+Rich Ags ....Greetings Rich Ags....Thanks for watching.................Well, it's like they say..."You Get What You Pay For"...!!!...lol...and..........till next time..........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
HI ROCKY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR DETAIL IN YOUR VIDEOS. I HAVE A 1987 CHEVY MONTI CARLO LS V-8-305 CARBURETED. MY 305 DIDN'T COME WITH THE BIG HEI DISTRIBUTOR, IT CAME WITH SMALLER SIZE DISTRIBUTOR WITH AN EXTERNAL COIL, THAT GOES ON THE FIREWALL. MY PROBLEM IS THAT I NEED A PICKUP COIL MODULAR, WHICH GOES IN THE DISTRIBUTOR. MY QUESTION SIR, WHAT TYPE OR WHAT OTHER IS THIS DISTRIBUTOR, CALLED BY LIKE A HEI, WHATS THE NAME OF THE OTHER. AND A PART NUMBER IF YOU KNOW IT. I AM TRYING TO DO IT MYSELF AND APPRECIATE IF YOU CAN, SUGGEST ANY HELP, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP ROCKY
Greetings...TIO RAY...……..You're welcome, and thanks for watching...……….Your Monte Carlo's distributor, is still an HEI (High Energy Ignition) type of distributor, which is usually called, an HEI distributor, that has a "remotely" mounted ignition coil (as in, the ignition coil, is mounted, all by itself, just a short distance, away from the main part of the distributor, and is usually connected to the distributor cap, with, what looks like, a (high voltage) spark plug wire...…….You were saying, that you were looking for, a...pickup coil modular...???...well, I'm not sure, as to, just what part...???...that you actually need, as in, it might be, an...Ignition Control "Module"...or, maybe, it's a...Pick-up Coil...???...……….If it happens to be, the...Ignition Control "Module"...then, make sure that you put a thin layer of...Heat Transfer Paste (or, sometimes called, heat sink grease or paste), that, the..."Computer"...people use (just buy the cheaper stuff), because, if it is "not there", between the bottom (metal side) of the ignition control Module, and the (metal) part, that it gets screw/mounted onto, on the inside of the distributor, then, the ignition control Module, will probably "over-heat", and fry itself...!!!...also, make sure that, all mounting surfaces are very clean, and that, those 2 screws, that usually go through the ignition control module, are very clean too, because, if this small distributor, works like the bigger one, then, those 2 mounting screws, will probably be, the electrical "ground" connection, for the ignition control Module...…….As for the "Part Number", that you are looking for, then, here's a good way to get it...……..It's, as easy as, phoning, or going to, a car parts store, and, tell the parts guy or gal, what your "exact" car is, as in...Year...Make...Model...Engine size...and the type of Distributor, that it has in it, and, they will probably look up the "Part Number", on their Computer (or in a book...???...perhaps), oh, and, some auto parts stores, that I've dealt with in the past, would write a bunch of different, part manufacturer's, part number, for the very same auto part, that I was looking for, oh, and, the price of that very same part, that each part manufacturer was asking for, as well (cool huh)………..If your distributor cap, has the "small", spring loaded "carbon button", on the inside, of the top of it, in the center, then, make sure, that, you have a look at it, once in a while, because, they wear down, way too quickly, and, if it loses contact, with the spinning rotor's metal strip, then, there will usually be, a big, not wanted, high voltage "spark" occurring, where there should not be one, and, might cause the engine to miss-fire, as well as, it will probably put, a not wanted "strain", on the ignition coil...……..Try to keep, the spark plug's "gap" (between the 2 electrodes), to the specification (size of gap), and, might be found, on a sticker/label, in your car's engine compartment...……..If you care to, you can tell me, what problem, that, you might be having with your engine...…..Good luck, and.....till next time.....Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings...Morning Star........Thanks for watching........Those two wires, just send a signal (very low voltage pulse), to the ignition control module, that tells the ignition coil, when to fire each spark plug, at the correct moment in time, as required by the engine........I had an HEI distributor removed from the engine, with the distributor cap, off of it, and also, had that 2 wire connector, that comes from the pickup coil, connected to a volt-meter, and, I spun the gear end of the distributor by hand, as fast as I could, and, as I recall, I got about 1 volt showing on the voltmeter (ac volts...???...not sure)...and.......till next time......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
One thing I’d like you to talk about when doing information in this, is the clockwise vs counterclockwise polarity. The north south and how to test for that to make sure we have the right coil. I would like to know which coil for a Chevy 350 as the engine turns clockwise. A lot of the Chinese distributors are on the market that make the Hei style, fit other brand engines. The one my Hei is on a dodge 318.....it’s like a retrofit. I’m dealing with has white wire on the left side, green on the right. I would like to see a test on polarity or have it discussed as to how it affects the performance. Part of the problem I have is that when I installed this distributor, it was out of phase by about 20°. I had to advance the timing so much to get the car to run, that it put the timing in between tow spark towers. This made the engine start sometimes well.....and sometimes it backfires because it hit the wrong tower of the two..... What was said....was that since I was dealing with a Chinese distributor, that even if I put it back into phase.....I might have the wrong polarity coil as well as being out of phase. I would like you to talk about this and possibly get back to me to solve it. This level of information helps with the understanding of why these things work.....not just that they work. In my case I needed to know about polarity, coil winding direction, air gap, the firing in degrees ....after the poles line up....etc. I have to repahse this by pressing the wheel off and relocating it to fire in the right place. Then have the right pole piece in there.....there was talk of the star wheel also being upside down. Here is a picture of the phase at #1 at TDC. if it will download. [url=flic.kr/p/RCJQYr][img]live.staticflickr.com/7894/32577234937_29b083494f_m.jpg[/img][/url][url=flic.kr/p/RCJQYr] Out of phase this much.....about 1/16”-[/url]
