Posible HEI Module Failure

[TFoch]

When I was coming home from the cruise night with my grandson a couple nights ago the car quit on my about a 1/4 mile from home going up a hill.  I pulled over and after a couple of minutes it started back up and got us home.  My gas gauge was pretty low so I thought it may have starved for fuel going up the hill.  Yesterday I went and filled it up and it only took 9 gallons for a 15 gallon tank so I knew it wasn't lack of gas.

I decided to go for a short ride to my friends hot rod shop.  On the way it quit again but I was able to get it into neutral and fire it up again.  I turned around and headed home but after quitting two more times it would not restart.  We towed it home and I pulled the air cleaner and I am getting fuel.  So I'm thinking it's an HEI module.  It's a new Cross Fire Distributor with less than 500 miles on it.  I'm going to try to swap the module from my old distributor tonight to see if that's the problem.

I'll let you know what I find.

[EDNY]

Tom

If you have a Chinese module (ie RichPorter) I would suspect the module... if you can locate a GM unit - it is the best route.

Should you get stuck...I'm sure I have extras and can send one ASAP.

If you are using the module style below....try to find the 369....if you see any 369 modules..grab them.

And use thermo lube..............

[sammons]

Tom, I'm glad your grandson had a good time. Sounds like he might get the bug!
I've had my share of moduals go out. Had a similar thing when my uncle updated our old wrecker truck to H.E.I.   It just about drove me nuts a year or two later. It was intermittent, changed modual several times and seemed to work then right back to dying or not srarting. Turned out to be the spade crimp on wire end where he pluged in to the fuse box at key on acc hole.

[TFoch]

Ed,
I'll check my old GM HEI distributor tonight after I drop off some beer to my buddy that came to my rescue.  I'll let you know what it has in it.

Sammons, I think he already has the bug.  The first thing he want to do when they come over is go out in the garage

[sixball]

The first words my now 2 1/2 year old grandson put in a row were "Granddad hot rod pickup". It's too late for him. It looks like he will inherit a '26 Chevy roadster project. I held his 8 month old brother for almost an hour at a Hot August Nights cruse and he was soaking it up like a sponge,cars, music, lights, people,......he was all in.

I am making a lamp out of the Mallory Unilite that plagued my pickup for years. I removed to once before when it had left me on the side of the road on my way home from a central California show. I put it back in 2008 when a friend from Canada and I did a TBI junkyard demo on the '53 at Bonneville and I needed electronic ignition. It was working so I left it in until a few months ago. Then it started again doing what Tom described. I pulled the points distributer from under the seat and changed it on the spot. When HEIs work they are great when they don't you're stuck. Changing modules only made it work for a while. It'll make a nice desk lamp.

[TFoch]

We have ignition!  I swapped out the module with the one that was in my original GM HEI distributor.  The car fired right up.  It's raining here so I can't go for a test ride.  Here's a pic of the module out of my original distributor. The next is the one out of the Crossfire Distributor and the GM one.  The third is the Crossfire Distributor and the fourth is the original GM distributor.
Glad it's running again.  I'll let you know if I have any future issues.  I do plan to buy a spare!
Tom

[EDNY]

Good deal..I should have known you had a big cap HEI, the module in my picture is from a small cap HEI with external coil.  That module in your picture with no marking is most likely Chinese.

[TFoch]

That's what I figured.  I'll need to find an Auto Parts store to source a US made one as my spare.

[vette59jdwl]

Tom while you are at the garage don't forget to pick up some di-electric grease  vette59jdwl

[EDNY]

Actually you need thermo grease...

BTW Tom...any used GM module is better than a new Chinese one

[TFoch]

Put it back together with this thermal grease from Radio Shack.  Tried a bunch of auto parts stores and no luck for that type of grease.  Took the car for a 30 mile test drive today and no issues.  I guess I'll have to pick up an American made spare to leave in the car.

[EDNY]

I bought a 30 gram tube on ebay (China  )

Computer shop is another source.

[28chevyguy]

The only new hei modules I use and trust are napa echlin TP-45 .  They are good quality and wont leave you stranded.

[TFoch]

The only new hei modules I use and trust are napa echlin TP-45 .  They are good quality and wont leave you stranded.

Thanks I'll check it out.  I want to pick up a spare before I go too far from home.
Tom

[sixball]

If you have CarQuest near their in house brand is Standard and Echlin, or was when I worked there.