[Onebadbowtie86]

I'm tired of messing with my hei dizzy so im buying new hopefully within the next couple hours. I tried limiting the mechanical advance on my hei and dropped a nut down under the module. In the process of digging it out I must have done something as the car still runs on 8, but pops when you give it too much gas at once.

I wanted too buy the complete summit package with the billet dizzy with vac advance, the coil, and box with rev limiter for $370 but they are on back order.

My first question is, Do I need the vac. advance or can I just run Mechanical?

Second is, Whats the difference in magnetic trigger style and hall effect? I really like this petronix dizzy http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PNX-D7101710/
but it says it uses the hall effect what ever that is. I like this because it has a built in rev limiter and doesnt require an ignition box, just a coil, correct? Also can you adjust the mechanical advance on this?

I would like to stay between $300-$400 and would like to have a rev limiter as I have a t56. Please help me find a dizzy for my engine!

the engine is a 383 I built with afr 195 eliminator heads and an isky roller cam Courtesy of Mike Lewis.

Please Help!

Jason Whitten

 

[Schurkey]

I'm tired of messing with my hei dizzy so im buying new hopefully within the next couple hours.

That's "probably" a mistake. You'll need to be VERY careful about what you buy, as the market is absolutely saturated with imported JUNK; and some of it at higher prices than a person would expect considering they're made using fifty-cents-an-hour labor.

I tried limiting the mechanical advance on my hei and dropped a nut down under the module. In the process of digging it out I must have done something as the car still runs on 8, but pops when you give it too much gas at once.

Perhaps pulled on a pickup coil wire and damaged it???

My first question is, Do I need the vac. advance or can I just run Mechanical?

Do you run the engine at part throttle? If you run at part throttle, you would do better WITH a vacuum advance.

Second is, Whats the difference in magnetic trigger style and hall effect? I really like this petronix dizzy http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PNX-D7101710/
but it says it uses the hall effect what ever that is.

Magnetic pickup is reliable, serviceable, and inexpensive.

Hall effect is difficult to diagnose without specialized tools. Has some advantages--but--overall, NOT my first choice. Buddy of mine has had a Volvo with a Hall-effect cam sensor sitting in the driveway for four months. The engine won't run, there's no good "at-home" test for the sensor; and just throwing another one on the engine and hoping for the best is a ~$200 gamble.

I like this because it has a built in rev limiter and doesnt require an ignition box, just a coil, correct? Also can you adjust the mechanical advance on this?

Rev limiter has it's uses; I'd expect ANY centrifugal advance can be adjusted/curved.

I would like to stay between $300-$400 and would like to have a rev limiter as I have a t56. Please help me find a dizzy for my engine!

I'd install an MSD rev-limiting HEI module in the distributor I already owned--or--add an aftermarket spark box with rev limiter such as the ever-popular 6AL to your existing distributor. But that's me.

You can troubleshoot your HEI using this as a guide:
http://www.chevelles.com/techref/ftecref5.html

 

[Jason Snyder]

stick with the hei ! they are fool proof , and have been for YEARS !! you can upgrade yours and have it running for another 20years

 

[Onebadbowtie86]

The engine was running fine I was just trying to get my timing all dialed in and now its got a miss and is popping through the exhaust. does this sound like something could have gotten messed up in the module? The distributor has an accel cap/rotor and coil. I also just put an accel spring and weight kit in it. If I order that msd module with the rev control will it also help the performance of this dizzy then?

Also can I put just a standard replacement cap and rotor i n this, or do I need an accel one since it has the accel coil? this is the coil I have...

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ACC-140003/

 

[Rick T]

stick with the hei ! they are fool proof , and have been for YEARS !! you can upgrade yours and have it running for another 20years

I second that.

Strangely enough, the most reliable distributors I've used on customer builds are the brand new 42$ HEI's you can find on ebay. I know they are cheap and imported, but they are great. If you looked around on our website in my sig, you'll find a T-bucket. That guy bought a 300$ mallory distributor set. He's had nothing but headaches with it. When he talked to mallory they actually told him how their units can be more sensitive, and they told him if he ever jump starts the engine he will cause damage to the dizz.

 

[Onebadbowtie86]

Well I took my HEI all apart and ordered a new cap and rotor and the msd module!

 

[Tom Mobley]

send the MSD module back, it's not as good as a stock Delco. Don't waste any money on some fancy coil either, the GM coil is of high quality and lasts forever.

As always and forever, ignition junk is the most heavily over-marketed stuff in the hotrod industry.

 

[Onebadbowtie86]

Well I already ordered it so I might as well try it. The only real advantage I look forward to is the rev limiter, and a smooth running engine of course.

 

[Onebadbowtie86]

Took the whole distributor apart and cleaned it. The write up of yours helped a lot Schurkey! Thanks!

My Hei Must have been out of an old buick or olds, as the pickup coil had a black plug, but brown and tan wires?? One of the wires was bare down where it goes into the coil so it looked due for a replacement.

I ran to the parts store and got a new chevy pick up coil for it. The bushings looked good and tight so I didnt replace those. I put a new vacuum canister on as well just because I had a new one laying around. The new cap and rotor, and msd rev limiting module should be here tomorrow from summit So I will be able to see if this thing works any better.

I hope I'm not wasting money on this when I could have just bought anew distributor.

 

[Schurkey]

Took the whole distributor apart and cleaned it.

Good plan.

The write up of yours helped a lot Schurkey! Thanks!

That's what it's for. Appreciate the kind words.

My Hei Must have been out of an old buick or olds, as the pickup coil had a black plug, but brown and tan wires?? One of the wires was bare down where it goes into the coil so it looked due for a replacement.

Very odd. Perhaps some aftermarket replacement pickup coil?

I hope I'm not wasting money on this when I could have just bought anew distributor.

If you've done the job right--you'll be fine.

While there's nothing wrong AT ALL with the Delco modules, they don't have a rev-limiter. So in this case--the MSD module should work out well for you.

 

[M.Maner]

I second that.

Strangely enough, the most reliable distributors I've used on customer builds are the brand new 42$ HEI's you can find on ebay. I know they are cheap and imported, but they are great. If you looked around on our website in my sig, you'll find a T-bucket. That guy bought a 300$ mallory distributor set. He's had nothing but headaches with it. When he talked to mallory they actually told him how their units can be more sensitive, and they told him if he ever jump starts the engine he will cause damage to the dizz.

I've read dozens of complaints about the communist HEI's,I wouldn't use one for a door stop.
Mike

 

[69-CHVL]

I'm using the MSD module with rev limiter...seems to work good after a couple of thousand miles. It draws more amps than the OE unit, and I was blowing fuses! It maybe possible though that the wrong fuse was there to begin with.

That all said, I keep the OE unit in the glove box "just in case".

 

[Onebadbowtie86]

I am afraid I was spending too much money on fixing up my old HEI, So I am returning the $20 cap and rotor I bought and the $20 pickup coil and spending $90 on a new summit blue printed HEI for $90. I am still going to install the msd module in the summit HEI. Thanks for the help guys! What is the procedure for setting the rev limiter on the msd? Hopefully I dont blow any fuses!