What is High Energy Ignition?
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 16,416
Likes: 1
From: NC,USA
An HEI doesnt use points... it has an onboard coil as well. Very nice ignitions, done about 5,500 RPM, relatively hot spark with some modifications.
Get one with a vacuum advance, but be aware that you have to use an electric tach instead of a cable drive.
I prefer them because once they are setup they dont require anything but a new cap/wires every 30k miles or so!
Get one with a vacuum advance, but be aware that you have to use an electric tach instead of a cable drive.
I prefer them because once they are setup they dont require anything but a new cap/wires every 30k miles or so!
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,926
Likes: 739
From: Youngstown Ohio
Originally Posted by ZD75blue
An HEI doesnt use points... it has an onboard coil as well. Very nice ignitions, done about 5,500 RPM, relatively hot spark with some modifications.
Get one with a vacuum advance, but be aware that you have to use an electric tach instead of a cable drive.
I prefer them because once they are setup they dont require anything but a new cap/wires every 30k miles or so!
Get one with a vacuum advance, but be aware that you have to use an electric tach instead of a cable drive.
I prefer them because once they are setup they dont require anything but a new cap/wires every 30k miles or so!
I have upgraded my '69 with an HEI.....it is a tach drive unit from Davis (DUI) Ignitions with custom advance curve, (I specified no vacuum advance when ordering), & is good for 7500 RPM....highly recommended upgrade. 
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,412
Likes: 792
From: Redondo Beach, California
Originally Posted by ZD75blue
Get one with a vacuum advance, but be aware that you have to use an electric tach instead of a cable drive.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Lets all get down to reality, just who in hell today would want to KEEP a worn out mechanical tach and spend the money on a HEI distrib to be able to kep it...??? gotta be nutz...period....
change to either a '75-77 vette tach, which is a bolt in, like I did or get the old one revamped to the modern age, OR build in another aftermarket tach.....
case closed.....
GENE
change to either a '75-77 vette tach, which is a bolt in, like I did or get the old one revamped to the modern age, OR build in another aftermarket tach.....
case closed.....
GENE
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,028
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio Texas
yes and yes.
like the above post states, they are virtually idiot proof. no points to get out of adjustment. spark is triggered magnetically by the distributor. a beautifully simple design.
once installed, there is no "tuning" other than setting the timing. just change the cap, rotor, wires and plugs periodically. great for street use. they do have some short comings at high rpm (above 5000 rpm or so) and may not be the best choice for the strip although there are some performance upgrades to overcome this.
like the above post states, they are virtually idiot proof. no points to get out of adjustment. spark is triggered magnetically by the distributor. a beautifully simple design.
once installed, there is no "tuning" other than setting the timing. just change the cap, rotor, wires and plugs periodically. great for street use. they do have some short comings at high rpm (above 5000 rpm or so) and may not be the best choice for the strip although there are some performance upgrades to overcome this.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 12,142
Likes: 54
From: Taylor Michigan
I use stock 1975 GM HEI distributors and have no problems at any RPM all in solid lifter BB`s. An inexpensive wise choice. An electric tach must be used with this set up however but plugs right into the cap. There are a few high dollar HEI tach drive style distributors on the market, but there wont be any noticable improvement over the 1975 stock model. Interchangable with both BB`s and SB`s.
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Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 581
Likes: 0
From: Southeast WI
Ok, I think I found one. Will this model work in my '69 BB?
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/P...X/appId-415758
How hard are these to install? My auto/mechanical skills are intermediate. This seems like something I would want my local Corvette shop to install. Advice?
Thanks, all!
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/P...X/appId-415758
How hard are these to install? My auto/mechanical skills are intermediate. This seems like something I would want my local Corvette shop to install. Advice?
Thanks, all!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,502
Likes: 1,510
From: Little Rock AR
Dave Ray builds old points style distributors with HEI internals. He totaly rebuilds the distributor and adds the HEI, then recurves it for you. www.davessmallbodyheis.com was his web page but the contact info might be out of date. He can put the HEI inside the tach drive distributor and he is VERY reasonable on price. 
I gotta hunt down his new address some day.
-Mark.
I gotta hunt down his new address some day.-Mark.
