Inliners International Forums General Discussion Electrical Points to HEI Conversion on a 250

I was just wondering what all I would need for a standard points dist to HEI conversion. I know I would need an HEI dist. The thing that was confusing me is do I need a ignition computer box or module or whatever it's called? It seems like it should work without external hardware but then again I don't know hardly anything about HEI.

Thanks guys

The HEI will be all in one package, nothing else needed.
By a new one so you will not have to rebuild it.
Look at your fuse block in the car. There will be a fuse for ignition, near it you will find a 1/4" spade lug that a wire connector can push onto. This terminal should be hot with key in RUN position. Connect a 12-10 guage wire to this and run it out to the distributor and connect it to the +12 terminal. Take old coil wires and tape back or cut off and tape, it was a resistor wire and will not feed the correct current/ voltage to properly operate the HEI. Tom

Run a 10 gauge wire,the factory does.

MBHD

One trick I've heard of is to use that old resistor wire to drive a relay, which will tolerate the lowered voltage, and use it to switch full battery to the HEI.

If you are running an external voltage regulator (mechanical) you might want to swap over to an internal regulated (electronic) Delcotron. Started comming out in early '70s, all were by '75 when HEI came out. HEI ignition modules don't like voltage splikes!

HEI modules do not like heat either.


MBHD

To do it on a budget, you can use the points to trigger a Ford TFI module. The TFI preserves the points so last a LOT longer. Having points in the dizzy also gives a provision for when the module dies.

There's a lot of good info on ignition upgrades , here

X2 - using the points as a switch (instead of current transfer) makes them last far longer and gets you home if the black box takes a nap.
My usual luck is to use an "every store on the planet carries this" universal part, and to have it fail at Sunday 3 AM on a holiday weekend. The best spare is the one in your trunk.

Howcome everyone's so afraid of using a Pertronix ignition? I want the look of a points type distributor with a solid state ignition module. I've seen multiple bashes on the Pertronix ignition module, but has anyone here actually used one and experienced an actual failure? I know, where are you gonna get one when it does fail, but the same could be applied to a Chevy HEI. They burn out when they get hot too. Of course you can get one from a parts store, but if you're high and dry at the side of the road, you could always reinstall a set of points in a distributor, and at that point, it doesn't really matter what's broken, right?

I've used a Pertronix ignition in my 230 inliner for the past two years with no problems at all. I drag race with it and routinely shift at 4800-5000 rpm with no misses or failures. I carry the points in my tool box just in case.

Cool. Anyone else?

just put one on a 165 hp mercruiser(chevy 250) works great

I ran one for a while:

http://63chevyii.com/nova_technical_articles/pertronix_install/pertronix_ignitorII.htm

Until what happened?

I bought another engine that had a practically new hei unit on it. I plan on taking the car on some long trips, so figured something that was easily replaceable was a good idea, although I really like the look of the small cap points unit better.

You can leave the wiring there for the points setup and put the old set of points in the toolbox in case you do break down, which I did for a while.

I used one on a big block in a pick-up and worked fine. I also saw an Iso-Grifo at Pebble Beach that was not able to be judged because the Pertronix died and the car would not fire. He was not a happy camper!!

I have run them in my 270 and my son's Stude V thing for at least 10 years and thousands of lonely highway miles. I have had one failure. I have on the other hand had a few Unilites and GM HEIs put me on the side of the road. I carry points in the glove box and a complete distributer under the seat with the .45. Beater

Snowman,
Most junkyards will just about give away a 6 cylinder HEI. I bought two for $25. Disassembled both and cleaned up the best one, got a new cap and rotor from the Zone for $20. The hookup is alot easier than you think, basically it's as easy as T Lowe says. I checked the module from the second unit I bought - it is good and in the glove box.

The increase in performance is substantial - you won't be unhappy.

I have about 12,000 miles on a Pertronix over the last two years in an otherwise stock GMC 270 distributor. I also put in the 40,000V 1.5Ohm coil from Pertronix - starts quickly and runs smooth to 5000 rpm.

I recently installed the HEI set from Tom Langdens Stovebolt 6
Works nice but wondering for sure what plugs to use.
Chev 250 C10 '66

X2 or convert to a late model alternator - they are much more efficient. An 80 amp CS style alternator is about 3/4 the size of an old 40 amp external reg. alternator.. wreckers are full of them. The front pulley swaps easy to a V belt. Locally the cost of a late model alt. is $10 more than ext reg. which have to be ordered in.

Went thru this post and I'm still confused. Brain freeze,dead brain cells or bad memory, I replaced my points distributor in my 63 Nova with a HEI/ coil in cap unit and with a 10 guage wire in my hand to install it, I'm lookng at 3 wires coming out of the unit to a plug. I figure one is hot, another is for the tach and the third??? And which is which???

The Tachometer?

The HEI has 3 wires.

Brain back working, 3 wires plug into cap and new wire hooks in beside plug in cap. Now where did I put the car??

Hopefully next to the workbench with the distributor on it.

I need to do this conversion too. My question is that there is one wire that is covered with cloth - which I assume in the resistor wire. Coupled with this white wire is a pink wire. The other end of the pink wire is at the distributor. I wonder if the pink wire goes straight from the starter to the coil and if so, do I need to still run a wire as described in post #58343? The wiring harness is a new stock unit.

The short answer is maybe. Put your ignition switch in start with no wires hooked to starter and see if you get 12 volts on that 10 ga wire you ran. If so, you don't need it. If not, you do. It gets hooked up to the S terminal on the solenoid, which usually has a purple wire going to it. I think it is typically the one closest to the block. Originally the pink wire ran from the the "S" post on the solenoid to the coil to give a full 12 volts to the coil during startup to help the engine fire off better back in the points days.