[allenga]

Originally Posted by shaker455

X2 Suntune Bob,

Do you have a dial back light?

I do, but I have not mastered holding the timing light, rotating the dial and holding the throttle up to 2000 RPM at the same time. My 9 year old can't hold the throttle either.

[shaker455]

Okay I can help, I do it all the time... no need to have a helper...keep it safe!..
You have a tach built into the light?
Get on pass side so you can see the timing marks.
Set your dial to 36, aircleaner off, vac adv always plugged.
Reach over to throttle lever with left hand & light in right hand
Rev the motor till you see the marks line up or close.
Let off and adjust light a few degrees at a time ti'll they do.
Once you feel you got it... go back and rev it higher to assure no more movement.
Then slowly rev it again & this time watching the tach .
Hope that helps

[smasse64]

Hey Sun, Nice to see you onsite again with invaluable advice!!!
...You did my 326 HEI about 17 yrs ago..but at about 12 yrs I started losing modules to failure, usually during hot summer days at highway speeds...but not always..
seem to get about 2 yrs on either NAPA or Standard modules....tired of getting stuck on hot roads..although the last one was on a cool October evening...at low speed.....
I have tried different heat pastes under the module, last time, paying $13 for a very small tube of heat sink paste used for computers as many rec....I just had a new NAPA module to install and used the SuperLube, white silicone heat compound...does this sound like the right product to use?
Second, it seems heat is the issue...how to solve: I am thinking of using an MSD HEI cap that allows me to convert back to a round, oil cooled coil on bracket in stock location. This should keep heat away from module and dist...
Do these seem like good things to do?...and also, would changing out to the low resistance coil button(brass?) also help?...and lastly, what module has better heat or other longevity characteristics?...Thanks again!!!...ps...do i need to do anything for this grease fitting on your/my old dist shaft??..want this to last another 100,000 miles at LEAST!!!! hahaha

[Sun Tuned]

Bout all I use these days is a big tube of DowCorning white paste. It's for electronics. Something along those lines should be fine.

Usually module issues stem from muffler shop welding or grounding issues. Might pay real close attention to the cap harness. These elcheepos off these 59.00 distributors are junk. Won't even use them here and I don't care if you just took it out of the box.

I don't build them anymore unless they have a no resistance coil bushing under the coil. Makes it run 2-3 times cooler that with stock resistance deal.

Mega heat without a no resistance bushing.

[Sun Tuned]

What "grease fitting"?

[Formulas]

With the low resistance button / bushing in mind i wonder how many people experience HEI problems because of high resistance spark plug wires and then a resistor spark plug itself they all add up and are secondary resistance.

Usually people go a long time without changing spark plug wires simply because they look good still but could be high resistance.

Are copper spark plug wires and non resistor plugs bad for an HEI. ??

[Sun Tuned]

Won't hurt a thing!

Got a truck I drive frequently has a set of packaged 440 wires I built just for that purpose. It does have a regular old set of resistor plugs though, I wasn't gonna look to hard in the town I live in for non resistor plugs.

Wouldn't be an issue though.

Works good. Will not hurt module at all.

[Sun Tuned]

Damn spell check!

Packard 440

[Grand73Am]

Originally Posted by Sun Tuned

I don't build them anymore unless they have a no resistance coil bushing under the coil. Makes it run 2-3 times cooler that with stock resistance deal.

Mega heat without a no resistance bushing.

I found some "no resistance coil bushings" online, but both the listings I looked at say they're for racing applications only.

So, you're saying these are good for street only use too?

[smasse64]

Sun, I always check to make sure my HEI cap ground lug is in place and i sand clean the corners of the coil it touches.....not sure i have the terminology down...you said to use a "no resistance coil bushing"....??...is that the little button with spring in the center of cap that you install button down, then put rubber washer over??....and is a Low Resistance one better than just taking the dam coil out of the cap and using a nice ole style round oil filled coil???

[Sun Tuned]

Here I use the same one Performance distributors sells.

It is dead 0 ohms. It's powdered copper/bronze.

All I've used for last 10 years or so.

Folks will tel you there for racing applications only but don't believe it. There's one in my dually chevy,one in my 65, and roughly 30-35 running around here in town local I installed.

No radio interference, no ill effects, none of the neighbors garage doors unexpectedly go up or down when we drive by....

It's one of those few things that actually work very well that you can buy for less than 12.00.

I put close to 100,000 miles a year on this one chevy dually.... for the last 4 years. Not once has it been out of commission due to an HEI failure. Nor was the one I had prior to it. Hell there hasn't been an issue with the HEI in my Ford diesel either, oh, wait never mind.

