hi everyone,
today i installed an hei distributor, new coil and wires and what a difference with the way the car runs and most of all STARTS.

some questions for those of you that have went this way.....

the engine is a 273 2bbl bone stock with dual exhaust.

what plugs should i use for the conversion?? i'm running the old ones at the moment. what should the gap be? hot or cold plugs? brand? number?

also the car runs good now like i said but there is an ocassional stumble at idle, would that be the plugs or something else??

let me know

 

I would use the standard plugs gaped .035. May need new plugs? What did you set the timing at ? Maybe some fuel system cleaner in the gas tank & a fresh fuel filter. 10btdc would be a good starting place for timing

 

You could run the gap out to .040--.045, but no more. Just use the plugs recommended. "We can start a war" LOL over the best brand

 

Hi already put in new fuel filter, filled with 93 gas and added fuel stabilizer.
Timing is set to factory spec which is 2.5 ATDC. you said 10 before tdc any reason for this?
what about the plugs, what would be good for this, a number and brand would be fine.

 

I have a 66 book 273 calls for 5BTDC That could be part of your problem.
2.5ATDC could have been some special setting for emissions

 

walmart will give you a plug part# u just look it up. a step colder on plugs wont hurt but its not necessary with your stock build

 

I was going by the the original chrysler sticker that's on the fender which gives you all the specs.......


thanks TVLynn!!!! for ***** and giggles i brought the timing to 10 btdc and the car SCREAMS now and no more idle problems or studder. Can't thank you enough.
I'll play with it more tomorrow but man what a difference!!!!

any suggestions to make it perfect?

 

Glad to hear it's running better I have always used Autolite plugs with good results. NONE of those high$$$ plugs, just a waste of money. That's one where you ask 10 people and get 10 different answers.
I would switch to reg gas and see how it runs.. If it pings you know you either need to run the 93 or back the timing down to 5 deg

 

HEI. really?

 

OK, look, you need to do some Googling on timing, how it works.

1---First, you have replaced the factory distributor which had the factory curve, which was built to meet Federal emissions, so whatever the book or sticker said is irrelevant

2--The reason in the first place for th emissions sticker 2BTC, or TDC, or 2.5ATC figures WERE TO MEET smog laws and no other reason. Certainly not for performance, for mileage, or for drivealbility.

3--Because you have an aftermarket distributor, it is going to have a DIFFERENT advance curve than orgininal, and many aftermarket PERFORMANCE distributors have ADJUSTABLE advance curves. Look up a 67 426 and a 72 340 / 360 and compare.

If you go here:

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/...d.php?t=244981

and download, say the 72 shop manual and a very early one, 66 or 67, get into the electrical section, and look up the distributor advance specs, you will see VERY different figures.

FIRST you need to determine "what the engine likes" at idle.

SECOND you need to determine what the distributor "has in it" for mechanical advance, and if it's "in the window" then diddle initial timing so that total advance (mechanical) is reasonable. If this cannot be done, the curve in the dist. will have to be changed.

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TO DO THIS

First thing I'd do is get a piston stop and check that your timing marks are actually correct

Read this

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/...d.php?t=234202

Next, read this about timing:

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/....php?p=1524341

What you want to do is to adjust initial (idle) timing with the vacuum unhooked. Adjust for maximum manifold vacuum, or for highest RPM on a tach. Adjust the idle speed screw to keep the idle speed in reason. One you find that peak, on some engines it's better to retard it so the vacuum drops about 2" Hg. This does vary.

You will probably wind up with the distributor advance to about 15*. THAT'S RIGHT FIFTEEN DEGREES

In any case I would NOT set timing more retarded than 10* BTC.

Now that you "have that" you need to use your light and rev the engine to document how far the mechanical advance moves timing when "all in" at high RPM.

There's a few ways to do this...........................

If you have a "dial back" timing light that you trust, these will read out directly

If you measure around the balancer, you can buy the proper sized timing tape

If you CAREFULLY measure CAREFULLY around the balancer, you can figure how many "degrees per inch" and scribe the balancer. This is not as hard as it sounds.

Measure around the wheel, and figure out how many inches make up 40*. Carefully and methodically measure this off with your tape, and mark the wheel.

Now you can take dividers and divide this in half to give you 20* marks, and divide that down for 10.

You can check the accuracy by wrenching the engine around so that the TDC mark of the balancer is under the 10* mark on the timing tab. At this point your added timing mark at 10* should be under the TDC mark on the timing tab. You can do the same thing with 20. With the balancer marker under the 10 mark, the 20 line you scribed will be under 10* on the tab on the other end of the tab.

Anyhow, you want total mechanical (no vacuum) timing to be somewhere in the 34--38 range. Check with these settings that the engine does not ping, and does not "kick back" on the starter.

NORMALLY an off the shelf "performance" distributor will have a curve in the 15--20* mechanical range. This means that for a total advance of say, 36* with a 20* distributor curve, you would have 16" intitial (idle) + 20* mechanical = 36 total.

VACUUM is added on top of these figures. Hook it up last. It drops out under full throttle