Procrastination Racing

While working on my '89 truck tonight, I was noticing how close in size the small electronic distributor is to the old points type distributors.

Obviously, the drawback to the regular HEI we all know is it is too large to look stock, for those who find that important, and too large to fit in the shielding, for those who listen to their radios.

Also, the HEI doesn't have a tach drive.

I know that we can simply send out for the many vendor items, like the HEI with tach drive, but I was wondering if anyone has explored putting in the electronic pickup from the newer small electronic distributors into the old points distributor on their own and if they could get it to work.

I'm Batman

You'll notice that the little HEI is computer controlled. No vacuum advance. That can be an issue if you're sticking with a carb.

bobs77vet

it won't work they are too different....the weights even open differently....now pertronix has an electronic set up that takes the place of the points taht people either love or hate

69427

I converted my stock '69 distributor to electronic ignition in 1974. I used a Hayes aftermarket reluctor wheel/pickup coil and remote amplifier box, but a few years later I wired in the Delco four terminal HEI module under the distributor shielding. The Hayes pickup coil has the same waveform as the Delco pickup coil, so the HEI module doesn't know the difference. I run the car hard at frequent track days, and the system has been bulletproof for me all these years. I've even converted several vehicles for buddies over the years. The pickup coil hardware kit runs about fifty bucks, and the four terminal modules are inexpensive. (Dirt cheap if you retrieve the module from a used late seventies distributor.)

tigers123

When hei first came out it was not computer controlled. So if you buy an aftermarlet hei ie; [msd, pertronix, accell, or mallory] you should not have a problem. Also there was somebody selling a unit on ebay with the tach drive quite reasonably. I had the original cable tach on my 1974 and spent a small fortune trying to get it going again. My advice is to upgrade to an electronic unit out of a 1975 or later, or put in autometer like I'm doing. My car will never capture the bloomington gold and will be considered rest-mod when finished anyway. The cable drive tach will nickle and dime you until you beg for mercy to quit. Or at least that was my experience. Here is a guy who puts hei parts in the old distributors [points type]. I can't recommend him one way or the other, but there is somebody doing it.
http://www.davessmallbodyheis.com/

I'm Batman

He was talking about the late-model small cap HEI. The original post specifically mentions the standard HEI being "too big to look stock."

tigers123

Didn't I mention a guy making small body hei's. I agree that the newer ones won't work unless you want to rewire the car for a computer. He could probably rework the existing small cap point distributor for hei.

sweethence

I know i ve said this before, but give performance distributers a call in Memphis Tn. They have an HEI one wire conversion with tach drive that is awesome and they tune it on a distributor machine before they send it based on your engine specs.


link here http://www.performancedistributors.com/gmssdui.htm

Ive had this in my engine for a year and it has performed flawlessly, plus the distributor cap is clear making adjustment very easy, not to mention the cool factor

I'm Batman

Damn, busted. I just saw the part about using a '75 or later HEI...

Procrastination Racing

Thanks everyone. I just thought the guts of the little HEI might fit in the old points distributor body. It would be a neat way to have common Chevy parts you can buy at Anywhere, USA for when you are on that road trip and the darn thing stops in the middle of nowhere.

Kalway

How often does a distributor break?

Procrastination Racing

Fortunately, not often anymore. But I did have an HEI go bad about 10 years ago while towing a 1914 ****** Overland through Georgia. And since it was all Delco parts, I had no problem buying parts, installing, and driving on.


Would you want to leave a midyear sitting in the middle of a cross country run just to wait for someone to find aftermarket parts?