Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines 63 Nova electronic ignition conversion

I'd like to switch to electronic ignition. I have 194 inline six. I am going to order, from classic industries:

PX706101 SPARK PLUG WIRE SET 6 CYLINDER 7MM PERTRONIX FLAME THROWER

PX1162A ELECTRONIC IGNITION CONVERSION 6 CYL DELCO SINGLE POINT DIST

What else do I need? What plugs should I get?

That system for a 'passenger car' won't be cost-effective unless you live in frezing temps.

Good luck, John M...

You don't need to mix & match. Keep it simple
Pick up a Stock GM HEI Just Be sure to have a full 12 volts for it. Not the stock Point wire it is a resistor wire. It is as simple as one can Get.

#3220 }[oooooo]

"Just Be sure to have a full 12 volts for it"

How do I do this? I'm just starting to learn about cars and don't know much. Can I just go down to Pep Boys or another store and pick up the parts?

I'd be very surprised if anyone at Pep Boys had a clue as to what to do for you. You ask for an HEI distrib to fit a 64 Nova with 194 engine and nothing will show on their computer. If they can't find it in the computer then all you'll get is a blank stare.

If that's where you like to shop then ask for a rebuilt distrib for a 79 Chevy C10 van with a 250 inch engine. That will be the all in one unit with the coil in the cap. Most likely it won't come with the cap, rotor, or the coil and coil cover so you will need to buy those too. Also they are going to charge you a core charge since you don't have the exact same old one to turn in.

You must know somebody who has enough experience to be able to make the required 12 volt direct connection from your ignition switch to the HEI for you and help you install and time the new distrib. For us old timers its a simple thing but for anyone just starting out I would rather see you get a real live person to be there to help you and teach you. Nuts and bolts work comes pretty easily. Electrical work isn't hard but it can seem like a big ball of confusion at first.

Mike G ( 4355 )

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the input.

It's not actually where I'd like to shop, I was just trying to think of something generic/common.

I do know a couple of people, but unfortunately they are back east, about 3k miles away. I am originally from NH, but moved to California about a year ago, hoping for a 1)change of scenery(i.e. - get out of my dead home town), 2)figure out what I want to be when I grow up, and 3)find 'the' car I've been trying to find for the last 8 years or so. Luckily I've accomplished 1 & 3 (don't know if I'll ever accomplish #2). When it comes to cars, I'm gonna to pretty much have to learn on my own. My roommate is a collision repair tech and has some knowledge of suspension work, but doesn't have a mechanical background. I guess it is going to be trial and (a whole lot of) error for us.

Thanks Walt. I have been looking at community colleges for classes. I have been thinking that I wish I had gone to school for auto or something related. this sitting at a computer for 8-10 hours per day stuff isn't very cool. I wish I was thinking about that when I was 17 or 18, before I got my $120k degree from a liberal arts school. I guess I still have plenty of time... i'm only 26...

Chevy 11,
I put the Pertronix II Ignitor in my 250 Camaro. It took about 1/2 hour to bolt in, uses the stock distributer which dose'nt have to be removed to install, and can use the stock coil (I upgraded to a hotter coil) and works great. There is a guy out of Florida on E-bay that sells them for about $50-$60. Let me know if your interested or need help finding him on E-bay.
JOHN

Thanks John,

If you could send over any infor to me, that would be great. What coil would you suggest?

Thanks,

Lyndon

Lyndon,
If you had a Kaiser-Fraser or some such odd ball I could see going for a Pertronix. When you have a G.M. HEI avaliable at a parts store or a junk yard, why would you even consider an aftermarket points eliminator? If you have trouble on the road with a G.M. system, every mechanic will be familiar with them and parts are available everywhere. Seems like a no brainer to me.
Jim

Thanks Jim. Thats a great point.

Hey II,

I agree that the HEI is a better choice for commonalty. I swapped one into my 62 Chevy II when I rebuilt it, very easy swap. I have one in my 235 for years.

But on the other hand, if you get the Pertronix unit, you can switch back to points easily, on any back woods road. I haven't seen the instructions, but once you lean to do the swap, you will be able to go back to points easily if needed. Just carry a spare set of points and condenser.

Just a thought

Luis
Tracy CA

Thanks everyone.

I'm running a 250 in a 64 Chevy II, note that if you ever consider adding AC the HEI unit may not clear your compressor brackets. The stock comperssor for a 250 works, but is ugly as hell, and all of the aftermarket kits won't work with the HEI, so you either have to go with points or the pertronics. If it benifits anyone I have found that you can take the upper stock GM bracket and adapt a sanden compressor(the ones you see on all the street rods)these can be found on a lot of jeep or chrysler cars. It mounts with one long bolt, and a couple of heim joints for a tensioner and your done. The compressor mounts rather high which looks really cool and on the Chevy II it posed no hood clearance problems. Right now I'm running the stock point set-up, but i have considered changing to the pertronics module. i have seen recently on ebay a couple of magnetos (a wico & a bosch)for the 194/230/250/292, does anyone know if these were used on some industrial application? A mag would look really cool, though i don't know how great low end performance, or dependability would be. i know mercruiser used the 250 and that the finned valve covers & side cover were a great upgrade for my motor, it would be interesting to know what other offbeat applications the inline was used for and what parts may interchange. sorry if i have rambled on. thanks, mark.

Thanks for the input. I really should add AC at some point, since this is a daily driver in southern california. When I was in NH, not having AC wasn't a big deal, but out here it is a different story.

It sounds like I'll give the petronix a try, while keeping a set of points and condensors in the car. I'll let everyone know how the setup works out for me.

Have any of you installed AC on a six? any tips? what do I need to buy? where should i get the parts? hmmm... maybe i need to start a new post.

Hey II,

My 62 Chevy II had factory power steering and factory power brakes. When I rebuilt a 250 and had it painted (my brother used to own a body shop), I installed 4 barrel Holly 390, headers, HEI ignition and the AC.

I used and under dash evaporator from Pick and Pull. I got the compressor brackets from a late model 250 Nova and they bolted right up. Use the R-4 compressor; it clears the large HEI distributor just fine. It does not look ugly in my opinion. At least nobody told me that it was ugly at the picnic at Mickey Grove. Ugly is in the eye of the beholder.

I kept that car for several years and have the same system on my 235. They ran great.

Luis