225 Hei Tune Up

I just got a 1969 jeepster commando. It has the automatic transmission, and the oddfire dauntless V6.

The guy I got it from installed a GM HEI distributor, and now it's time for a tuneup. I do not know where the distributor came from, and need help to make sure that it is set up correctly. When I first got the jeep it ran great, but now it's running really rough and backfires. I removed all of the spark plugs and one of them in particular was wet and smells like gas. I suspect that when I pressure washed the motor, I got water on to something that should not have gotten wet.

Please take a look at the pictures I have, to verify they are the right parts for the odd fire distributor, and make suggestions for what cap I need to get. The cap has one of the holddown areas filed off, which I'm guessing I'll have to end up filing down the intake manifold to make a new the new cap fit.

When I go to the part store to get a new cap and rotor, what application make model and year do I tell them that I'm looking for?

 

1975 Buick Appolo. Oddfire cap looks like a v8 but has two of the terminals blanked.

 

Thank you!

 

Update:

I decided I better take out the HEI distributor, and make sure it is for an odd fire engine. To my dismay, it has the 6 star shape under the rotor, and is for an even fire GM engine. So now I am going to start looking for one I can drop in. Who has the easiest drop in complete kit? I do not want to chase parts around.

I also found that the intake manifold bolt under the distributor was missing. The area around the bolt is ground down. From what I have read, it looks like I need to get a round headed bolt to replace the stock bolt.

Thanks!

 

Look on eBay. There is usually one or two for sale rebuilt just for the dauntless.

 

Dang. Nobody has a copy of the article that shows you how to convert an even-fire HEI distributor to odd fire? I know what you need to do - cut off half of the points on the trigger wheel and substitute an odd-fire pickup coil and distributor cap. You end up with a three-pointed star with twice the number of trigger points, at 45 and 75 degree intervals. I don't think the phasing of the three-pointed-star matters (that is, which three you remove and which three you leave), as long as you get the angle phasing right to match the firing order. Which follows #1, 45 or 75 degrees?

Look here - you can see how they are different.

 

Very important which points to take off. You must keep the point that points to the tip on the rotor. Then keep the other 2 in that triangle. Easy peasy. Very simple operation.

 

I should still have a copy on my desktop, I will see what I can do about posting up the article or PM the original poster tonight.

 

231 Hei Distributor Conversion To Odd Fire

 

That link contains this file - http://warloch.com/Manuals/HEI Even To Odd Instructions.pdf

 

Once you get your distributor set up. Here's some help in getting it tuned.

 

Before you start, make sure that the engine is an oddfire. The engine could be a 231 swap from a mid 70's GM. Some of these were even fire, but it is easy to check the engine serial number before you get too far into changing things. This is probably not the case, but the engine should not have not run good if the issue is that the wrong cap was installed.

You also need to check your wires and vacuum tubes. The pressure washer could have disconnected or broken one of the lines.

The other thing to check is a possible leak around the intake gasket. The missing bolt and vibration may have created a leak.

 

Good point, where do I find the serial number and than do you have a link to check odd vs even fire engines?

 

Look here for the numbers - http://nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/~reese/BuickV6CastingNumbersandInternalSpecs.pdf

I'm not sure where to look on the block. If it's not obvious on the side of the block, it may be at the back, above the bellhousing and behind the intake manifold.

 

Thanks! My block casting number 991503 confirms this is an original motor according to the referenced PDF. What this means to me is I do in fact need an oddfire distributor to make my Commando run right.

It is possible to make it run off of an even fire, but it will not run great.

I went ahead and ordered a HEI distributor from CRT Perforamnce.

 

I received the CRT performance distributor, and got it installed with no issues. The instructions that came with it were really good. I have it timed at 8 degrees BTC. It is shocking how much better it runs now than when I first got it.

Thanks everyone for your help!

 

I know this is a resolved thread. But for anyone looking to find one of these HEI's you can still buy remanufactured HEI oddfire distributer bases loaded with electronics for under a hundred bucks. I just purchased a A1 Cardone brand HEI reman for a buick 350 in a 70 wagoneer I am restoring. I was impressed by the rebuild process and it is as good or better than new. It only needs shimming to reduce the up and down end play to .010. Sided to side backlash is undetectable and like a new unit.
Summit racing sells the Moroso shim pack for dialing the end play in. They had the most shims in one pack for the money. I found odd fire HEI distributors for a 1975 Skyhawk at Parts Geek Part Number: 2720-05098373 and also at Rock auto Part Number: 30-1693 A1 Cardone does a good job on the reman unit. The one on the 350 looks well done.