The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop How to wire HEI distributor?

OK, I bought my 59 in the middle of an engine swap.

The source of the 283 bolted into, but not running, is unknown.

A discussion of whether or not the front damper is really a damper is here: https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/358072#Post358072

At any rate, I fabbed a crank-turner that bolts up to whatever it is on the front of the crank. It is quarter inch plate, drilled for three 3/8" fine thread bolts, with a Mazda axle nut welded to it. Here is a pic:

Turner

I've had the motor sitting for several days with all kinds of wonderful penetrating oils sprayed in the cylinders. Tonight I hooked up my crank turner, pulled the plugs, put my breaker bar on it, and it turned over easy as pie.

So I may try to start it. My question is, how do you wire up an HEI distributor? Here is a pic of the one that was in the floorboard of the truck:

HEI distributor

I see two terminals. Is one ground and one battery voltage? Also, is that a coil on top of the distributor? Also, is putting the HEI in the same as a points distributor?

I am hoping I just have to run a ground wire, a hot wire when the switch is on, then spark plug wires and vacuum hose to the intake manifold. Could it be that simple??

I am excited the motor will turn over. It sat for a number of years, as far as I could tell, then I've had it for 11 months and didn't try to turn it over until tonight.

I plan to do a compression test before going much further. Every dollar I spend on this unkown motor is taking away from a 350 crate.

Any help on how the distributor would go is appreciated. By the way, I know almost nothing about smallblocks so please be patient with what may seem simple or even silly questions.

hi r-bo,
if i recall correctly the two terminals on the dist. cap are for the power wire and the other is for a tach lead/fire wire. i think that sucker is grounded through the engine block. as far as installation you just find your time (dist gear alignment) the same as a points style. (#1 tdc or just before with the rotor button lined up on cyl 1 wire) i think it is easy as pie as you think it might be. if i am wrong someone will let us know and correct me. everyone here is very knowledgable.
army truck

Army Truck,

Cool. On the power and tach terminals, which is which?

I've been googling. Looks like the terminals are marked TACH and BATT. All I have to do is run a hefty (10 ga) wire with battery voltage to the BATT terminal, put the distributor in with the rotor pointing to #1 when it is TDC, get HEI wires, gap the plugs at .045, and I'm in business. What about the vacuum canister? To the intake, I would presume? These HEI distributors look too easy...

i think that all of the hei's that i have messed with had the vacumn line going into the carb. i think it would work the same into the intake manifold though. and yes they should be labeled. darn good factory distributer.
army truck

If possible, the vacuum advance should be connected to "ported" vacuum, which is usually tapped off somewhere near the middle of the carburetor. There will be little or no vacuum present at idle, and it will increase as the RPM is raised by opening the throttle. A quick snap of the throttle will kill the vacuum, allowing the advance to retract and minimize detonation during acceleration. Only use full manifold vacuum if no source of ported vacuum is available. If the advance has full vacuum at idle, it will be very difficult to get a good initial timing setting.
Jerry

Just make sure it is a key on switched hot. And on in the start position. If it is hot all the time, your engine will run on and on and on and.........

Thanks for the replies guys. I had a "duh" moment when I looked closer at the thing and saw the terminals were clearly marked.

Any advice on periodic maintainance on these HEI distributors? What are normal things you should replace when encountering one you suspect has lots of miles and little attention? New cap, new vacuum canister?

When I install one, I put in a new module, springs and weights (advance curve kit) and new cap and rotor. Then it should be good until either you sell it or wreck it.

The vac advance needs to go to a ported port on the carb.

Scott,

I'll also need a vacuum canister (the one is full of gunk), and I believe a condensor if there is one in it.

Since the distributor is of unknown origin (found on the floorboard when I bought the truck) --at what point do I just spring for a new HEI from Summit (et.al) for $89?

That's what I'm thinking about now--then I know what I've got.

Do you know if the old Rochestor 2bbl has a ported port? I am leaning heavily to just buying a small Eldebrock Performer carb and intake and being done with that part of it.

Additionally, a new dist. carb, and intake would be on my shopping list if the old 283 has terminal problems and I spring for a 350 crate motor, so it seems like a no-brainer.

R-Bo
The link below will take you to MTS Engine Specialists. They build high performance Cad. engines. Click on the "Engine Pre-Start tab. Even though it deals with cad engines it is the most detailed instruction of proper prep of an engine, start it and break in with particular concern for cam brake in.

http://www.mtscadparts.com/Tech%20Info.htm