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So I want to upgrade my distributor to an HEI, any suggestions? Who makes the best fit and best value? I'm not looking for extreme performance, but better starting and reliability is the goal.

thanks much
Pete

If you're running a V-8 any Chevy HEI distributor, pre-1980, will work just fine. Got mine at the wrecking yard for $10.

I think you can buy a new one through JEGS for $75 to $125.

55.2napco,

There are several ways to go on this swap. Your profile indicates a 235 six. You can keep the original housing/cap for the stock look and install a electronic assembly like Pertronix.

If you look under '235 Chevy' on E-bay, you will find pre-80's GM HEI complete distributors with coil-in-cap that will slip right in with MINOR modifications.

A gentleman named Tom Langdon has a very cute HEI unit that will drop right in, but like the Pertronix unit, I think it too needs a external coil.

Your local junk yard might have a bargain waiting to be found...take a friend and some tools and see what develops.

Stuart

All right, thanks guys. Good info there, now I have some places to start looking.

New for sure, the price has come way down. Stock HEI's are as reliable as anything.

If it is a 235 the HEI will engage the oil pump--but just barely. The hold down collar needs to be turned down and a new hold down fabricated to get full oil pump drive engagement. I've had no trouble out of the Pertronix conversion, it takes just minutes to install and costs about 80 bucks. You keep your same distributer, just do away with the points.

All,
Diggin around in an old parts garage and have found (assume rebuilt HEI) from a 1983 Chevey 1/2 ton 2wd Pickup 4.1 (still in box). Want to modify it per the tech tip for my 1954 235. Has a vacum advance, no cap, coil, etc. but 3 wires off the side of it and a GM plug? What are these for?
I thought the only wire was a heavy gauge red wire to coil on the cap and mayby a tach wire. Can this work or do I need to look for an older or newer version. If I cange out the "module" piece with one without wires, I will have a small hole in the side of housing. Will a differnt cap cover it?
This one was the right price, free, if I could carry it, I did.
Cavebull

There are two different styles for the inline six. One has a conventional-looking cap with a center wire, and a remote coil. The other one looks like a V-8 HEI with the coil in the cap, but only 6 wires instead of 8. If you've got 3 wires in the plug coming out of the distributor, you've probably got the remote coil model. Find a Mid-70's wiring diagram for a 250 6-cylinder, and wire it accordingly. I might have a diagram I can copy and attach to an email, but it will be a week before I'm back at my school shop where the old service manuals are stored.
Jerry

PS: Even the integral-coil models have a pigtail from the distributor housing to the inner cap terminals, and there are 3 wires on that one. You might have an integral coil model already.
Jerry

What is better (fuel economy , performance) for the 235/261 engines, the Pertronix conversion or a good HEI setup like Tom Langdon sells? Or is there not enough difference to notice?

I have Langdon's mini HEI. Everything worked well on my truck before, it started fast then, it starts fast now. The most noticable improvement is the smooth very low rpm idle and low speed driveability. It is also more forgiving during warm-up.

Both HEI and Pertronix will convert/upgrade to no points, more dwell plus higher voltage to the spark.
Pertronix can handle a coil up to 40kV, allowing a .045 gap at the spark.
More than that is not required at below 3500rpm and stock compression.

HEI can go further than Pertronix, for higher rpm and compression engines.
But for a stock engine there is probably hardly any noticable difference in performance, between the two.