interesting car craft article this month on GM modules

-
moparmat2000

moparmat2000

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 13, 2010
Messages
20,882
Reaction score
10,858
Location
Grand Tetons
Now before you go all crazy over me talkin Generic Mortars, there was a carcraft article about converting your mopar or ford electronic distributor to run a GM HEI module. This isnt a DUI type distrubuter for mopar or ford with the big blocky cap, rather its a way to use the small GM solid state 4 spade module to run a ford or mopar stock electronic distributer, instead of using the big blocky spark boxes both are known for. This will clean up the engine compartment. Theres even a really neat billet aluminum mount for it on the mopar distributer somebody online makes for a few dollars.

Any advantage to doing this? Disadvantages,? Im not a purist, unless its a rare numbers car. In my current buildup am into bang for the buck. Will this work just as well or better than lets say a nicely setup mopar distributer with an orange box.

Id prefer to hide the unit, than to display a big honkin sparkbox, but will use the big honkin sparkbox if it has an advantage.

Lmk
Matt
 
Can you post a link? What is "this month?"


GM modules "work differently" than do Mopar boxes. You don't need a ballast resistor. Also, because of worldwide quality decreasing, and for the less popular Mopars this means "worse"

With a GM module you can even run a factory coil (I do) with no resistor

With a GM module you could even hide it in a Mopar box -- been done -- (I don't)

I haven't set up the ignition yet, but with EFI you can run a GM "8 pin" module and control spark from such EFI systems as Megasquirt and Holley. (I run Holley)

This is my "emergency / test" ignition, inside the box is a GM 4 pin and "just a coil." Clip to ground, battery, hook up dist. and coil wire, and off you go

hwlcfa.jpg


The diagram

zu5qn8.jpg
 
You can probably open a can of worms with this one but let me say that this is from MY personal experience. I just purchased an HEI kit from Trailbeast on this forum a short time ago and can relate my experience with it.
My car starts better cold and a lot better hot than it did before the install. Gas mileage is about 2 mpg. better as long as I can keep my foot out of it(I like the sound of the 4 barrel kicking in). The spark from this unit is amazing. When I was doing my install, I thought I was ready to go and jumped in the car and hit the key and I could hear the crack of the spark(I had forgot to put the coil wire on). Couldn't see from the drivers seat but when I got out to put the coil wire on, I realized it was probably 3 inches from anything. That's a pretty good jump!
It also eliminates the ballast resistor. I know some people say "So what?" but if it isn't a problem then why do so many people also suggest carrying a spare in the glove box?
Lastly, the car just runs "different". I know someone on here wants to know what "different" is but since I don't run my car at the track all I can say is it idles smoother and has more seat of the pants feel than before.
Once again. Just my personal experience. Dennis

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=204177
 
FABO has some good articles on doing the HEI conversion along with the pros/cons of the swap.
 
moparmat2000 said:
Now before you go all crazy over me talkin Generic Mortars, there was a carcraft article about converting your mopar or ford electronic distributor to run a GM HEI module. This isnt a DUI type distrubuter for mopar or ford with the big blocky cap, rather its a way to use the small GM solid state 4 spade module to run a ford or mopar stock electronic distributer, instead of using the big blocky spark boxes both are known for. This will clean up the engine compartment. Theres even a really neat billet aluminum mount for it on the mopar distributer somebody online makes for a few dollars.

Any advantage to doing this? Disadvantages,? Im not a purist, unless its a rare numbers car. In my current buildup am into bang for the buck. Will this work just as well or better than lets say a nicely setup mopar distributer with an orange box.

Id prefer to hide the unit, than to display a big honkin sparkbox, but will use the big honkin sparkbox if it has an advantage.

Lmk
Matt
Click to expand...

Way more spark power than an orange box, and they can be installed under the dash if you want to hide them completely.
 
I've been told that they can fade in the higher RPM range. Any truth to that?
 
67Dart273 said:
Can you post a link? What is "this month?"


GM modules "work differently" than do Mopar boxes. You don't need a ballast resistor. Also, because of worldwide quality decreasing, and for the less popular Mopars this means "worse"

With a GM module you can even run a factory coil (I do) with no resistor

With a GM module you could even hide it in a Mopar box -- been done -- (I don't)

I haven't set up the ignition yet, but with EFI you can run a GM "8 pin" module and control spark from such EFI systems as Megasquirt and Holley. (I run Holley)

This is my "emergency / test" ignition, inside the box is a GM 4 pin and "just a coil." Clip to ground, battery, hook up dist. and coil wire, and off you go

hwlcfa.jpg


The diagram

zu5qn8.jpg
Click to expand...


from what I've heard and seen its the mopar coil that can't handle full voltage; only HEI coil can give full spark voltage and be reliable

the mopar ECU doesn't require the ballast, if you look at the wiring diagram the ballast limits voltage before it goes to the coil; the ECU controls the negative for the coil
 
66plyValiant said:
from what I've heard and seen its the mopar coil that can't handle full voltage; only HEI coil can give full spark voltage and be reliable

the mopar ECU doesn't require the ballast, if you look at the wiring diagram the ballast limits voltage before it goes to the coil; the ECU controls the negative for the coil
Click to expand...

