Need advice: HEI distributor?

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  • KnoxvilleWag
    232 I6
    • Mar 05, 2013
    • 46

    Need advice: HEI distributor?

    I've recently installed a rebuilt 1984 360 (.030 over, Edelbrock intake, 4BBL carb, cam & lifters kit [#2132]) in my 89 Wag. The timing has been a little rough, so I'm replacing the stock distributor (that feels a tad bit loose). What would you (mechanics only please) suggest? I've been told to ditch the original and the coil and go with a HEI. Seems there are a gazillion choices.

    BJ's (who I've learned to trust) has a DUI unit for $300.


    Jegs has one for a more reasonable $135. https://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/4002...873+4294829679

    Of course there are several on Ebay and such that are like $59 with free shipping and "lifetime warrantee."


    There are many more options. Help! I'm not a pro, just a shade tree weekend warrior. I'm also not wealthy. Just want the best bang for the buck that will be reliable long-term. Please offer me some wisdom from your collective experience and genius! Thanks guys.
    1989 Grand Wagoneer, Rebuilt AMC 360 (300hp, 400 ft.lbs.), Repainted in close-to-original Burgundy (Land Rover "Anniversary Claret" 2006), replaced faux wood decal and rubber trim with 70s style wood stripe and chrome trim.
  • Mikel
    • Aug 09, 2000
    • 6330

    #2
    Whatever you buy, make sure you reuse your old distributor gear.
    1969 M715 6x6
    1963 J300 Swivel frame

    Comment

    • 77Deepj20
      232 I6
      • Jan 24, 2016
      • 109

      #3
      People knock them all the time, but I've been running cheap eBay special hei dizzys on a couple vehicles without issue. I ran one on my old amc360 breifly, no problems with it other than the fact I could not swap the dizzy gears between the stock one and the new one. The motor tossed a rod before I ever had problems with the gears eating each other.
      Ive had the one on my Chrysler 360 now a couple years and it's been flawless.
      1977 j20. Dana 60's, 4:10's Chrysler 360/np435/NWF blackbox/np203
      Hummer military 24 bolt wheels and 37" mt/r's.

      Comment

      • joe
        • Apr 28, 2000
        • 22392

        #4
        "Ignition upgrades" is a well worn topic here. I would do a search and read up before you slap down the plastic.
        All ign components wear eventually. Also all elec. ignitions are very similar performance wise and that includes the stock Duraspark. The Davis HEI had a pretty good rep for function and reliability but expensive. Most of the after market HEI's for AMC V8's today are made in China and whether or not you get a good one is a crap shoot. I personally would not gamble on a $59 ebay Chinese unit. I'd rather gamble on a Summit or Jegs etc Chinese unit. Assuming your dist isn't worn out, modifying the stock Duraspark unit with a Ford TFI conversion is also a viable mod if you use quality parts.
        The stock Duraspark is actually a pretty decent elec ignition. Sure the ing module is a weak link and the goofy slip-on horseshoe coil connector is a joke but you can work around those. Do your research and don't believe everything you see/hear on the internet (including this).
        As mikel mentioned: regardless of what unit you go with use your original dist gear on the new dizzy.
        Best of luck.
        joe
        "Don't mind me. I'm just here for the alibi"

        Comment

        • 440sixpack
          327 Rambler
          • Jul 21, 2016
          • 612

          #5
          The sad truth is nearly everything for these obsolete vehicles that is made is made in China.

          I put a Summit brand HEI on my J10 and I've never had a better starting and running AMC . I'm sure it comes from the land of rice and fish heads but I have to say it works perfect.


          When it pukes, and it will, I'll probably buy another one.

