I have a 1971 Elky with 350 and the old points ignition system.

I would like to upgrade to a HEI system.

i NEED the Idiot's guide to doing this a step by step procedure and all the needed parts to change.

Sure someone can help..

put me down for the same thing but on a 74 with a sb400

1st generation HEI distributor. it will still have a vacuum advance cannister on it. only takes 1 wire to hook it up. full 12 volts with no resistor if i remember right. hope this helps.

For some basics try this: http://www.chevelles.com/techref/ftecref5.html

The physical removal & replacement of the distributor is the hardest part.
1- Rotate motor to TDC with #1 firing. Make sure that the timing mark on the damper is about 5 degrees before TDC.

2- Remove Dist Cap & wires. Leave wires attached to plugs so you have easy guide for reinstallation. But realize that you will need a different set of wires - so buy them before you start :-D .

3- Put a chalk mark on the intake manifold to mark where the rotor is pointed. Does not have to be exact, but close so you can start car later. Generally if you are looking down from the top, with #1 firing, the rotor will be at or about 7 o'clock. DO NOT ROTATE MOTOR from here on out.

4- Remove distributor hold down bolt. Pull dist staight up & out. As you pull the distributor out (the first inch or so) you will note that the rotor is turning backwards. Try to get an idea how much it turns. Try not to rotate the shaft yourself.

5-Once you get dist out, look at the bottom. Note that the bottom of the shaft looks like this (I) the I fits into a groove on the oil pump below. (This is what drives the oil pump.) Note the relationship between the (I) and the rotor.

5- Also note the gear at the bottom of the shaft. The teeth are beveled and this is what caused the rotor to rotate in step 4. Use a good flashlite to look down in the distributor hole - don't drop anything :) Note the groove on top of the oil pump where the dist matched up.

6- Now you are ready to install the new distributor. Try to align it like the old dist. With the rotor & (I) in the same general relationship. Lower the dist into its hole. As the gear on the bottom of the shaft starts to mate with the gear on the cam, the rotor will rotate slightly. You want it to end up in the same relative position as your original dist. So you may need to pull it out and rotate backwards and try again.

7 - It may not seat all the way once its in,DONT force it. Usually this happens cause the (I) on the dist is not aligned with the (I) on the oil pump. At this point you can rotote the motor slowly. Put slight pressure on top of the HEI as you rotoate motor by hand or by ignition. The rotor should rotate as soon as you start moving the motor. Within 180 degrees of rotation the HEI should "DROP" into place. STOP NOW! You don't want the HEI to jump back out of the oil pump groove.

8 - Install hold down bolt so its snug. Now its time for electrical hookup.

9- An HEI wire is available here: http://www.centechwire.com/Merchant4/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CO&Product_Code=HEI-1 or at many autoparts stores or get one from the junk yard.

10- The wire will connect to the B+ (or BAT) connection on the side of the HEI Cap. The other end will go to a connection that is HOT (12 Volts) when in both the crank & run position of your key. I went to the IGN post on my fuse box. The wire from the fuse box to the HEI cap should be 12 gauge or so. You will not need the original wires that come from your starter.

11- Try a google search I found this site: http://www.oldengine.org/unfaq/hei.htm and there are probably many others that explain it better than I. Maybe have pictures too.

I'm typed out , good luck.....Amnd what is this a TEXAS only post????

good info. Guess it is just us Texans in here.

Thanks for the info i have done distrib swaps before points type so i uderstand that part. The different wires and coil needed is the part i was in the dark about.

Very good instructions! I have nothing to add to this and I don't want to. I'm just another Texan with a HEI equipped 3rd Gen.

THat was a good set of instrucitons. When I did mine on my 74 the one thing I had to make sure of was to get rid of the resistor wire (which was mentioned in the instructions )that actually feeds the distributor. Mine didn't have a resistor block it actually used a resistance piece of wire that I had to remove all the way back to the power block on the firewall.

Make sure the BAT wire gets a full 12V and you should be fine. No resistor blocks either. It's a lot cleaner install too.

8)

hey rick! give me a holler. i am just out here in merkel. be nice to meet another elky nut. 725-0353. also, to all the rest of the texans out there watching, you need something give me a shout. might be laying on the yard. lol. bob

anyone have a source for 4th gens at salvage yards? I may be needing a driver door, fender, and possibly front windshield. Thanks.

i might have a lead on some pieces like that. when you figure out what you need give me a shout. i'll see what is still available and shoot you some pics. i'm dealing in 5th gen myself but do have access to a little bit of stuff for the 4th genies. let me know.

Well I'm pretty sure the door will need to be replaced. It got hit hard enough to form the outer sheet metal around the inner supports. The front fender can probably be straightened I hope. I've found one door so far up in OK but they were wanting $250 for it. My door panels are good. Glass is ok but has some paint overspray on it and the weatherstriping has seen better days.

Lots of yards in Ft. Worth to pick and choose from. Little Johns, Sargent's Auto Salvage and several along Business 287 (Mansfield Hwy.)

thanks for the names. I'll have to give them a call and see if they have any 4th gens out there

One non-Texan chiming in. Remember also to get the full benefit from the HEI you can run wider gaps on the plugs. Set to similar for the year you took the HEI out of. It will definitely start and run better on cold mornings.

Should you change the plugs to a different type when going to HEI?

I'm not 100% sure. I'd go to a GOOD parts store & ask for recommendation. You could ask for plugs from a year which used HEI system in a similar application to yours.

Should you change the plugs to a different type when going to HEI?
AC Delco Plugs but that HEI is just not enough in my books. Want to really do your engine a favor go get a MSD Pro Billet distributor and the MSD 6A box a good set of Spiral wound wires. Always replace the cap and rotor with quality parts too. Never put those 5.00 caps and 2.00 rotors on your truck They are cheap and prevent the ignition from working as intended and they burn up so fast that its just not worth the cash. If you pull a GM HEI and plan on using that then buy the HEI Super conversion Kit from MSD which replaces all the internal pieces of the distributor (Electric Module) with the MSD 6A or 6AL box. It will fire faster, start better, run better, get better mileage and you'll get longer life from your plugs.

It was one of the best upgrades I added to my 76. Generally now one press on the throttle and it kicks right off. I really think it is a necessity now.

I always though that the GM HEI was good enough, and its way, way better than just points but its nothing, or even a toy compared to the MSD ignition set up. Nothing will give you a full fire through 20 degrees of crank rotation like the MSD, that I am aware of. They also replace the in-cap coil with a Blaster II Coil that takes in 400 V dc and puts out 45 or 50,000 volts to the plugs. At idle or below 3000 RPM the ignition system fires up to 3 times per for a total of 20 degrees of crank rotation and after 3000 it just hits it once really hot an long for the same duration.

Just a suggestion

Will a chevy 350 run if the didtributor is a tooth off. Ihave just swapped out a 305 for the 350. It is running ,barely Tried to advance but still lopes. Any help would be appreciated. :oops:

2-Elkys,
I went from points to electronic. Then I went with MSD Street Pro-Billet (PN 8361) distributor (same size as points distibutor so clearance is no issue), 6AL (or 6A) box, and Blaster 2 coil. HEI will be an improvement, but the MSD with box is much better. Cost about $550.

http://www.msdignition.com/

Getting back to the original question my guess is to stick with the OE plugs. If Champion has a truck plug for your application it would be a good choice. Also consider upgrading the plug wires. In any case I wouldn't use platinum plugs.

You may have to increase the gap. If it helps, I have the OE HEI system with a 5L and the plug gap is .045.

Have a shocking good time wrenching. :roll: