HEI conversion for the Jeep AMC 4.2 straight six. Done!

[@Kordie78]

That solid brown wire for the alternator is a resistor wire. The length determines the total resistnace of the wire, mine was about 11 ohms. It should splice into 12v near the firewall harness block. A resistor wire will allow the electromagnetic field in the alternator to collapse, if you run low resistance wire, then the alternator would keep itself running, so a diode or resistance wire lets the alternator stop powering itself.

[@BrandonWagner-u4n]

Thanks for the video. Im currently in the process of installing one of these on my 84. Hoping it will fire up when I'm finished with all the wiring. Hasn't been started in almost 4 years. Motor and everything on the chasis is super clean.

[@3rdpig]

Mine sat for a long time too as I was doing work on it. I think you'll find this a worthwhile upgrade even if the old ignition system still works. Not only does it clean up a lot of wiring and get rid of extra components, it makes it much easier to diagnose and kind of future proofs it as the replacements for the oem components are all aftermarket, hard to find and from what I've been told, unreliable.

[@markisherwood-tj4uo]

I have a 72 cj 5 .. did this in the 80's .. went to the junkyard and scavanged a hei from a late 70's to mid 80's chevy one .. only had to take an angle grinder and grind the tang up the shaft more to get mine to fit.. been running it for 30 years now.. ohhh look for a chevy 6 cyl

[@WilliamStrawnJoe]

Great video! My YJ was already converted to a HEI when I bought it. Now I understand why that years wiring diagram (1987) 15:54 didn’t look like what I have.

[@3rdpig]

Thanks for watching!

[@JohnMcClain-p9t]

Hi, I've got an 82 I just bought this summer and I'm getting ready to tear it down this winter and do some fixing. I've got a steering issue and I definitely want to go to HEI, I've gotten used to it over the last forty years and don't like crawling under at my age, want everything easy you might say. Thanks for a pretty clear demonstration of what needs to be done, haven't worked on an AMC in a few years. I'm really looking forward to the wiring, lol!

[@3rdpig]

Thanks! The best part of the HEI install is all the wiring you get to tear out and not put back. Stick around, they'll be even more CJ work coming soon now that it's not hot enough to melt rock where I live.

[@nutz13_]

i have an 89 yj, gotta replace all timing parts to get her back on the road, then hei is the next upgrade!!! also gotta do 1.5" shackle lift in the rear to level her out, hook up all vacuum hoses (previous owner disconnected everything 😵‍💫) and i'm golden. subbed, excited to see more vids!!

[@3rdpig]

I'm dying to get back to work on the CJ, but I've just been so bombarded with other stuff to do that I haven't been able to yet. Hopefully in a week or so I'll be caught up and can get back to it. Thanks for watching!

[@Denver1976Man]

The yellow wire in the main harness is hot with key and is the best for hot. Use the green from the distributor for tach. Done deal.

[@terryparker8884]

Did you need to hook the alternator to the distributor to get the distributor to spark

[@curtishenshaw5592]

Good afternoon. Could you please tell me where you purchased the alternator pigtail with the diode in it? I can't seem to find one. My jeep j10 is carberated so im going to need one in order for it to shut off with the key. Thanks for your help.

[@3rdpig]

If it's got the Delco alternator the one below will work, it's the same one I used. bit.ly/3pziY6y

[@curtishenshaw5592]

Just so I understand. The 10 gauge wire at the firewall goes to the red wire on the distributor. The green wire is for a tach and not needed if I don't have a tach. From the alternator I plug in the diode pigtail you sent a link for. Then run the red wire from the 2nd connector put a ring terminal on it and down to the bolt on the alternator. Then the white wire from the 2nd connector run that to the rotor and attach it with the other two red wires? This wire makes the engine shut off once the key is turned off? Won't the rotor still be getting constant power from the red wire coming from the firewall? Sorry I am asking a ton of questions, but want to get it right. Great channel also, I subscribed.

[@3rdpig]

@@curtishenshaw5592 Yes, the 10 gauge red wire from the firewall (which is switched On/Off via the ignition switch) runs to the red wire on the distributor. With a carb and no tachometer you can leave the green wire at the distributor pigtail disconnected, it does nothing other than provide a tachometer signal. The white wire at the alternator is the Exciter wire, it doesn't make the engine shut off, it makes the alternator work. What makes the engine shut off is not having 12v at the distributor with the key off, even if the engine is still rotating. For this reason the white wire can't be connect directly to the distributor without a diode in the circuit. A diode allows electricity to flow one way, but not the other. So for the two wire pigtail at the alternator, the red wire connects to the stud on the back of the alternator with a ring terminal. The white wire can stay connected to it's original wire if it's there. If no factory wire is there for it you can connect to the red wire on the distributor, but you will need to use the pigtail with the diode in it. If you connect it to the factory wire you should not need the diode pigtail, at least not as I read the schematic. The other wire that leads to the red wire on the distributor comes from the "I" terminal on the starter solenoid. I know it sounds confusing, but it's really only 3 wires. Hook it up, make sure you have 12v to the distributor with key on and not with it off, get it set to TDC, start the engine and set the timing. If it doesn't shut off with the key, add the pigtail.

