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Tech Editor's DeskProjects, papers, writings, thoughts, musings of our technical editor Joe Padavano. To begin with, he will be making threads and can approve posts to it if he wishes. This can be changed in the future if it does not work out well.
Do you have the parts or are you looking to buy a whole system? The link below is for a used uhv amp board but the seller restores these systems, sells modern electronic conversion boards and sells complete restored systems for chevy, pontiac, and Olds. My 68 Toronado is a factory K66 car and luckily it was still working when I bought the car. The only parts that had been replaced were the original dated spark plug wires and the red dist cap both of which I found and put back on when I restored the car. Hope this helps.
K66 was a prehistoric predecessor to HEI. I've long suspected that one could take a non-functioning UHV box, remove the circuit board, and use an HEI module instead. I have a non-functioning UHV box for this very reason. Yet another project that's somewhere in the queue...
By the way, I didn't think of this on my own. This is the inside of a factory Lucas (yes, prince of darkness) ignition box as used on Jaguars, Triumphs, and others. Look familiar?
Yes, you can put a HEI module in the case. I did one a few years ago for a friend's 68 W30. I had to do some slight modifications to the harness to make it work. He also did some machine work to get a good surface to mount the module using heat paste.
Originally Posted by joe_padavano
K66 was a prehistoric predecessor to HEI. I've long suspected that one could take a non-functioning UHV box, remove the circuit board, and use an HEI module instead. I have a non-functioning UHV box for this very reason. Yet another project that's somewhere in the queue...
Yes, you can put a HEI module in the case. I did one a few years ago for a friend's 68 W30. I had to do some slight modifications to the harness to make it work. He also did some machine work to get a good surface to mount the module using heat paste.
You can also very easily use points to trigger the HEI module. This way the current through the points is minuscule and the points last nearly forever. Use a red MSD distributor cap, paint the coil red, and use a non-functioning UHV box and you have a fake K66 system.
Or keep the non functional K66 ignition box installed for the visual look, and install a hidden MSD ignition box somewhere. As mentioned, use a red MSD distributor cap and 99% of people wouldn’t notice anything.
Do you have the parts or are you looking to buy a whole system? The link below is for a used uhv amp board but the seller restores these systems, sells modern electronic conversion boards and sells complete restored systems for chevy, pontiac, and Olds. My 68 Toronado is a factory K66 car and luckily it was still working when I bought the car. The only parts that had been replaced were the original dated spark plug wires and the red dist cap both of which I found and put back on when I restored the car. Hope this helps.
Excellent thank you for the information. I have all the components and want it to be as close to original as possible with modern circuits. It looks like my 67 W30 was factory equipped with it so I want to keep it that way.
Check with the Corvette and GTO crowd. Option seems to be pretty common in that world. I'm told there are some differences but you may find someone willing to take it on.
You can also contact this guy, Distributor Dave: https://www.davessmallbodyheis.com He makes external HEI kits and to my understanding has converted the UHV box and harness to use the more modern and reliable HEI module. He also modifies and fully reconditions point distributors with MSD type pickup and reluctor to work with the HEI module. He has had some health issues the past couple years due to a serious spider bite and also hip replacement, all explained on his web site. Picture of a UHV box converted internally to HEI attached.
You can also contact this guy, Distributor Dave: https://www.davessmallbodyheis.com He makes external HEI kits and to my understanding has converted the UHV box and harness to use the more modern and reliable HEI module. He also modifies and fully reconditions point distributors with MSD type pickup and reluctor to work with the HEI module. He has had some health issues the past couple years due to a serious spider bite and also hip replacement, all explained on his web site. Picture of a UHV box converted internally to HEI attached.
Where did you get that picture? I took it of a box that I did back in June 2017.
Last edited by Rocketguy; Jul 15, 2022 at 08:44 AM.
Rocketguy, Is the box in the photo set up to run a tach? Is it still using the original magnetic pickup in the distributor and K66 coil? Are all of the other connections on the harness hooked up like the factory system? The reason I ask is that I also have a couple factory chevy K66 systems I would like to install. The issue is that while K66 could be ordered in Chevelle, Nova, Camaro, and Impala the factory chevy systems are not compatible with a tach. They were mainly designed to run in Corvettes which have a cable driven tach running off the dist. The ebay seller I referenced above sells a modern version of the electronic tach adapter that was used on non-cable cars (Chevelle, Camaro, etc) but they are expensive.
I have all the components and want it to be as close to original as possible with modern circuits. It looks like my 67 W30 was factory equipped with it so I want to keep it that way.
Putting an HEI module into the K66 case makes it into a conventional Magnetic Discharge Ignition (MDI) similar to the one that Kettering developed in 1910. HEI does give a faster rise time for the spark and 1000 to 5000 more maximum volts versus points-triggered MDI.
The K66 that debuted in 1967 was an innovative Capacitive Discharge Ignition (CDI). Its maximum spark voltage is from 6,000 to 13,000 V greater than MDI. That powerful spark also has one-fifth the rise time, and five times the current versus MDI. This spark characteristic extended plug life, fired fouled plugs, and started cars reliably in sub-zero weather. Delco claimed it extended plug life by four times versus points-triggered MDI.
The reason Delco stopped producing CDI was that its spark, although massively powerful, was of one-third the duration versus MDI. The spark was too short to reliably light off very lean mixtures that were about to come into use to lower emissions.
I've used a 1967 K66 distributor on my car for 40 years. It signals an MSD (CDI) box. If I had found a K66 box at the time I made that change, I'd still be using it today.
So I definitely understand your desire to keep your K66 intact. Find someone who can rebuild the board with equivalent modern components to keep it a CDI--don't use the HEI module.
Was it a photobucket image? For years all of their images ended up on google, one of the reasons I stopped using them.
No. I stopped using them as soon as the forums acquired the capability of hosting the images, and the fact that they also decided to charge hundreds of dollars for an account with them
Rocketguy, I got the picture of the converted K66 box direct from a member on here, probably you, some time ago. I had requested pictures as I am interested in doing the same on my K66. Thank you.
You can also contact this guy, Distributor Dave: https://www.davessmallbodyheis.com He makes external HEI kits and to my understanding has converted the UHV box and harness to use the more modern and reliable HEI module. He also modifies and fully reconditions point distributors with MSD type pickup and reluctor to work with the HEI module. He has had some health issues the past couple years due to a serious spider bite and also hip replacement, all explained on his web site. Picture of a UHV box converted internally to HEI attached.
Does anyone have a part number for the HEI module to use?
