So since some of you have done the GM HEI conversion, is it worth it ? Does your car really idle better (or you think it does cause you changed something?)
Did you really get better gas mileage/ how much better.
BIG QUESTION>>> Do performance 4 pin modules (summit/msd/Mallory/etc) modules work better than OEM/stock/auto parts?
The whole thing sounds good (I just found out about the conversion CarCraft the newest issue today.) I just bought a 1964 Dodge A100 pickup with a 273 (sorry no /6) and need to convert from points.

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Mostly Old Parts And Rust
1933 Desoto Coupe 426 Hemi
1946 Dodge dumpbed pickup 2.5 Turbo 4cyl
1964 Dodge A100 pickup 273 automatic
2002 PT Cruiser Woody edition

HEI over points? Absolutely worth the swap.
HEI over stock Mopar electronic ignition? Still worth it due to better parts availability.
Performance four pin modules worth it? No.

Read THIS THREAD and all the links contained therein.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

I converted my folks 66 and it runs much better. The engine was built by some so called self proclaimed gurus while I was living interstate,apart from many issues I noticed the exhaust was very smelly and oil tended to get dirty fairly quickly for a new engine,and idle was just ok. Timing and point gap was ok. When I disassembled it I found that the coil neg terminal was connected to battery power and coil pos to points! So that was the engine prior to conversion.
After the conversion it runs much much cleaner,I also fitted the ZFR5N plugs and a set of magnecor wires. The oil stays cleaner for much longer and after optimising the advance curve it runs pretty good,nice torque right off idle. I used a pertronix coil and module,I don't think you need anything exotic for a module,just a good quality aftermarket brand is fine, and make sure you do a well designed conversion,most issues arise from guys taking shortcuts or missing stuff. Search the Internet on this topic,HEI conversions like this are done to anything with points,not just slant six engines.
Personally,anything that lets me avoid changing points on a slant six engine is a good deal ,even without any other benefits! I say go for it you won't be disappointed .

On this subject, and without meaning to hijack your thread, I was noticing that with the factory GM HEI bracketry that combines the heat sink, module and coil all-in-one, that the mounting holes for this bracket are juuuuust close enough that you could easily modify the bracket to mount where the stock coil mounts on a Slant, pointing out towards the fender. Kinda nice to be able to put this equipment where the coil went: nice and out of the way. Anyone have thoughts against doing this? The discussion threads usually refer to mounting this all-in-one bracket higher up on the inner fenderwell. To guard against splash, vibration or other?

Moving anything off of the passenger side of the slant six makes maintenance much easier. Putting the coil on the passenger fender or firewall makes access to the #1 spark plug, fuel pump, distributor, and lower alternator bolt much better.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

maybe go simple, get a Pertronix conversion.

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ifyoubegintothinkyou'relosingcontrol...it'salreadygone

i would think twice about the pertronix. i loved mine till it suddenly died with 800 miles on it. it was replaced under warranty (3 weeks down). the new one lasted 500 miles. back to points for me.

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Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway!!!
chuck Anglemyer
chucks' rod garage

I put HEI on my 80 volare. It had mopar electronic ignition already so all I did was bypass the ballast resister, used that wire to trigger a relay, wire in a gm coil and module with heatsink and fired it up. It ran better, started faster, etc. .

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Dave

1977 d-200 crew cab ex-army pickup wants it's /6 back
1962 Valiant 2 door, 170, three on the tree
1972 d-100 parts truck
80 volare wagon now a parts car

yea,
i'm leaning toward the gm hei conversion myself. pretty simple.

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Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway!!!
chuck Anglemyer
chucks' rod garage

Id love to chime in on this, I did the conversion simply to see if there was a difference... It is a very minor difference but yes you can tell upon initial start up and down at idle. I got a connector that fits the dizzy so it is literally plug+play! As far as the module you use, just use a good quality, no cheap-o $10 module, they die at the first signs of heat or moisture. Been using an msd module for quite some time now with no issue. Very easy install, just mount it somewhere it will stay dry and cool and youll be golden Pertronix, while they were great some time ago have seemed to fall off the quality wagon and just make junk now. Every set we sold here at work in the last couple years have failed within days...

i've been gathering parts, and have most everything. should be straight forward. had trouble getting the right connector for the coil, it is special to the 96-2000 hei coil. had to call taylor cable for that. i am using the whole coil-bracket module-heatsink off the 96-2000 gm. it is a little bulky looking, and as this is somewhat of a show car, it won't look real good under the hood, bur sometimes you have to sacrifice.
as for pertronix, i have been working with them, and they are great.
it turns out that the pertronix 2 is VERY sensitive to rfi, as opposed to the older igniter, and apparently i have a rfi issue. rfi could be caused by a bad plug, or wire etc. the problem i see with the pert. 2 is,, if you develop a bad plug or wire,or bad brushes in your alternator, do you want it to take out your ign. module?
they are sending me a new standard ihniter, and a matching coil to try. will still probably do the conversion this winter. am currently building a distributor machine out of a spare slant so i can recurve the distributor before i put it in the car. it is a real bitch to get at it in the 40 plymouth.[/b]

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Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway!!!
chuck Anglemyer
chucks' rod garage

Its definitely worth it I think. I ended up making a bracket to mount a coil from an early 90s mustang and 4-pin module to mount it where the old mopar control module was. I still cant figure out how to uploads pics on here otherwise I would.

as it turns out, it seems that the reason i lost the pertronix was due to a plug wire that went bad causing a rfi signal. , but, that could happen with any solid state ignition module including hei. my car hasn't run and started better than it does right now with new points etc in it, so i'm fighting with myself as to why i think i need an electronic system. you know the old saying, " keep it simple". i have all the stuff needed now, just a matter of recurving the electronic dizzy, and i'll be ready to go.

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Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway!!!
chuck Anglemyer
chucks' rod garage

I know first hand the ignition systems that will survive adverse plug and wire configurations.
HEI is one of them, the OEM Mopar is another, as is the LeanBurn. Ford Duraspark is one that does not. If the Pertronics is susceptible to plug, wire, and dizzy problems then I say stay clear.

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Mattelderca
78 NYB (gone now), two S series, three old Snow Cruisers and a Doo.

right from pertronix, that the igniter 2&3 are very sensitive to rfi problems.
they replaced mine with a standard igniter, and say that should solve the problems that i have had. i am also installing a new set of taylor wires.

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Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway!!!
chuck Anglemyer
chucks' rod garage