Greetings...John Colenso...……..Thanks for watching...…….There might be, an HEI (High Energy Ignition), Distributor, (might be, the Large, distributor Cap type), that is, of high quality, and is custom made, in the USA/United Sates of America, and, the "inition curve weights and springs, and, the vacuum advance cannister too), will be, set up properly, for your "exact", vehicle and engine combination, that, will probably make, your engine run very strong, and economical, as can be (they will want to know, a lot of information, about your vehicle and engine, so they will be able to "calibrate" (set up), their, custom made Distributor, so it will get the most, out of, your exact engine...……..The company's name is...DUI (Davis Unified Ignition), and, they also have, some very good, custom made spark plug "wires", that will carry, all of that high voltage, to the spark plugs, really good, so maybe, check out their website...……..If you want to see what, the HEI Distributor "pickup coil" lead wire, colors look like, for Clockwise, or, Counter-clockwise, distributor, "rotor" rotation, which might be, polarity specific, then, go to the website...Rockauto...and do a search, for a 1975 Chevrolet Camaro, with a 350 cubic inch (5.7 liter) V-8, for the (Clockwise) rotor, rotation...……..Then, do a search for, a 1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, with a 4.3 liter (260 cubic inch) V-8, for the (Counter-Clockwise) rotor, rotation...……Are you doing a "customized", high energy ignition distributor "upgrade"...!!!...and, if so, are you going from, a "points and condenser" distributor, to maybe, the, shall we say, Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth, "electronic" distributor style, that I've seen on a 1974 Dodge V-8, that usually had, an ignition unit (metal box), that was mounted on the vehicle's firewall...???...……...Here are the basics, that I use, when installing a new or used distributor...…...First thing, is to "make sure", that, the...Number 1...cylinder's piston, is at top dead center, at the top of the compression stroke (very important...!!!)………..Then, choose, where you want the rotor's "Metal Tip", to be pointing, when the Number 1 cylinder's spark plug, will be firing (might have the rotor's metal tip, pointing at the number 1 cylinder, on the engine itself, that's what I do, for a chevy, small block V-8)………..Then, "make sure" that, the Number 1 spark plug "wire", and the distributor cap's (metal) terminal, that it is plugged onto, are reasonably, inline with, the rotor's metal "Tip"...……..Then, advance the triggering mechanism (with a points system, or, with the magnetic tooth type, just a few degrees advanced, ahead of top dead center), by, turning the distributor housing, just a little bit, and lock it down (please note, that, distributor degrees, are only 1/2 of the crankshaft degrees...!!!...because of, the 2 to 1 ratio, of, the number of teeth, that are on the crankshaft sprocket, versus, the number of teeth, that are on the camshaft sprocket...!!!)………..The chevy HEI distributor, drive gear, will usually have 13 gear teeth (odd number), and, there will usually be, a small "dimple"/partially drilled hole, in the gear's hub, and it is this "dimple", that has to line up with, the distributor, rotor's, metal "Tip", or, the rotor's metal tip, will be out of phase, with the metal terminals, that are on the inside of the distributor cap...!!!...……To check distributor, rotor phasing, Ya can get an old/used distributor cap, and drill or cut some holes in it, so Ya can see the position, that the rotor is in, when it goes "spark", or, for some distributor types, Ya can even buy, a "clear/see through", distributor cap...cool huh...……...A vacuum advance cannister, can affect rotor phasing, quite a bit, so, Ya have to average, the travel, of the rotor's metal "tip", so it doesn't get to close to, the "wrong" metal terminal, that's inside of the distributor cap...……If it's a factory type of distributor, that you want, then, maybe, buy the whole system used, and hopefully, it won't be worn too much...……..That HEI distributor, works on a falling electrical wave signal, as in, when those 8 triangular shaped teeth, just go past each other, then, that's the electrical signal, that triggers, the HEI ignition control module, well, as far as I know, that is...…...I haven't seen your video yet...…….If you can tell me, what it is, that, you are using parts-wise, then, I might have a better idea, as to what you are trying to solve...…….Good luck, and......till next time...…..Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Hi Rocky, I am having an issue with a Jumping tach needle accompanied with a very slght engine miss. I've already changed by Cap, Rotor, Ignition Coil and Tach Filter. The problem is still there, Its random. Doesn't happen all the time. Can happen on cold start up or after driving for 20 minutes. Thoughts on where my problem may be on this GM Iron Duke Engine? I was thinking pick up coil, but based on your video, it seems the pickup coil would more likely be bad all the time, and not intermittently. Appreciate any insight you can share.
