FAQ |
Members List |
Social Groups |
Calendar |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#21
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
|
#22
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
|
The Following User Says Thank You to JSchmitz For This Useful Post: | ||
#23
|
||||
|
||||
I have to agree. There was probably an underlying problem the Chief Parts Changer, oops I mean Chief Mechanic, wasn't catching. I also have found HEI,s very reliable. More so than the points setup they replaced.
|
#24
|
||||
|
||||
I've heard an awful lot of bad things about the replacement parts available for points distributors these days, too, even those that come from suppliers that were previously thought to be high quality. Many examples out there of parts being junk right out of the box.
__________________
1966 Pontiac GTO (restoration thread) 1998 BMW 328is (track rat) 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Limited (daily) View my photos: Caught in the Wild |
#25
|
||||
|
||||
What's a mad man do? Repeat the same thing and expect a different result.
|
#26
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
The module would fail, I would remove the module and install the spare module. The car would fire right up and I would drive the car until I drove the 150 miles back to my Uncle's Dealership, (sometimes that would be 3 months later) without a single ignition issue during that time). Then we would install a new module right out of the parts box and I would drive the car again, sometime 3 months, sometimes a year, and then the module would fail again. So this BS about the Chief Mechanic not knowing what he was doing or a poor installation is pure lies. Tom V.
__________________
"Engineers do stuff for reasons" Tom Vaught Despite small distractions, there are those who will go Forward, Learning, Sharing Knowledge, Doing what they can to help others move forward. |
#27
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
Since your posting part of your words. How about these. I'm not lying about anything. You're digging your own hole. Sounds to me like he knew what he was doing. I'd keep using him for sure! |
#28
|
||||
|
||||
I hate to even put this up here but I'm still using the same OEM 990 module that showed up in my HEI back in the mid-1970's.
Over the years I've tried several other "bug zapping" varieties and even the Mallory module they sold for a while with the adjustable rev-limiter in it. ALL of the aftermarket modules took a chit after moderate use so I put the OEM 990 module back in and it's still working fine today.........now that I've said that the darned thing will probably crap out tomorrow!......LOL....
__________________
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a Veteran! https://cliffshighperformance.com/ 73 Ventura, SOLD 455, 3740lbs, 11.30's at 120mph, 1977 Pontiac Q-jet, HO intake, HEI, 10" converter, 3.42 gears, DOT's, 7.20's at 96mph and still WAY under the roll bar rule. Best ET to date 7.18 at 97MPH (1/8th mile), |
#29
|
||||
|
||||
Only Pontiac Warranty issue I ever had with my GM vehicles in 50 years.
When you blow up 10 bolt and 12 bolt rear axles you really can't claim that was GM's Fault. Tom V.
__________________
"Engineers do stuff for reasons" Tom Vaught Despite small distractions, there are those who will go Forward, Learning, Sharing Knowledge, Doing what they can to help others move forward. |
#30
|
||||
|
||||
I wound up with two because my neighbor didn't want points so I suggested the pertronix. I wound up buying one to replace the original 301 dizzy in my 81 with the transplanted 77 400. (yes whomever did the swap years ago used the 301 dizzy) fast forward a year or so later after doing many things to this 81, building a garage, my neighbor sells the Lemans to a good friend for cheap. He wasnt really a car guy and never touched the car after we put the pertronix in it. So the buddy that bought the car put a full MSD set up on it. The car came to life....we were constantly trying to adjust carb when it was the ignition. My bad... so we did the swap in my garage and he just left his here. Hence the pic. From now on every part I open will get looked at thoroughly. I've driven many just stock TA's and GTO's and this thing just never measured up and was such a terd, but it isnt now!!!
__________________
" Is wearing a helmet illegal" Mike Kerr 1-29-09 |
#31
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
|
#32
|
|||
|
|||
Repeat HEI module failures are typically due to a failed ignition coil.
Module dies...replace it. Module dies again, replace it AND the ignition coil. The GM HEI is "the" most-reliable OEM electronic ignition system on the planet. The first few years did have some reliability and performance (rpm) problems--select '74 vehicles, '75, and so forth until the in-cap coils got a black "ground" wire added, and the rotor color changed from black to white. I don't remember when that happened except I'm sure it was prior to '80. I'm not saying the in-cap coils with the black "ground" wire are infallible; just that they're a better basic design than the ones without. The black wire is the "other end" of the secondary winding, which previously was connected to the primary winding; and still is on the stand-alone coils. The black rotors were known for "punch-through", where the spark would break-down the insulation and ground to the advance mechanism. GM first denied that that was a problem...then changed rotors to fix it. |
The Following User Says Thank You to Schurkey For This Useful Post: | ||
#33
|
|||
|
|||
Wow, this is a tough crowd. I figured I could throw my dependable Chevy HEI in there because it was a GM product. I'll watch myself from now on.
|
#34
|
||||
|
||||
They only go after retired Ford Guys, because of ENVY.
That is totally understandable. Now a retired GM Guy, like Keith Seymore and I are good friends because we respect the things that we did in our lives, we understand that things happen in production. Plastic Gear Timing Gears, 10 bolt rear axles, HEI Distributors occasionally, etc. When you could not do the job, you always have that ENVY, just human nature. Maybe if you were never OFFERED the job, due to personal events, family, that is understandable. Buy tjs72lemans, you had to have tough skin when you worked for Ford or any big auto company. Remember 2 of them went bankrupt and thousands lost their life savings. Not a candy aze place to work. Tom V.