I don't know where you get this

GM HEI modulates the current to the coil, that is, current limiting. The Mopar box does not. I'm not talking here about the switching action which actually controls the spark formation.

Both boxes "control" the negative to the coil, IE switch the negative. This is NOT the same as "current limiting"

There is NO doubt that removing the ballast from a Mopar system will result in damage or failures if driven on the street "long enough"

There is NO doubt that even with a factory Mopar coil, hotter output results with an HEI module and no resistor.
 
67Dart273 said:
I don't know where you get this

GM HEI modulates the current to the coil, that is, current limiting. The Mopar box does not. I'm not talking here about the switching action which actually controls the spark formation.

Both boxes "control" the negative to the coil, IE switch the negative. This is NOT the same as "current limiting"

There is NO doubt that removing the ballast from a Mopar system will result in damage or failures if driven on the street "long enough"

There is NO doubt that even with a factory Mopar coil, hotter output results with an HEI module and no resistor.
Click to expand...


power to the coil still comes from the car not the HEI when switching to that setup, so in that case it would be a full 12 volts to a coil only meant to run 6.5-7 volts with a ballast
 
TrailBeast said:
Way more spark power than an orange box, and they can be installed under the dash if you want to hide them completely.
Click to expand...

i want to ask about that. on a mopar electronic system the box does not control input voltage to the coil, the coil is what either needs or does not need the ballast resistor to attain the correct ohm ratings. i run a stock parts store box (looking at Rev-a-nator but am not sold yet) with a relay powered/resistor bypassed petronix 60K E coil that is HOT. now except for the actual controlling of the spark timing, retarding at rpm, what does a GM controller do that is better.

im also using brass contact cap and rotor, 8.5mm 500ohm wires, NGK plugs and recurved dizzy(yet to install my VC208 can).
 

Attachments

  • 100_5811.jpg
    84.9 KB · Views: 617
66plyValiant said:
power to the coil still comes from the car not the HEI when switching to that setup, so in that case it would be a full 12 volts to a coil only meant to run 6.5-7 volts with a ballast
Click to expand...

I guess you are not getting what I'm trying to get across. The GM module, UNLIKE the mopar module LIMITS current to the coil after / or when the coil begins to saturate. The Mopar box has no such circuit. "It's just a switch."

A side note, you'll find that when the car is running/ charging, (factory system) coil voltage is more like 10-12 with the system voltage properly running about 14
 
66plyValiant said:
power to the coil still comes from the car not the HEI when switching to that setup, so in that case it would be a full 12 volts to a coil only meant to run 6.5-7 volts with a ballast
Click to expand...

In all reality the ballast was really, originally designed to give longevity to points in the distributor.

I know, I know, flame away. :D
 
Well, there was more to it than that, BS. The manufacturers could have all used "direct 12 v" coils like, say some tractors.

But what the coil / resistor combo gives you is the ballast is just what it implies, as it's not a "plain resistor," it's a resistor that BALLASTS, IE as load current tries to go up, the ballast heats up and tries to bring current down.

The second thing "having a ballast" does (back in the points days) is that on that cold wintery, nasty day, when the battery is low and the 40 wt oil is like molasses, when you twist the key, the coil now gets "direct battery" power for a better starting spark.
 
Nobody mentioned that for a SB or BB, the "ready-to-run" Chinese distributor on ebay is only $45-$60, simple hookup, w/ 4-pin HEI module inside. Better to use an e-core coil than the original Mopar coil. If you want to stay Mopar, use one off a Magnum engine. The 8-pin HEI module (like in TrailBeast's kit), has other advantages (spark timing control) and direct connection to the GM coil using their factory cable. I get the setup real cheap off GM trucks in the junkyard.
 
The GM module controls dwell timing to the coil, and other than that there is no real difference in the way it works.
A pertronics module would work just as well with the ecoils.

805moparkid said:
i want to ask about that. on a mopar electronic system the box does not control input voltage to the coil, the coil is what either needs or does not need the ballast resistor to attain the correct ohm ratings. i run a stock parts store box (looking at Rev-a-nator but am not sold yet) with a relay powered/resistor bypassed petronix 60K E coil that is HOT. now except for the actual controlling of the spark timing, retarding at rpm, what does a GM controller do that is better.

im also using brass contact cap and rotor, 8.5mm 500ohm wires, NGK plugs and recurved dizzy(yet to install my VC208 can).
Click to expand...
 
putting an hei module under the dist on a 440 right now...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top