Hot rodding the HEI distributor

This article deals primarily with older-style non-computer controlled [[HEI distributor]]s. This is because there is so much performance left in them vs. stock AND since many people have ditched the computer in their 3rd gen cars and gone with a totally non-computer controlled engine. Please note: All carbureted V8 F-bodies since 1981 came from the factory stock with a computer controlled, internal coil HEI distributor. Most Fuel Injected 3rd gen V8s use a modified version of the HEI known as a “divorced coil HEI” (these have the small cap with an integrated magnetic trigger - usually found on GM TBI engines).

DON’T USE A COMPUTER CONTROLLED DISTRIBUTOR IF YOU HAVE DITCHED THE ECM OR ARE RUNNING WITHOUT ONE!!!! You will get NO ignition timing advance AT ALL from the computer-controlled distributor, plus lousy performance and lousy mileage. If you have disconnected the 4-wire ECM connector going in the side of the distributor or the wiring between the ECM and the distributor is damaged you will, again, get no advance (and a check engine light) Yes, you can remove a non-computer controlled HEI and drop an old-style mechanical advance distributor in its place -- it will physically bolt right in. But it will cause the ECM to throw a code because the ECM looks to make sure the computer-controlled portion of the distributor is out there every time you start the engine. Once you begin to take things out of the ECM’s control you pretty much have to go all the way with it -- replace both the computer-controlled distributor, the computer controlled carb (Qjet) and deactivate the check engine light.

That being said, the NON-computer controlled HEI can be made into a great distributor for a street or street/strip car. It's simple, easy to tune, and plenty powerful to light off any naturally aspirated engine up to 7000 RPMs if properly equipped.

Let's start with the coil. It's located on top of the distributor between the plug wire towers under a plastic cover. It's the "engine" that makes the sparks. Stock, it's capable of about 35,000 volts and so-so total spark energy. It's fine for a naturally aspirated street motor that rarely sees the high side of 5000 RPMs. It will provide the energy to jump a plug gap of .040-.045 with no problem in these applications.

You can upgrade the coil with an Accell or MSD replacement coil that will jump the voltage up to about 42,000 volts and total spark energy will also jump about 10-15%. There are even hotter coils than this from Accell, MSD and others that will give you the same 42,000 volts but a LOT more total spark energy (like 50% more). Either one of these “super high output” coils is a worthwhile upgrade for a hot street motor- you'll get better response and HP especially at higher RPMs where the stock one hits a kind of "wall". A new coil is also a lot cheaper than a complete MSD ignition amplifier setup and at least 95% as effective at making HP in most naturally aspirated applications (the MSD will still give you slightly better mileage & emissions due to it’s multi-strike spark capability below 3000 RPMs). With either hotter coil you can open the gap up to .045-.050 for just a smidgen more HP. There are 2 different versions of the HEI coil and you need to make sure you get the right one. The only external difference is that one has red and white power leads, the other has red and yellow power leads. You will need to know which one of these you have stock to order up the appropriate aftermarket upgraded coil.

For blown or nitroused applications it is recommended to use an MSD (or equivalent) ignition amplifier box setup. You can do it with a stock HEI + hi-po coil but you'll likely have to close the gap way down (.030-.035) to make it work well.

The HEI’s centrifugal advance is susceptible to old age, though. Typically the centrifugal advance weights wear their pivot holes into an "oval" or eat a trench into their pivot pins OR BOTH. This is bad and no attempt to change the advance curve should be made on a distributor that suffers from these problems -- fix it first or get another HEI to start improvements on (I can buy them for $20 a piece in decent shape at local junkyards -- just make sure you are getting the right one for your engine- they were used on ALL makes of GM V8s and all look very similar). Also, the centrifugal advance plate (that pivots around the main distributor shaft as the centrifugal advance moves it), near the top of the distributor shaft sometimes gets gummed up and sorta "sticky," slowing the advance curve and generally preventing the centrifugal advance assembly from working correctly. If your centrifugal advance doesn't "snap" back when you twist the rotor with your hand and let it go then you have this problem. You need to pull the distributor shaft apart and clean everything out, especially up top, before you proceed with upgrades.

1. Centrifugal: Stock the advance mechanism is pretty good but the stock springs are usually way too strong, causing the advance curve to come in too slowly, if it ever gets fully advanced at all. All you need are the right springs and the right initial advance setting. Most Small Block Chevys like about 32-38 degrees total advance at WOT. Since we know already that the HEI has 20 built into the stock mechanism the first thing we need to do is set the initial advance correctly- that means you need an initial advance between 12 and 18 degrees (you might want to retard it 2-4 degrees for daily street use just to build in a little safety margin).

