Looks like I may be partaking in this swap to GM components to, are there any better variations or just these parts?

 

I'd also like hear if any one has an update on this mod. I've acquired the basic parts for the project. I'm working on fabricating a mount for the coil.

 

I decided to go with MSD 8207 Blaster Coil
Ordered the heatsink for the GM module and some Arctic Silver for good heat transfer.



As for the Ignition Control Module I'm still shopping or might just pick up a GM unit.

I might as well make my own write up and my solution to mounting and getting it to work properly once the parts arrive.
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Sorry guys, didn't read through all 42 post.

But Would this conversion work with an after market ignition box and after market tach? I've got a Summit box that even with the MSD tach adapter never quite worked with stock tach. I did use stock module as the trigger.

 

There is a guy who has been on several of the Chevy forums I am a member of named Ignitionman. He apparently had a hand in designing the GM HEI distributors. For the last several years he has ran a small business specializing in converting old Chev points distributors over to using HEI parts and calls his business Daves Small Bodies. He has a lot of specialized ignition testing equipment and swears the best thing you can do for an HEI is to get the coil out of the distributor. He feels VERY STRONGLY about what he recommends.

He swears that the best control modules for the HEI are the early OEM unit <but they are not made the same anymore, and the DUI Performance module http://performancedistributors.com/p...ories/modules/
He also says that the Wells module that you get from AutoZone in their AZ box is as good as the new GM modules.


He has also mentioned that ever since MSD switched production of the Blaster II coil to Mexico it has been unreliable junk and the 8207 is an epoxy filled coil prone to failure from heat. He recommends a good standard oil filled coil now. They should be mounted vertical for best performance and life though.


Last I spoke with him he recommended the NAPA PT# IC12, or, this will throw you for a loop,
the O'Reilly MasterPro Ignition Coil PT# 2-5195. Personally I think the NAPA part will have a little more kick to it but that's just a guess as I have no knowledge of such things.




A couple of quotes from him:
"If you have ever just gone and taken the covers off HEI's with the coil in the cap at wrecking yards, you will see a good cross section of coil failures from heat. From layer shorted coils to ones with large heat caused fissures in them.

A layer short is when the insulation between windings "layers" allows the different layers of windings to connect, which changes the primary resistance of the coil, making the HEI module fail from resistance change.

Best for an HEI, get that nasty junker epoxy coil off that HEi cap, put an oil filled coil in that system, OFF that cap."



"It isn't that epoxy filled coils are better, they are seriously worse than an oil filled coil, they are just over-hype advertised as the best thing since holes in donuts, and people blindly believe it, just like little lemmings rushing to, and over the edge of the cliff.

Would you, as a manufacgurer, like to sell 3 epoxy filled coils to a person over the lifetime of the vehicle, or just one oil filled one? A good BUSINESS person would opt for the three, not the one."






I don't know if any of this is actual fact but I know there had been a lot of failures with those two MSD coils during the time I was heavily reading those forums, and that was several years worth.
Take it for what you will.


.

 

Well now that caused me to cancel my Amazon order. lol!

 

^ Replaced many GM HEI "coil in the cap" coils, rotors, and ignition modules.

 

I think others who have done this mod indicated that this particular coil (Accel 140008) is a good match. It is possible that other coils put out more voltage than some of the other components can handle. The 140008 puts out 42,000 volts with .5 ohms input impedance. The spark plug wires need to able to handle the extra voltage, HEI wires typically have thicker boots. I'm hoping that my 8.5mm SMP10060 wires are up to the task.

 

From what I've read, they say this mod works with the 22R but will not work with the 22RE... I wanted to wire mine up so I can easily swap back and forth from the factory ignition to the modified system, having one system as a back up for the other.

 

I looked into using a later model HEI w/EST module for the 22RE... https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f131...ersion-287478/
The Toyota ECM has an incompatible square wave for use with that module, unless you add an inverter and voltage regulator. If I get my hands on a spare good igniter, I'll see if there's a way to wire one in it's existing circuit.

