HEI and H2O

[Toadhopper]

I'm considering converting my dist. to HEI and was wondering if anyone has any feedback on it's suceptability to water?

Toad

 

[60wag]

If its a 2F electronic dizzy, don't bother.

 

[Tinker]

Succeptible to water doing what? Shorting it out? Aftermarket ignitions do nothing to make the distributor more waterproof. The stock electronic ignition will stand occasional dousings.

 

[Toadhopper]

Succeptible to water doing what? Shorting it out? Aftermarket ignitions do nothing to make the distributor more waterproof. The stock electronic ignition will stand occasional dousings.

I've read threads from folks on this forum that the HEI dist gives better performance, but I was wondering if they were worse in wet conditions than the stock dist. I know the stock ones are pretty good, and I'm not planning on drowning the thing, but I was wondering if there was a weak link anywhere.

 

[FJ40Jim]

Yes, it's susceptable to water infiltration. The HEI distributor is vented by the (intentionally) poor fit of the distributor cap. There is no serious attempt at making it waterproof and providing a breather system. Doesn't seem to be a concern to most people, but here in muddy Ohio, it's a dealbreaker.

 

[Toadhopper]

Yes, it's susceptable to water infiltration. The HEI distributor is vented by the (intentionally) poor fit of the distributor cap. There is no serious attempt at making it waterproof and providing a breather system. Doesn't seem to be a concern to most people, but here in muddy Ohio, it's a dealbreaker.

Thanks Jim!
I hear you're the man to talk to about carb rebuilds...is that true?

Toad

 

[zebrabeefj40]

The stock Toyota big cap electronic ignition distributor is sealed way better than an HEI distributor. You might look for a different coil to equal the HEI output but I wouldn't bother. The stock system in good condition is more than enough to do the job IMHO...

Nick