Interesting reading on HEI vs. Points

Sparky: How true the article is. Just allows the engine to release more of it's potential, which is always a good thing.

 

A buddy of mine has always stated the same thing --would rather set points any day vs. HEI!

 

As the article states, a standard oil filled coil is the way to go.

Here's a quote from: http://www.davessmallbodyheis.com/

"My HEI conversions use stock design point type distributor caps. Therefore, the ignition coil is not mounted in the cap, and is always mounted remote from the distributor, as a stock point ignition coil is. I will not ever use a coil mounted in the cap, as these coils are always epoxy filled, not oil filled, and run hotter than oil filled coils. Epoxy filled coils are simply not reliable, and they do not produce consistent levels of spark output performance as they heat up."

 

i don't disagree with what the article-writer states, except that the problem i was having was with boiling [and killing] the non-hei remote coils. i wasn't looking for increased horsepower. i was looking for something that would allow my engine to run better than intermittently, and at the very least, the hei allowed me to do that, epoxy filled and all.

that was really my number one priority, to stop going through coils, and to stop having the jeep not run. the hei conversion did that.

wally

 

I find some interesting contradictions in there. At one point it is stated that cap coils run hotter and loose much of their voltage(as low as 18K) and yet also state that the HEI allows for a larger plug gap. A situation that requires more not less voltage. He also goes on to talk about wires and larger shielding diameters, stating that the diameter doesn't effect HP but is designed to eliminate cross firing. Yet all HEI applications run 7MM min wire diameter because of the added voltage. Again a contradiction. As for reliability, given the literally millions of HEI distributors on the market, a high failure rate would have been universally noted by now, not just by a "voice in the darkness". In thirty years of experience around and working on autos, I have not noted a higher HEI failure rate. The elemination of the points, consistency of timing, ability to handle higher RPM's, ease of maintence, and better cold starting, make the HEI system, in my book, the optimal swap. Just my .02.