Build-your-own tach drive HEI distributor
08-17-2002, 01:25 AM
#1
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Location: Hillsboro OR
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Build-your-own tach drive HEI distributor
I just installed my "new" tach drive distributor. If anyone has been thinking about building one of these, I can tell you that it is not that hard. I paid $53 (including shipping) for an Accel dual point tach drive distributor on ebay, and $15 for an HEI distributor at a junk yard, for a total of $68 bucks. Not bad.
I cut the top off the tach drive dist, cut the top off the HEI, and then prepared to weld them together. You need a lathe to get a good straight cut of course. The problem came when I found that the shaft on the Accel unit is .5" diameter and the HEI is about .403" diameter. Also, the Accel used roller bearings and the HEI uses bronze bushings. The OD for the roller bearings is .75" and the OD for the bronze bushings is about .675". Not to worry, I got a 3/4" bolt and made some metal bushings so I could use the bronze bushing in the tach drive distributor shaft housing. Not as good as the bearings I know, but I didn't have much choice. Then I reamed out the bronze bushings to .5" for the larger Accel shaft. I pressed it all togehter and had the HEI top welded on. Then I cut about 2" from the HEI center shaft, welded it to the Accel shaft, mounted everything together and installed it. Now I have HEI and tach.
Why? you ask? Well, I also have a computer from a 90 van running my ignition (and soon my fuel injection) so I needed the HEI with the 7 terminal module to drive the computer.
I love it when things work! (kind of a rare thing sometimes . . . . . :) )
I cut the top off the tach drive dist, cut the top off the HEI, and then prepared to weld them together. You need a lathe to get a good straight cut of course. The problem came when I found that the shaft on the Accel unit is .5" diameter and the HEI is about .403" diameter. Also, the Accel used roller bearings and the HEI uses bronze bushings. The OD for the roller bearings is .75" and the OD for the bronze bushings is about .675". Not to worry, I got a 3/4" bolt and made some metal bushings so I could use the bronze bushing in the tach drive distributor shaft housing. Not as good as the bearings I know, but I didn't have much choice. Then I reamed out the bronze bushings to .5" for the larger Accel shaft. I pressed it all togehter and had the HEI top welded on. Then I cut about 2" from the HEI center shaft, welded it to the Accel shaft, mounted everything together and installed it. Now I have HEI and tach.
Why? you ask? Well, I also have a computer from a 90 van running my ignition (and soon my fuel injection) so I needed the HEI with the 7 terminal module to drive the computer.
I love it when things work! (kind of a rare thing sometimes . . . . . :) )
08-17-2002, 02:26 AM
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Re: Build-your-own tach drive HEI distributor (Yellow73BB)
:cool: :cool:
I don't think that very many forum members have the resources nor the skills involved to do this:
There could be a business opportunity here for you... :D
I don't think that very many forum members have the resources nor the skills involved to do this:
There could be a business opportunity here for you... :D
08-18-2002, 03:03 AM
#5
Team Owner
Re: Build-your-own tach drive HEI distributor (Yellow73BB)
I just installed my "new" tach drive distributor. If anyone has been thinking about building one of these, I can tell you that it is not that hard. I paid $53 (including shipping) for an Accel dual point tach drive distributor on ebay, and $15 for an HEI distributor at a junk yard, for a total of $68 bucks. Not bad.
I cut the top off the tach drive dist, cut the top off the HEI, and then prepared to weld them together. You need a lathe to get a good straight cut of course. The problem came when I found that the shaft on the Accel unit is .5" diameter and the HEI is about .403" diameter. Also, the Accel used roller bearings and the HEI uses bronze bushings. The OD for the roller bearings is .75" and the OD for the bronze bushings is about .675". Not to worry, I got a 3/4" bolt and made some metal bushings so I could use the bronze bushing in the tach drive distributor shaft housing. Not as good as the bearings I know, but I didn't have much choice. Then I reamed out the bronze bushings to .5" for the larger Accel shaft. I pressed it all togehter and had the HEI top welded on. Then I cut about 2" from the HEI center shaft, welded it to the Accel shaft, mounted everything together and installed it. Now I have HEI and tach.
Why? you ask? Well, I also have a computer from a 90 van running my ignition (and soon my fuel injection) so I needed the HEI with the 7 terminal module to drive the computer.
I love it when things work! (kind of a rare thing sometimes . . . . . :) )
I cut the top off the tach drive dist, cut the top off the HEI, and then prepared to weld them together. You need a lathe to get a good straight cut of course. The problem came when I found that the shaft on the Accel unit is .5" diameter and the HEI is about .403" diameter. Also, the Accel used roller bearings and the HEI uses bronze bushings. The OD for the roller bearings is .75" and the OD for the bronze bushings is about .675". Not to worry, I got a 3/4" bolt and made some metal bushings so I could use the bronze bushing in the tach drive distributor shaft housing. Not as good as the bearings I know, but I didn't have much choice. Then I reamed out the bronze bushings to .5" for the larger Accel shaft. I pressed it all togehter and had the HEI top welded on. Then I cut about 2" from the HEI center shaft, welded it to the Accel shaft, mounted everything together and installed it. Now I have HEI and tach.
Why? you ask? Well, I also have a computer from a 90 van running my ignition (and soon my fuel injection) so I needed the HEI with the 7 terminal module to drive the computer.
I love it when things work! (kind of a rare thing sometimes . . . . . :) )
