What pickup coil for HEI
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,221
Likes: 302
What pickup coil for HEI
I was noticing my pickup coil was getting a little worn out when I had my distributor out for other reasons. Figured I'd do some preventative maintenance. Went to O'Reilly auto and bought a new one.
A Standard Ignition LX-302. Supposed to work on a 1990 Corvette. However it has a green and white wire vs the green and yellow on the one I currently have. The location of the green wire is the same though (I've been reading about polarity on these things).
Installed it and the Ignition timing is all over the place, running like crap. Car would barely start. Swapped back to the old one and it runs normally. Put the new one back in and same thing... barely starts and runs like crap.
So I'm confused now. This one is advertised to be for a 1990 Vette.
My set up consists of a large cap HEI using a Pertronix module. Im also using an external Pertronix Flamethrower coil with a cap converted to run an external coil. Been running fine like that for years.
I still want to change my pickup before I have a failure on the road... but seems like options for pickup coils are limited for computer controlled large cap HEIs as I'm searching around.
What are you guys doing for pickup coils these days?
I dont know what brand i currently have as its over 20 years old.
A Standard Ignition LX-302. Supposed to work on a 1990 Corvette. However it has a green and white wire vs the green and yellow on the one I currently have. The location of the green wire is the same though (I've been reading about polarity on these things).
Installed it and the Ignition timing is all over the place, running like crap. Car would barely start. Swapped back to the old one and it runs normally. Put the new one back in and same thing... barely starts and runs like crap.
So I'm confused now. This one is advertised to be for a 1990 Vette.
My set up consists of a large cap HEI using a Pertronix module. Im also using an external Pertronix Flamethrower coil with a cap converted to run an external coil. Been running fine like that for years.
I still want to change my pickup before I have a failure on the road... but seems like options for pickup coils are limited for computer controlled large cap HEIs as I'm searching around.
What are you guys doing for pickup coils these days?
I dont know what brand i currently have as its over 20 years old.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,221
Likes: 302
I contacted Pertronix today. They said they've never gotten that far into a large cap, computer controlled HEI distributor, so they couldn't advise me.
Hopefully someone here has some info...
I suppose worst case, I'd have to swap over to a small cap distributor. I already have the external coil, so I guess it wouldn't be the end of the world. But I like the look of the large cap, so that would kinda suck.
Hopefully someone here has some info...
I suppose worst case, I'd have to swap over to a small cap distributor. I already have the external coil, so I guess it wouldn't be the end of the world. But I like the look of the large cap, so that would kinda suck.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 25,394
Likes: 2,741
Maybe you just buy only a NOS GM# 1977207? They seem to be out there. Learn the date codes and confirm the buy? Buy maybe a thought to be 'good' used using date code confirmations etc. Any current production from anyone is likely just 're-boxed' of who knows what.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,221
Likes: 302
Thanks. It looks just like this one, except my wires are green and yellow (at least it looks yellow, but not sure if it's just discoloration due to age).
https://www.ebay.com/itm/32528815980...Bk9SR76RzOWsYg
The O'Reilly one also looked identical but it didn't work (unless I got really unlucky with a faulty one out of the box).
Ebay seems to have a bunch of them...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/32528815980...Bk9SR76RzOWsYg
The O'Reilly one also looked identical but it didn't work (unless I got really unlucky with a faulty one out of the box).
Ebay seems to have a bunch of them...
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,258
Likes: 98
From: Ashland PA
2021 C4 of the Year - Modified Finalist
There are two different coils with different colored wires, I can not remember what colors are for what
but if you do a search you should be able to find out.
but if you do a search you should be able to find out.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,221
Likes: 302
Actually here's one that looks EXACTLY like mine... yellow wire and all...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/26615156567...SR3ABk9SR76RzO
https://www.ebay.com/itm/26615156567...SR3ABk9SR76RzO
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,221
Likes: 302
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Drifting
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 1,805
Likes: 365
From: Central Florida
I am getting ready to do this and have the green and white replacement as well. It is a WVE 4P1209 from rock auto. I checked their site and the OEM # and the databases do not seem to conflict, it should be the right part. Please let us know the outcome. My OEM # is also 1977207. The paperwork with the pickup coil listed it as an H.E.I. ignition part.
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Last edited by Vets-Vet; Jul 18, 2023 at 08:21 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 1,805
Likes: 365
From: Central Florida
Could you give us the info on the box ? part # manfacturer ? If you put an ohmeter across the green and white pins will probably read about 800 ohms, the book says 500 to 1500 is the spec. from each of the pins to the metal base should be open (zero). If it is installed in the distributor and happens to align you will get a spike.
Last edited by Vets-Vet; Jul 18, 2023 at 05:56 PM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,221
Likes: 302
Part arrived today and installed it.
Fired up very strong and solid idle. Spark timing right on the freaking money.
I haven't had a chance to test drive it, but they way I was rapping on the throttle and how responsive it was, I'd be surprised if it doesn't run really strong.
Probably test drive it later this week. Fingers crossed.
Fired up very strong and solid idle. Spark timing right on the freaking money.
I haven't had a chance to test drive it, but they way I was rapping on the throttle and how responsive it was, I'd be surprised if it doesn't run really strong.
Probably test drive it later this week. Fingers crossed.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 1,805
Likes: 365
From: Central Florida
Would you please be so kind as to ohm out those pins and tell us what you get ?
pin to pin on P/U coil connector is probably around 800 ohms
each individual pin to the metal base should be zero ohms.
Thanks
pin to pin on P/U coil connector is probably around 800 ohms
each individual pin to the metal base should be zero ohms.
Thanks
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,221
Likes: 302
Before I installed it I measured it out at about 840 Ohms.
But physically it's an exact copy of the one I had before.
One thing I did notice was that the magnets seemed stronger on the new one. When rotating the shaft by hand you can feel the "detents" when the poles align much more prominently than my old one... I swapped back and forth a few times to make sure I wasn't imagining it. Maybe somehow the magnetic strength of the pickup coil decreases with age and use?
But physically it's an exact copy of the one I had before.
One thing I did notice was that the magnets seemed stronger on the new one. When rotating the shaft by hand you can feel the "detents" when the poles align much more prominently than my old one... I swapped back and forth a few times to make sure I wasn't imagining it. Maybe somehow the magnetic strength of the pickup coil decreases with age and use?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,221
Likes: 302
No the 840 was for the NOS GM one. But the Oreilly one was about that as well if I recall... which was kind of the curious thing. Except for the white vs yellow wire, it was physically and electrically the same for whatever things I could actually measure.