+Jim T ....Greetings Jim T....Thanks for watching................What Year and Vehicle, is Your "Iron Duke" Engine sitting in...???...and...does it have a Carburetor, or, is it Fuel Injected...???...and...is it, Factory Stock, or Modified, in any way, shape, or form...???...(Up-Graded/After-Market Distributor/Ignition System, or Fuel System...???).................Yes-Sir-ee-Bob, the "Iron Duke" (is Your's, the 2.5 Liter/151 Cubic Inch displacement, Inline...4-Cylinder/4-Banger by chance...???).................Apparently, if Your Engine, is the one, that I'm thinkin' about, then, this Engine, got installed in quite a few Different Vehicles, and maybe a few Boats as well, and it's quite "Torque-ee", pretty much meaning, that it has, quite a bit of Low End/Low RPM "Grunt", from what I recall................Generically speaking, here are a few things, that, that "Miss-Firing", just might be.................Are, "All of the Parts and Pieces", that were ever, installed in Your Vehicle, "Specified", by Your Vehicle's, Factory/Manufacturer...???.................Make sure, that, All Wiring, and Wiring Connectors, are Clean (not Corroded or Oxidized), to ensure, that, all electrical Circuits, are passing-on, the required Voltages and Amps/Amperes.................If, by chance, Your Iron Duke Engine, has a General Motors, BIG Distributor Cap...HEI/High Energy Ignition Distributor, that's equipped with a "Vacuum Advance Unit/Can" (looks, kinda like a little Space Ship...lol), then, when-ever the Vacuum Advance is Activated (and yes, the Vehicle is being Driven/Engine running), then, those "2 Wires", that come out of the Pick-Up Coil, get Flexed, an incredible amount of times, when-ever the Vacuum Advance Unit/Can's, Actuating "Rod", shall we say, Shortens and Lengthens, and when it does, the Pole Piece, having that outer set of Triangles, that houses the Pick-up Coil, then it moves, in a Circular fashion, back and forth, on its pivoting point, and like I was sayin', a short time ago, those "2-Wires", that come out of the Pick-Up Coil, get "Flexed" Lots, like You wouldn't believe, and, those 2-Pick-up Coil "Wires", can become "Damaged"...!!!...(internally?).................I've also noticed, that, the Insulation (Plastic?), that, shall we say, Coats those "2-Pick-Up Coil Wires", tend to get quite Dry (almost brittle?), when they get quite old...................When Ohms-Testing, this type of Pick-up Coil, it's always a good idea, to "Move/Bend", those 2-Wires (on the pick-up coil), while watching the Ohm-Meter's Display, for any "Bad/Broken Wires" (as in, one or both, "Bad", pick-up coil "Wires").....................Did You have a look at the Deposits (if any?), on Your Engine's Spark Plugs...???................Spark Plugs "Clean", and, are the Electrodes "Gap-ed" to "Specifications"...??? (if they are Gap-able, that is)............................An Engine Misfire, might be, "Ignition System" related, and/or, "Fuel System" related (Lean-Misfire = Too Lean, of an Air/Fuel ratio)...................Spark Plug "Wires", kept Apart/Away, from Each Other, and not too close to any Metal as well...???......................Fuel Pump Ok...???.......................Fuel and Air Filters Clean Enough...???..............Ignition Timing Set to Specifications...???...................So then, I'll end here, for now, and, once You can tell me, what Your Vehicle's...Year...Make...Model.. Mileage/Kilometer-age...and...the Engine's...Size/Liters/Cubic Inch displacement...Stock or Modified...Carburetor or Fuel Injection...and...which Ignition System it has...Distributor/what type...or...Remote Coil/s...etc....and till next time..........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings...1975 PONTIAC CATALINA 400-THM400............Thanks for watching this video too...........I posted a reply to your question, on my other UA-cam Video, that has the title..."HEI Distributor Video Series (Part 1)...so, I hope you will be able to find it, without too much trouble at all, and........till next time........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings...James Shaw..........Thanks for watching.........Well, the HEI Distributor (whole unit), has to be "removed" from the engine, in order to remove the pick-up coil, from its mounting place, which, in itself, is quite easy...but, when..."re-installing"...the HEI Distributor, it has to be done "correctly", so the "ignition timing" (advance), is placed back, to, where it was (or should be), as well as, how the (spinning) rotor aligns with, the distributor's (internal) metal terminals (usually called rotor phasing), and also, the spark plug "wires", have to be re-installed, on the correct terminals, that are on the outside of the Large, HEI distributor "cap" (quite the list huh?...lol)..........Here's what I usually do, if I have to re-install, an HEI Distributor, into a Chevy V-8 engine (please note, that, a Chevy HEI Distributor's "rotor", spins "clock-wise", and something like an Oldsmobile HEI Distributor's "rotor", spins "counter-clockwise/anti-clock-wise", while being viewed, from the top of it)..........The first thing to do, is, check the ignition timing "advance", with, a strobe, type of timing light, while the engine is up to operating temperature, and "write it down"...!!!...so I know, where it was previously set-to............Then, disconnect the battery, for safety reasons..........Then, with a breaker bar, or long ratchet & socket, I turn the crankshaft, until, the number 1 piston, is at top dead center, on the compression stroke...........Then, having the distributor cap removed, I confirm this, by making sure, that, the rotor, is pointing really close, towards the number 1 terminal/spark plug wire, on the distributor cap, which is where it should end up, upon re-installation, well, if everything went well, that is...lol............Then, before I remove the spark plug "wires" (if need be?), I place a piece of masking tape, on each spark plug "wire" (not too far, from the distributor cap), that ends up looking like a small flag, some-what, and, I write the engine's cylinder number, on each one, with a sharpie/felt pen (or, what-ever), oh, and, Ya gotta know the engine's "firing order" as well, just in case..........Another good trick (before distributor removal), is, to use some white, or light colored paint (or, what-ever), and paint a line, on the lowest part of the distributor, right onto, where it meets up with the intake manifold (and yes, continue that painted line, from the distributor's lowest aluminum part, right onto the intake manifold), why you ask...???...well, if the distributor, gets turned, just a little bit, then, you can easily, & clearly "see", that, that, use to be, straight painted line, looks, to now be..."2-separate lines"...!!! (cool huh?)