Green SBC400 Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 so I've gone back and forth between points and a magnetic pickup keeping the original look. unfortunately either way go it works for a while then just gets unreliable. got a sbc 400 and was wondering what disributor I should replace the current one with. I'm thinking HEI, i know I'll have to do a conversion or just use a relay to provide the 12v. any suggestions on an HEI that'll fit? and hopefully reliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragCat Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 I think your fitment issues will be the air cleaner, I had a GM HEI Dizzy on my original 454, Rochester carb no issues. On my crate motor with a Holley air cleaner didnt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
420ponies Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 D.U.I. distributor. HEI, 65,000 volts (?),billet design, full spark, before and after TDC (20 degrees). Had for 3 years, issues. Getting one for the BBC . 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC1of80 Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 Have the pertronix conversion in a 69 GTO for at least 17yrs with no issues and in my 71 402 Monte (Barn Find) for 3 and still going. Also have an MSD distributor and 6al in Big Red, my 70 SS Monte since 2015. Also our 355 small block 71 Monte, aka COVID Monte has an MSD/6al combo that has been used in other vehicles since the mid 90s. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stangeba Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 I'm still all stock but I thought about this modification several times: https://www.davessmallbodyheis.com/ Or this: My Brothers old 1963 Triumph TR-3B, now owned by his son, went through an entire frame off restoration about a year ago. One change was he had Pertronix added to the dist (and changed to (-) neg ground). He didn't drive it that much when it stopped running. Replaced the pertronix with a new one and it again stopped running soon after the repair. One possible cause, we found out, was he still was using solid copper spark plug wires. He found that is a NO NO! Hope it runs for a long time now with proper wires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dtret Posted February 4, 2023 Share Posted February 4, 2023 I put the pertronix set up in my chevelle 20 plus years ago. It’s still running fine. I also have it in my 71. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cny first gen 71 Posted February 4, 2023 Share Posted February 4, 2023 I switched to pertronix around 10 years ago works great. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Peters Posted February 4, 2023 Share Posted February 4, 2023 2 hours ago, stangeba said: I'm still all stock but I thought about this modification several times: https://www.davessmallbodyheis.com/ Bruce in looking at the pictures in that link....what the heck is with the pictures of the "Bite" and surgery pictures from the bite. I wonder what kind of bite it was. rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stangeba Posted February 4, 2023 Share Posted February 4, 2023 Rob Peters No idea at all what that is about. Perhaps the company is closed because of the injury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green SBC400 Posted February 4, 2023 Author Share Posted February 4, 2023 thanks for the info guys. so I'll need to look closely at everything. i did have an idea about getting an HEI for a 75 chevy. got a book called "Motor Auto Repair Manual 1976 39th Edition" came with the Monte. it's a general repair book for all sorts of cars, which is pretty cool. Grandpa had everything for the Monte marked and what not. Anyways in the igintion timing column in '75 everything turns to Figure I for chevys. Turns out it's a HEI figure. so maybe just getting some oem replacement stuff from rockauto for a 75 Monte may work. i use that site to keep my truck and the grocery getter going. Hasn't really let me down, except for a couple dealer only parts. So new HEI distributor, new plug wires, and maybe an aircleaner all for a 75. probably not, i bet they only have filters. so I'll need to find an aircleaner that fits a 2bbl. thanks again for ideas and just generally letting me work through my thought processes too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71MonteCarloMD Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 It depends on how you want, I wanted to keep the stock look so I went with Pertronix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1970mcss Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 Me too, Pertronix works great for my car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake350 Posted February 20, 2023 Share Posted February 20, 2023 Pertronix here also in a mild 350 for a few years..... absolutely trouble free Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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