# Distributor points vs HEI whats better?



## trainman115 (Jul 31, 2014)

Hi guys I am thinking about taking out my points distributor and replacing it with one of thoses HEI ones that look like a points distributor and round high output coil just wondering if anybody else did that and how it worked out and are they any better. Thanks Ed


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Here's the scoop: points are simpler and more reliable, but require more maintenance. They need to be replaced every 15,000 miles. HEI is maintenance free. Will run many, many miles without touching it. But HEI has a higher WTFH quotient (Walk The F#$k Home). It's a common mis-conception that HEI provides more horsepower. It doesn't. I've been running the stock points distributors in all of my GTO's for the past 35+years with zero failures. Ask the guys on this forum and others how many times their HEI brain or module has left them stranded. It'll be a lot more often than the points-equipped car.


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## Roger that (Feb 6, 2010)

geeteeohguy said:


> Ask the guys on this forum and others how many times their HEI brain or module has left them stranded.


Every 4 to 6 months mine quits. I had to have a spare control module in the car at all times with the tools. I no longer have the HEI and life is good now.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

Have had the experience of the HEI module go out on a 1975 Pontiac I used to own. Points work fine, but require a dwell meter to dial them in. Of course gapping the points usually presents no problems if you just gap them.

I went with a point distributor and aftermarket electronic conversion. Simple installation and eliminates the points and adjusting them. Best of both worlds and I have had no problems. Ignition Products

You have to make sure that you use a 12 volt "hot" wire to the electronic change-over as the points distributor uses a resistor wire to provide 8 volts so as not to burn up the points.


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## 68GTO4004Spd (Jun 19, 2008)

I'm running a pertronics II in the stock distributer with a flamethrower coil, 2 years now, no failures.


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## chuckha62 (Apr 5, 2010)

geeteeohguy said:


> Here's the scoop: points are simpler and more reliable, but require more maintenance. They need to be replaced every 15,000 miles. HEI is maintenance free. Will run many, many miles without touching it. But HEI has a higher WTFH quotient (Walk The F#$k Home). It's a common mis-conception that HEI provides more horsepower. It doesn't. I've been running the stock points distributors in all of my GTO's for the past 35+years with zero failures. Ask the guys on this forum and others how many times their HEI brain or module has left them stranded. It'll be a lot more often than the points-equipped car.



^^^^^ What he said! I'm still running points trouble free! Now, try to find a dwell meter!  The only other thing is (and I have not experienced it yet, myself) I'm hearing there are more and more incidents of non-working brand new out of the box condensors with points sets.

Just a thought. Maybe stockpiling them would be a good idea?


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## Matthew (Feb 11, 2011)

Trainman, the grass is not greener over there. Stick with what you got. Matt


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Guys, I have bought NOS AC Delco stuff off of ebay. Points sets. No condensors....still running 30-40 year old oem units there. The new points sets tend to be crap. The ones you want are the Filko, Borg Warner, or Ac Delco NOS.....No uni-sets. The condensors come loose on those and fail. Each set will go 15k miles, minimum. How long does it take you to put on that kind of mileage? I remember in the '80's running 30,000 miles a year on my '67....those days are long gone! But the old ign. parts are indeed superior to the new crap. Also, dwell meters can be bought on line for cheap. They never seem to go bad. Mine is over 35 years old....


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## Goat Roper (Oct 28, 2014)

geeteeohguy said:


> Guys, I have bought NOS AC Delco stuff off of ebay. Points sets. No condensors....still running 30-40 year old oem units there. The new points sets tend to be crap. The ones you want are the Filko, Borg Warner, or Ac Delco NOS.....No uni-sets. The condensors come loose on those and fail. Each set will go 15k miles, minimum. How long does it take you to put on that kind of mileage? I remember in the '80's running 30,000 miles a year on my '67....those days are long gone! But the old ign. parts are indeed superior to the new crap. Also, dwell meters can be bought on line for cheap. They never seem to go bad. Mine is over 35 years old....


Almost everything is cheap China crap now, the repro tail light lenses for my '67 have an uneven reveal and the bezels are like razor blades and you can't even clean them.
I am going to send them back and re install my old cracked units once my fingers heal up.
If anyone has a good original rt lens PM me with a price.


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## 666bbl (Apr 13, 2014)

Flip a coin. Old OEM HEIs are fairly reliable. They can go 60-80K miles with no failures. The downer is that their ugly. The pickup coil is the weak link. After twisting around from the vacuum for thousands of miles one of the wires might break. New "conversion" distributors? No thanks. That's a coin flip on day one. Pertronix? As of late some are failing fast, some are NFG right out of the box. Points? If you're of a mind to keep em in tune and are not afraid to replace em on the side of the road in BFE should it fail, rock on. Will you see a difference in power? Not unless you have $400-500 to spend on a dyno, and even what _might show_ probably wouldn't even register on a time slip. And yes, there's an OEM HEI (just like the ugly Chevy version) for our beloved Pontiacs. 

And now from the FWIW dept.:

I ran an MSD 6AL through an OEM HEI in a 14:1 BBC. Super simple set up using the stock pickup coil, spark that would jump over 1 inch, never failed. The only mods were removing the flyweight function (36deg static with a 22deg start retard), the housing was fitted with orings for oil control, a bronze gear for the roller cam. None of which you need to go cruising with your besties on a warm summer night.


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## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

Ok 666bbl, since you went there.....I run a magneto in my GTO and it has been trouble free for over 10 years. It uses contact points but no voltage crosses the points. Super simple it's self contained and provides more voltage the faster the engine spins which is ideal for supercharged applications. I don't even need a battery to run my ignition system! It doesn't get any simpler than a magneto. And yes, they make them for Pontiacs.


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## eeyore (Oct 23, 2014)

I convert all my cars to the big ugly HEI. Some times the fire wall must be modified for clearance. In that case the small unit could be an option.
IMO the key is to have a dedicated circuit to the distributor. I tap/soldier in at the Ig switch. A large pink wire on my cars, and bypass the resistor and start circuits. You can install and in-line fuse but the circuit is normally protected by a factory fuse link. (topic for another time)

It is *worth every penny* to have any distributor put on a machine and have the advance curves dialed in for your application. The new distsributors from summit or who ever are way off in every case. Did i say *Worth Every Penny*. 

The Chinese Ig modules are Krap. Try to find one that say's delco on the box. Or a napa gold.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

I agree magnetos are excellent and reliable. I am running the original magneto in my 1915 Ford, which will have its 100th birthday in February. 100 years of service, and still sparking the plugs. I call that pretty reliable.


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## 666bbl (Apr 13, 2014)

I have a magneto in my 175 HP snowmobile. Do I get in the "mag club" with that?


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## Lemans guy (Oct 14, 2014)

Magnetos! Cool..... I have a crane cam E ignition module, but I am going to put the points back in anyway. With the window distributors on these cars I always found that to be such an easy dwell adjustment. Other cars back then you had to gap the points with a feeler gauge, close the dizzy cap and then check dwell., the window hey easy to keep it right.

This crane unit has run fine, but I don't get the real advantage of it other than not adjusting it.....but since I am always messing with something points ain't no big deal and like GeeTEEoh guy says rarely totally fail, can't say I ever had that happen....with points


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## Roger that (Feb 6, 2010)

Dual magnetos are even better! Well except for the cost.


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