The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay HEI conversion

I have an ongoing issue with bogging/hesitation from idle to load.... on my 67 - 250, Rochester 'B'. I'm switching my focus from the carburetor to the HEI distributor installed by the previous owner.....Attached are pics of what I consider rather simple wiring. I'm old school from the days of points & choke pull offs, and unless there was a real advantage I would have left the original distributor alone & carried an extra set of points in the glove box.....but not the case.....In my education of wiring the HEI distributor, I learned that a 12 gauge wire runs from the cap on the distributor, to the 'ignition' port of the fuse block, or the junction block on the firewall.....Shown in my pics there's what appears to be a 12 gauge pink wire going from the distributor to the junction block on the firewall....Also there's a thinner yellow wire that's on the same connector going to the starter??? - This is one of my questions....Is this correct? - My second question On the junction block on the firewall, is that pink wire going to the right terminal ?

The yellow wire going to the starter probably isn't needed. The heavy red/pink wire going to the distributor cap should go all the way to the ignition switch- - - - -the wiring on the inside of that junction block probably isn't that big, and there's a possibility it might be a resistance wire that drops the voltage to the HEI down to around 9-10 volts. Make sure the 12 gauge or larger wire goes all the way from the ignition switch to the distributor. The bypass wire at the starter can be eliminated.
Jerry

My 67 Suburban wiring is a mess. I found the ignition wire (from the key switch ign to the area around the fuse box), but not the wire going from the fuse box through the fire wall to the HEI distributor. I think they were using the old resister wire. as there was a bit of it hanging loose. I cut the ignition wire and spliced a new 12g wire to the distributor cap. It seems to work.

OK...So go directly from the distributor to the ignition switch @ the dash....How do I know which wire to splice into? Trying to remember aren't all of those wires 12 gauge?.... I had the ignition switch out this summer to replace the cylinder & key, I didn't notice any modifications to the harness, now I'm wondering what that pink wire is attached to going into the terminal block on the firewall.....Do you think this is the culprit of the spitting & sputtering when I accelerate under load? - ...and gee I was getting ready to pull the trigger on a Daytona Carb !! - ..lol...lol

Based off HRL's post, the big pinkish/red wire should go from IGN on the key switch straight to the BAT port on the HEI distributor. .... which is what I did.

I added pix. My key switch is hanging since I haven't pulled the old switch out of the dash yet. I broke the back part of the key switch when I took it apart, so you might want to leave yours alone. The big pink wire goes to my IGN connection on the key switch (as seen on the pix), the other end goes to the BAT terminal on the HEI distributor.

OK - so if I understand this correctly....the ignition switch pole is marked 'IGN" - disconnect the wire that is there, & attach the 12 gauge wire? - Year One sells a specific wire for this....their part # is L00510 - I tried to attach a pic of it but it wouldn't let me....This is great info.....Thanks a bunch.........

#12 wire is available in any length and color you want at most every auto parts store. There's no need to pay outrageous prices for a dedicated wire. If you want the locking plug that attaches to the distributor cap terminal, just scavenge one at a salvage yard and do a Western Union splice covered by a piece of heat shrink tubing to the wire you attached to the ignition switch. If you want to use the original terminal block connector on the firewall to make things look somewhat original, just pick one of the connector slots without a wire in it, drill a hole through it, and thread the #12 wire straight through.
Jerry

I just cut the existing pink wire and spliced on a new piece. I opened mine up because 1. I got the truck with no key and 2. I broke the switch trying to remove the connector.

I would run a test before doing anything else. Run a wire from the battery to the HEI directly (i.e. hotwire it). Run the truck and see if it solves your problem.

Boy did I have a brain fart...why didn't I think if that? - Sometimes, well actually most times, I overthink on problems, then there my tendency to do things right, or not doing them at all.... That dedicated harness from Year One is $12.00 + shipping & has the correct terminals....& I know I have #12 wire in my scrap wire box.... The reason why I had to replace the cylinder & key, as the guy I got the truck from lost the key and his repair was jamb a screwdriver in the ignition to start it.....Duh...... The plus of it all, I got a nice USA 'Kline' screwdriver as a key.....Once I get unburied from all the snow & warms up a bit I'll give that Hot Wire trick a try....Thanks a bunch.....

I used a clamp on connector and sealed it with some heat shrink. Later on when I start putting everything back together I'll be replacing the whole wire harness.

You should only have one wire running from the distributer to your start switch. The crank power of the switch should be jumped to the run power of the switch. The R terminal of the starter solenoid is not used anymore on a HEI distributer. The ballast resister if still hooked up should be disconnected as HEI distributers do not need a lower voltage to operate like a points distributer would.