HEI need HELP!!

I took my new Hot Rod out for its second drive this afternoon. My wife has been sick for the past couple of days and I needed a break. Was just driving along running about 60 or so out in the country just cruising along and it just quit running, just like someone had turned the switch off.

So here's the deal. This is a new car "TO ME" just picked it up last weekend. Small block Turbo 350 1946 Ford tudor sedan. It does have a Hei dist and up under the dash is a MSD box. Now I don't know anything about these new fangled inginations running a control box. Car is getting plenty of fuel just no spark. Where do I start? And what do I check? Any help any of you electric wizards can give me would be great, as I am in the dark.

Roland

I'm no electrical guru, but what I would do is to disconnect all wires to the distributor. Then I'd run a single wire from the + side of the battery to the + terminal on the HEI. HEI's only require one hot wire to operate. See if it will start. If not, the problem is possibly in the HEI module. If it starts, the problem is in the MSD circuitry. I have never found a need for additional electronics when using an HEI on a street motor.

Also, a common failure on an HEI is the use of a cheap rotor. The rotor arcs thru so that the spark grounds to the distributor shaft. Remove the rotor and look for a carbon arc hole....a small black dot is usually a sign of arcing. Use a Delco rotor OR a good aftermarket rotor...

HEIs are notorious for rotor failure...They don't have to look all that bad when they fail either...

you could also have a bad control module, it sits in the base of the hei under the cap. When they go out it is an instant shut off like you described.

Well guys havn't got the parts yet, I am on my way to the parts store now. But do you figure this was my problem??

Roland

Not a Delco cap or rotor....cheap crap.

no doubt bout it .. you found the problem ... as techinspector said .. do away with the msd stuff .. it`s the best where needed but not for stock stuff..

as a wise man once said..


BINGO

Welllllll, seems this was somebodys idea of a joke. Got to the parts store and bought everything I could think of Coil, Cap, Rotor, Dust Cover got back and took the cap apart and there was no coil in there. There was a plate of sorts with a coil WIRE terminal on it. The dust cover or coil retaining cover or what ever it is has a hole in it and a external coil wire coming from a hole in the firewall goes inside of the hole in the dust cover and connects to that terminal just like on a NON HEI dist. So I crawl under the dash and tucked way up there and I mean way up there is a Accel external coil, wired into the MSD box some way.

I'll post another picture showing the external coil wire intering the dust cover.

Folks I don't have a clue what this is, but I got it running by replacing the cap and rotor, and as a matter of fact it runs a 100% better now than it did when I bought it last week. I want to thank all of you guys who responded it gave me a place to start. Kinda nice when you think about it that a web site full of folks you only know by there writings here on the net can jump right in and help a feller out. Thanks Again!!

If any of you "Outlaws" might know what kind of system this is clue me in.

Roland

Looks like what you've got is a version of the "HEI-Bypass Kit" (see below).

MSD (and others) have made this kit for years in an attempt to thwart the use of HEI ignitions with claims that they (HEI) coils do not perform well above 4500RPM.

"The MSD Super HEI Kit is one of MSD’s solutions to the GM HEI’s common problem of power loss and lack of response above 4,500 rpm. The kit allows you to remove or bypass the low-powered HEI module and coil and replace them with the MSD 6AL Ignition Controller."

Yours seems to be the "home version" of the kit that shorted to ground somewhere along the way and made a big mess. Might be worth looking into replacing the existing setup with either a complete HEI or purchase the MSD kit and do the remote coil correctly.

Good Luck,
Glenn

put the whole mess on ebay, and install the correct coil. You'll be much happier.

If you want to clean out the whole mess and replace it with a custom-curved for your motor, 50K volt HEI, look here.....
http://www.performancedistributors.com/gmssdui.htm