so i know nothing about what an hei is or what kind of distributors are out there. im looking for advice on what i should buy, or if i can use what is already on the engine. I bought a 302/aod out of a 86 thunderbird (fuel injected) and i am swapping to a carb setup. i have all parts that i need for the swap. the only thing i havent looked into is what should i do for ignition? or do i even need to change anything? any help is much appreciated. thanks!!! Baggs
HEI = High Energy Ignition. Lots of different kinds for different brands and different engines. The rest of the guys will have more info on the best type for a carb-converted 302.
Go to www.skipwhiteperformance.com Item No: 6502-BL FORD 289 302 5.0 5.0L HEI DISTRIBUTOR #6502-BLUE CAP Price $49.50 Its Nice and is a one wire hook up
have you had experience with that hei??? is there any advantage of using hei compared to a billet style distributor? i have noticed that hei's are kind of big, but are they the best bet?? like i said, i know nothing about this stuff so any advice is greatly appreciated!
if i were to use an hei, do i need to buy wires that are hei specific? also along those lines, is there a company that sells wires that are a certain length? i dont really care for the look of the plug wires hanging all over. i like how some people have routed their wires cleanly and almost like they were made to order. or can you make wires whatever length you want so they are perfect??
Those HEI units are huge, ugly and ****y. Save your money and leave the GM parts for the GM vehicles. $49 for a whole distributer? A quality cap and rotor from MSd almost costs that. You get what you pay for. You can buy smaller Accel or MSd distributors, heck even a Ford one if you want to mess with an ignition module (but I wouldn't do that unless you are really really under funded). One thing you need is the proper distributor gear to match your camshaft. I would think you have a hyd roller cam so you will need a billet or bronze gear. You could use an 85 5.0l dist because they were roller cam and carbed. BTW, HEI is a GM term. Ford uses Duraspark.
Here is how you can use a stock Ford Dist with a GM ignition module as well. At least it won't look ugly. http://www.carbdford.com/tech/HEI/hei.htm
These HEI's come with a steel gear and will work with the roller cam 5.0 motors or the early 289-302 flat tappet motors if you don't like the self contained larger HEI here is an option: www.skipwhiteperformance.com put these part#'s in search:6702-R and PC-91 And if you think paying the extra bucks for MSD will get you an American made part guess again, they are also outsourcing and there have been pictures on other forums of the parts with "Made in China" stamped in them,one person also took an MSD HEI and a Pro-Comp HEI and disa***embled them and posted the photos just to see the difference and the majority of posters couldn't find squat.You can always buy MSD decals if that makes you warm & fuzzy.
BAGGS,the plug wires listed for 1985-93 Ford 5.0's use the HEI style terminals and those wires will also work with the aftermarket HEI's both large and small style.As far as the larger HEI goes it all comes down to simplicity,you install the plug wires and run a 12 V keyed source to the HEI and it is a done deal, there is also a terminal to plug in a Tach if you like,there is no external control box or the clutter of running additional wiring under the hood,if you need a replacement part even the local parts dummy at the box store can find parts for them.The Ford Racing wires are a good "bang for the buck" FMS-M-12259-C301 $42.95 they are even numbered by cylinder on the wire,Summit also has universal wire sets and custom fit looms for SBF Fords.
Jeff- thanks for the link. i checked them out, and you really cant beat that price. Im trying to eliminate the clutter in the engine bay so that would be a good choice for me, also it wont draw everyones eye to the distributor like the larger hei would. has anyone here used this particular distributor??
You can even use a good ole points distributor as well ! Can get a rebuilt one with points and condenser already in it from Advanced auto for about $35 ! Used them for years before the electronic ones came along ! Heck I still have a couple "Dual Point" distributors in the cabinet in the garage ! Jim
I had the HEI from skip in mine, worked perfect. I wanted a custom curve and also wanted a Ford looking dist. back in there, so I re-curved my own duraspark. Info here http://fordmainline.com/2010/08/20/ford-duraspark-recurve/ If your just stock you could just run the duraspark without modifying the curve. Cheap simple, available at every auto parts store.
i have a hei i got from speedway in my truck. 302/aod setup and it works perfect. its a little big, but i dont think it looks horrible in there and i dont run a hood. it was reasonably priced. it has a red cap and a polished shaft. you need to run either 8mm, or 8.5mm wire for it to work. you can buy cut to fit wires so they can be made to fit the motor the way you want them to.
