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401 to HEI

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jgarverick View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jgarverick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/20/2013 at 11:28am
Not sure if this will help or not but I'm running a Mallory HEI in my car. The distributor didn't come with a gear or a hole in the shaft. The install instructions stated to use the old gear and drill a hole through the shaft using the old gear as a guide and that's what I did. It may have come with some sort of drill jig, I can't remember as it's been a while.
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motiv8ya View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote motiv8ya Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/20/2013 at 4:11pm
Originally posted by Charles Smiley Charles Smiley wrote:

Why not drill the new hole in the gear to match the shaft so the shaft weakening isn't an issue? Did I miss something?

Good call! Thanks
1979 CJ7 - AMC 401 (.040), Melling MTA-1 RV Cam, Edelbrock Performer Intake and #1406 Carb, AMC TH400
1977 CJ7 - AMC 401 (.040 over) Melling MTA-1 RV Cam, Edelbrock Airgap Intake, HEI, Howell TBI
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motiv8ya View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote motiv8ya Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/20/2013 at 4:38pm
Originally posted by whizkidder whizkidder wrote:

Originally posted by motiv8ya motiv8ya wrote:

The holes will intersect and I think it'll weaken the shaft. The roll pin holes are just slightly off, like the thickness of the washer between it and the housing.


In that case, I'd measure the distance from the flange that locates the housing in the front cover to the top of the gear, and either trim the housing or gear to make it the same dimension as the OEM distributor, and use the existing hole. (if a thinner washer wouldn't make it fit as is...)

That sounds like another great option. I wasn't sure if I could shave some material off the top of the gear without ruining it. The factory gear made contact with the HEI housing without the washer (thrust washer?) installed and locked it up. The roll pin holes are about 1/32" off

I think I'll try to redrill the gear first. If that doesn't work then I'll shave the top of the gear and look for a really thin washer.   
1979 CJ7 - AMC 401 (.040), Melling MTA-1 RV Cam, Edelbrock Performer Intake and #1406 Carb, AMC TH400
1977 CJ7 - AMC 401 (.040 over) Melling MTA-1 RV Cam, Edelbrock Airgap Intake, HEI, Howell TBI
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scott View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote scott Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/20/2013 at 4:50pm
I'd throw the HEI in the trash & run the OEM distributor.
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White70JavelinSST View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote White70JavelinSST Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/20/2013 at 4:57pm
I don't know wether to think I got lucky or what.
In the middle 70's I swapped in a new Mallory dual point distributor. I didn't swap the cam gear out then. The car was driven about 40 to 50 thousand miles after that. No trouble.
When the Mallory was obsolete, (Mallory didn't support it with replacement parts) I swapped the dual point for an MSD billet distributor. Again I didn't tear off the water pump, front case, and replace the gear on the cam.  I pulled the distributor out after about 2 to 3 thousand miles and saw no excessive wear or damage. Now nearly four years later and probably 6000 miles additional on the car, I haven't seen problems.
I guess I was just lucky.
 
BTW both of the replacement distributors had iron gears.
 
 
Just my personal experience
Armand


Edited by White70JavelinSST - May/21/2013 at 11:46am
70 Javelin SST, second owner, purchased 1972
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motiv8ya View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote motiv8ya Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/20/2013 at 5:36pm
Well that was quick and painless, hope it actually works. I drilled another 3/16" hole through the gear about 1/32" higher and reused one of the factory washers after I filed the inner lip off of it. Worked like a charm!
1979 CJ7 - AMC 401 (.040), Melling MTA-1 RV Cam, Edelbrock Performer Intake and #1406 Carb, AMC TH400
1977 CJ7 - AMC 401 (.040 over) Melling MTA-1 RV Cam, Edelbrock Airgap Intake, HEI, Howell TBI
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Charles Smiley View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Charles Smiley Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/20/2013 at 6:07pm
 
Ditch the GM HEI. Putting electronics inside that hot cap filled with Ozone and sparks flying around is something only GM would dream up.
 
These photos are my J10 401.
 
I run the 1980 Motorcraft?AMC dizzy (curve it) and run the Motorcraft/AMC "blue-ribbon" box or the repalcement MSD box in the photo.
 
The MSD version has a dashmount advance control.
Get the cap adapter, cap and rotor for the 8mm snap in wires it all comes from circa 1980 mustang 5.0 V8.
 
I put the Motorcraft system in dozens of cars. The only hard part is learnig how to recurve them but you can find plenty of Ford guys with a Sun machine tha tknow how.
 
I ran this combo on road race tracks for almost 10 years. That car saw 7000+ rpms for sustained periods of time and never missed  beat.


Edited by Charles Smiley - May/20/2013 at 6:09pm
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Charles Smiley View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Charles Smiley Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/20/2013 at 6:08pm
I hate how this website distorts photos and can't maintain the original rectangular aspect ratio!!!
 
Here's the advance control where the Jeep ashtray used to go.
 


Edited by Charles Smiley - May/20/2013 at 6:12pm
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Ron R View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ron R Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/10/2013 at 9:46pm
I just installed an e bay HEI and ended up using the old stock gear and shaving it down on top to fit.
No problems yet, have about 3000 miles on it so far.
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motiv8ya View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote motiv8ya Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/11/2013 at 5:28pm
Originally posted by Ron R Ron R wrote:

I just installed an e bay HEI and ended up using the old stock gear and shaving it down on top to fit.
No problems yet, have about 3000 miles on it so far.

How do you like the HEI? I'm hoping to be problem free also.
1979 CJ7 - AMC 401 (.040), Melling MTA-1 RV Cam, Edelbrock Performer Intake and #1406 Carb, AMC TH400
1977 CJ7 - AMC 401 (.040 over) Melling MTA-1 RV Cam, Edelbrock Airgap Intake, HEI, Howell TBI
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