          Comment

          • FSJunkie
            The Nigel Tufnel of the FSJ world.
            • Jan 09, 2011
            • 4040

            #6
            I like watching the secondary ignition scope pattern on the new HEI units and seeing how cylinder number one fires at 5*, then the other cylinders fire at 3*, 10*, 5*, 7*, 0*….. It's fun to watch all the cylinders run like they are seperate individual engines that are all running on seperate individual distributors even though they are actually running on one crappy distributor.
            '72 Jeep Wagoneer Custom, 360 V8

            I love how arguements end as soon as Ristow comments. Ristow is right...again.

            Comment

            • KnoxvilleWag
              232 I6
              • Mar 05, 2013
              • 46

              #7
              Y?all are scaring me a little? I don?t really like the crap shoot when I?ve put all this money in this engine. This is my daily driver. The BJ?s unit is made in the USA. Does that really make it worth the $300 they?re asking?
              1989 Grand Wagoneer, Rebuilt AMC 360 (300hp, 400 ft.lbs.), Repainted in close-to-original Burgundy (Land Rover "Anniversary Claret" 2006), replaced faux wood decal and rubber trim with 70s style wood stripe and chrome trim.

              Comment

              • babywag
                out of order
                • Jun 08, 2005
                • 10283

                #8
                Has any members here had problems with their HEI modules constantly failing? Well I have, and after 5 modules in 8000 miles (it seems that the last 3 were in the last 200 miles) and a changed coil the problem still persists. As a last ditch effort before swapping the whole system out, I saw this: http://documents
                Tony
                88 GW, 67 J3000, 07 Magnum SRT8

                Comment

                • tgreese
                  • May 29, 2003
                  • 11682

                  #9
                  The Duraspark ignition that's already in your Jeep is no different from the GM HEI. They both operate from the same physical principle (variable reluctance), and the only "hotness" of the HEI comes from the coil. Use a hot col with the Duraspark and you've got the same thing as the HEI, with no danger of mismatched gears. I see no reason to change from the Duraspark - the only difference is the HEI has all the parts under the cap, and the Duraspark does not.

                  Look up "TFI upgrade" for the Duraspark. This will gve you a hotter coil (same as the HEI), a big cap (same as the HEI), and better wires (same as the HEI).

                  If you want a "hotter" setup, run the Duraspark distributor with the MSD capacitor discharge module. This will give you a hotter, longer spark than any HEI distributor can provide.
                  Tim Reese
                  Maine beekeeper's truck: '77 J10 LWB, 258/T15/D20/3.54 bone stock, low options (delete radio), PS, hubcaps.
                  Browless and proud: '82 J20 360/T18/NP208/3.73, Destination ATs, 7600 GVWR
                  Copper Polly: '75 CJ-6, 304/T15, PS, BFG KM2s, soft top
                  GTI without the badges: '95 VW Golf Sport 2000cc 2D
                  ECO Green: '15 FCA Jeep Cherokee KL Trailhawk

                  Comment

                  • 440sixpack
                    327 Rambler
                    • Jul 21, 2016
                    • 612

                    #10
                    The PROFORM BJ's sells is probably the best, but I could find nowhere the distributor or components are American made. if it's just Chinese junk put together in the US it's no better than the half price ones. I've been told this was the case and tha's why I went with Summit.


                    If someone can confirm the PROFORM is American components I'm going to buy one. one way or another I'm staying with HEI.

                    Comment

                    • Ristow
                      • Jan 20, 2006
                      • 17292

                      #11
                      Originally posted by KnoxvilleWag
                      Y?all are scaring me a little? I don?t really like the crap shoot when I?ve put all this money in this engine. This is my daily driver. The BJ?s unit is made in the USA. Does that really make it worth the $300 they?re asking?




                      no it isn't. davis doesn't even claim it is. only BJ's does for some reason. i had a DUI,it was in a wagoneer i bought 10 years ago and was a few years old then. all cheap crap. and it pinged so bad due to the crappy ignition curve it broke a piston. you're paying 250% for nothing.
                      Originally posted by Hankrod
                      Ristows right.................again,


                      Originally posted by Fasts79Chief
                      ... like the little 'you know what's' that you are.