Now all we need to do is make sure the centrifugal advance comes in at the right RATE- relative to engine RPM. You want it "all in" by about 2800-3200 RPMs for a typical street performance motor. (Additional advance above this RPM point is neither needed or wanted; increased turbulence in the combustion chamber offsets the need for further ignition advance beyond this RPM level) You do this by changing the centrifugal advance springs to lighter ones. IF you use the Crane advance kit like I do you are looking to install one Blue (heavy) spring and one Silver one (medium). These springs are located directly under the rotor and are easy to remove/replace by hand or with needle-nose pliers. These springs will give you an advance curve that starts at about 800 RPM and ends at 2800. If you don't have the Crane kit then install whatever springs you have and check the advance curve with a dial-back timing light (or use a “timing tape” wrapped around your harmonic balancer) and a tachometer, swapping springs until you get it close to these specs. It doesn't matter if the springs are not "matched" side to side- you can install one heavy one and one light one and it will work fine. Please note that getting the advance in sooner does NOT build peak HP, but it does build quite a bit of bottom end torque. This mod will have you grinning ear-to-ear with the nice seat-of-your-pants improvement!

2. Vacuum advance: Stock cans typically provide 22-24 degrees of advance. This is WAY WAY WAY too much if you have recurved the centrifugal and initial advance as described above. You will get "3 rocks in a coffee can" kinda detonation.

Can you just leave it unplugged? Yes. Your highway mileage will be off by about 5MPG and your plugs will load up with crud within just a few thousand miles. For a race car or a weekend street/strip can this is probably no big deal. For a daily-driver street car, forget it.

Vacuum advance for the street: You want about 12 (crankshaft) degrees total vacuum advance if you run WITHOUT a functional EGR system, 16 degrees if you run WITH a functional EGR system. Regardless, you want it to come in between about 5 and 15 inches of manifold vacuum. I have found the most expedient solution to be the Crane advance kit once more. Install their can with about 9 turns (tighter than the loosest setting) on the adjustable advance can spring. IMPORTANT! -- Also, use the little "lockout" cam that comes with the Crane vacuum advance to lock out AS MUCH ADVANCE AS POSSIBLE. This will still leave you with about 12 degrees of available vacuum advance. If you set it with 2 notches LESS lockout than the maximum you will end up with about 16 degrees available vacuum advance -- perfect for those of you running a functional EGR system valve.

The vacuum advance can should be plugged into a full manifold vacuum source on the carb. This is a vacuum port on the carb that provides FULL vacuum at curb idle. Using this vacuum source will allow you to close your throttle plates a little and maintain the same idle speed. This does two things. First, it will deter engine run-on, or, dieseling. Also, you will find that the engine is cooler running around town in traffic and has much better throttle response. It will have no ill effects at WOT because there will be no vacuum at WOT so you will be running exclusively on mechanical advance. Full manifold vacuum is by far the best way to connect your vac. can. As always, disconnect and plug this line when setting initial advance. Plug it back in when the initial has been set. Finally, adjust for proper idle speed.

WATCH YOUR IDLE RPMS WHILE YOU SET INITIAL ADVANCE TIMING!!! You note that the centrifugal advance curve that I recommended above starts at about 800 RPMs. If you try to set your initial timing with the engine idling ABOVE this RPM point you will NEVER get a true initial advance reading since the centrifugal with be partially advanced at that point! Set it with the idle temporarily slowed WAY down if you have to but DO IT RIGHT!

A final word about that HEI "module:" Lotsa mystery around this little "thingamajig." This is just the little electronic brain located on the floor of the distributor housing with 4 wires going into it (2 per side). All it does is read the magnetic pickup signal from the magnetic pickup assy. around the distributor shaft and then using this reference signal, tell the coil when to fire and with how much "dwell". I always recommend a good stock GM module, not a parts-store cheapie. No reason to go crazy and get one of those $70 “super-high output modules here”- I have tried them and they do nothing for performance. But get a genuine GM one. Stock GM modules incorporate what they call a "variable dwell" circuit that reduces dwell at lower RPMs to keep the coil from over-saturating. This is good for sharp performance and long coil life. Some parts-store modules don't have this circuitry in them.