[@matt82654]

Chuck, thanks for this video!! I have a 1981 CJ5 I have restored, totally rebuilt engine, 4.2 by a master machinist, and I want to make this Mostplus addition as well. Everything I saw on your vid pretty much relates to my '81. I want to make this as simple as possible as my wheelhouse is mechanics and body work, not electrical. So...the heavy red wire going to the ignition module connects to the red wire on the Mostplus and the green to the tach. Is that It? Just wanting to make sure before I melt a wire somewhere.

[@3rdpig]

Yes, you have it right. All an HEI distributor needs to run is 12v positive to that red wire. The tach wire isn't even needed if you don't have a tach or another need for a tach signal. If you decide to feed the alternator back into that same wire, which is fine, and you're running a carb it might not shut off. That's when you'll need to add in that pigtail with the diode in it that I mentioned in the video. Good luck!

[@Wiencourager]

If yours still has feedback carb be aware an HEI does not provide a tach signal to the ECU. The factory carb is calibrated for that stuff to be working. The stock set up runs great if it’s all working.

[@marionball328]

@@3rdpig Chuck, I have right at 12 volts on the red with the ignition in the on position but it drops to around 5 volts in the crank position. What would you think is causing this?

[@zacfree5]

What happens if you don’t cut the ignition box and all the wires off the fender

[@3rdpig]

1. It will be ugly 2. It will take up space 3. All the extra wires will complicate the engine wiring and be confusing to anyone diagnosing future problems. 4. Your friends will laugh and the girls won't go out with you Other than that, nothing.

[@zacfree5]

@@3rdpig I got my new Hei in and couldn’t get a start so I ran a wire straight from hot side of battery to battery spot on the Hei , I got it to start and my wiring harness melted up and caught fire… I think it’s unrelated to anything I did but just checking

[@zacfree5]

All I did was cut the battery any tach wire and unplug the old distributor

[@MichaelArnan-l7c]

Hi Chuck, quick question for you… You mentioned that you thought when you connected the small 22 gauge brown wire to the white excite wire on the alternator that that would give the 12 V power supply needed (secondary circuit). I never did hear you confirm that, but it looked like towards the end of the video it showed that small wire was indeed connected to the excite wire, and the excite wire did not have to be tied into the 12 gauge 12 V power supply at the HEI. If you could please confirm this I would appreciate it. Thank you very much and for a great video

[@3rdpig]

Yes, I did use that solid core brown wire to provide 12v to the alternator. Really any 12v source that turns off with the key can be used, but since that brown wire was already there I used it. And it's still working fine 5 months later. Thanks for watching!

[@closeenoughmechanics]

GREAT video. Very informative. I am having all sorts of issues with the ignition on my 82 CJ. I seem to have 2 ignition modules hooked up? One is where yours is and the other has a part number of “prestolite EF3240761” on the passenger side fender between the grille and starting solenoid. Are either of those needed with this setup? I’m scratching my head as to how/why I have 2.

[@3rdpig]

I have no clue what your prestolite module is, mine doesn't have one. The HEI only requires one 12v positive wire that's hot with the key in the Run and Start positions, a vacuum hose to the advance unit and spark plug wires to operate. You can remove everything else, modules, coil and all the wiring. The HEI needs none of it, it is a fully self contained ignition system. Good luck and thanks for watching!

[@closeenoughmechanics]

@@3rdpig thanks, Chuck! I look forward to you future content.

[@herbertnewman4595]

I have heard there are issues with the hardness of the gear on the Chinese distributor, which makes the gear on the cam wear prematurely.

[@3rdpig]

I would think that if the gear on the cam is hardened properly it shouldn't wear due to being in contact with a softer gear on the distributor. Is there any other info you can provide? I will pop it out after a few hundred miles and have a look at it though, just to be on the safe side.

[@herbertnewman4595]

One other thing to do is if you still have your original distributor take the gear off and put it on the HEI this time when you have it out@@3rdpig

[@cdeprima1209]

I cleaned the CATS on mine, soaked in gas overnight, hosed out; clear smoke now, should not run hot! Putting std transmission back together after replacing broken bearing!

[@jpseager9718]

I’ve heard that putting a new distributor gear with an old cam gear destroy the cam gear. Have you had any trouble with that?

