Ok,, I have a HEI distributor in my rebuilt 305,,, Dist is about 25 yrs old...

the motor is out of a 77 chevy c10; 305.

I"m thinking about pulling the stock coil, module and adding a hotter coil and module.

How can i tell if i really need to replace the entire distributor?


I bought a tdc piston stop, so i know where tdc is on my vehicle and all about cap wiring.

my next question is; with the dist hold down tight, should the rotor still be able to turn, if i were to rotate the engine by hand?

I'm thinking that it should because of the oil pump turning the dist. shaft.

Just want clarification......

If it's 25 years old you should at least rebuild it. The weights for the mechanical advance are probably worn and rusted in place.

on this same theme, is the proform gm hei tune up kit a good upgrade/tune up to a stock hei? is summit part # pro-66945rc. are the summit plug wire set #sum-868836 a good addition ?. i opened my dist. and looks kind of rusty and old inside. when i accelerate my car has started to ping.can it be the vaccum advance is malfunctioning?

That's pretty old! If the parts are rusty just replace the whole thing if your cash folw permits. Rust is one thing but the red powdery dust is another.

I am rebuilding my '79 with MSD components:

Extreme HEI cap
HEI Rotor (in stock distributor body, remove the rotor adapter)
Digital HEI Module
42K HEI coil

The body was fine but the last rebuild was, well, deficient by the PO.

Yes, the rotor moves when you rotate the engine by hand. I do all my work with the plugs out and rotating the engine by hand. Number one is normally at about 5 o'clock viewed from the front center.

Check your vacuum hose and make sure there are no leaks affecting the advance.

Summit Racing is hard to beat. They get the job done.

It looks like it's got everything you need to completly tune up an HEI. New weights and springs, rotor, cap, coil, adjustable vacuum advance, ignition module, pickup, etc...

I don't know about the spark plug wires. All of the spark plug boot ends are 90*.

thanks, i will order it. do a 72,73,74 350 uses the 90' boots? or i need something diferent.

I don't know. All of the plug wire sets I've bought for my 5th gens have had a combination of straights and 90* boots.