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225 HEI issues (new dist. no spark)

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by thenoblesock, Apr 26, 2010.

  1. Apr 26, 2010
    thenoblesock

    thenoblesock Tetanus Collector

    Pittsburgh, Pa
    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2007
    Messages:
    101
    hey again,

    more distributor fun, i picked up an HEI for my 225 off ebay and have been having some problems.

    this is what i bought:
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jeep-225-231-Dauntless-V6-OddFire-HEI-Distributor-Buick-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem56389ae6e7QQitemZ370316863207QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

    it appears to be very similar to many traditionial V8 GM HEI's (the rotors and coils are interchangeable)

    i'll include some pictures in the next couple of days to illustrate what i'm talking about. the dist. is dropped in and set to #1 on TDC i provided 12v power (tested) to the required "BATT" wire and left the "COIL" wire alone since it's for the tach (i think). no spark from any of the wires and other than conjecture i haven't really progressed from this point.

    i double checked the internal ground wire on the cap screw and made sure the wires were going to the proper places between the dist. body and the coil hookup.

    at one point the ground wire got mixed up with the coil or batt wire and we attempted to fire the motor. could this ruin the HEI??

    thanks in advance
     
  2. Apr 26, 2010
    Daryl

    Daryl Sponsor

    Bonney Lake, WA
    Joined:
    May 25, 2006
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    2,871
    Lots of info out there if you do a search. An odd-fire hei doesn't go in as simply as all the other GM dist. It has to first actually be an odd-fire set-up for an odd-fire motor. VERY common to get parts mixed up on "new" or "rebuilt" set-ups. The dist has to be clocked in the right position as well as being on tdc #1.
     
  3. Apr 26, 2010
    thenoblesock

    thenoblesock Tetanus Collector

    Pittsburgh, Pa
    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2007
    Messages:
    101
    i trust the source that i attained this distributor to some degree, i guess at the end of the day i can only hope that all the parts are correct.

    it is def in the right spot as far as being in time close enough to fire. i did the standard "screwdriver test" to check for an arc and so far there isn't any current coming down those plug wires
     
  4. Apr 27, 2010
    green71jeep

    green71jeep work in progress

    Riegelsville Pa
    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2005
    Messages:
    144
    Did you pull the ballast resistor from the original points system.

    Check and make sure you have 12 volts coming into the distributor if here is 12 volts there and hooked up correctly then there has to be something wrong with the unit bad module ect.
     
  5. Apr 27, 2010
    thenoblesock

    thenoblesock Tetanus Collector

    Pittsburgh, Pa
    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2007
    Messages:
    101
    good thought but that ballast resistor is long gone, in fact i dropped my hood across the firewall and shattered it haha. this is a 12v lead from the other side of the resistor and i tested it for continuity.
     
  6. Apr 27, 2010
    OrangeCJ5

    OrangeCJ5 Sponsor

    Taylorsville, UT
    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2003
    Messages:
    422
    If you aren't getting any juice down the plug wires, I would suspect the coil. Is it grounded properly in the cap? Do you have a spare coil to throw in there?
     
  7. Apr 27, 2010
    Walt Couch

    Walt Couch sidehill Cordele, Ga. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    cordele, Ga.
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    Mar 29, 2007
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    quote: at one point the ground wire got mixed up with the coil or batt wire and we attempted to fire the motor. could this ruin the HEI?? unquote:

    Not sure I understand this statement completely. You had the ground wire hooked to the coil or BATT wire, so where did you connect the hot IGN wire when you fired up the motor? Just trying to determine if you may have fried the module.
     
  8. Apr 27, 2010
    dave74

    dave74 Sponsor

    San Angelo, Tx
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    Oct 27, 2006
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    167
    Also did you check for 12V while cranking. HEI does not like to work below 9V.
     
  9. Apr 28, 2010
    thenoblesock

    thenoblesock Tetanus Collector

    Pittsburgh, Pa
    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2007
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    101
    the base of the dist has 3 wires coming out of it that hookup to leads going into the coil, the wires themselves have female connectors that can pop out of the plastic quick disconnect and rearranged. i'm pretty sure they got switched pluged in and cranked on.

    i'll post pictures tomorrow...

    i gotta check for 12v while cranking, good suggestion.
     
  10. Apr 28, 2010
    thenoblesock

    thenoblesock Tetanus Collector

    Pittsburgh, Pa
    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2007
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    any visual way to tell if the control module is fried?
     
  11. Apr 28, 2010
    Walt Couch

    Walt Couch sidehill Cordele, Ga. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    cordele, Ga.
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    Not really. A google on HEI testing will give the ohm meter test procedure.
     
  12. Apr 28, 2010
    thenoblesock

    thenoblesock Tetanus Collector

    Pittsburgh, Pa
    Joined:
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    everytime i google to try and find some info on this HEI i can only seem to find the ones with external control modules and different models. i'm in touch with the supplier and he gave me some testing advice but i'm really leaning toward this thing being shorted out and ruined.
     
  13. Apr 28, 2010
    Daryl

    Daryl Sponsor

    Bonney Lake, WA
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    Easy to pop in another one. If it isn't the problem, then you have a spare. The dialectric (sp?) grease is a must when you replace one. Without the dab of grease, the module will fry itself.
     
  14. Apr 28, 2010
    OrangeCJ5

    OrangeCJ5 Sponsor

    Taylorsville, UT
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    The beauty of the HEI is it's simplicity, you seem to have all the difficult bases covered. The ballast resistor is gone, etc. I would tend to agree with Walt that you fried the coil. Grab another one and I bet you will be sitting pretty. With HEI you want a spare coil in your trail repair kit anyway.
     
  15. Apr 29, 2010
    thenoblesock

    thenoblesock Tetanus Collector

    Pittsburgh, Pa
    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2007
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    well hopefully i'll be figuring this out tomorrow, it's either the control mod. or the coil at this point.

    good call on the spare, you can be sure i'll aquire all the parts to make a second HEI before i'm out in the middle of nowhere haha
     
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