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Thread: H.e.i. conversion problems
          
   
   

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  1. #1
    '60buickrod's Avatar
    '60buickrod is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
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    H.e.i. conversion problems

     



    I'm working on switching my brothers '66 catalina to a h.e.i. ignition. The ignition is out of a later pontiac and has an aftermarket coil on top of it. The problem is it won't start. I had ran a wire from the battery to the positive on the distributor just to test it and it would barely try to start but would never start. I had made the mark on the firewall and lined it up and put the wires in their places.
    Anybody have any ideas on what the problem is??
    Gerig Michael H.
    -----------------------------------
    '60 Buick LeSabre Flat top x2
    '78 Mercury Monarch 2-door ghia(1 of 2 know)
    '66 Pontiac Catalina(brother)
    '98 Cadillac DeVille(parents)
    Wanted: '60 LeSabre A/C components
    -----------------------------------
    "There is no doubt about precisely when folks began racing each other in automobiles.
    It was the day they built the second automobile." -Richard Petty


  2. #2
    Matt167's Avatar
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    try touching it to the coil.
    You don't know what you've got til it's gone

    Matt's 1951 Chevy Fleetline- Driver

    1967 Ford Falcon- Sold

    1930's styled hand built ratrod project

    1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle Wolfsburg Edition- sold

  3. #3
    lt1s10's Avatar
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    IS THE DIST. MADE FOR THAT MOTOR AND IS THE FIRING ORDER THE SAME?
    Mike
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  4. #4
    '60buickrod's Avatar
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    Touching what for the coil?

    The firing order is the same but the dist. is from a later pontiac but they are compatable
    Gerig Michael H.
    -----------------------------------
    '60 Buick LeSabre Flat top x2
    '78 Mercury Monarch 2-door ghia(1 of 2 know)
    '66 Pontiac Catalina(brother)
    '98 Cadillac DeVille(parents)
    Wanted: '60 LeSabre A/C components
    -----------------------------------
    "There is no doubt about precisely when folks began racing each other in automobiles.
    It was the day they built the second automobile." -Richard Petty


  5. #5
    Matt167's Avatar
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    Originally posted by '60buickrod
    Touching what for the coil?

    the wire u used to jump power to the ignitions system, you said you touched it to the positive side of the distributor but you may have mean't the coil but if not, touching it to the coil might work better, just a thought.
    You don't know what you've got til it's gone

    Matt's 1951 Chevy Fleetline- Driver

    1967 Ford Falcon- Sold

    1930's styled hand built ratrod project

    1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle Wolfsburg Edition- sold

  6. #6
    '60buickrod's Avatar
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    sorry, I should have specified. The coil is on top of the distributor between them is a wiring harness that has the positive for them on it
    Gerig Michael H.
    -----------------------------------
    '60 Buick LeSabre Flat top x2
    '78 Mercury Monarch 2-door ghia(1 of 2 know)
    '66 Pontiac Catalina(brother)
    '98 Cadillac DeVille(parents)
    Wanted: '60 LeSabre A/C components
    -----------------------------------
    "There is no doubt about precisely when folks began racing each other in automobiles.
    It was the day they built the second automobile." -Richard Petty


  7. #7
    76GMC1500 is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
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    Don't forget to remove the ballast resistor, HEI doesn't work with one.

  8. #8
    randywrench's Avatar
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    Was the dist from a running motor, Did you change the cap? If so did you change the ground wire or sometimes a strap that goes in the center slot on cap?
    TEAMWORK is essential, it allows you to blame someone else!

  9. #9
    '60buickrod's Avatar
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    I ran the wire straight from the battery before I wired it through the car so I bypassed the resistor.

    I got it off of ebay, the guy said it was off of a running motor. I didn't change the cap and the grounds are all there
    Gerig Michael H.
    -----------------------------------
    '60 Buick LeSabre Flat top x2
    '78 Mercury Monarch 2-door ghia(1 of 2 know)
    '66 Pontiac Catalina(brother)
    '98 Cadillac DeVille(parents)
    Wanted: '60 LeSabre A/C components
    -----------------------------------
    "There is no doubt about precisely when folks began racing each other in automobiles.
    It was the day they built the second automobile." -Richard Petty


  10. #10
    '60buickrod's Avatar
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    It turns out I just have a form of distributor dislexia, the past two times I've distributors in I've put the in backwords
    Gerig Michael H.
    -----------------------------------
    '60 Buick LeSabre Flat top x2
    '78 Mercury Monarch 2-door ghia(1 of 2 know)
    '66 Pontiac Catalina(brother)
    '98 Cadillac DeVille(parents)
    Wanted: '60 LeSabre A/C components
    -----------------------------------
    "There is no doubt about precisely when folks began racing each other in automobiles.
    It was the day they built the second automobile." -Richard Petty


  11. #11
    73RS's Avatar
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    Have you attempted to rotate the distributor as you attempt to start it? The timing may be way off.

  12. #12
    '60buickrod's Avatar
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    Yeah the timing was way off (look at my last post)
    Gerig Michael H.
    -----------------------------------
    '60 Buick LeSabre Flat top x2
    '78 Mercury Monarch 2-door ghia(1 of 2 know)
    '66 Pontiac Catalina(brother)
    '98 Cadillac DeVille(parents)
    Wanted: '60 LeSabre A/C components
    -----------------------------------
    "There is no doubt about precisely when folks began racing each other in automobiles.
    It was the day they built the second automobile." -Richard Petty


  13. #13
    73RS's Avatar
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    Oh yeah, my bad wasn't sure what you meant by the previous post. Glad you got it going.

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