............Also, due to the "helix angle" of the gear, on the lower end, of the HEI's distributor shaft (helix angle, that, just be, a fancy, shmancy name, for gear teeth, that are cut on an angle), then, Ya have to know in advance, that, the rotor will turn a bit, when the distributor's helical (angled) gear teeth, start making contact, with the camshaft's helical gear, down, inside the engine (gee, I really have to make a video about that sometime)..........So then, that was a bit of food for thought (so to speak)..........Now then, about removing that pick-up coil, once the HEI Distributor is removed from the engine...........The helical gear, has to be removed from the distributor's shaft first...........All Ya need is a punch, or a common house nail, that's had the pointed end, filed or ground "flat", and, just a bit smaller in diameter, than, the "roll pin" (looks kinda like a hollow tube, that has a split down one side of it), then, support the gear hub (plain diameter of the gear), and drive that roll pin, out of there, and remove the helical gear, from the shaft, oh, and, also note, that, there should be a "dimple", partly, drilled into the hub, of that helical gear, which has to be..."lined-up with"...the..."metal tip"..of the Rotor, upon re-installation...!!!...(because of, the odd number of gear teeth).........Then, while paying close attention, as to, how the spacers (washers) were placed, between the gear and the HEI's body, to make sure, that, they get re-installed correctly, then, remove them............Make sure, that, the hole in the shaft, "doesn't" have a burr (upset edge), sticking out, past the round shaft's outer diameter, so the bushing (sleeve) inside of the HEI distributor's body, doesn't get damaged (upon removal, of the shaft)............Then, the distributor's shaft, has to be removed, by pulling and twisting on, the rotor end of the shaft, and, if there's a lot of miles or kilometers on the engine, then sometimes, that shaft can be a real pain, to get it removed (separated), from the distributor's body...!!! (usually, due to, the crud that gets stuck to the distributor's shaft, where it's hiding, inside of the distributor's body), so, Ya might have to drizzle some penetrating oil, down, into there, to try and free things up...........Don't rush it, and use too much force, or Ya might remove the bushing as well...!!! (don't wanna do that, if possible)............Then, when the shaft is outta there, then, remove the clip, that retains the pole piece, which also has the pick-up coil, inside of it, and pull it straight up (twist, if needed also)..........Last time I did this, I purchased & installed the whole "Pole Piece", that already had a new pick-up coil inside of it...........Even if, a person, were to only replace the "pick-up coil", all by itself, then, there still might be a problem...........Sometimes, that thin "magnet" (looks almost like, that brown colored, fridge magnet stuff, some-what), that is sandwiched, in that pole piece/8 triangles, might have a crack or two in it, and, as I've heard somewhere, some time ago, that, if so, then, the output signal, of the pick-up coil, might output, shall we say, "ghost signals", that have been known, to really confuse the ignition control module, and, spark accuracy, gets really messed up...!!! (not good, and might cause engine damage, I be thinkin')..........So, if Ur only going to replace the pick-up coil by itself, then, make sure, that, that Magnet, is "not cracked", oh, and, Ya gotta make sure, that, those 8 triangles (or 6, if it's a 6-cylinder HEI distributor?), that, they all have the same amount of "clearance", where those other 8-triangles, that are on, the, shall we say, shaft, side of things, while spinning, have the same amount of running clearance (no triangle contact, is allowed...!!!), and is adjusted/secured in place, by those 3 screws...........Assembly, is pretty much, just doing things in" reverse" (of dismantling the thing)............Did you ohms (resistance) test/measure, the pick-up coil, while wiggling those 2 lead wires...???...and, if so, was the ohm reading, between, about, 500 to 1500 ohms...??? (be sure to check the specifications, for your "exact", HEI distributor, just in case)...........Is yours, a Factory, or Aftermarket HEI Distributor...???...........I might've, left a thing or two out, as it's been quite some time, since I messed with an HEI Distributor, but, there's at least some basics, that should hopefully, be of some help to you........Good luck, and, till next time........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings...w41duvernay..................I'm pretty sure, that I was sayin' the words..."Pole Plate"...as in, the..."Poles"...(magnetic north and south Poles), that can be found, on most (permanent) "Magnets", as well as, the North and South (magnetic) Poles, of the Earth, that we are now Living on...lol...............The "Magnet", in this particular V-8 pickup coil assembly, kinda looks like, the same material, that, an ordinary Fridge Magnet is made out of, as far as I recall, that is...................So, there You have it, well, for now that is, and.........till next time.........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Greetings...copperlocks1............You're welcome, and, thanks for watching...............I'm not sure, if it was You or not, but Someone, was asking me, where my "Little Helper" (aka, the "Talking Face"...lol) was, that was seen, in the very First, UA-cam Video that I made, oh, I guess, that be, about 7 Years ago....Wowsers...!!!................Well, if it was You, that was asking, then, that "Talking Face" (that I made), can be found on my UA-cam...Channel...RockysRoadshow...and it shouldn't be all that hard to find, as I don't have too many Videos, thus far...and........till next time.........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
nice video but too much jibber jabber, just get to the point and move on!!
+Rich Ags ....Greetings Rich Ags....Thanks for watching.................Well, it's like they say..."You Get What You Pay For"...!!!...lol...and..........till next time..........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
HI ROCKY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR DETAIL IN YOUR VIDEOS.
