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hei distributor

Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Engine Repair
Forum Discription: Engine problems and solutions
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=162
Printed Date: November-27-2024 at 9:12am


Topic: hei distributor
Posted By: danman
Subject: hei distributor
Date Posted: February-22-2004 at 3:39pm
Is anybody running a General Motors HEI style
distributor on there 351W??? I am about to
order one for mine, just wondering how well it
performs.




Replies:
Posted By: tryan
Date Posted: February-22-2004 at 3:51pm
i would see if she'll fit. i think some dizzy's have clearance problems on aftermarket intakes. i'll post on the winsor forum, but what intake are you using?

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=146&yrstart=1971&yrend=1975 - promo http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=192&yrstart=1925&yrend=1970 -    #2


Posted By: tryan
Date Posted: February-22-2004 at 4:26pm
searching on the winsor forum came up blank, so i posted your question.

do the weights spin the right way in an hei for a ricky motor?

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=146&yrstart=1971&yrend=1975 - promo http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=192&yrstart=1925&yrend=1970 -    #2


Posted By: SS 201
Date Posted: February-22-2004 at 4:36pm
Probably great if you got a Chevy, Last time I looked they weren't the same. With all the dist out there why go there, for instance there are two distrubutors for after market manifolds for Ford, for clearance when or if you make changes. The dist gear certainley won't fit. If they did fit the gear has to be changed and the hole for the roll pin won't fit. Be sure you use the right coil for the dist or all is for naught.

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Posted By: SS 201
Date Posted: February-22-2004 at 6:52pm
Ford distrubutors turn the same way right or left counter clockwise.

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Posted By: tryan
Date Posted: February-22-2004 at 10:48pm
i just didn't know which way a chevy goes.

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=146&yrstart=1971&yrend=1975 - promo http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=192&yrstart=1925&yrend=1970 -    #2


Posted By: danman
Date Posted: February-22-2004 at 11:08pm
This is probably the best ignition system
money can buy (within resonable budget)
check it out cc junkies....
http://www.performancedistributors.com/marinedui.htm


Posted By: SS 201
Date Posted: February-23-2004 at 7:59am
Not bad,be sure you can get a opposite rotation gear.

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Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: February-23-2004 at 10:29am
I would double check and make sure the gear is correct standard rotation and reverse rotation 351W the dist. spins the same direction but the gears are different.

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique


Posted By: SS 201
Date Posted: February-23-2004 at 3:42pm
I think I mentioned that a post ago. Better to be be doubly sure I guess.

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Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: February-23-2004 at 7:43pm
I was just trying to point out the difference in the gears not rotation, sorry. the system does look pretty cool though.

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique


Posted By: danman
Date Posted: March-02-2004 at 11:15pm
The distributor in a FORD LH or RH rotation
engine both spin the same way (counter clockwise) the gear on the distributor is different from a LH and RH rotation engine. DUI has a gear for our reverse rotation engines. My distributor should be here sometime this week. David is the man I delt with at DUI, and I told him that he may have some interested Correct Craft owners calling him.....?

Trash that prestolite!


Posted By: reidp
Date Posted: March-03-2004 at 12:57am
I have/had a 5 year old Prestolite which took a dump on me. It took me a month of partial downtime and replacing everything else electrical before a old codger hanging in NAPA told me to look for a broken advance spring in the dist. It was. Got a replacement spring, installed it, but it still didn't run right, breaking down at anything above 2500rpm. Got tired of it and pulled one from another boat. Then I was told later that I should have replaced both springs. Who's the expert on this? I know squat. I hate trashing a 5 year old dist, with maybe 300 hours on it.    

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ReidP
/diaries/details.asp?ID=231&yrstart=1971&yrend=1975 - 1973 Mustang



Posted By: SS 201
Date Posted: March-03-2004 at 9:00am
ReidP
I rum mine locked, eliminates all curve problems. When you start it it will be full advance at any Rpm. Full comes in at 2500 anyway. Sounds like something else is wrng, check cap , high energy dist eat caps, among other things.

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Posted By: SS 201
Date Posted: March-03-2004 at 9:07am
Msd does make a marine distibutor, however not with the opposite rotation gear, you have to buy one from dealer or whomever and have it changed as the hole does't line up.

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Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: March-03-2004 at 10:34am
MSD does not make a marine grade for the 351W at this time in a year maybe from what they have told me. Currently they only have a chevy and 351C. Mallory makes a reverse and standard rot for the 351W in an electronic version the numbers are YLU-554DV for a rev or YLU-554CV for std. you will need to use a promaster series coil #30450 and no ballast restor. If you have a MSD blaster II coil it will burn up the electronics that are use for this series dist.

