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HEI Distributor w/Coil

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Old Mar 12, 2020 | 03:49 PM
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Default HEI Distributor w/Coil

I have a 79 C3 with 350. Can anyone recommend an HEI distributor with coil that is good quality and economical? Prices and coil voltages vary so I will ask the experts at Corvette Forum - Thx!
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Old Mar 12, 2020 | 04:27 PM
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Avoid the cheap stuff on ebay, 'house brand".
Davis unified seems decent maybe there are others.
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Old Mar 12, 2020 | 05:00 PM
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Another vote for the DUI......still going great after many years. "Good quality" and "economical" should not be in the same sentence.....you don't want to pay twice to get a good one.



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Old Mar 12, 2020 | 05:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Countryside Cafe
I have a 79 C3 with 350. Can anyone recommend an HEI distributor with coil that is good quality and economical? Prices and coil voltages vary so I will ask the experts at Corvette Forum - Thx!
First things first....what is wrong with the distributor you currently have, assuming there is one?
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Old Mar 12, 2020 | 05:03 PM
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IIRC, CF member Big2Bird ran some tests on a new AC Delco GM HEI pn 93440806 and it performed well ... it is offshore https://www.summitracing.com/parts/ado-93440806

Davis Unified HEI are very good but double the abobe.

Old OE HEI are cheap & easy to rebuild.

-edit-
as for Hi-Voltage claims ... you're proof that marketing hype sells sells product ... but regardless whether 40K or 50K or 65K ... for most street rods the number is Moot. It simply means they are CAPABLE of delivering a Hi Volt. But in reality, vast majority of street rods' motors will Never call for that to light off a plug ... most will never even call for half that.

Last edited by jackson; Mar 12, 2020 at 05:35 PM.
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Old Mar 12, 2020 | 05:10 PM
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Just a factory HEI dist. will do fine. But make sure it has the Factory GM ignition module in it. All the other ignition modules are junk.
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Old Mar 12, 2020 | 07:05 PM
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Originally Posted by C3 Stroker
Another vote for the DUI......still going great after many years. "Good quality" and "economical" should not be in the same sentence.....you don't want to pay twice to get a good one.


I agree also.
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Old Mar 12, 2020 | 07:31 PM
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Originally Posted by jackson
IIRC, CF member Big2Bird ran some tests on a new AC Delco GM HEI pn 93440806 and it performed well ... it is offshore .
It is curved very well out of the box.
Has a vacuum can for street.

Voltage means zippo.
Total spark energy is what matters.
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Old Mar 12, 2020 | 08:39 PM
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I am replacing the original motor (issues) with a newer rebuilt engine along with new manifold, Carb, distributor, wires etc.. Don't want to reuse the old dist with new motor. Thx
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Old Mar 12, 2020 | 08:49 PM
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Originally Posted by Countryside Cafe
I am replacing the original motor (issues) with a newer rebuilt engine along with new manifold, Carb, distributor, wires etc.. Don't want to reuse the old dist with new motor. Thx
Why not? Spark is spark!
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Old Mar 12, 2020 | 08:52 PM
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Originally Posted by Countryside Cafe
I am replacing the original motor (issues) with a newer rebuilt engine along with new manifold, Carb, distributor, wires etc.. Don't want to reuse the old dist with new motor. Thx
The plug gap and cylinder pressure determine the spark voltage, not the coil. The coil voltage rating is for the insulation/dielectric, not the actual output of the coil.

As others have mentioned, Energy is a key element and the HE in HEI stands for high energy.

A genuine Delco distributor will equal or surpass any aftermarket piece in quality and durability.

If you do go the aftermarket direction, buy a quality unit, as others have recommended.
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Old Mar 12, 2020 | 09:05 PM
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Looked at the Delco OE - will go with it. Thx all!
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Old Mar 12, 2020 | 09:31 PM
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Ditto on the DUI distributor. Very pleased with the one in my 79.
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Old Mar 12, 2020 | 11:46 PM
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Originally Posted by jackson
IIRC, CF member Big2Bird ran some tests on a new AC Delco GM HEI pn 93440806 and it performed well ... it is offshore https://www.summitracing.com/parts/ado-93440806

Davis Unified HEI are very good but double the abobe.
...
I also put a NOS 93440806 in my 79 (a ZZ4 crate take-off from eBay, but never run). I followed @lars' tuning instructions. Out of the box, you will still need advance springs, endplay shims, and a different vacuum can. But it made a tremendous difference over the stock distributor it replaced, that was basically unrebuildable. And it looks completely stock, too.

A DUI unit might save some tuning, but you should still follow @lars' instructions for timing and setup.



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Old Mar 13, 2020 | 05:26 AM
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The DUI is my go to if you need a mechanical tach drive.
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