I HAVE A 1987 CHEVY MONTI CARLO LS V-8-305 CARBURETED.
MY 305 DIDN'T COME WITH THE BIG HEI DISTRIBUTOR,
IT CAME WITH SMALLER SIZE DISTRIBUTOR WITH AN EXTERNAL COIL,
THAT GOES ON THE FIREWALL.
MY PROBLEM IS THAT I NEED A PICKUP COIL MODULAR, WHICH GOES IN THE DISTRIBUTOR.
MY QUESTION SIR, WHAT TYPE OR WHAT OTHER IS THIS DISTRIBUTOR, CALLED BY
LIKE A HEI, WHATS THE NAME OF THE OTHER. AND A PART NUMBER IF YOU KNOW IT.
I AM TRYING TO DO IT MYSELF AND APPRECIATE IF YOU CAN, SUGGEST ANY HELP,
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP ROCKY
Greetings...TIO RAY...……..You're welcome, and thanks for watching...……….Your Monte Carlo's distributor, is still an HEI (High Energy Ignition) type of distributor, which is usually called, an HEI distributor, that has a "remotely" mounted ignition coil (as in, the ignition coil, is mounted, all by itself, just a short distance, away from the main part of the distributor, and is usually connected to the distributor cap, with, what looks like, a (high voltage) spark plug wire...…….You were saying, that you were looking for, a...pickup coil modular...???...well, I'm not sure, as to, just what part...???...that you actually need, as in, it might be, an...Ignition Control "Module"...or, maybe, it's a...Pick-up Coil...???...……….If it happens to be, the...Ignition Control "Module"...then, make sure that you put a thin layer of...Heat Transfer Paste (or, sometimes called, heat sink grease or paste), that, the..."Computer"...people use (just buy the cheaper stuff), because, if it is "not there", between the bottom (metal side) of the ignition control Module, and the (metal) part, that it gets screw/mounted onto, on the inside of the distributor, then, the ignition control Module, will probably "over-heat", and fry itself...!!!...also, make sure that, all mounting surfaces are very clean, and that, those 2 screws, that usually go through the ignition control module, are very clean too, because, if this small distributor, works like the bigger one, then, those 2 mounting screws, will probably be, the electrical "ground" connection, for the ignition control Module...…….As for the "Part Number", that you are looking for, then, here's a good way to get it...……..It's, as easy as, phoning, or going to, a car parts store, and, tell the parts guy or gal, what your "exact" car is, as in...Year...Make...Model...Engine size...and the type of Distributor, that it has in it, and, they will probably look up the "Part Number", on their Computer (or in a book...???...perhaps), oh, and, some auto parts stores, that I've dealt with in the past, would write a bunch of different, part manufacturer's, part number, for the very same auto part, that I was looking for, oh, and, the price of that very same part, that each part manufacturer was asking for, as well (cool huh)………..If your distributor cap, has the "small", spring loaded "carbon button", on the inside, of the top of it, in the center, then, make sure, that, you have a look at it, once in a while, because, they wear down, way too quickly, and, if it loses contact, with the spinning rotor's metal strip, then, there will usually be, a big, not wanted, high voltage "spark" occurring, where there should not be one, and, might cause the engine to miss-fire, as well as, it will probably put, a not wanted "strain", on the ignition coil...……..Try to keep, the spark plug's "gap" (between the 2 electrodes), to the specification (size of gap), and, might be found, on a sticker/label, in your car's engine compartment...……..If you care to, you can tell me, what problem, that, you might be having with your engine...…..Good luck, and.....till next time.....Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Your video is very good but do you didn't. Say what's the purpose of those two color wires if you could include that in the video.
Thanks
Greetings...Morning Star........Thanks for watching........Those two wires, just send a signal (very low voltage pulse), to the ignition control module, that tells the ignition coil, when to fire each spark plug, at the correct moment in time, as required by the engine........I had an HEI distributor removed from the engine, with the distributor cap, off of it, and also, had that 2 wire connector, that comes from the pickup coil, connected to a volt-meter, and, I spun the gear end of the distributor by hand, as fast as I could, and, as I recall, I got about 1 volt showing on the voltmeter (ac volts...???...not sure)...and.......till next time......Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
One thing I’d like you to talk about when doing information in this, is the clockwise vs counterclockwise polarity. The north south and how to test for that to make sure we have the right coil.
I would like to know which coil for a Chevy 350 as the engine turns clockwise.
A lot of the Chinese distributors are on the market that make the Hei style, fit other brand engines. The one my Hei is on a dodge 318.....it’s like a retrofit.
I’m dealing with has white wire on the left side, green on the right.
I would like to see a test on polarity or have it discussed as to how it affects the performance.
Part of the problem I have is that when I installed this distributor, it was out of phase by about 20°. I had to advance the timing so much to get the car to run, that it put the timing in between tow spark towers. This made the engine start sometimes well.....and sometimes it backfires because it hit the wrong tower of the two.....
What was said....was that since I was dealing with a Chinese distributor, that even if I put it back into phase.....I might have the wrong polarity coil as well as being out of phase. I would like you to talk about this and possibly get back to me to solve it.
This level of information helps with the understanding of why these things work.....not just that they work.
In my case I needed to know about polarity, coil winding direction, air gap, the firing in degrees ....after the poles line up....etc. I have to repahse this by pressing the wheel off and relocating it to fire in the right place. Then have the right pole piece in there.....there was talk of the star wheel also being upside down.
Here is a picture of the phase at #1 at TDC. if it will download.
