[Jmark]

Well, my old HEI is croaking again. The shaft has enough wear at the very top to let the pickup piece wobble just enough to get stuck advanced and cause severe pinging off idle. I got it cobbled back together "one last time" but have two questions.
First, the shaft and gear that I used (my last donor dist.) had a larger roll pin hole in it? Never seen different size holes before. Wondering if some had drilled it out at some point to get rid of some slack? The gear now rotates maybe 1 degree on the roll pin but hopefully it will get me by until I decide on a replacement. Chevy will sell me their complete HP HEI for just under 200 bucks. My son may be able to do better through his shop. They can also sell me a new shaft for $120!! Yikes. but its special order.

Second question. What is a good replacement HEI for a very mild sbc. I already have an MSD module and coil in this one so I can swap them if needed. We tried an ACCEL in my sons truck but the shaft died in about 2 months.

When it rains, it pours!

Thanks
Mark

[Jmark]

Did some checking and Checker has a new MSD "stock type" distributor for $149 complete.

Here is the distributor

Only other option is the Proform and don't know much about them.

[autonuerotic]

Just thought I would mention checking out eBay. I have a buddy who bought a distributor from there and its great. I followed suit and mine should be here soon! Heres a live auction you can bid on if you wish, this is the company we both decided to go with:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CHEVY...QQcmdZViewItem

Oh... did I mention the price???? Check it out.

[edge]

Mark,
I have bought two small cap HEI distributors from ProComp Electronics. They are MSD knockoffs from Australia. They are billet and have worked great. One is in my 81' Camaro, the other in my 94' Suburban. I got them from fastengineparts.com. They also sell on ebay.

Here is a link to the spec sheet for the large cap distributor: http://procompelectronics.com/Files/1.html

And here is the large cap for $84 at Fastengineparts.com
http://www.fastengineparts.com/produ...ew.php?id=1653

Good luck, Ed

[steve t]

thats a steal, i hope they hold up over time, let us know

[Jmark]

Ed.....Thanks for the heads up on the Procomp. I know some hate their stuff but I don't have a 30,000 dollar engine either!

and the ones on eBay for $45!!!! Wow, gonna go snag one and swap the MSD coil and module into it and then toss mine behind the seat for a spare. Never know!
Or I could sell the MSD coil and module on Ebay and probably end up making money! LOL

Thanks Everyone.

Mark

Oh yea, any ideas on the different size dist roll pin hole?

Also, found out it was NOT pinging, I have another stinking header gasket just starting to leak. Crap,,,and its on the A/C side too! (sigh!)

[johnsongrass1]

I've done that to cure sheared pins before.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/xq/asp...qx/Product.htm

[autonuerotic]

Ahhhh... Got my distributor while I was away at school today all I can say is SICK!!!! Cant wait to swap in the new for the old! The pics dont do the distributor justice it is one quality piece!

[Jmark]

"All I can say is SICK"???? Is that some new fangled language that you young folks use? Hope the distributor is good! I bought mine 2 days ago. Hope it's here soon, don't know how much longer my old one will last.

[daveh]

I hope you guys are right. I just bought one also. It seems to good to be true. It should be perfect for my 1970 stock 350 Monte Carlo. Oh well if not then I'm not out that much. Have a great Thanksgiving.

Dave

[Jmark]

Originally Posted by daveh

I hope you guys are right. I just bought one also. It seems to good to be true.
Dave

Hey Dave,,,,ME TOO!!! The seller sold 18 of them that time around and has excellent feedback. I also noticed that HE gives a lifetime warrantee on them too.
I was tempted to order 2 and keep one for a spare. I have 3 chevies and all take the 4 pin HEI, but since mine has lasted 354,000 miles with only one shaft change about 15 years ago, the spare might be sitting for a very long time.
I plan on swapping out my MSD module and coil into the new one and keep my old one behind the seat!

[RPM]

Here is the best price I have found on those Pro Comp HEI

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CHEVY...mZ260053215734

I have bought a lot of stuff from Whites and had no problems at all

[Jmark]

I don't see any name mentioned on that one, but it sure looks good!

[autonuerotic]

"Sick" I guess can be compared to saying something is "Boss" for the more mature. I was a little worried about only paying $57.XX for the distributor myself, but once you pull that thing outta' the box and install it.... No regrets and no worries. The distributor has tight tolerances. I was impressed with the quality of the machine work compared to my old distributor and my engine sounds much more crisp, plus not to mention the lifetime warranty... who really cares! Oh and the comment about being an MSD knock off, that couldnt be more true... Im really impressed with the price and quality.

[Jmark]

Well, got my HEI today. Haven't put it in yet but sure looks good. Shaft has about .008 end play, very good! No need to add more washers to this one! LOL Gonna swap in my MSD stuff and drop it in. Might even pull the shaft and take a look inside.