 

So I.m trying to change my 22re distributor to an igniter so I can run an MSD box and a retarder for my turbo. I am running a C&S Carburetor's 390cfm. I had them custom build it for the RE. I'm trying to find out what distributor the igniter fits that will also work with the RE head? LCE says to use their pro distributor but I'd save 150 if I can convert one. Or is it worth paying the extra cash for the LCE pro?

 

lol, i owuld have staarted at the vaccume advance being on manifold vaccume not carb dist port in the beginning....
your distributor is a slave pickup distributor. you can run an external ignitor to suit your purpose. all that is in there is a pickup, which you feed to an ignitor or i think something like a 6al box can take it's signal and work as the ignitor.. the stock distributor should work fine for what you want to do. i haven't worked with msd boxes in almost a year, but i believe you can choose between ignitor input and pickup input, in which case you choose to wire in the pickup input.

when choosing the coil in this mod, you need to look up what the ignitor is meant to drive, and what the coil is meant to run. many coils either have 12v power or are run through a resistor, running like 9 volts. some coils clearly state warnings in how you wire them as they can overdraw the ignitor when wired incorrectly, or not produce enough spark energy if there is a resistor, etc.

 

I've been reading a lot about this simple conversion because my truck currently only cranks and won't start.

My question is this: Can I use a GM style Ignition Control Module with my original Ignition Coil? Or will this not work for some reason? Do I definitely need to also switch my Ignition Coil to a Accel 140008 or similar?

 

I did this mod today to replace my worn out ignition control module. I now have a BWD CBE4P four connection control module and the stock ignition coil. The module is mounted in a heat sink and is grounded well. The truck starts right up and drives great for 10 minutes and then it will lose all spark and power suddenly. If I simply shut off the ignition and turn it back on the problem is temporarily solved for a few minutes. I can quickly do this while the truck is going and keep right on driving. Then it will fail again and another quick turn of the key will solve it again. This seems to go on and on. What did I do wrong? And why does flipping the ignition off and back on cure it momentarily?

 

So I realized that the one thing I forgot to do was include the 1/4 watt 1K ohm resistor that I've seen recommended if you are to keep the stock ignition coil. It helped my issue a bit and sometimes I can drive for 30 min or more without interruption. Other times the truck will suddenly completely lose spark. If I pull over I can crank and crank the engine and it will not start. However, if I flip the ignition totally off and then try to start it it will fire up immediately. But if I simply crank the engine again, without first turning the key backwards, it will not start. Something is happening electrically that is preventing spark and If I shut off the ignition and then turn it back on again it resets it and it works great again for a few minutes. But it will soon fail again. Performance is excellent other than losing spark every 5 to 10 minutes. What is going on here? How should I address this?

 

Here is a pic of my current setup.

 

Anyone?

 

It seems that a few people have run in to complications with this modification. One problem was caused by having a couple wires going to the ignition control module backwards. I'm not sure about the brand of module you are using, it seems some brands are better than others. You might consider trying the Wells brand. As I mentioned before more people seem to be using the Accel 140008 coil. Electronics techs sometimes use a freeze spray to cool a component to see if heat is causing a problem, I wonder if your module is getting too hot. Sometimes when you take on a project like this there is some trial and error. It could be a situation where some components match up better than others. Also, it looks like you are crimping some wires with out soldering, that may be ok temporarily, but for longer term use I'd solder all my wires and crimps.

 

Thank you for the reply.

The Wells DR100? https://www.amazon.com/Wells-DR100-I.../dp/B000BYDBFQ

Also, the Accel Coil doesn't seem to be available anymore.

 

Can anyone explain why a 1/4 watt 1K ohm resistor is required when using the stock coil? Why have I seen people recommending is usage with the stock coil but not with other coils?