# 1966 Tempest HEI distrubutor



## 19pontiac66 (Mar 1, 2015)

Good afternoon everyone. I have a 1966 Tempest with the stock 326 and ST 300 transmission. Recently we installed new valves, springs, rockers just to keep everything new inside. We also installed an HEI distributor. The issue we are having is to get the car to run the distributor has to be all the was advanced for it to run and of course it does not run well. I am asking if anyone would be able to kind of let us know how the distributor needs to be set up. Does it get set up the same way as the original or different? Where should number one be on the new distributor? I know these are probably very easy questions for most of you but we are kind of new at this and learning along the way. If any one has pictures to go along with the procedure that would be great. Thanks in advance. Larry


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

HEI will need a 12-volt power source. The factory points had a resistor wire which keeps the volts down nearer to 8 so the points do not burn up. That would be my first thing to check/do.


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## 19pontiac66 (Mar 1, 2015)

Good morning Jim, We have 12 volts going to the HEI. What is weird is that to get the car to run we have to advance it all the way and then it will run. It runs like you know what but it starts and runs. On the HEI is there a specific location for number one wire? Could the distributor be bad? I know that these questions seems probably silly to most but we really don't know what to do. Again we appreciate all the advice. Thank you.


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## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

Sounds like you may be a tooth off when you installed it. Turn engine over to TDC and install dist with rotor pointed at #1 cylinder. Make sure the dist body is "in the middle" of where you can rotate it to advance or retard the timing.


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## 19pontiac66 (Mar 1, 2015)

Good afternoon, sorry for the delay. Work is getting crazy and mother nature has decided to visit us again. Anyways back to the good stuff,

ALKY, Cylinder #1 is at TDC. When you say one tooth off, can we just remove the distributor and move it clockwise one tooth or do we have to follow it all the way around counter clock wise for it to fall it place? 
Does #1 on the HEI cap have to be on a certain place?


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## Matthew (Feb 11, 2011)

Don't forget here... Pontiac distributors rotate counter clockwise. So, if you want to advance one tooth you need to go counter clockwise. Matt


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## 19pontiac66 (Mar 1, 2015)

Hey Matt, ok thanks great. I know this may sound silly but I just need to then move the distributor 1 tooth counter clockwise? Does that number one plug wire have to be any particular place on the cap? Or any where is fine?


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## Matthew (Feb 11, 2011)

Well, that kind of depends. You say in your first post you have to advance the timing to start the engine. Are you sure? Best way to tell is put a timing light on it. OK, so positioning the distributor... original orientation of the distributor would have the vacuum advance on the distributor pointed to the left fender. The distributor cap wired so that #1 cylinder is at approximately one o'clock as you look at the distributor. So to answer your question... you could get on TDC, take the cap off, find where the rotor is pointed and put your #1 plug wire there... sure. Then using the firing order of 1 8 4 3 6 5 7 2 counter clockwise. Am I answering your question? Matt


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## Matthew (Feb 11, 2011)

I reread my response... I'm making this sound complicated. It is not tough. Find TDC on the compression stroke of cylinder #1. Pull the cap off and see if the rotor is generally pointing to one o'clock. If it isn't, get it there. Lift the distributor enough to turn the shaft in the direction that gets it there. Seat it. If you have it the right spot, put the cap back on and fire that puppy. Matt


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## Lemans guy (Oct 14, 2014)

19 that is good advice from Matt, you may have it advanced too far. But also check that your Fast idle cam, on the carburetor is not engaging or stuck. Depending on temperature and choke settings you have to make sure that is not what is causing the fast running. A cold engine, below 70, is supposed to run fast say 1200 to 1500 RPM's for a minute, and the you press the gas to release the choke. .....So if that is right.

Remember that the timing is three things, all easy to check. The first is from where you turn it to on the marks on the timing cover. You control that. Do it with the vacuum line to the distributor disconnected and the engine side plugged. So no vacuuming leak.

Before you do that with the dist cap off you can see the two weights held on by small springs in dist top. Turn the top of dist by hand car off. Do the turn freely and go back freely or are they stuck open? You will have way too much advance, stuck closed not enough.

If that all looks good a 6 to 12 degrees advance before top dead center should get the car going. Make sure the bolt is just snug when you try it so the dist does not turn and advance the spark because it is loose.

Can also be a bad loose internal dist. But check easy stuff first. 

You wil get it!:banghead:


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## 19pontiac66 (Mar 1, 2015)

Good afternoon guys, Yes Matt you did answer my question. I am going to take off all the wires remove the cap and start from scratch. Hopefully that will be done tomorrow(Finally no work Monday night).

Lemans guy, I am going to check those weights also. And try the 6 to 12 degree advance. And you hit the nail on the head with that guy banging his head. I know its probably something silly what we did that the car doesn't run, yet. Thanks for all the advice.


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## Lemans guy (Oct 14, 2014)

Right 19, you are not as far off as you think. It starts and runs. Just too fast.
So set dizzy right like Matt said and do the best you can to set up your choke and fast idle cam on carb. Timing really is set at operating temperature, after the car has reached it say 180. That takes some time to warm up.

These pontiacs like a lot of timing. I don't think you have too much timing as a base. I run my 326 at 10 BASE and 16 degrees of vacuum advance for 26 degrees at idle. It runs smooth as silk. I get the rest 26 from the weights for Total advance of 36. ( Vacumn is not part of total as when you have the throttle open Vacumn drops to zero and pull no advance) but at light throttle cruise I have 52 degrees and have 14.7 AFR on both wide band 02 sensors in my exhaust.

So six to 12 will get you running with Vacumn plugged and car warmed up. Also make sure your throttle is not held open too much by the speed screw on carb, that will make it race as well....:Scottwax1:


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## 19pontiac66 (Mar 1, 2015)

Good afternoon guys....It's ALIVE!!! hehe.. Well we started from scratch. Removed the wires, set number one to TDC and positioned the HEI distributor to where number one would have been on the original distributor and she fired right up. Set the timing and she runs fairly well. However it does sound like the rockers and making noise. Could it be possible that they are not tight? And how do you adjust them? We really appreciate all the help. Maybe we can pass on our experiences to someone else. Thanks guys


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