Good Day, I'm trying to keep the old school feeling to my 65. Everything else is old style however I can't decide between using old points distributor with the electronic upgrade (future plans for MSD-6AL Box) or just go with the modern HEI (won't appear original) Can the distributor be changed once the motor is installed if I use the rear motor mounts (farther back motor mount holes) or should I just move the engine forward right now before I mount the transmission cross member? Thanks.
The HEI distributer can come out with the motor in the stock ( rear ) position. The cap WILL need to be removed first though. Val
Thanks Dval. I'm going to run my old HEI distributor for now untill I can replace it with a proper "old School points" distributor (with electronic conversion of course.)
I have old scool style points,later on in the future once we get my son Matthews truck on the road.I plan on going to HEI,points can be a pain in the A** . thats about a year from now with my truck. .
IF YOU REALLY LOVE THE OLD SKOOL WAY OF LIFE, YOULL NOTICE THAT EVEN IN MAGS LIKE OL SKOOL RODS AND KAR KULTURE DELUXE, THAT ALL THOSE OLD SKOOLERS, MUCH LIKE MYSELF, ARE RUNNING HEI. JUST KEEP THE CHROME AND BILLIT OFF THE TRUCK AND YOULL BE OK. I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN ABOUT "KEEPING IT LOOKING OLD SKOOL", WERE THAT COMES FROM IS, BUILDING YOUR ROD IN A TRADITIONAL FASHION. BUT YOU DONT HAVE TO SACRIFICE POWER IF YOU DONT WANT, "TRADITIONALLY" BUILDING A ROD INCLUDED ADDING AND FABRICATING ANYTHING YOU COULD TO MAKE IT GO FASTER AND LOOK COOL. BACK THEN THE GUYS WHO WERE BUILDING RODS AND FABRICATED THERE OWN PARTS ARE THE GUYS THAT HAVE THERE NAMES ON MOST OF THE PERFOMANCE PARTS YOU BUY TODAY. THEY WERE ABLE TO TURN IT INTO A CAREER. WISH I COULD!!!! INTERIORS AND PAINT WERE ALWAYS ON THE BACKBURNER OF THINGS TO GET DONE. SO FEEL FREE TO USE THE HEI, THE ORIGANAL RODDERS OF BACK IN THE DAY WOULD HAVE IF THEY HAD THE CASH.
Old versus New http://picasaweb.google.com/olCurt1966/Distributors I tried both and like the old style look much better.
Its like different stokes for different folks points may look good but are hard to get adjusted right on the money,they can be off a hair and the make your engine run ruff:been there done that in near future my new rebuild engine in my truck will have HEI,like mashing on the gas and go ...
Thanks for the input fella's I am going to run HEI for now as I already own the distributor however I'm going to change to an old "points" style distributor down the road with the electronic upgrade (petronix electronic internals) with an MSD ignition box.
Someone needs to run points ! If for no other reason than to transfer the knowledge down to the younger folks on how they work. I was at a meet a year ago when one guy had trouble with his duel point distributor in a 57 BelAir. 15 guys standing around the engine, all scratching their heads. It was a 65 year old that walked up and pointed out the fried wire to a ballast resistor. Run the old stuff, get it running good, and then tell the kids how you did it ! Val
Hello, i've got still the old 1 with points in my new V8 and runs perfect ! Just like you said Val,i am learning from a 58 year old and seen him dooing that for more than 1 time on a meeting. Always great to see those smiling faces,and he loves it to teach everybody ho needs it.Now he knows something more on US motors,that was a little bit new to him,the Chevy Small Block V8. 283man the gas in Belgium is 8.92 dollar a gallon for unleaded fuel.... Have a great day Johan
Great discussion guys, I'm glad to see people still using points. I plan to learn more about points distributors however I'm not going to spend the money right now to change over... I'll figure out how to attach pictures and get some posted shortly on my 65 progress. 283MAN... GAS in Canada is currently $1.07 cents /liter Thanks for the comments, I have been reading the progress on your sons truck, looks like things are coming along well.
I'm running a Mallory Unilite in the nugget. It's not an HEI but it doesn't look really old school. No points to mess with just drop in, wire up and go. I did find out that if you don't wire the ballast resistor right the $80.00 optical sensor inside fries (ran a year or so like this). I guess the previous owner couldn't read a wiring diagram. Other than that no problems.
Both Mallory, Accel, and the other major ignition guys recommend retaining the ballast resistor when using their distributor in early conversions. We just installed a 500+ hp Chevy big block with a Mallory high output distributor and coil in a 53 fo$d pickup and needed to retain the ballast resistor. That never made any sence to me, but from what you said, it now makes perfect sence ! Val