Now the one I got the packard 440 wires on... well that raises just a bit of a ruckus with the neighbors Ham radios, but other than that no issue.

I've never had the need to run an external coil. On anything I've owned.

[Grand73Am]

Thanks! I see them at Summit for $8.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/d...SABEgIRJvD_BwE

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by smasse64

I started losing modules to failure, usually during hot summer days at highway speeds...but not always..
seem to get about 2 yrs on either NAPA or Standard modules....tired of getting stuck on hot roads..although the last one was on a cool October evening...at low speed.....
I have tried different heat pastes under the module, last time, paying $13 for a very small tube of heat sink paste used for computers as many rec....I just had a new NAPA module to install and used the SuperLube, white silicone heat compound...does this sound like the right product to use?
Second, it seems heat is the issue...how to solve: I am thinking of using an MSD HEI cap that allows me to convert back to a round, oil cooled coil on bracket in stock location. This should keep heat away from module and dist...
Do these seem like good things to do?...and also, would changing out to the low resistance coil button(brass?) also help?...and lastly, what module has better heat or other longevity characteristics?...Thanks again!!!...ps...do i need to do anything for this grease fitting on your/my old dist shaft??..want this to last another 100,000 miles at LEAST!!!! hahaha

A partially-shorted ignition coil will cook modules due to low-resistance, high current demand.

If I had a vehicle with a history of module failures, I'd change ignition coils and see what happened.

Theoretically, you can test the resistance of the ignition coil. In real life, it's a crapshoot due to insulation internal to the coil breaking down at higher voltages than an ohmmeter supplies. Given a history of module failures, and knowing that you've used real heat sink compound on the modules...I'd shiitcan the ignition coil.

Whether you go for an external coil and some aftermarket or fabricated coil cover that eliminates the in-cap coil, or whether you just replace the in-cap coil is up to you.

Yes, I'd put in the low- (or no-) resistance coil-to-rotor button.

[smasse64]

..but one last thing..besides the no-brainer low resistance bushing for about $16 shipped, what brand in-cap coil is better these days and what brand module also?..thanks...steve m

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by smasse64

what brand in-cap coil is better these days and what brand module also?

Unless there's something defective with the Genuine GM parts you probably already have, you'll spend a lot of money trying to get something "better" that isn't actually worse.

I get my modules and coils from the salvage yard. Once in awhile, I'll get a defective one...but for $5 I can take some chances. I specifically look for the in-cap coils that have a short black wire along with the red and white, or red and yellow wires. The coils that do not have the short black wire were the "old" design.

Remember that a Pontiac will almost certainly need an in-cap coil with red and WHITE wires, not red and yellow.

[smasse64]

...i will report back when i have added my new round oil filled coil to my old HEI with a MSD conversion cap and low resistance button...hope it runs as well as factory coil and 100 degrees cooler!!! ..might save me some modules!!!

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by smasse64

i will report back when i have added my new round oil filled coil

Good luck getting a "round oil filled coil" that isn't a piece of crap.

[allenga]

Ok. Today, I adjusted the mixtures and base idle. Also, found some loose fitting vacuum hoses, replaces. Carb itself was loose and most screws were loose. All tight now. Timing is is 14 degrees initial. I also adjusted the kick down cable. Took out for a run with the vacuum advance plugged. The car ran awesome. Upshifted with ease. I was also running with the shaker off but air cleaner on.

Then...I put the vacuum advance hose back on, it did not run as good, did not upshift with ease also as the car stayed in 3rd gear longer when I pressed on the gas, I heard some rattling/detonation.

I did test the vacuum advance with a vacuum gun and it held vacuum.

Any thoughts on next steps..

Thanks!

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by allenga

Ok. Today, I adjusted the mixtures and base idle. Also, found some loose fitting vacuum hoses, replaces. Carb itself was loose and most screws were loose. All tight now. Timing is is 14 degrees initial. I also adjusted the kick down cable. Took out for a run with the vacuum advance plugged. The car ran awesome. Upshifted with ease. I was also running with the shaker off but air cleaner on.

Then...I put the vacuum advance hose back on, it did not run as good, did not upshift with ease also as the car stayed in 3rd gear longer when I pressed on the gas, I heard some rattling/detonation.

I did test the vacuum advance with a vacuum gun and it held vacuum.

Any thoughts on next steps..

Thanks!

Restrict the amount of vacuum advance. 10--15 degrees is typically enough if the centrifugal curve is right.

[Sun Tuned]

Any numbers stamped on frame of vac adv?

WhatSchurkey said. Let's see what we got to work with first.