HEI Distributor help

I recently replaced my points distributor with a new HEI Distributor. According to the directions its a direct replacement but I cant get fire to the plugs. I've traced the current to the distributor. Recommendations? Oh yea I check and rechecked my fireing order and it appears to be correct but I could be wrong. :?

 

Did you run a new feed wire for the HEI?

 

Did you remove the ballast resistor? HEI needs 12vdc. Do a search - this topic has been thoroughly covered.
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Original power wire is not enough to power coil, may cause fire or burn wire. Take out ballast and splice ends together. Use original wire to activate a solenoid and heavier gauge wire from alternator. Use meter to make sure key switched wire is completely dead when off because motor won't shut down if not. (Been there, done that)

 

Thanks for all the help and feed back. I ran a 12ga. wire from the ballast but was only getting about 10 volts to the distributor. I knew this wasn't enough so I pulled the HEI and went with the old points system until I had more time to research. I also installed a Holley 390 carb on a Offey intake and like one of the other threads it's running really ritch on the passanger side. So I'm following that thread closely. Next I'm installing power steering, power breaks and headers (if they'll clear the power steering components). learing as I go and taking my time. Again thanks for all the help

 

WHen I went to an HEI during my Engine rebuild I ran a new power wire from a switched aux fuse block to the HEI. You need all of the 12v power to run the HEI most likely this is your culprit.

Now as for the 390 and Rich oh boy oh Boy I am still in that boat.

All I can say is I have tuned, and retuned and tuned some more on the carb I am still very slightly rich on the passenger side but not like I was orginally.

My main culprit it appears based on Holley's recomendation which I had to pull teeth to get was back pressure from the exhaust. I had duals before hand, I ran a ne wY pipe into a single exhaust with a nice stock quiet muffler and my passenger side richness dropped 90% right away.

I can't explain that, since I know there are people running the 390 on the Offey 4port with duals and have it tuned in fine, but that worked for me. Holley still says I can stagger the jets, but based on Vacuum the 390 has the correct jets in it. If your Vacuum is at 14 then the 390 Jets are correct.

I have decided though that I am going to take the Jeepster in to a speed shop and have them hook it all into thier computers since I still run rich at idle. But thats about my only problem now is idle.

 

So the ballast is still inline? Take the ballast out. You need a wire from an IGN source straight to the HEI.

 

ok read all the replys and took another look at the HEI distributor. I ran a 12 gage wire straight from the ignition switch to the choke and distributor now I'm getting 12v's with the key in the run possition. what I'm not getting is spark to the plugs. I double checked to ensure enough power was getting to the distributor and before I reinstalled the distributor I did an ohms check for the resistor and replaced the coil it all checked out. this weekend I plan on testing the cap and plug wires. I'm running out of ideas and I'm not sure the distributor is the right one for a jeep 225 odd fire. This really has me stumped. Any one that can find a good pic on the net of this conversion it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for all the help.

 

As a quick check run a jumper wire direct from the battery to the positive terminal on the distributor. Long shot but are you getting 12v to the distributor in the start position? The jumper wire will eliminate the switch as the problem. If you still get no spark then it pretty much has to be an internal problem in the distributor, either the coil, pickup coil, the module or the wiring. Where did the distributor come from?

 

The coil will need two sources of power depending on ignition sw. Does your ign sw supply power to coil in the crank position? That may be problem?

 

That's what I was thinking. Unless he's running his feed wire from a terminal on the switch that supplies 12v in the start position to the distributor, which is how my snowplow Jeepster is wired , the distributor will get no power. In stock configuration it get's 12v to the ignition from the starter solenoid.