Twoinejamez

Hello everyone!!!!!! I am planning a distributor swap and I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on the best HEI distributor to switch too and how to make sure I get correct timing once I set the new distributor in. By the way I have a 71 red cutlass convertible. Thanks for all the help in advance

oldcutlass

Is your engine stock? What's in there now and why do you want to change?

Twoinejamez

Yes it is stock it's a 350 the original engine. Don't really know why I'm changing it I just always thought that HEI was better and it did make my chevy run better or so I thought lol. Thanks

oldcutlass

You won't notice a real increase in performance or fuel economy. However it is an easy swap and you just set it and forget it, no more points. As far a recommendation, there are many out there just stay clear of the cheapies on ebay. It needs a full 12v so you need to bypass the resistor wire thats there now. Or you can install a 12v relay fired off the resistor wire to provide 12v from your battery.

MDchanic

Unless your car's not tuned up well, it won't make it run any better.

Cheaper to get a new cap, rotor, points, condenser, and wires and tune it up.

- Eric

redoldsman

You will get differing opinioins on here as to whether HEI or points are best. In a stock engine it is really not going to matter. I personally like the Pertronix conversions. They drop into you current distributor and you pretty much forget about it. One of the first things I did to my 72 Cutlass when I bought it in 1993 was go to a junkyard and buy a GM HEI for it. I have never had a minutes trouble out of it. Pertonix was not available then. I think you get quicker starts with an HEI and longer plug life. Others on here like points and I won't argue with them. I just don't agree.

Now one of the most important things. You have to post pictures of your car. And last but not least, Welcome to the website. Lot's of good folks here who are experienced and glad to help.

Twoinejamez

That's what I want to do set it and forget it

Twoinejamez

I can understand that

Twoinejamez

Thanks I have pictures posted on my page should I put the on my post?

MDchanic

I won't argue either, because I respect your opinion (because it is reasonable), but I will say that I have been stranded before by an HEI module failure, so though most people have no reliability problems most of the time, there is no guarantee.
I will also say that every GM points car I've had that was properly tuned up always started instantly, and I don't think you can get a faster start than that.

There is no question that the electronic ignition systems are set-and-forget, and I'm not knocking that - it's absolutely true, and it's a good thing.
That being said, with the average person driving one of these cars a couple of thousand miles a year, what does that mean - putting the dwell meter on it every two or three years and turning the screw a little?

I have no problem with or objection to the electronic systems (they are more precise and deliver a hotter spark), but I like to make sure people know that for a stock motor, it won't turn it into a race car, and it will require extra work (running new wires, recurving distributor, etc) and extra money (new plug wires, cap, and rotor, at the least).

- Eric

oldcutlass

In my humble opinion, if the car is still in the shape as your pic's portray you have more pressing things to invest in before an HEI. The Ignition system should be on longer list.

MDchanic

Looked at your pictures.

I'd concentrate on the roof before adding HEI.



Welcome.

- Eric

Twoinejamez

I want to focus on getting the cat running good before I worry about the roof. Cosmetics in my opinion are last unless anyone know different

oldcutlass

I agree on the cosmetics, however, points, condensor, cap, rotor, wires, and plugs, are way cheaper than just an HEI. That will get the car running and then later you can invest in perks. Just an opinion here, so don't shoot the messengers.

MDchanic

Get a dog. That'll get the cat running.

- Eric

Twoinejamez

Lol you understand what I was saying

Twoinejamez

I will do exactly that first just to get it moving back and forth. I hope I wasn't coming off wrong in this post I'm just responding to you all's post. I open to any and all suggestions as I am green to this

redoldsman

Eric - you make very valid points. In the case of this car, I would agree with you and oldcutlass 100%. There is a lot of work to be done and many of the mods came come later.

Twoinejamez

The question was not if I had more work that needed to be done. I'm not understanding the confusion, I decide what I want to work on first and what's important to me, I never asked what should be my main focus but thanks for the input.

MDchanic

Righty-o. You go right ahead and decide what you want your open-to-any-suggestions, green-to-this, just-always-thought-HEI-was-better self will do next.

This car doesn't even run, right?

As I think all of us have said, maybe HEI is a bit premature if it doesn't even "move back and forth."

Does the top even go up and down?

- Eric

Twoinejamez

Surprisingly the top does go up and down and the car does run.

MDchanic

Right. So what's really going on here?

First you tell us that you need "... just to get it moving back and forth..." then you tell us that it does run.
Does it have a bad transmission? Missing driveshaft? No brakes?

I'm glad that the top goes down. I have had two convertibles with crappy tops and never wasted a minute or a penny trying to fix them - I just put them down and left them that way.

We'll just remember from now on that "open to any and all suggestions" means we need to keep our mouths shut and only tell you the answer to the exact question you've asked, so as to avoid your fearsome displeasure.

- Eric

oldcutlass

I'll leave it with this response, don't shoot the messengers. We are not steering you wrong.

Get the motor running correctly before spending money on modifications that are pointless at this juncture. You have a low compression, 2 barrel motor, that needs to be tuned and operated to first see if it is even serviceable. Once you establish whether it is or isn't, that's the point in time that one decides on modifications to make it better, or ones life easier.

Now lets just say that the engine needs a rebuild, what ever you put in now, may not be what you need later. Then you wind up spending money needlessly because of having rework what you did previously.

To answer your original question, I would find a stock GM HEI. You will also need to upgrade your spark plug wires, and provide a full 12v source for it. I'd use a $200 budget. Please note, you will not see a marked improvement in performance.

redoldsman

If there is any confusion, it is on your part. It is your car. Do what you damn well please with it.

Twoinejamez

Everyone thanks for your input. I'm not sure where this post went wrong. Everyone has an opinion and I have mine, if you offer an opinion and I don't like it or agree with it I will say so. Just because my knowledge may not be as grand as your doesn't mean I can't or won't say how I feel about the particular subject. I don't know if anyone think I'm getting upset or anything but if so that is not the case. You cannot always tell what someones emotion is when you reading. With that being said if anyone has taken anything I said on here today out of context and feel that I'm being an douche sorry for the misunderstanding. I'm here to gain knowledge not spend time going back and forth because somebody got their feelings hurt when I didn't agree with them. If you don't like my response don't respond

Greg Rogers

Well... back to the original question.... If you are using the original air cleaner it will need to be modified ( with a BFH) to fit with a HEI because the HEI is bigger than the point style distributor. I had a hei in my 71 Cutlass for about 15 years- It failed twice, module and pickup coil. So like anything mechanical it also can fail. I changed mine back to the original distributor with a pertronix points eliminator about a year ago- So far -so good. Good luck with your car It looks like a good project, a little rough around the edges but if you make it safe and enjoy it you can fix it up as you go. Welcome to the site- A lot of good people here, please don't be discouraged. Its really a great site and alot of fun.