Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines Distributor for a 292

I want a HEI for my 292 and was wondering if a V6 one will fit or do you need one from a inline?

You really need to get one from a inline. They are on ebay all the time. Recomend getting one with adjustable vac can and performance weights/spring kit. Tom

Tom, does the "V8" kit fit the "V6" distributor?

I seem to recall Mr Gasket marketing a kit with, weights, springs, bushings, stops and an adjustable can for the Bent 8.

Nex, I'm not Tom but the "forked 8" kit will only fit the I-6 distributor....the 2.8 distributor has a different centrifugal advance mechanism than the v-8 and I think all of the 4.3 distributors utilized the 7 pin computer controled module for timing control; there may have been some 5-pin 4.3 distributors but I don't recall ever dealing with one....fats

Thanks for the subject, junkit54. I also have a question regarding the distributor. Which specific HEIfor my 292 should I be looking for on e-bay? Thanks, as usual, for the help I get. It is much appreciated. Being a retired English teacher and not a mechanic has its drawbacks, but this group has helped me immensely. Thanks.

George, there are two; one with an external coil (I believe this is the earlier model) and a style that is conventional HEI "coil in cap" design.....either one will work with minimal effort......be aware that there was a California calibration distributor that was used with a knock sensor to retard the timing under detonation (70's era I believe).....that distributor can be changed to a 4 pin module....I just did some testing on a distributor machine and it appeared that the external coil style distributor has a bit more spark output on wide plug gaps; that may indicate that the coil has a more favorable turn ratio but I don't have the specs for either coil.....MSD has a cap adaptor that will allow an external coil to be used with an internal coil cap which gives you more coil options.....(please don't grade the spelling or sentence structure !).....fats #4630

Thanks for the info, Fats. Rarely do I admit I was an English teacher. 'Grading' people's writing or speaking is arrogant and shows poor taste. So, again, thanks for the information. It is much appreciated.

There's probably more old teachers here than you think. Sometimes it's hard not to get out the red pen, but I've always been arrogant. I think I read here that the California distributor was '80-'81. I've never seen one. Tom

I wont hold that against you guys; I'm still "fighting the battle" as a curriculum development specialist in career and tech. ed at the community college level.....having said that: english(liberal arts in general) was never my strongest attribute....nuts, bolts, sparks and metal chips are more my thing......fats

I purchased a new one thru Performance Distributors in Memphis Tenn. It has never failed me in any way. It was 'Hopped Up" by them for my racing engine and I would reccomend their services. Good Luck

Is there any reason not to use a points-style distibutor with a pertronix kit? I find the small distributor cap much more aesthetically pleasing. I'm planning to use that kit for my 292.

You may want to check with Tom Langdon's stovebolt. He is going to have a new small cap HEI available very soon.

The HEI is one of the most reliable dist ever made. Parts are everywhere. Tom

I've run points, factory HEI, and Pertronix. While I have never had a problem with the Pertronix setup I was always a little concerned with ignition failure on road trips.

My favorite is the early 250-292 HEI ('75-76 vintage?) with the seperate coil. Less obnoxious in appearance than the coil-in-cap style and I recall someone posting that the seperate coil style has some performance advantage but I don't know about that.

I keep a spare set of points and a coil in the toolbox for points, a spare module and pickup coil for HEI, or a complete points distributor for a Pertronix system depending on what system I'm using. A bit paranoid I suppose but it might be tough to find Pertronix parts in a road trip failure situation.

Mostly irrelevant anymore since I can't even remember the last road trip I took in one of my old cars!

vanherk1, if you want the stock points distributor LOOK, then the Pertronix is great,outward appearance is stock except for one extra wire to the distributor. I run one in my camaro, although it gets limited miles it has been great for 5 years.

Strokersix is right about concern of failure, I have heard of a few.

for dependability and price, HEI is hard to beat...thats what I'll use on my 292.
-Tad