[@3rdpig]

That's an old wives tale IMO. The gear on the cam is far harder than the gear on a distributor. I've never seen a cam gear, not one of mine or anything I've ever worked on, be wrecked by a a new distributor gear. The only way I think that might happen is on a camshaft that never gotten hardened properly, which considering the quality of aftermarket parts these days might not be that uncommon.

[@jpseager9718]

Thanks for responding, I’m getting one for my 79 concord and was a little concerned about it

[@steves.361]

I just installed an hei on my 83 cj7. It wont start, Im getting power to the solenoid but no click. I do have a factory tach and I havent figured out which wire coming from the firewall goes to the hei. Anyhelp would be appreciated.

[@3rdpig]

If it doesn't even crank then it sounds like a starter problem. Try jumping power directly to the starter and see if it spins over, If it doesn't, it's a bad starter. I can't help you with the factory tach since I don't have one. But I outline clearly in my video which wire you should use to power the HEI distributor and which wires and components you can remove completely. If it's not clear enough let me know and I'll try to help more, but the HEI is pretty much a one wire distributer. It needs power when the key is in both Start and Run positions and no power in Off and ACC positions. Also, as I outline in the video if you have a carburetor you may need the adapter I show that prevents the alternator from backfeeding the distributor. Good luck!

[@steves.361]

After doing some more searching today I saw a post where so.eone reversed the red and blue wires going to the solenoid. I tried it and the starter turned over strong. But it also turns over when the key is in the acc. position. Starter switch problem???

[@rickz6688]

Did u change the the gear on hei with the one that came out

[@markfeuerherdt2338]

What year jeep is yours? Trying to get the air cleaner and whatever that connector is called that goes from the carb to the air cleaner. Thanks.

[@3rdpig]

It's a 1980. But it's also got a Holley throttle body injection instead of a carb. So that oblong "can" looking thing that goes between the air cleaner and the throttle body is not a stock Jeep part, it came with the Holley kit. The original carb was tall enough that it wasn't necessary and the air cleaner connected directly to the carb. I'll put a link to a picture below so you can see how it looked. This is just a picture I found on the internet, it's not my Jeep and it's an 1986, but it's still the same carb and air cleaner. Good luck! www.maxim.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/1986-jeep-cj7_0270-scaled.jpg

[@markfeuerherdt2338]

@3rdpig thanks, so much!! Love the video! Very good! Make more for us novice jeepsters!😀😀

[@markfeuerherdt2338]

I have a 2 barrel Ford MC 2100 carb. Gonna see what I need to make it work.

[@JB-wd8nf]

Do you still run factory plugs and gap?

[@3rdpig]

I am. Stock plugs will be best, that won't change with the HEI conversion. As far as plug gap is concerned, 035 to 045 should work fine. Not sure if that's optimal but so far it seems to be working fine.

[@tellsitasitis]

I just installed my HEI Distributor. My distributor is so much higher that any stock wires aren't long enough. Anyone else have this problem? Can I just order some V8 wires and use the long ones?

[@3rdpig]

Is it taller than the one I installed? If so, I'm curious as to why? I'm not sure if a V8 set will cure your issues, but you can probably go to an auto parts store, ask to see a set and measure them. If it's the same height as the one in my video than a set from a 98 ZJ worked for me. Good luck!

[@tellsitasitis]

Ended up buying Accel and made my own

[@we773]

How has this cheap HEI Dist. Held up?

[@3rdpig]

So far it's been perfect. I've been warned that the plug wires that sometimes comes with these distributors are hot garbage, so I bought the one without wires and then bought a set of Taylor wires.

[@fernandogarcia4153]

Very Nice work! Did it increase horsepower?

[@AmericanDefender]

I can't stand the Duraspark ! I'm on my 5th one in two years! Every Ford or jeep I've owned had issues because of that mickey mouse thing!

[@3rdpig]

@@AmericanDefender I guess everyone has different experiences. The one on my Jeep is the original from 1980 and I've never had a single problem with it. Same thing with a Ford truck I had. But, it's stupidly complex for what it does and has a lot of failure points, so I'm not shocked that it causes a lot of people a lot of problems.

[@cdeprima1209]

Good idea, good job! I say use 30 weight oil in that engine to get more miles out of it. Any carb upgrades or is that goog? Other upgrades? :)

[@3rdpig]

It's got a remanned engine in it with about 100k on it Straight 30w oil isn't a great choice where I live. The carb is long gone, I put a Holley 1v ProJction on it 10-12 years ago. It's got a 5 speed from a V8 Mustang, dual cooling fans from a Ford Contour with a PWM controller, aluminum radiator, lunchbox locker in the front, 4" lift, all LED lights, Bluetooth adapter as a stereo, custom made bumpers, rock sliders and spare tire carrier. Probably a lot more that I can't remember, I've owned it 30 years and have been making improvements on it since I've had it.