I'm using GMCBubba's Mopar/GM Hei ignition for my 52 chrysler hemi and I had a difficult time finding a good working GM HEI module. I went thru two new ones from Pep Boys and two new ones from NAPA. I even tried the Echlin which was bad before I left the store. After getting the first bad one, I had the store check each one before I would buy it. As a result , four new ones were checked and were all bad. I finally found one at Auto Zone, but I don't have much faith in the cheaper units. I'd like to carry a spare in the glove compartment. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks.
NAPA= No American Parts Available. I used to work for them, most everything was U.S. Made. No more, now I only buy from them when I absolutely have to!!!
The GM modules do seem to last the longest. I have seen people pull a mid 70s HEI distributor out of a junked car, put it in theirs and drive for many trouble free years. Definitely avoid the Accel modules. I have had 3(2 HEI and 1 late model)Accel modules fail all at once. No warning, just fail.
A separate ground wire to the dizzy is a good idea also.. Also the kind of coil your using can lead to module failure too. A lot of the performance types are not friendly to long constant run times and can overheat the module.
Delco no longer manufactures any parts, they buy everything from someone. Usually off shore. So do most parts companys. I use a module from Speedway Motors for all my conversions and have had good luck with the module. Its a 6 amp version ( delco is 5.5 amps). Most of the hei modules failure is from bad ground or a high voltage strike etc. Gotta have a good ground, plenty of heat isolation grease on the back plate and good ign cables. The speedway module is half the price of most as well..
Rock Auto often has AC Delco stuff. Sometimes they get deals on closeouts, too, you might hit some older inventory that's still good stuff, not overseas junk.
I'm a GM dealer parts counterman. Like Bubba says, AC-Delco is just a marketing division. For years the stuff has said "distributed by" instead of "manufactured by" on the boxes. And again, Bubba is right especially about the module grease in the little packet. Use it. Those modules cannot stand direct heat. A sign of a bad module is that the car wil quit and after sitting for about a half hour or so. restart and act normal. Then repeat the cycle. When the HEI's first came out, the modules were white colored. If you ever come across one of these, replace it. They were very failure prone. Doubtful you will find one of these NOS, but possible.IIRC there was a recall at the time (1975-76). The later modules were black with the numbers 990 on it in white heat stamped. And the GM part number was 1875990 at the time. The part number may or may not have changed since, but on a lot of the AC Delco import stuff the part number stayed the same, but the supplier did not. In the good old days, they would have changed the part number, that was then, this is now. Hope I was some help and not too long winded.
This is the best that I have found. I used a couple of their Full HEI race units for 10 years. They have been very good to me. Never a failure on the Dirt Track at 7000 rpm plus. http://www.performancedistributors.com/modules.htm I have upgraded the modules and coils in a few dizzy's for people. Works great! CJ
I sold Wells modules for years and used them myself in quite a few cars. I never had trouble. Use the grease packet and follow directions and you'll do fine with whatever you buy. BTW, you can get more of that grease from Radio Shack, I ask for heat sink grease. I've never had a failure using that.
i have several from the junkyard, they chevy section is always missing theirs, but under the hood of 1983 toronado, score. Module is the same, I have lots of spare hei parts now. $.50 package of grease and good for many miles.
Been using an Accel module for a couple of years now. No problems but it has a small fan blowing on it to keep it cool.
3 letters.. MSD If it's good enough for the NASCAR guys who have unlimited amounts of money to buy the best available stuff it's good enough for me.
That's a good point on the used ones, I had one kicking around the toolbox pulled off someone's demo derby car that floated around for a couple years, finally used it to put together an ignition on a car these clowns couldn't figure out why it didn't run and took it apart. It ran great with that module, turns out cars don't run very well when bone-dry out of gas. And you have to figure the thing got plenty hot when it was in the demo car -
As Cable guy would say "forgive me". Quote : Why do Nascar have "two" MSD systems on every car ??? Answer...Because they cant make one run for 500 miles !!! I think this came from a Indy Car fan ??
Just for hambers ! I have a Allen HEI module tester on my Allen Syncograph that not only tests the module at different rpms , it also heats up the unit etc. Heres the hamb deal , buy and save all ya can swap meets, junk yards etc. Send them to me ( with return postage) and I will test them all at no- charge and return them to ya.. no fuss - no muss
I've only had good luck with GM or Dyna. MSD and stuff didn't last long even if remote mounted on a finned plate with dielectric grease. even mounted 2 4pin GM modules on a gsxr when his electric ign module went south so he could race was full advance it was a temp repair he finished the season like that.
Their modules do fail. I had one go in one of their HEI units I bought from them. I replaced it with a NAPA module and had DUI send me another one. I swaped the NAPA for the DUI and have the NAPA one sitting in my glove box as a spare
Somewhere in my mountain of magazines I have an article where they cut open a whole pile of HEI modules and *showed* you how shitty they could actually be. Many did not have variable dwell. So you're telling me even the Delco D1906 is now crap? Great! I realize that a corp like Standard Motor Products, Inc. sells under brand names Standard, BWD, Blue Streak, Hygrade, GP/Sorensen, Federal, Filko, Cobra, etc. and a zillion parts chain house brands. SMP is supplying multiple versions of the D1906, some better some worse? I'm going to guess that the current Delco D1906's are sourced from the same suppliers SMP uses and are probably the same, but which ones? Anybody know anyway to spot the crappier ones from the better ones without sawing them open? I may have to rethink my non-GM franken-delco home brew HEI kluges. If a reliable HEI module is a thing of the past, going back to the ugly Chrysler external box (SMP LX-101 style) may be a necessity. You can buy 10 packs of the power transistor cheap and just keep a spare transistor in the glove box.
I go to junk yards and take them out of old cars..and 80% of them are ACdelco when they were american made. so far I think all of the ones i have gotten over the years none of them were bad...mmm? maybe 1 or 2. I havent done this in a while, so my luck might be running out
Although I run a NAPA MPE economy line module (they don't carry the Echlin in stock as it is more money than the common man wants to pay) and MSD coil in my HEI distributor I keep a used GM module from a distributor that was on a running vehicle as well as a used GM coil and rotor button in a ziploc bag in the spare parts bag in the car. You just never know. Rich:
getting tough to find quality modules these days. carrying a spare with the tools to change it out is a really good idea.
Or as a option, buy a MSD 6 box and replace the stock type "module" or use a Chyrsler box, as they work well also. We have a module tester and the tech who brought it out said the difference between the economy and premium modules was the start retard feature, anyone else here know about that??