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique


Posted By: reidp
Date Posted: March-03-2004 at 11:39am
SS-201 Bill,
I did replace everything, however this wasn't an HEI dist, just a points type. I replaced the cap, rotor, points, condenser; did I leave anyone out, before finding the broken spring. How do you lock the advance?

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ReidP
/diaries/details.asp?ID=231&yrstart=1971&yrend=1975 - 1973 Mustang



Posted By: SS 201
Date Posted: March-03-2004 at 1:34pm
Reid,
Call me 407 384 1780

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Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: March-03-2004 at 3:32pm
OOPS made a mistake MSD does not make a MODERN ELECTRONIC DIST. for the small block ford, only the big block ford. I guess if you prefer the old point style and have a dwell meter and like adjusting your timing a lot. Than thats the set up for you. Me personally I would rather set it and not worry about it for several years. Then again if you are the type that leaves the ignition on with-out the motor running than I would not use a modern electronic dist either becuase you will burn up the electronics and be stranded. Or you could keep a replacement module on board for when it does go out on you.

For the rest of you who would like to lock the mechanical advance in a set position it isn't very hard to do. Remove the plate the points are attached to so that you have access to the advance weights and springs. You will notice that around the post that the springs are attached to there is a window or hole in the plate arounf the post. This allows for the mechanical advance weights to rotate the plate and advance it. All you have to do is use something that prevents the post from moving inside of this area, tack weld, J-B weld, a screw would work. Don't recommend doing this, unless all you ever do is full throtle but it's your choice.

Then again I doubt that any of you have ever designed a modern ignition system for GM either. Put I have.

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique


Posted By: SS 201
Date Posted: March-03-2004 at 5:34pm
Hymn, I wonder what I have on mine, says MSD on my 351 Windsor.

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Posted By: SS 201
Date Posted: March-03-2004 at 5:51pm
Well quess I will have humble myself as everything else, windsor stuff is diappearing, You are right 351C-460

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Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: March-03-2004 at 6:10pm
everything is switching over to chevy blocks with standard rotation. The 351W rev. rot is pretty much a classic already.

Thanks to Discount Inboard Marine, Jasper, Mallory and Comp Cams I was able to keep mine the way Correct Craft built it.

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique


Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: March-03-2004 at 6:17pm
I'm sure there are other ways to make a rev rot MSD dist by taking parts from here and there to get you what you need and make it work. I just prefer to buy something that is already designed for the proper application and that the next guy that owns the boat can figure out when it wares out and needs replaced.

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique


Posted By: SS 201
Date Posted: March-03-2004 at 7:02pm
Ive had my MSD for years.

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Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: March-04-2004 at 10:11am
points style?

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique


Posted By: tryan
Date Posted: March-04-2004 at 12:06pm
we put one of those msd in car dial timing adjustments in a high compression camaro to save the starter. (i don't know how if they are up to the riggors of a marine enviroment.) kinda like having your cake.......dial the timing to atc to start then set the total advance once she warmed.

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=146&yrstart=1971&yrend=1975 - promo http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=192&yrstart=1925&yrend=1970 -    #2


Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: March-04-2004 at 12:31pm
tryan, good to here from you again. I've seen that style and if you we're racing that would work great. Really all you have to do to swith an automotive dist. to marine is put in flame arrestor screens in the vents. I guess what someone has been missing is an electronic not points style dist. MSD makes a points style marine 351w put not an electroinc version. It's not hard to figure out that it is a points style concidering that the mechanical advance is locked in place.

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique


Posted By: SS 201
Date Posted: March-04-2004 at 2:24pm
No mine is electronic, with H-6 Crane CD ignition with a DEC 9500 Crane controller with a LX 92 Crane coil.

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Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: March-04-2004 at 3:38pm
Thought it was MSD.    And the spark plug wires are connected to what? A point style distributor with fixed mechanical advance and which is also used as a triggering device to fire the cd ign box with optional control for advance and rev limiting? Seems like a bulky system for a CD ign system.

We always had our coil intagrated in to the diecast housing of our CD system that was used on the old Chevy Ilmore Engines that Penske, Rahal and Newman-Haas racing bought from us,(Delco-Remy), will that's what it was called back then, now it's part of DELPHI and moved to kokomo and Ilmore is now Ford.

Anyway I don't want to send $600+ on a CD ign system and worry about having to mount all of the boxes all over the boat. Give me a modern drop-in system that looks stock and cost half the price. I think there called sleepers in street rod world.