__________________
"Engineers do stuff for reasons" Tom Vaught Despite small distractions, there are those who will go Forward, Learning, Sharing Knowledge, Doing what they can to help others move forward. |
#35
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
Tom V.
__________________
"Engineers do stuff for reasons" Tom Vaught Despite small distractions, there are those who will go Forward, Learning, Sharing Knowledge, Doing what they can to help others move forward. |
#36
|
||||
|
||||
Just to close off the electronics failure thing..........Quite often I hear that a part has been changed many times, each time the problem goes away, and the part fails again. 2x 3x, is very suspicious and requires more scrutiny. Sometimes the real fault is disturbed in the replacement process and the problem seems fixed....for a while, because the problem was not originally corrected.
One story I have if you have the time,.....of course you do you are on the forum anyway...... Years ago I worked at Motorola Automotive in the charging systems group. We provided charging systems for AMC, Volkswagen, agriculture machinery, etc. The VW bug used our alternators at the time. One time we heard from VW America that our alternators were burning up in VW bugs. This is obviously strange because they go thru tons of testing, design verification, etc. before going into high volume production. Anyway we found some customer in Kansas City had her alternator changed several times for that reason. Management bought the customer a new car, the dealer's mechanic put in a fresh alternator, and it was driven back to our facility near Chicago. No failure. We then used an engineering test alternator (wired with thermocouples) and went driving the car thru many different driving profiles, while monitoring temperatures. No joy, temps were fine, no observed failures. Knowing the alternator was changed before the trip to our lab we started to think of what could have possibly changed. To those who have never seen a VW bug alt or gen, it has a double-ended shaft, the drive pulley is on one end and the back end mounts the engine fan. There is a plate arrangement on the back end that bolts to the alt body which also seals the engine fan in the fan housing. The plate mounts on two bolts on the alt back housing, the bolts are 180 degrees apart. I noticed that there is a duct area towards one edge of the plate but not the other. I suggested we try to put the plate on 180 degrees out to see what would happen. The plate bolted on, added the fan, installed the alt assembly onto the engine, and ran in in the lab garage with full electrical load. 5 minutes later, it started pumping smoke. It turns out the duct portion of the plate needs to be on the bottom of the fan housing because that's a high pressure area which forces air thru the alt for cooling. No cooling air, alt burns up. Apparently the KC mechanic installed the plate correctly, whereas the previous alt changes had the plate installed incorrectly causing multiple comebacks. VW changed the plate to add a slot for a locating screw we added to the alt rear housing. Long story, but an example of changing parts, not finding nor fixing the root cause. George
__________________
"...out to my ol'55, I pulled away slowly, feeling so holy, god knows i was feeling alive"....written by Tom Wait from the Eagles' Live From The Forum |
#37
|
||||
|
||||
Mgarblik: Moto and Philco Ford made the fender mounted ignition boxes. Any idea which had the higher failure rates? Believe it or not, the early units had wire in the harness where water would wick up between the wire and insulation, into the box innerds and cause corrosion.
The wiring was later changed to non-wicking type. Sometimes things happen that you never expect. George
__________________
"...out to my ol'55, I pulled away slowly, feeling so holy, god knows i was feeling alive"....written by Tom Wait from the Eagles' Live From The Forum |
#38
|
||||
|
||||
In my opinion, early HEI coils failed once in a while too. I remember replacing a couple in my very early May 1974 HEI car over the years. The car would misfire occasionally under load. A new coil would fix it for a year or two. This was seat-of-the-pants diagnostics with no proof. I once had the broken wire in the pickup coil due to vacuum advance movement. The carbon buttons could fail too, but it never happened to me.
The fun one was my 1975 GMC van. Leave the engine cover loose and it would run fine. Bolt the engine cover down and the HEI module would get hot enough to act up. The engine would backfire so loud it would make your ears ring. If modules are failing repeatedly on a newer car, one might additionally suspect heat or a bad coil. Heat issues would more often would result in a gradual degradation of performance rather than suddenly shutting down, but it could happen. 78 was a transitional year for HEI updates. I would have put the car on an ignition scope with the bad module to see what was going on, but it's easier to just put a new module in and call it a day. The original Delco modules used a very robust custom made Beryllium power transistor and most aftermarket modules used an off the shelf transistor. That's why the 990 modules seem to last longer. Here's a link to the Delco HEI manual http://www.pontiacpower.org/HEI.pdf Refer to the last page for running changes Delco made in the 70's. This last page is not from Delco, but written by engineers from Bear Automotive who likely attended a Delco HEI seminar back the the day. Thankfully they took notes! George, I remember being a high school kid and helping Mrs. Ostrega wind the field for a prototype Motorola alternator at her kitchen table.
__________________
http://www.pontiacpower.org/ Last edited by fiedlerh; 09-01-2021 at 11:48 AM. |
The Following User Says Thank You to fiedlerh For This Useful Post: | ||
#39
|
||||
|
||||
Some really good info there Fiedlerh.
Thanks. Tom V.
__________________
"Engineers do stuff for reasons" Tom Vaught Despite small distractions, there are those who will go Forward, Learning, Sharing Knowledge, Doing what they can to help others move forward. |
#40
|
||||
|
||||
Fieldlerh: I hink I have that alternator on my GTO! (Off-site long term testing)
George
__________________
"...out to my ol'55, I pulled away slowly, feeling so holy, god knows i was feeling alive"....written by Tom Wait from the Eagles' Live From The Forum |
Closed Thread |
|
|