Which spark plug wires for HEI?

Been a good post,learned alot and maybe in my future since I have protec system.Course mine is standard rotation.It will be a bit easier.I thought it was gonna be this spring but just had connection trouble.

Goodluck Munday

Well guys, its been a long day, but I finally have it all done. So for the first question that many have been waiting for, the gear off my prestolite clip down will work on the DUI unit with slit modification. The shaft size is the same on both distributors, but the hole in the gear is slightly different. I took the two gears to a machine shop and had them drill a different hole in the gear, turned 90 degrees. The height of the hole is the problem, and i wanted it to be exactly right, so that is why I had it done. It "may" of worked as is, but i didn't want to chance that. I used Moroso Blue Max wires, but went with the yellow color instead of blue. I also got a red dist. cap on my DUI. I had it running in the shed, just enough to time it while dumping water in, but hopefully will get it to the drink tomorrow and "test" it with a good slalom set!!!! Oh yeah, it cost me ten whole dollars to have the hole put in the right spot, so it really wasn't a big deal. My gear with 975 hours showed almost NO wear at all, so that was also good. I will try and get some pictures of my boat and motor etc. in the diaries in the next few days. Oh yeah, one last thing, on a 1985 ski natique 2001, the gray/silver wire on the coil is the tach wire, its on the same side of the coil as the wire that runs to the distributor. If anyone has questions please ask!!! I will report back as soon as i get it on the water and ski behind it!!!
Good luck

Under the valve covers,...wanted it to look as neat as possible. That's why I need the big block wire set. I am also using 2 sets of those Moroso wire separators (plastic). They are availible at Summit. So are the wires.

I used an automotive plug wire set specified for a 454 Chevy big block when I converted to the HEI. The wire lengths are almost perfect. The 351 W Ford is a little larger than the small block chevy so that's why I went with the big block application. Make sure you specify it's to be used on an HEI so you get the right ends to go on the distributor ('74 - '77 are the years). One other thing,...before you "stab" the new distributor, do this first. Set the #1 cylinder/piston to it's firing position then stab the distributor into it's hole, turning the shaft so that the rotor points closest to the direction of the #1 cylinder. That way your shortest wire will reach the #1 cylinder with no problem. Any brand of high quality spiral wound cables is good. I used Moroso Blue Max. I like the color blue.

On the lake its always upwind instead of upriver, but it has two advantages, a lot easier to paddle back and somewhere up there there is a at least a few feet of glass calm water...

All my two strokes (jetski and outboards) have a plug wrench and spare spark plugs in them at all times, the inboard has jumper cables. Of course my lake is only a mile wide by ten miles long worst case scenario in the summer is a swim to the nearest friend/family members place.

Yeah, i like to carry plenty of stuff as well, not cuz i need it, but cuz i feel better. Plus i have helped fix many other peoples boats that were stuck on the water..

yeh, me too and a small hammer until I replaced the old corroded carb. I used the hammer to beat on the fuel bowl to dislodge the corrosion particles from the needle seat

There will be no selling this boat. Been in my family for 28 years. I've got my dist. and EI kit coming. I'll let you know how I like it. I hope Kevin can just swap gears and be done with it. If that's the case and I end up not liking the route I've chosen... I'll just get the DUI. It's only money.

and I thought everybody kept a toolbox in the boat.

That's kinda the point I had. New vs. 28 years old and no telling how many hours. Honestly probably thousands.

Let me add that it may be cheaper to rebuild/replace the bushings on my current dist. but I've never done that before. Besides, if there's one thing I've learned about owning a boat is that its always a good idea to have a spare!

GM never made a base, housing or casting for a small block ford. Someone else did and in the same since they where also smart enough to change the shaft diameter as well and maybe there was a tip off posted earlier that DUI got there gears from prestolite for the reverse rotation engines, and maybe the three or four other people that are using it already might ease some peoples minds but then again maybe not. Seems pretty stupid to buy a point dist then get a conversion kit. The DUI unit works fine and the geat isn't an issue, even if you don't like the DUI unit or are worried, an Electronic Dist is the way to go, beside why buy a new point dist when that what's already on the engine, not to smart to me.

I hope your not right, cuz i really want the distributor to work, but if you are then i have some fun cut out for me in trying to find the right gear. I had my boat running for the first time on the lake this year, and it ran pretty good with the points, so i guess if the DUI doesn't work then i can still ski with the current set up.... I will let everyone know if it works or not. Have a good one.

Kevin

The oil pump drive on a 351W is a hex 5/16. I've been through that before.

SS-201, does southeast correct craft have the gear, or the wires? Whoever i talked to at perf. distributors said that they used to get gears from prestolite, and he also thought that it should work. Just have to wait and see i guess. Thanks