The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop HEI FROM 77 INLINE 6 ON 235

LOOKING FOR OPINIONS...A FRIEND RECENTLY GAVE ME AN HEI FROM A 77 CHEVY VAN AND I WAS WONDERING IF IT WOULD WORK DECENTLY ON MY 235 IN PLACE OF THE STOCK DISTRIBUTOR, HEI SHAFT IS SAME LENGHT AS 235 DISTRIBUTOR SHAFT...HAD THOUGHT ABOUT PUTTING A PETRONIX SYTEM ON INSTEAD, BUT WILL USE THIS HEI IF IT WORKS OUT...FIRST TIME PROJECT FOR ME,
MAHALO,
RANGEER 53

You will have to do some machining on the housing to adapt your distributor retainer so the distributor will adapt to your block. There are places that will do it for you, but I have no idea what the cost is.

You can do the conversion at home with a file and hacksaw although a grinder is less labor. First of all the shaft must be shortened about 3/8 inch and the taper reground into the cut end using a file or grinder. Second ,use the hack saw to cut thin retaining flange of the distributer body . After you have hacked off the retainer flange, use a course file to smooth the dist body to a round profile. This does not have to be perfect machining to work properly . What is important is to make sure the distance from the dist drive gear to the drive shaft end is identical to the old distributer, measure carefully.Finally, make up some sort of hold down clam, you can hack up the original or make your own.Absolutley make sure the distrubuter is fully seated before starting the engine as it drives the oil pump.I made a few of these for Stovebolters here ,and altogether converted around 10 distributers using the file and hack saw.No problems with any of them were reported.Old HEI distributers from 250 engines are generally gummed up, the shaft will not turn easily. Or you can by the Pertonix conversion if you don't like the ugly HEI.

mahalo guys for the advice...will look into the possibilities
aloha,
ranger 53

Keep in mind that the advance curve on an HEI is different than the stock unit. You may lose horse power because of limited advance. Get it to run then take it to a speed shop to be recurved.

howziit ranger 53!

and so we meet...on the forum!

Heyyy, did you get that HEI installed in your engine?

if not, IgnitionMan...aka Dave, who hovers at www.chevytalk.com specializes in converting standard points-style distributors into "small-body" HEI distributors.

BTW, Dave said he's replaced 796(seven hundred ninety-six) Pertronix units(junk) in 6 years!

unsure of his business address in Whittier,CA; his website is www.DavesSmallBodyHEIs.com Dave's a "special forces, covert operations" Viet Nam vet. you'll have much in common.

Aloha, Aikane!