                      Originally posted by Fasts79Chief
                      I LOVE how Ristow has stolen my comment about him ... "Quoted" it ... and made himself famous for being an ***hole to people. Hahahahahahahahahha!

                      It's like you're unraveling a big cable-knit sweater that someone keeps knitting...and knitting...and knitting...and knitting...

                      Comment

                      • Ristow
                        • Jan 20, 2006
                        • 17292

                        #12
                        heres the D.U.I product page BJ's Offroad copied the description for the distributor.






                        apparently BJ's added the "made in the USA" to help move a few distributiors? sad.



                        so in regards to this.


                        BJ's (who I've learned to trust) has a DUI unit for $300.
                        you may want to change your policy to "trust but verify"
                        Last edited by Ristow; 07-02-2018, 08:56 AM.
                        Originally posted by Hankrod
                        Ristows right.................again,


                        Originally posted by Fasts79Chief
                        ... like the little 'you know what's' that you are.


                        Originally posted by Fasts79Chief
                        I LOVE how Ristow has stolen my comment about him ... "Quoted" it ... and made himself famous for being an ***hole to people. Hahahahahahahahahha!

                        It's like you're unraveling a big cable-knit sweater that someone keeps knitting...and knitting...and knitting...and knitting...

                        Comment

                        • Ristow
                          • Jan 20, 2006
                          • 17292

                          #13
                          oh...most importantly,i would NOT scrap the stock distributor. fet a big cap for it-mainly for the wire studs,vs stock sockets. dial in the timing curve and it's a great ignition. and you already have it. AND it won't choke on its own gears.


                          i had a good thread on tuning the MC distributor but with all the photobuckets pics held hostage its kinda useless now.
                          Originally posted by Hankrod
                          Ristows right.................again,


                          Originally posted by Fasts79Chief
                          ... like the little 'you know what's' that you are.


                          Originally posted by Fasts79Chief
                          I LOVE how Ristow has stolen my comment about him ... "Quoted" it ... and made himself famous for being an ***hole to people. Hahahahahahahahahha!

                          It's like you're unraveling a big cable-knit sweater that someone keeps knitting...and knitting...and knitting...and knitting...

                          Comment

                          • Crankyolman
                            350 Buick
                            • Sep 27, 2017
                            • 891

                            #14
                            After reading through this thread and gong to both BJ's site and Performance distributors I decided to ask them. They responded within minutes with this



                            Originally posted by Perfomance Distributors
                            Some parts are sourced from foreign, but most are here in the USA and our distributors are assembled here in the USA in Memphis, TN

                            Performance Distributors (DUI)
                            2699 Barris Drive
                            Memphis, TN 38132
                            901-396-5782
                            www.performancedistributors.com




                            For the record I have been running an MSD knockoff HEI I got from Amazon. It has worked flawlessly for 2.5 years now.
                            '72 J4500

                            Comment

                            • KnoxvilleWag
                              232 I6
                              • Mar 05, 2013
                              • 46

                              #15
                              Originally posted by Ristow
                              you may want to change your policy to "trust but verify"
                              Indeed. Wasn?t there a BJ?s rep who used to post and comment here frequently?

                              My original is pretty rattly and worn. It?s got some 260k+ miles on it. I?m even concerned about using the gear on it. Crazy, every car I?ve replaced the distributor on was a pop-the-old-off-and-bolt-the-new-on exercise in simplicity. Even the old Fiat Spider my daughter has!

                              Ok, I think I?m going to go with the Summit, keep the original, and use the original gear (assuming it fits). Any further thoughts?

                              Thanks for the valuable help, y?all.
                              1989 Grand Wagoneer, Rebuilt AMC 360 (300hp, 400 ft.lbs.), Repainted in close-to-original Burgundy (Land Rover "Anniversary Claret" 2006), replaced faux wood decal and rubber trim with 70s style wood stripe and chrome trim.

                              Comment

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