260ZRED Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 Hey guys, I'm using a generic toggle switch for the HEI ignition and my question is: where does the HEI ground?? MY friend says it's either through the actual sparkplugs or the hold down clip that touches the block. Which one is it and how have some of you wired HEI directly?? Or do I have it totally wrong and need to make a solid ground somwhere?? thanks for any info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zerpie1 Posted April 5, 2004 Share Posted April 5, 2004 Wiring an HEI distributor is simple. It seems you have a 260z like me. Just run the black/white wire that used to go to the ignition coil to the "BAT" terminal on the cap. The blue wire that used to go to the coil goes to the "TACH" terminal. Be sure to put a 15000 ohm resistor in the blue wire before it connects to TACH and turn the adjusting screw on the back of your tachometer 1/4 turn clockwise. Otherwise your tach will go crazy on you. The rest is just wires to the spark plugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260ZRED Posted April 5, 2004 Author Share Posted April 5, 2004 I forgot to mention I have no wires left, they were all removed (10 pounds of trash.) Again, I am starting from "nothing" and just need the darn thing to fire! The tach can wait for now... how do I get it to just fire?? I do have the jtr book but it was not specific about the HEI wiring and my friend confused the #@$% out of me by saying it grounds through the spark plugs themselvs? huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260ZRED Posted April 5, 2004 Author Share Posted April 5, 2004 my question is: what wires do I HAVE TO HAVE for it to fire. I will mess with it tommorow but it'd sure help if someone could tell me "what goes where" before. Thx.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAZRNR Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 With all 10lbs of wires gone you have a little challenge on your hands. Do you have any of the under dash harness that used to run to right footwell and into the engine bay? To get the car running you need to trace from the ignition key/switch and find the following: 1) a black wire with a white stripe . This will go the the pos on the GM HEI. You also need to power your fuel pump from this or another keyed wire. 2)there will be a black wire with a yellow stripe, this is for your starter "s" clip and run a jumper wire across to the black wire with a white stripe to activate the F/P on start. 3) good ground from engine to body, and battery to motor 4) pos battey to starter. 5) wire from alt to battery + with a fuse in line This VERY basic but should get the engine to run and charge the battery but not give you any gauges, or other accessories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260ZRED Posted April 7, 2004 Author Share Posted April 7, 2004 We got her to run, thanks Jeff!!!! and thanks for the tips everyone.. and no I don't have "ANY" of the wiring.. lol. Oh what a feeling of firing up a 350 with open headers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 16, 2004 Share Posted April 16, 2004 Back in the day when I was wiring 57 chevys and street rods from scratch, I used a dual ballast resister from a chrysler. If memory serves me correctly, I wired the 5 ohm resister to the ignition and the .05 ohm side to the gages. That was the way chrysler was using it at the time. I never had any problems. I was also using a point system dist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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