converting to HEI

[AdamH]

Any good write-ups on converting to HEI? I understand the concept and why it is better that stock but wondering exactly what all is involved with the switch. Thanks.

 

[Cheepjeep85]

depending on the route you want to go as far as where the distributor comes from, its as easy as removing all of your old stuff and dropping the hei in, hooking up your plug wires, getting a ignition switched 12v power source to the distributor, and then setting the timing.

you can buy a dist. from D.U.I. which is probably the best, but also the most expensive. you can get an hei distributor from an old chevy 250 inline six and put a amc v8 drive gear on it, or you can buy a china made hei which works decent in a pinch. i ran one of the cheapos for a while and i was pretty happy with it. then swapped it out for the tfi. matter of fact i still have the cheapo dist i will sell you if your interested in going that route.

 

[Buuushman]

I went middle of the road on my H.E.I.- @ $200.00 and I am happy with it. Way hotter spark, you can open your plug gaps to .045 - .055, get rid of the Ign. control box and all you need is a keyed 12v hot. Do yourself a favor, swap the distributor drive gear from your old dizzy to the new one, they are used to running together, and replacing the gear on the cam is a pain after it gets chewed.

Bush

 

[ThisGuyUKnow]

Make sure you swap your old drive gear off the original distributor and put it on the hei or you will be rplacing your cam shaft in short order.

 

[Jason S]

AdamH: I also have a 76 cj w/ a AMC 304 and I will be tackling this as soon as I get settled at my next duty station this summer. I have done some research so far and this thread is the one that I will base my upgrade off of.
Ignition upgrade (Team Rush?) - JeepForum.com

Here is another site with good information, which depending on type of HEI you want might be more applicable.
Welcome to the Junk Yard Genius.com Ignition homepage!

 

[BusaDave9]

I like CheepJeep's idea: get a DUI ignition.
Davis Unified Ignition 40820BL - Davis Unified Ignition AMC Street/Strip D.U.I. Distributors - Overview - SummitRacing.com
It's $300 but I like the idea of doing it right the first time. I wish I had that philosophy when I first notices my ignition needed improvement over a year ago. The ignition of an AMC V8 is the one place that could use the most improvement.
Instead I decided to get a MSD off-road coil. Then I upgraded the spark plug wires. Now I wish I just made the jump to a DUI ignition. To replace the distributor now I would have to get rid of my new coil and wires.

 

[priceg]

When time permits itself, I am definitely going with the DUI distributor.

 

[Cheepjeep85]

yep im seriously considering the DUI hei to. the tfi runs good but i like the simplicity of an hei so i might swap back,

 

[Kane]

A lot of the power and throttle reponse fron the DUI comes from the agressive mechanical timing curve. A stock distributer can be recurved with lighter springs to help with power delivery if cost was an issue.

 

[83cj7]

I just switched to a HEI on a AMC 304 and the only issue I came up with was to get the next longer fan belt for my power steering pump. It fit with the original belt but real tight with the larger Dist.
Make sure you check the voltage to the Dist. at the power wire to make sure you don't have a resistor wire from the ignition. I set mine up with a relay off the battery to make sure I got a full 12-14 volts and to take the power load off the ignition system

 

[AdamH]

Thanks!!!

 

[Fifesjeep]

I have both an MSD 6AL Ignition Module with the Pro Billet Distributor... and I also have an HEI set-up. The best bang for your buck is from this place.
AMC JEEP CJ5 CJ7 304 360 401 V-8 HEI DISTRIBUTOR 6512-R - eBay (item 330489801341 end time Dec-26-10 15:30:19 PST)
AMC JEEP 232 258 4.0 4.2 6 CYL HEI DISTRIBUTOR 6511-R - eBay (item 370450516434 end time Dec-26-10 15:27:42 PST)

These guys inspect/QA everything... nothing but quality comes out from these guys. Their prices are cheap, their customer service is second to none. Once you deal with them you'll do business with them again.

 

[BusaDave9]

A $55 HEI distributor? ? ?

 

[Fifesjeep]

A $55 HEI distributor? ? ?

Yes sir, and it comes with a warranty!!! I'm telling you guys, these guys don't play around... they put out the best and they QA everything. The only thing that I would change is the gear... though, I ran mine with the gear that it came on it and I haven't had any issues. I even pull it from time to time to check out the wear pattern on the cam gear and distributor and all is smooth. Skip White and his guys are the real deal with top notch service.

 

[dslywalker]

I'd go DUI also.If you ever get the urge to go fuel injection that would be the right dizzy to have.

 

[Fifesjeep]

I'd go DUI also.If you ever get the urge to go fuel injection that would be the right dizzy to have.

DUI is still expensive though and honestly, the best bang for your buck Besides the HEI from Skip White (Links provided in my other post) is the stock replacement Cardone distributor with the MSD Cap-adapt and some 8mm-8.5mm wires. The ignition modules can be found all day in the Junkyards in the wagoneers etc for cheap... (Providing you are running a V-8).
There's many ways to skin a cat and it's ultimately up to how much money you want to spend. I ran a DUI with a 401, it's was a good unit but IMO not worth the money paid.