[url=flic.kr/p/RCJQYr][img]live.staticflickr.com/7894/32577234937_29b083494f_m.jpg[/img][/url][url=flic.kr/p/RCJQYr]
Out of phase this much.....about 1/16”-[/url]
Greetings...John Colenso...……..Thanks for watching...…….There might be, an HEI (High Energy Ignition), Distributor, (might be, the Large, distributor Cap type), that is, of high quality, and is custom made, in the USA/United Sates of America, and, the "inition curve weights and springs, and, the vacuum advance cannister too), will be, set up properly, for your "exact", vehicle and engine combination, that, will probably make, your engine run very strong, and economical, as can be (they will want to know, a lot of information, about your vehicle and engine, so they will be able to "calibrate" (set up), their, custom made Distributor, so it will get the most, out of, your exact engine...……..The company's name is...DUI (Davis Unified Ignition), and, they also have, some very good, custom made spark plug "wires", that will carry, all of that high voltage, to the spark plugs, really good, so maybe, check out their website...……..If you want to see what, the HEI Distributor "pickup coil" lead wire, colors look like, for Clockwise, or, Counter-clockwise, distributor, "rotor" rotation, which might be, polarity specific, then, go to the website...Rockauto...and do a search, for a 1975 Chevrolet Camaro, with a 350 cubic inch (5.7 liter) V-8, for the (Clockwise) rotor, rotation...……..Then, do a search for, a 1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, with a 4.3 liter (260 cubic inch) V-8, for the (Counter-Clockwise) rotor, rotation...……Are you doing a "customized", high energy ignition distributor "upgrade"...!!!...and, if so, are you going from, a "points and condenser" distributor, to maybe, the, shall we say, Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth, "electronic" distributor style, that I've seen on a 1974 Dodge V-8, that usually had, an ignition unit (metal box), that was mounted on the vehicle's firewall...???...……...Here are the basics, that I use, when installing a new or used distributor...…...First thing, is to "make sure", that, the...Number 1...cylinder's piston, is at top dead center, at the top of the compression stroke (very important...!!!)………..Then, choose, where you want the rotor's "Metal Tip", to be pointing, when the Number 1 cylinder's spark plug, will be firing (might have the rotor's metal tip, pointing at the number 1 cylinder, on the engine itself, that's what I do, for a chevy, small block V-8)………..Then, "make sure" that, the Number 1 spark plug "wire", and the distributor cap's (metal) terminal, that it is plugged onto, are reasonably, inline with, the rotor's metal "Tip"...……..Then, advance the triggering mechanism (with a points system, or, with the magnetic tooth type, just a few degrees advanced, ahead of top dead center), by, turning the distributor housing, just a little bit, and lock it down (please note, that, distributor degrees, are only 1/2 of the crankshaft degrees...!!!...because of, the 2 to 1 ratio, of, the number of teeth, that are on the crankshaft sprocket, versus, the number of teeth, that are on the camshaft sprocket...!!!)………..The chevy HEI distributor, drive gear, will usually have 13 gear teeth (odd number), and, there will usually be, a small "dimple"/partially drilled hole, in the gear's hub, and it is this "dimple", that has to line up with, the distributor, rotor's, metal "Tip", or, the rotor's metal tip, will be out of phase, with the metal terminals, that are on the inside of the distributor cap...!!!...……To check distributor, rotor phasing, Ya can get an old/used distributor cap, and drill or cut some holes in it, so Ya can see the position, that the rotor is in, when it goes "spark", or, for some distributor types, Ya can even buy, a "clear/see through", distributor cap...cool huh...……...A vacuum advance cannister, can affect rotor phasing, quite a bit, so, Ya have to average, the travel, of the rotor's metal "tip", so it doesn't get to close to, the "wrong" metal terminal, that's inside of the distributor cap...……If it's a factory type of distributor, that you want, then, maybe, buy the whole system used, and hopefully, it won't be worn too much...……..That HEI distributor, works on a falling electrical wave signal, as in, when those 8 triangular shaped teeth, just go past each other, then, that's the electrical signal, that triggers, the HEI ignition control module, well, as far as I know, that is...…...I haven't seen your video yet...…….If you can tell me, what it is, that, you are using parts-wise, then, I might have a better idea, as to what you are trying to solve...…….Good luck, and......till next time...…..Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Hi Rocky, I am having an issue with a Jumping tach needle accompanied with a very slght engine miss. I've already changed by Cap, Rotor, Ignition Coil and Tach Filter. The problem is still there, Its random. Doesn't happen all the time. Can happen on cold start up or after driving for 20 minutes. Thoughts on where my problem may be on this GM Iron Duke Engine? I was thinking pick up coil, but based on your video, it seems the pickup coil would more likely be bad all the time, and not intermittently. Appreciate any insight you can share.