I have no experience with Duraspark distributors but I have lots of experience with GM HEI-style distributors, all of it good. The GM HEI-style distributor innards are simple, with only two electronic components to go bad. Both are beside-the-road serviceable without the need to re-time the engine...and the parts will fit in your glovebox and still leave room for your gloves. As has been pointed out the aftermarket GM HEI-style distributors are also very inexpensive. I don't mind the big cap, but replacements are available in black and gray to minimize the appearance of size, and in red and blue if you want to emphasize it. Accel makes a very nice high-performance HEI cap with attractive styling, and CrossFire makes a reconfigured cap (GM firing order) which allows the left wires to exit on the left side, the right wires to exit on the right side to make for a very clean wiring installation. As has also been pointed out, a point-style distributor is also a very good alternative. They work just fine and are as dependable as gravity. As a guy who got left in the middle of Friday night traffic by a failed Pertronix electronic conversion, I am very sensitive to dependability. I humbly suggest that you make this "job one" in your search.
The Duraspark II trigger - stator and reluctor in the distributor body - pretty much bullet proof. Can be used with the old caps and rotors or the new "stud" style with female ended plug wires. The Duraspark control boxes - not so great, heat sensitive - but they are quickly changed by unplugging and plugging the external unit. By using your own wiring scheme they can be located where you want them to be. Cheap and easy to find parts about anywhere. Downside - the control box has fixed dwell - just like the old points and requires a ballast resistor. GM HEI cap is big and ugly due to the coil trapped inside - and you have to tear it down to get at the controller - and yes, they do die. Roadside repairs are painful. HEI controller is "smarter" than the Ford and uses variable dwell rather than a ballast resistor - a performance plus. The two systems can be mated to provide old Ford looks, easy maintenance - and extended dwell / high performance with an external coil. Don't overlook the earlier advice about matching the distributor gear to the camshaft - it can ruin your day.
The part number I posted is in the Summit catalog @ $42.95 + shipping,www.cjponyparts.com has them beat@ $38.99 with FREE shipping, put this part number in search at the site:M12259R301 you can choose from blue,black,red or yellow.These are the Ford Racing plug wires.
well guys, i am pretty sure im going to go with the hei from either skip white, or get one from summit. i dont think i can get one from skip with a black cap. but blue will look fine. i just want simple, and less clutter in the engine bay. also knowing that parts are available easily if i break down somewhere is almost priceless. i will give up the nostalgia look for drivability. thanks for all the help and advice guys. i guess that is why they call this the best group on the hamb, glad to be a part of it!!!! Jason
OK I am just glancing over this and has anyone used that Accel set up or is that a home made one . I honestly prefer the external coil over the HEI set up due to the heat . Trying to find a pointless system that will work and last is the problem I have with electronic distributors . I don't mind changing points and have served me very well for a long time and won't let you sitting in the worst places at the wrong time either ! So if someone has a bullet proof set up that doesn't cost a ****** fortune then I am all ears ! Jim
You be cautious with CJ Pony Parts ! They are about 40 mins from me and they are out of more parts than any other place I deal with . I have bought from them BUT only at the big Ford Show that I sell at . That way they either have it or don't ! I had a friend over the winter that we were doing a disc brake conversion on a 69 Mustang and had many parts back ordered up to 4 to 6 weeks on many parts ! But you order from who you want to but they are far from the only fish in the sea to get Mustang parts from ! Just my opinion ! Jim
The Accel unit I have in my 5.0l originally came with a GM style ignition module on the side. I have an MSD 6AL so I never used it. Anyways, Ford came out with the duraspark setup in 1975 with a small cap distributor but electronic ignition. In 76 they went to the larger cap style to help get the wires farther apart to prevent arcing in the cap. I have used both styles and never had a problem. You could easily use any SBF duraspark distributor, use the correct gear for your camshaft and just use the gm style ignition that I posted in the link above or like the picture Greenbird posted. Simple and cheap. Plus parts can be had easily at any parts store. To recurve it Ford Racing has a spring kit to adjust the advance. They used to be about $15 but I haven't bought one in awhile.
I also have a 6al I got in a parts deal but don't know how to check them out to see if they are any good or not . Jim
You can send them to MSD and they will service/check them out. Might want to give them a call and get a price but I don't think it is much. One thing I forgot to mention is that the some sbf's use a 1/4" oil pump drive and some use 5/16". So technically they are not all drop in easy interchangeable. I am wondering if you can change the shaft itself between years so one could upgrade an old distributor. Might have to look into that when I get home.
ARP has one with the bigger shaft and a a smaller tip about 1" long . I have seen them before but never used one myself . Jim
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