap ignition module.

[83Eagle!]

Standard champions seem to work great  .

What is the part number for the Champion plus?
What gap should be used?

[shaggimo]

I think I'm at .045 with the sx, as far as part number  , I just had the parts store look them up in their book for the stock application.

[83Eagle!]

I think I'm at .045 with the sx, as far as part number  , I just had the parts store look them up in their book for the stock application.

Okay.  I will do that.  I should be ordering some of the stuff for the HEI upgrade today.

[thereverendbill]

I was told 0.45 and 0.50 for the plug gap so i ran mine right at 0.48.  I will be pulling the plugs here soon to check them and I may set them to 0.45 and run it another 150 miles and see if i can pick anything more up out f it

[83Eagle!]

I think I am going to go with the standard Champion spark plugs, since there have been a number of recommendations for those.  Hopefully I will get to the parts store Thursday. 

I thought I had parts numbers for the plug wires I need.  And I do not.  I had it, but my wife went on a cleaning binge.  Everything she did not recognize she threw away.  I am thankful that she could not get to the garage.  Guess I will have to keep all my notes and stuff out there. 

I found a set like this on The Big Auction site... 


They are 8 mm plugs for a GM V8.  $29.99 shipped.

I want to find some at Autozone because I have $20 in rewards points there.  Can someone help me find the right ones.  I have tried to search the 80's Chevy 250 as I have seen recommended in another post, but I cannot get anything to come up.  Guess I don't really know what engines came in what vehicles in the 80's Chevys. 

[83Eagle!]

thereverendbill sent me a picture of this plug that I need.  As stated before I had notes on where I need to get this from, but they were tossed.  I know I can get it from any 80's GM V6 or V8.  That shouldn't be too hard to find around here. 



I assume it is around the distributor.  To save me a trip to the 'yard (which will probably be next week) is there anything else I should grab from the donor vehicle?

[83Eagle!]

I have the HEI distributor.  I have had it for about a week.  I am really hoping to do this upgrade soon.  I have my parts list ready.  I am just waiting to hear how much the repair for the lift system on the camper is going to be.  I took it to a guy Monday because the lift system is not level.  I also may have a repair to make on the Saturn that might take priority.  We will see.  Hopefully going to have the Saturn looked at this week.

[83Eagle!]

Well, I got my last piece of the puzzle in the mail today. 

Here's the HEI electrical pigtail.  I ordered it from Summit.  It was a couple dollars cheaper than Autozone even after shipping.


I also have the HEI distributor from Skip White Performance, 6 Champion spark plus and a set of Accel 8.8 plug wires.  I think I have everything I need.  Now just need to find the time to get it done. 

[eagle503]

I know this is an old thread but I am curious how the distributor worked out. I just ordered one from skip white. Do you have a part number for the correct plug wires?

[83Eagle!]

Never been able to install it. Did the motorcraft carb upgrade this summer and have been too busy with school and my new job to do anything else. Have had the heir stuff over a year and have not been able to do it. Too busy.

[thereverendbill]

the skip white dist is AWESOME!!!! I had one in my wagon and I installed one in a fellow member's SX/4.  The one thing you NEED to check and make sure is that the rotor is tight.  When I installed mine on the wagon it wasn't due, to shipping or a QC person but I never checked it and it ruined the rotor and cap.  I replaced both pieces on my dime cause it was somethign I should have checked and i didn't want to call and sound like a dummy to them