+Jim T ....Greetings Jim T....Thanks for watching................What Year and Vehicle, is Your "Iron Duke" Engine sitting in...???...and...does it have a Carburetor, or, is it Fuel Injected...???...and...is it, Factory Stock, or Modified, in any way, shape, or form...???...(Up-Graded/After-Market Distributor/Ignition System, or Fuel System...???).................Yes-Sir-ee-Bob, the "Iron Duke" (is Your's, the 2.5 Liter/151 Cubic Inch displacement, Inline...4-Cylinder/4-Banger by chance...???).................Apparently, if Your Engine, is the one, that I'm thinkin' about, then, this Engine, got installed in quite a few Different Vehicles, and maybe a few Boats as well, and it's quite "Torque-ee", pretty much meaning, that it has, quite a bit of Low End/Low RPM "Grunt", from what I recall................Generically speaking, here are a few things, that, that "Miss-Firing", just might be.................Are, "All of the Parts and Pieces", that were ever, installed in Your Vehicle, "Specified", by Your Vehicle's, Factory/Manufacturer...???.................Make sure, that, All Wiring, and Wiring Connectors, are Clean (not Corroded or Oxidized), to ensure, that, all electrical Circuits, are passing-on, the required Voltages and Amps/Amperes.................If, by chance, Your Iron Duke Engine, has a General Motors, BIG Distributor Cap...HEI/High Energy Ignition Distributor, that's equipped with a "Vacuum Advance Unit/Can" (looks, kinda like a little Space Ship...lol), then, when-ever the Vacuum Advance is Activated (and yes, the Vehicle is being Driven/Engine running), then, those "2 Wires", that come out of the Pick-Up Coil, get Flexed, an incredible amount of times, when-ever the Vacuum Advance Unit/Can's, Actuating "Rod", shall we say, Shortens and Lengthens, and when it does, the Pole Piece, having that outer set of Triangles, that houses the Pick-up Coil, then it moves, in a Circular fashion, back and forth, on its pivoting point, and like I was sayin', a short time ago, those "2-Wires", that come out of the Pick-Up Coil, get "Flexed" Lots, like You wouldn't believe, and, those 2-Pick-up Coil "Wires", can become "Damaged"...!!!...(internally?).................I've also noticed, that, the Insulation (Plastic?), that, shall we say, Coats those "2-Pick-Up Coil Wires", tend to get quite Dry (almost brittle?), when they get quite old...................When Ohms-Testing, this type of Pick-up Coil, it's always a good idea, to "Move/Bend", those 2-Wires (on the pick-up coil), while watching the Ohm-Meter's Display, for any "Bad/Broken Wires" (as in, one or both, "Bad", pick-up coil "Wires").....................Did You have a look at the Deposits (if any?), on Your Engine's Spark Plugs...???................Spark Plugs "Clean", and, are the Electrodes "Gap-ed" to "Specifications"...??? (if they are Gap-able, that is)............................An Engine Misfire, might be, "Ignition System" related, and/or, "Fuel System" related (Lean-Misfire = Too Lean, of an Air/Fuel ratio)...................Spark Plug "Wires", kept Apart/Away, from Each Other, and not too close to any Metal as well...???......................Fuel Pump Ok...???.......................Fuel and Air Filters Clean Enough...???..............Ignition Timing Set to Specifications...???...................So then, I'll end here, for now, and, once You can tell me, what Your Vehicle's...Year...Make...Model.. Mileage/Kilometer-age...and...the Engine's...Size/Liters/Cubic Inch displacement...Stock or Modified...Carburetor or Fuel Injection...and...which Ignition System it has...Distributor/what type...or...Remote Coil/s...etc....and till next time..........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
What would the culprit be. My HEI dizzy keeps fouling out Ignition control modules.
Greetings...1975 PONTIAC CATALINA 400-THM400............Thanks for watching this video too...........I posted a reply to your question, on my other UA-cam Video, that has the title..."HEI Distributor Video Series (Part 1)...so, I hope you will be able to find it, without too much trouble at all, and........till next time........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
Rocky, How would I remove the Pickup Coil out of HEI?
Greetings...James Shaw..........Thanks for watching.........Well, the HEI Distributor (whole unit), has to be "removed" from the engine, in order to remove the pick-up coil, from its mounting place, which, in itself, is quite easy...but, when..."re-installing"...the HEI Distributor, it has to be done "correctly", so the "ignition timing" (advance), is placed back, to, where it was (or should be), as well as, how the (spinning) rotor aligns with, the distributor's (internal) metal terminals (usually called rotor phasing), and also, the spark plug "wires", have to be re-installed, on the correct terminals, that are on the outside of the Large, HEI distributor "cap" (quite the list huh?...lol)..........Here's what I usually do, if I have to re-install, an HEI Distributor, into a Chevy V-8 engine (please note, that, a Chevy HEI Distributor's "rotor", spins "clock-wise", and something like an Oldsmobile HEI Distributor's "rotor", spins "counter-clockwise/anti-clock-wise", while being viewed, from the top of it)..........The first thing to do, is, check the ignition timing "advance", with, a strobe, type of timing light, while the engine is up to operating temperature, and "write it down"...!!!...so I know, where it was previously set-to............Then, disconnect the battery, for safety reasons..........Then, with a breaker bar, or long ratchet & socket, I turn the crankshaft, until, the number 1 piston, is at top dead center, on the compression stroke...........Then, having the distributor cap removed, I confirm this, by making sure, that, the rotor, is pointing really close, towards the number 1 terminal/spark plug wire, on the distributor cap, which is where it should end up, upon re-installation, well, if everything went well, that is...lol............Then, before I remove the spark plug "wires" (if need be?), I place a piece of masking tape, on each spark plug "wire" (not too far, from the distributor cap), that ends up looking like a small flag, some-what, and, I write the engine's cylinder number, on each one, with a sharpie/felt pen (or, what-ever), oh, and, Ya gotta know the engine's "firing order" as well, just in case..........Another good trick (before distributor removal), is, to use some white, or light colored paint (or, what-ever), and paint a line, on the lowest part of the distributor, right onto, where it meets up with the intake manifold (and yes, continue that painted line, from the distributor's lowest aluminum part, right onto the intake manifold), why you ask...???...well, if the distributor, gets turned, just a little bit, then, you can easily, & clearly "see", that, that, use to be, straight painted line, looks, to now be..."2-separate lines"...!!! (cool huh?)