Im a Idiot / Help needed electronic ign

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Nite Moves

Nite Moves

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Im going to try and hook up my wiring myself. Im really puzzled on doing it. Its a 318 auto going with the electronic set up. I have a good diagram for the orig. set up points but i have no clue on routing wires to the ign. module/ballast ect. Anyone have a easy diagram to do this that even i could follow? BTW....My back..........It still sucks
 
Many, many posts on this so use search. Sounds like you are wiring the 70's Mopar electronic ignition into a points car. If so, read up on single vs dual ballasts and varying ECU modules. Much simpler wiring would be a new $45 HEI distributor, or even simpler a $120 one w/ coil-in-cap plus new plug wires. Stronger spark too.
 
First thing we need to know is "where did you get" the system, IE what did it come out of, and does it have a 2 or 4 terminal ballast?

Here's the deal:

Earlier ignition boxes were "5 terminal" and MUST have a 4 terminal ballast.

Later ignition boxes were "4 terminal" and can use EITHER 4 or 2 terminal ballast

You CAN NOT always tell by looking. Some 4 pin ECUs have 4 physical pins, some have 5. If you are not sure, you can only tell by using an ohmeter on the 5th pin and determine if it's connected.

Diagrams from MyMopar:

Later 4 pin ECU/ 2 pin ballast:

What is not shown here is the brown bypass wire which hooks to the coil+ side of the ballast. The resistor and factory wireing are actually UNchanged. You would mount the box, hook up the distributor plug, hook the wire shown to coil NEG instead of the distributor points wire, and then hook the remaining power wire from the box to the far top right of the diagram, which goes off to the original "switched ignition run."

Ignition_System_4pin.jpg


Earlier 5 pin ECU, 4 pin ballast. They are the same except for the second resistor (left side) with one more wire going to the box. NOTICE the upside down "U" cutout in the drawing at the bottom end of the resistor. It is IMPORTANT that you wire it with the cutout as shown. The two resistors are different values, IE the "coil" side is close to or same as the 2 terminal ballast, but the side going to the ECU is different.

Ignition_System_5pin.jpg
 
Like PoisonDart74 and I said, retrofitting an old Mopar electronic ignition to a points car is complicated and confusing, only to yield a sub-par ignition system. What makes even less sense are people who pay >$200 for the new kits sold by some after-market companies. Probably good for me though, since I collected parts before I learned about simpler, better HEI ignition. I'll unload the setup on FABO for $$ when I get time to post it.
 
Here's both the four and 8 pin wiring diagram for HEI.

Jees Bill. :)
 

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im another HEI advocate. best thing Greg ever did for me LOL , still working flawlessly and so simple to hook up a monkey could do it
 
BillGrissom said:
Like PoisonDart74 and I said, retrofitting an old Mopar electronic ignition to a points car is complicated and confusing, only to yield a sub-par ignition system. What makes even less sense are people who pay >$200 for the new kits sold by some after-market companies. Probably good for me though, since I collected parts before I learned about simpler, better HEI ignition. I'll unload the setup on FABO for $$ when I get time to post it.
Click to expand...
OK..... well I personally disagree. Its not complicated OR sub-par.
 
replicaracer43 said:
Care to explain?
Click to expand...

Sure, be glad to.

Longer burning hotter spark is more fuel efficient, burns the fuel more completely.
This gives more power, smoother idle, and cleaner exhaust, as well as better hot and cold starts.

The "less complicated" statement is the fact that there is WAY less wires to route, no ballast needed, and no 10 feet of module wire (4 or 5 wire module like the stock unit.)

I realize a lot of people have an issue with using a GM ignition, but they are known for thier power, reliability and ease of getting replacement parts if they are needed.
No matter how much a person disagrees with the facts they are still facts.
A stock early Mopar electronic ignition will never be as effective as HEI.
There is only personal preference oppinions.
 
TrailBeast said:
Sure, be glad to.

Longer burning hotter spark is more fuel efficient, burns the fuel more completely.
This gives more power, smoother idle, and cleaner exhaust, as well as better hot and cold starts.

The "less complicated" statement is the fact that there is WAY less wires to route, no ballast needed, and no 10 feet of module wire (4 or 5 wire module like the stock unit.)

I realize a lot of people have an issue with using a GM ignition, but they are known for thier power, reliability and ease of getting replacement parts if they are needed.
No matter how much a person disagrees with the facts they are still facts.
A stock early Mopar electronic ignition will never be as effective as HEI.
There is only personal preference oppinions.
Click to expand...
Do you have any real data to back up these claims? The whole "longer burning hotter spark" sounds great, but compared to what? Do you personally have dyno results showing the gm module to make more power? How is the wiring simpler, when your gm module has 4 wires, also requires a external coil, and a magnetic pickup distributor? No ballast resistor? so what, thats a function of the coil used, not the ECM.. I am all for upgrading something that is poorly designed, but the mopar electronic system is proven to be reliable, and well performing.. I personally have cars that are running the original mopar ignition, ECU and all, from the 70s. You are gonna have a real hard time convincing me your GM system is better, when mine has been perfoming like clockwork for 30+ years.
 