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique


Posted By: SS 201
Date Posted: March-04-2004 at 6:13pm
It is A MSD. END OF LINK

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Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: March-04-2004 at 7:42pm
No mine is electronic, with H-6 Crane CD ignition with a DEC 9500 Crane controller with a LX 92 Crane coil.

I thought MSD and Crane Cams where two seperate independant(sp) companies, one was founded in 1953 and is headquatered in Daytona beach and the other was founded in 1970 in new mexico

If you say Crane Cams and MSD are one in the same I must be looking at the wrong web pages.

And of course you are right because you always are.

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique


Posted By: SS 201
Date Posted: March-04-2004 at 8:56pm
I didn't say that you did,Thats right, I knew Harvey Crane when he had a three bay station in Hallendale, Fla. Repaired our race boat there while raceing in the Marine stadium. However Crane now makes Dist they are only 1500.00 right up your alley. Byeeeeeeeeeeeee

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Posted By: yellowdog
Date Posted: March-04-2004 at 9:46pm
All right, I am totally confused!

Are MSD & Crane the same or not? From what I have seen they do not appear to be the same.

SS-201, are you so miserable that you have to belittle others and play the 'my dog's bigger than yours' game with everyone. It's boring. Why don't you act like a distinguished septuagenarian instead of a bratty child? It seems you have some good information to share, but I am not sure that the cost of your tirades is worth it. You have promised to quit posting here for several reasons including the fact that you need no answers. Prove it.

MODERATOR; If I have crossed the line, so be it. Dump me. I for one am tired of reading this guys brags and slams.

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Caretaker of the wife's '78 Ski Nautique


Posted By: SS 201
Date Posted: March-05-2004 at 7:13am
No they are not the same company and I never said they were. Sorry If I offened you If you feel that way it was not intended as so.I'm only trying to give you the truthful answers. A question get asked and always ,always,the answer got to be debated, never wants to be accepted, always a come back. Hey your right I don't need the answers, The CC boys quit posting so will I. Go back to your Chit Chat.

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Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: March-05-2004 at 10:04am
You go yellowdog.

I'll quit egging him on. I just find it entertaining. He does have some good advice at times. Just wouldn't lock down the maechancal advance and distroy a good dist when all you need are new springs and weights.

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique


Posted By: SS 201
Date Posted: March-05-2004 at 10:36am
I see, you show your true intellect, Egg this.

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Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: March-05-2004 at 1:30pm
I could, but I think other's see and feel the way I do. I just hope when I'm as old as you I'm not as cenial(sp)

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique


Posted By: yellowdog
Date Posted: March-05-2004 at 4:37pm
BC on Wawasee, hmmmm, that puts you a bit south & west of us here in Steuben, home of the 101 lakes. While there may be that many here, we prefer Sylvan. Wawasee is just a bit too far. On the other hand, I never know where we'll go next. One of the advantages of living in 'cow town' as opposed to being on one of the lakes here.

As for locking down the advance on a distributor, the only guys I knew that did it ended up regreting it. But, that kind of stuff is beyond me. For that reason, I try to stick with what it says in the book or maintain it as it came from the factory. For me, it's safer that way! I hate the looks I get from the wife when HER boat isn't ready and SHE wants to go skiing.



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Caretaker of the wife's '78 Ski Nautique


Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: March-05-2004 at 5:31pm
I plan on keeping a spare module on board as back up for when I go down to Dale Hollow. I've got friends on my lake that will come out and tow me in if the module goes out, which I shouldn't have to worry about for a couple of years. The points style are real reliable I just don't like to adjust things that often. If you do come down to Syracuse I would do it during the week. On the week-ends with all the lakers and concrete sea walls around 3/4 of the lake it's a little rough on the classics. you need a deep-vee on the week-ends. Have you seen the new SV-211? went to indy's boat show last week and it's awsome looks like it would ride real nice on rough water.

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique


Posted By: danman
Date Posted: March-07-2004 at 2:08pm
well not to interupt all the fighting thats
been going on under my topic of "HEI DISTRIBUTORS" -- I recieved my hei distributor
Friday, and installed it, and I fired the freshly built engine (out of the boat) for the first time that evening, and it sounded goooood! I will let everyone know how it performs in the water!


Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: March-07-2004 at 2:29pm
Danman did you have any clearance issue with the intake or anything else? I'm assuming that Performance Distributors installed the gear for the rev. rot or did you have to do it? Was the wiring much of a hassle. I would think that you would have to splice them so that they would reach. Wish you would have posted this a little earlier I spent about the same money for a Mallory dist. and coil and this H.E.I. would have been a much cleaner install. I have to fab a bracket to mount the coil they spec'd and it would be a lot easier extending the pos and neg leads and not having to mount a coil on the intake.

