What's Your Problem? - Reader Tech Questions

Dave Porter, Barrie, Ontario, Canada: I am slowly bringing my '73 AMC Javelin/AMX (401/727 auto) back to life. I'm on a really tight budget, so ordering new stuff and waiting for the courier truck to arrive is not in the works. I watch eBay and go to swap meets, and so far all the bits I have needed eventually came along at a decent price. One of the upgrades I would like to make is to an electronic ignition, in particular a GM HEI unit. I know there are conversion kits to update my current distributor-a friend used one with less than stellar results-and it's money that could be spent elsewhere. The OEM dist is a GM points unit (the type with the little window for adjusting the dwell). Can an HEI unit be adapted to this application? I have seen "new" aftermarket GM HEI distributors for AMC. Can I combine parts of an HEI and the original dist to create something that is functional and reliable? This car is for street cruising, so all-out performance isn't a huge concern. I figure any electronic ignition is better than the original points system. The other reasons for going this route are to move the coil into a neat, tidy, one-wire housing and fulfill the sense of accomplishment you get from scouring the junkyard, finding the correct part, and adapting it to work in an application that it was never meant for. Thanks for the great magazine. I look forward to it showing up each month in my mailbox. Keep up the good work and the AMC coverage.

Jeff Smith: The answer to your question, Dave, is that the conversion can be done, but it's not as simple as it may seem. It's clear you've done your homework. The easiest solution is to go with one of the new distributors. Among the AMC HEI distributors, the least expensive one we found is from ProForm (PN 67185) at $209.88 through Summitracing.com. We suggest this first because the alternative requires some extensive modification.

There's no easy way to convert your existing points distributor to HEI internals without custom-machining. The easiest way is to combine the base of your AMC distributor with the upper half of a GM HEI large-cap distributor. This involves purchasing a used HEI that's in good shape and then having a machine shop cut the tops off your distributor and a typical small-block Chevy HEI distributor. The hard part is welding the distributor shaft, making sure it remains straight, and then welding the two aluminum distributor body portions together. While this may appeal to your sense of car-crafter adventure, it seems to us that by the time you're done with a bunch of custom machine work, you'd be far better off with the ProForm distributor that will just bolt right in place.

Autotronic Controls Corp. (MSD); El Paso, TX; 915/857-5200; msdignition.com
Performance Distributors; Memphis, TN; 901/396-5782; performancedistributors.com
PerTronix; San Dimas, CA; 909/599-5955; pertronix.com
Proform; Roseville, MI; 800/521-1005; proformparts.com

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