Well,,,,the problem here is that I don't need to convince you.
All the data is out there for the finding, and there are all the people that already use them and wouldn't go back to stock.
You don't really think that all these car guys would be fooled by hype do you?

I noticed a pretty big difference how my car started, ran and idled but I didn't say much about it so others could form thier own oppinion, and they did.
We ALL noticed the same improvements.

Instead of asking me to personally re prove the already accepted facts, give it a try.
You can always leave your factory system intact and sell the HEI after you try it.
 
But hey, if a guy wants to retro fit over to a GM ignition, more power to them, perhaps I have been extra lucky...
 
replicaracer43 said:
But hey, if a guy wants to retro fit over to a GM ignition, more power to them, perhaps I have been extra lucky...
Click to expand...

It's not a matter of luck.
With the money some people spend to get a little extra out of thier performance I don't understand why they wouldn't use it.

The purists I understand.
 
Nite Moves said:
Im going to try and hook up my wiring myself. Im really puzzled on doing it. Its a 318 auto going with the electronic set up. I have a good diagram for the orig. set up points but i have no clue on routing wires to the ign. module/ballast ect. Anyone have a easy diagram to do this that even i could follow? BTW....My back..........It still sucks
Click to expand...


light blue with yellow trace goes to the key power side of the ballast.

black with yellow tracer goes to the negative coil.

plug the dist in...


electronic%20ign%20conversion%5b1%5d...2.jpg
 
TrailBeast said:
It's not a matter of luck.
With the money some people spend to get a little extra out of thier performance I don't understand why they wouldn't use it.

The purists I understand.
Click to expand...
well in that train of thought, wouldnt MSD be a good upgrade as well? granted, you wont find parts at every local parts store, like you would with the GM ignition, or the factory mopar one, but you would also have the avalibility of rev limiting as well.. I just personally dont have the same confidince in the GM modules that you do, I have replaced a TON of them in my shop over the years, so I am a little biased aganst them I suppose.
 
replicaracer43 said:
well in that train of thought, wouldnt MSD be a good upgrade as well? granted, you wont find parts at every local parts store, like you would with the GM ignition, or the factory mopar one, but you would also have the avalibility of rev limiting as well.. I just personally dont have the same confidince in the GM modules that you do, I have replaced a TON of them in my shop over the years, so I am a little biased aganst them I suppose.
Click to expand...

Oh, for sure.
MSD is a really good product that has one up on the HEI because of the multiple spark discharge.
The ENTIRE upside to these HEI units is cost and availability.
Well,,,besides the fact that the 8 pin ECU's have timing control capability, and I'd rather be trying to hunt down one of these parts than a new MSD part if I was broke down somewhere.

The rev limiter is a VERY good point.
I think the Igniter3 and the HEI Ecoil would be a fantastic combo, that I am actually thinking to change over to.
I got no real love for the GM module, but it does work well for what it does, and can do. (especially for fuel injected kits)
 
Maybe the GM monkeys should start reading the question instead of puking their HEI BS all over the poster.He didn't ask a dam thing about HEI,and he is accosted with GM this GM that. It gets old.

To the original poster...Joe gave you the correct diagram. It's a very simple process,its a proven system and will work just fine for years to come.
 
Johnny Dart said:
To the original poster...Joe gave you the correct diagram. It's a very simple process,its a proven system and will work just fine for years to come.
Click to expand...
Not true. Look at 273's post. The wiring Joe gave is only for the 1-ballast type and would melt the ECU if the original one that needs the 2-ballast. As I said "more confusing".

Any ignition system that requires a ballast resistor is "sub-par". Electronics has progressed a lot.

I paid maybe $15 for the HEI parts I pulled at the junkyard, including coil. The factory GM cable runs from the module to coil. How easy is that? On a non-slant, I wouldn't even fool with that and just buy a new HEI distributor for $45 (small block). Anyone who pays $250 for a Mopar ignition setup to re-wire an older points engine seems silly to me. You aren't even staying original.
 
HEI :thumrigh: I know its a heated discussion but Ive done a few mopar ign swaps and saw a huge improvement over points but did my first HEI swap for $25 vs $200+ for the mopar kit and the difference was night and day. Plus good quality parts can be found at any parts store.
 
Wow! I have less then $80 in mine, and has been flawless over the point's system.
But I have a daily driver and like the simplicity and these things are everywhere :glasses7:

Enjoy witch ever system you use :D
 

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memike said:
Wow! I have less then $80 in mine, and has been flawless over the point's system.
But I have a daily driver and like the simplicity and these things are everywhere :glasses7:

Enjoy witch ever system you use :D
Click to expand...

Hey Mike,
If you ever run out of gas and don't have any cash on ya, take that peice of aluminum to the recycler. :D
 
dennday67 said:
HEI :thumrigh: I know its a heated discussion but Ive done a few mopar ign swaps and saw a huge improvement over points but did my first HEI swap for $25 vs $200+ for the mopar kit and the difference was night and day. Plus good quality parts can be found at any parts store.
Click to expand...

Carefull now :D
Don't post anything Johnny might have to read.
 
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