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique


Posted By: tryan
Date Posted: March-07-2004 at 7:37pm
from reading stuff from the chevy powered guys i have two questions mr.d:

one guy had a moroso weight/spring kit for a twin instalation. did you have to flip the weights?
(standard chevy dizzys spin c.w. from what i have read.)

will or did you have modify the distributor shaft for the oiling groove or the oil pump drive?    

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=146&yrstart=1971&yrend=1975 - promo http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=192&yrstart=1925&yrend=1970 -    #2


Posted By: danman
Date Posted: March-08-2004 at 2:11am
79nautique - there is no clearance issue with
the intake at all - wiring is a breeze - 12 volts and a tach wire, no ballast resistor is required. It is a simple, clean install, and you cannot build a more powerfull ignition system for what I spent on the distributor($360)

tryan - the distributor is custom built for the 351W from performance distributors - the distributor turns counterclockwise (because of the gear on the end of the shaft - you can use the stock shaft, but I installed a ARP chrome moly shaft, and the oiling groove looks identical to the prestolite, actually to give you a better picture - the distributor looks the same from the base down to the very end of the gear. The weights are set up just dead oppisite as they would be for a chevrolet due to rotation of the shaft -they have me dialed in base on the specs I gave them of my boat - weight, compression, cam specs, max rpm, pump gas, and what I am doing with the boat - and they came up with 24 degrees of advance at 3000rpm. I told the folks up at performance distributors (dui) about our prestolite set-up with one light spring and one heavy spring, and they laughed like crazy. They said that is not accurate every time an engine is revved.


Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: March-08-2004 at 11:00am
Danman did you run a new tach lead back to the dash or where you able to use the neg lead from the old coil?

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique


Posted By: danman
Date Posted: March-08-2004 at 11:04pm
I used the neg lead from the old coil for now,
which judgeing by looking at the dash schematic, that should work...

I am trying to upload a picture I took today
of the distributor, and it won't upload


Posted By: MARTINIQUE351
Date Posted: March-11-2004 at 11:51am
HELLO IM LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO GET CC PARTS RESONABLE.THE LOCAL DEALERS HERE IN AL DONT GIVE YOU MUCH HELP,THEY WANT YOU TO BRING IT IN AND PAY FOR THEIR HELP.I CAN DO ANYTHING TO MY BOAT MYSELF.I JUST NEED TO FIND A PARTS DIST.THAT WILL HELP ME WITH PARTS NEEDS.
THANKS
LUKE

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BOUGHT MY FIRST CC LAST YEAR AND LOVE IT,76 MARTINQUE.I HAVE ADDED A PYLON,AND 1500 WATT SONY EXPLOD SYSTEM.


Posted By: tryan
Date Posted: March-11-2004 at 11:59am
stop yelling. vince and richard at skidim.com will help you with your parts needs and engine advise.

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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=146&yrstart=1971&yrend=1975 - promo http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=192&yrstart=1925&yrend=1970 -    #2


Posted By: AWhite70
Date Posted: May-07-2004 at 10:59am
Danman, how is the HEI distributor from Performance Distributors working out? I just received mine yesterday. It looks like a nice unit. Mine was also set for 24deg. @ 3000rpm Did you go with the increased plug gap that Perf. Dist. recommends?

It'll still be a couple weeks before I get my engine back in the boat and try this thing out.


Posted By: danman
Date Posted: May-08-2004 at 2:30am
awhite- the hei distributor is working great!
I am running the factory autolite 24 plug with
.055" gap, with a set of taylor spriro core wires. I have been playing around with base timing the last couple times out, I will let you know where I finally decide to leave it at. I think its doing great around 13-16 degrees btdc -


Posted By: KENO
Date Posted: June-26-2006 at 8:27pm
Originally posted by 79nautique 79nautique wrote:

MSD does not make a marine grade for the 351W at this time in a year maybe from what they have told me. Currently they only have a chevy and 351C. Mallory makes a reverse and standard rot for the 351W in an electronic version the numbers are YLU-554DV for a rev or YLU-554CV for std. you will need to use a promaster series coil #30450 and no ballast restor. If you have a MSD blaster II coil it will burn up the electronics that are use for this series dist.


Hey 79
This was what you said a couple of years ago, which is different than what you're saying today so you got me confused about what you think is right, might help clarify Yaniv's problem.

Interesting post I must say.

Later keno



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