Many thanks for your fast answer Fopar! So it would only be "easier" to find a connection for the 4 pin coil instead of the 3 pin coil.

Yes and a lot cheaper also

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Sorry to beak in, willard and fopar, but you talk about coil with 4 connections; they only have two, a plus and a minus posts, three if you count the post for the ignition wire to the distributor. The GM coil pictured in the FAQ has one double terminal, it is just an extra pin for making it easy to attach a tach wire. On a coil with 2 pins you may have a double cable instead to ease the tachometer connection, see the picture of the Standard connector which has an extra cable into one of the connectors. The blue FD-478X coil is pictured in the FAQ, the blue coil is the higher performance version of the black FD-478. They both have two pin connector attachments, but they use a commonly used connector that also has a possibility for a third cable connected in other applications. (like Ford headlight connection). The connector pictured is a Standard #S-539, a similar is also avaliable from Summit as:
Wiring Harness Pigtail, Ignition Coil; 2pin, Ford, part # PCO-5712PT, $5.95.
I have the 2-pin Standard #FD-478 myself, and a Standard #LX-301 ignition module with 4 pins. I wait for other parts as well, so I haven't mounted mine on the car, therfore no pictures yet.
Olaf

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Aspenized

You are correct in the fact the coil only has 2 connections, but GM made at least two versions on the connecters. That was the reason for the need for different connectors, Not that one was better than the other.

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

I finally got around to wiring up my HEI. I have the 3 pin coil and connector. Everything seemed fine for a day. Drove it back and forth without a sign of an issue. Today, I decided to regap the plugs up to .045 to make the most of the effort. I then started the car, drove about a 1/4 mile up the street and the car died. Died like a switch. I checked for loose connections, couldn't find any, started it back up and it ran for a while and then died again. After I got it back to my garage, I figured out it would run for about 20 seconds before it would die. Unless I restarted it right away, in which case it would run for about 5 seconds. Or if I start it bone cold, run for about a minute and a half (or 1/4 mile, YMMV) and then die.

(Insert mental gymnastics sounds here ) First I put the plugs back to .035. No change. Then I swapped all the connections back to the stock electronic, eliminating all the HEI stuff. Ran fine for as long as I could stand. Then I tried it using the stock coil. Ran fine. Swapped back to the GM coil. Died after about a minute and a half. Swapped back and forth a few times to make sure and it seems that the coil has an open when it gets warm.

So, before I get a new coil like the old one, can anyone think of anything I could have going on that could have killed the coil? Or is this just a bad coincidence? I bought the coil used along with the mounting bracket, so I have no idea of it's previous life.

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64 Valiant

Try the HEI module with it wired to the stock coil, that should be a way to see if the HEI coil is bad. If the motor still will not run after a while, you might have a bad module. Are you using the heat sink paste under the module?

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Sorry if that wasn't clear. When I hooked up the stock coil, it was with the rest of the HEI connected, including the module. Module is brand new and has yummy paste between it and the heat sink.

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64 Valiant

Then it does sound like the HEI coil is bad.

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

I just tried this to replace a dying Electric Spark Control ignition on my 82 Dodge pickup truck.

I have a two pickup distributor w/ a Run and Start pickup. I have tried to make the HEI ignition work on just the Run pickup. No results. Do I need to get a single pickup distributor?

Yes, you need a single-pickup distributor. If running a 2-pickup distributor, you can sit there cranking all day and there'll be no spark.

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

I'm glad I stopped cranking after about five minutes and experimenting with the two pickups. Thank you very much for the quick answer, you have saved a novice from a ton of guesswork. I'm off to get a new distributor.

So I have been gathering parts for my own HEI conversion and am down to the wiring bits. In my search for a plug for the distributor connection I came across the idea of either buying a pickup coil and cutting off the connector (seems like a waste) or maybe I could modify a trailer connector:



I only need the two pins on one end for the connection. I'm going to go home tonight and see if my old boat trailer connector will work. Sure I'll have two extra connectors just hanging out but I'd prefer to not cut my original wiring up.

Why not give weatherpak a try?

http://www.weatherpack.com/

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Slanted D150

WeatherPack doesn't seem to have the unique male/female plug setup that the distributor connector features.

You don't really need it....

The male/female plug is so you hook it up correctly.

Any indexed plug that will only connect one way will be fine......

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes