How does the durability of EI (EI distributor, HEI module, MSD Blaster 2) compare to that of the stock ignition on a '64 slant six? Is it more sensitive to getting wet? I felt pretty comfortable powerwashing the engine bay with the old set up as long as I didn't shoot the distributor directly. Do I need to be quite a bit more careful with the mentioned EI set up? Also, how does this set up hold up to vibrations (normal old truck vibrations, plus the occasional rough terrain vibrations)?

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Stephan Nelle

The Chrysler EI setup is just about as bullet-proof as it gets. The conversion is easy, and stands up wonderfully to all terrains, vibrations, getting wet, etc. I am currently using the stock points on my 71, which is closely identical to your 64 ignition system, and it works.... but with the EI, you will see an increase in power, and economy. Especially with a Blaster II coil.

There are plenty of people here to tell you that it can make a HUGE difference in your engine's behavior, and I havent heard a bad one yet. One nice thing, is that parts are more readily available, and with less moving parts... just as reliable... if not more so.

Just keep a few more parts in your truck (you have an extra eggcrate with supplies dont you?) such as an ICU, and ballast resistor. Ballast resistor reguadless of points or EI for that matter.

What spark plugs are you running? If you are using the stock style Autolite 66 for example, you may swap for longer ones, for example the plugs out of a 250 Chev 6 cylinder, they are longer, and thus protrude farther into the combustion chamber, allowing a more even spread across the top of the piston. I am already running these longer plugs, and even with the stock points, they help as well.

If you can make the swap... I say go for it!




~THOR~

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1984 D100 Shorty Custom
Certified Auto Appraiser - RevItUp Classic Appraisals
President - Cherry City Bombers CC
Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Autolite 26s are not the stock plug and in fact do not fit in the engine under discussion. See tune-up parts and technique suggestions, including spark plugs applicable to your engine, in this thread.

Either the Mopar or GM HEI system will give sturdy reliability as long as it is set up and installed correctly and good-quality components are used. You really aren't going up or down in terms of reliability compared to points, you're kind of going sideways. There's a greater likelihood of mechanical failure with the points system — the points themselves can fail at the rubbing block or at the pivot, a drop of oil in the wrong place can cause the contacts to burn — but it's also easy to rig up a mechanical fix to get you home (chunk of vacuum hose wedged between points and distributor body to substitute for broken points spring, piece of paper run through the points to get them clean enough to work). With the electronic system, you're swapping this for a lower likelihood of failure but the only way to fix the failure is to replace the faulty component. In practical terms, this means carry a spare module of whichever type you decide to use, and a spare ballast resistor if you use the Mopar system. (Two more advantages of the HEI system: the module's a great deal smaller and easier to carry as a spare, and you need no ballast resistor at all).

The HEI article has been revised so it no longer recommends the MSD Blaster coil, which is now made in China — I'd say that kind of component-build issue is going to be the primary factor in the reliability of your ignition, these days, sad to say.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Durability is a double edged sword. The EI will stay more consistant as long as its keep working, when it has a problem, it dies.


The points very seldem die but can get running wrough when needing replaced. They can die, but its a rare thing to happen.


Over all the EI is a better system though, it will pay off with drivability and fuel mileage. Its also very easy to keep a spare HEI module in the dash and very quick to change out.

The mounting of the HEI module has a lot to do with its durability. Good clean ground with plenty of compound under it and it can last a very long time as long as the heat is keep down, and its feed proper voltage. I have seen HEI modules from the 70's still in service today.


As far as standing up to wet weather that has more to do with the distributor cap , good plug wires ( no high resistance) and proper wiring connections. I wash mine down all the time with no problems after the fact. I have even pulled the distributor cap to find moisture and the system still did not missfire (something a pionts setup has a hard time doing).


If you have extreme condistions ( getting your truck in the river) then some extra work to seal the cap will be enough to take care of it. I dont use silicone for this kinda thing, I use the Dielectric grease around the base of the cap, plus a good dose where the coil & plug wires plug in (both ends).


After the systems is installed and working correctly keeping good plug wires seems to be one of the most common mistakes that kill modules. A high resistance plug wire will back up the voltage and cause it to die. Or old charging systems that dont hold steady voltage is module killer.


All in all, even though the systems may demand proper working condistions to be durable they are so much better performing than the old pionts setups its a no brainer. Besides there is not much difference between keeping a extra module in the dash, than keeping a extra ballast resister in the dash ( the part that can die on Mopar pionts systems).


Jess

Perfect-fit distributor cap gasket: Standard/BlueStreak #AL-483G.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Pinkie,

Get 2 or three of Dan's gasket, specially if you are going to do recurving.

In my 64, about 20 years ago I drove through a large puddle caused by a summer thunderstorm. Instant dead stop because dizzy got soaked.

I dried out plug wire connections and dizzy with a rag and alcohol I had and the next day made a cap gasket out of a bike inner tube. I got the Dan gasket years later when I found they made one. you don't need to be offroad in a truck to get drowned out.

Remember my comment about not using the Blaster 2? Glad to see Dan took it off the list. As I mentioned though the E core works fine. Right now I am running the HEI module. When you see a fat spark nearly an inch long you realize there is a better way than stock.

rock
'64d100

Just wondering: has anyone ever failed the mopar module or electronic distributor? I think I've had 5 of them, and never failed a one.

Kip-on-Truckin'

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1965 Valiant wagon Turbo slant (work in progress)
2000 Chevy 155" cargo van - The Abductor
1970 Newport convertible
1996 Buick Roadmaster Wagon
1966 CruiseAire motor home
1990 Toyota 1 ton box truck TURBO slant (scraped)

I've had a couple of OEM junkyard finds that worked in the driveway but caused misfires during a traffic run... swap to a different module things were fine... It just happens... 30+ year old module just had seen it's day...

I hear the chinese make some real nice one's that will leave you stranded, so far the standard hygrade replacement module is a nice unit for the $$$....

-D.Idiot

My van had one puke a month or two ago. Before that over 100K on the last one, and 100+K on the one before that.

My '70 Bee went through 2 w
Wells brand in a hurry with the ACCELL monster coil. Direct Connection chrome box lasted 40K with the ACCELL.

Yep, they fail. $14.99 Autozone.

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'72 Duster 198 stock cam, 3:23's Hookers on jack stands for 8 years in the driveway
'79 Maxivan 360 Offy Qjet Comp RV cam/rusting in the driveway.
93 D350 160HP Cummins Auto Dually Clubcab needs a injector pump
2005 Golden Couch Buick

I would phrase this as, "Points very seldom die, but they're almost always at least a little bit sick."



The length of time that points stay in truly perfect adjustment is measured in hundreds of miles, not thousands.

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I've had maybe 3-4 die in the past 30 years. And at least 3 of those were in the last 10 years when replacement parts started getting crummier and crummier

The original EI box on my '73 Satellite lasted well over 200,000 miles. Died without warning in a parking lot... but a spare was in the trunk already. 10-minute 2-bolt fix.

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I had one that would fail unexpectedly, when it got hot. In a few seconds/minutes/randomly it would start working again. Caused more than a few "pucker" moments on the freeway. Of course I was a broke student and didn't replace it for a loooong time, but it did get me around.