............Also, due to the "helix angle" of the gear, on the lower end, of the HEI's distributor shaft (helix angle, that, just be, a fancy, shmancy name, for gear teeth, that are cut on an angle), then, Ya have to know in advance, that, the rotor will turn a bit, when the distributor's helical (angled) gear teeth, start making contact, with the camshaft's helical gear, down, inside the engine (gee, I really have to make a video about that sometime)..........So then, that was a bit of food for thought (so to speak)..........Now then, about removing that pick-up coil, once the HEI Distributor is removed from the engine...........The helical gear, has to be removed from the distributor's shaft first...........All Ya need is a punch, or a common house nail, that's had the pointed end, filed or ground "flat", and, just a bit smaller in diameter, than, the "roll pin" (looks kinda like a hollow tube, that has a split down one side of it), then, support the gear hub (plain diameter of the gear), and drive that roll pin, out of there, and remove the helical gear, from the shaft, oh, and, also note, that, there should be a "dimple", partly, drilled into the hub, of that helical gear, which has to be..."lined-up with"...the..."metal tip"..of the Rotor, upon re-installation...!!!...(because of, the odd number of gear teeth).........Then, while paying close attention, as to, how the spacers (washers) were placed, between the gear and the HEI's body, to make sure, that, they get re-installed correctly, then, remove them............Make sure, that, the hole in the shaft, "doesn't" have a burr (upset edge), sticking out, past the round shaft's outer diameter, so the bushing (sleeve) inside of the HEI distributor's body, doesn't get damaged (upon removal, of the shaft)............Then, the distributor's shaft, has to be removed, by pulling and twisting on, the rotor end of the shaft, and, if there's a lot of miles or kilometers on the engine, then sometimes, that shaft can be a real pain, to get it removed (separated), from the distributor's body...!!! (usually, due to, the crud that gets stuck to the distributor's shaft, where it's hiding, inside of the distributor's body), so, Ya might have to drizzle some penetrating oil, down, into there, to try and free things up...........Don't rush it, and use too much force, or Ya might remove the bushing as well...!!! (don't wanna do that, if possible)............Then, when the shaft is outta there, then, remove the clip, that retains the pole piece, which also has the pick-up coil, inside of it, and pull it straight up (twist, if needed also)..........Last time I did this, I purchased & installed the whole "Pole Piece", that already had a new pick-up coil inside of it...........Even if, a person, were to only replace the "pick-up coil", all by itself, then, there still might be a problem...........Sometimes, that thin "magnet" (looks almost like, that brown colored, fridge magnet stuff, some-what), that is sandwiched, in that pole piece/8 triangles, might have a crack or two in it, and, as I've heard somewhere, some time ago, that, if so, then, the output signal, of the pick-up coil, might output, shall we say, "ghost signals", that have been known, to really confuse the ignition control module, and, spark accuracy, gets really messed up...!!! (not good, and might cause engine damage, I be thinkin')..........So, if Ur only going to replace the pick-up coil by itself, then, make sure, that, that Magnet, is "not cracked", oh, and, Ya gotta make sure, that, those 8 triangles (or 6, if it's a 6-cylinder HEI distributor?), that, they all have the same amount of "clearance", where those other 8-triangles, that are on, the, shall we say, shaft, side of things, while spinning, have the same amount of running clearance (no triangle contact, is allowed...!!!), and is adjusted/secured in place, by those 3 screws...........Assembly, is pretty much, just doing things in" reverse" (of dismantling the thing)............Did you ohms (resistance) test/measure, the pick-up coil, while wiggling those 2 lead wires...???...and, if so, was the ohm reading, between, about, 500 to 1500 ohms...??? (be sure to check the specifications, for your "exact", HEI distributor, just in case)...........Is yours, a Factory, or Aftermarket HEI Distributor...???...........I might've, left a thing or two out, as it's been quite some time, since I messed with an HEI Distributor, but, there's at least some basics, that should hopefully, be of some help to you........Good luck, and, till next time........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
@@RockysRoadshow Shit.
Rocky, Is that a "Pull plate" or a "Volt plate" the you said?
Greetings...w41duvernay..................I'm pretty sure, that I was sayin' the words..."Pole Plate"...as in, the..."Poles"...(magnetic north and south Poles), that can be found, on most (permanent) "Magnets", as well as, the North and South (magnetic) Poles, of the Earth, that we are now Living on...lol...............The "Magnet", in this particular V-8 pickup coil assembly, kinda looks like, the same material, that, an ordinary Fridge Magnet is made out of, as far as I recall, that is...................So, there You have it, well, for now that is, and.........till next time.........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.
ThXs for the clear up, Rocky!
Thank you for posting!
Greetings...copperlocks1............You're welcome, and, thanks for watching...............I'm not sure, if it was You or not, but Someone, was asking me, where my "Little Helper" (aka, the "Talking Face"...lol) was, that was seen, in the very First, UA-cam Video that I made, oh, I guess, that be, about 7 Years ago....Wowsers...!!!................Well, if it was You, that was asking, then, that "Talking Face" (that I made), can be found on my UA-cam...Channel...RockysRoadshow...and it shouldn't be all that hard to find, as I don't have too many Videos, thus far...and........till next time.........Be Safe, take care, and have a good one.