Swapping out OEM distributor with HEI distributor

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Ricko1966

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2017
Posts
5,479
Reaction score
8,796
Location
kansas
First Name
Rick
Truck Year
1975
Truck Model
c20
Engine Size
350
This is going no where Cali Square bodies were carbureated and knock sensor we could go round and round about this. I still don't agree with you,I think even a crude knock sensor can be used as a tuning tool,just like and adjustable vacuum advance but better and lots of guys are pulling timing and using adjustable vacuum advance to kill detonation they only have occasionally in certain conditions,a crude knock sensor woukd help right there,just for that minute instaed of pulling timing all the time. As I said before,I don't want to argue about. You have your opinion I have mine. I'm done.
 

zulander

Junior Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2024
Posts
4
Reaction score
2
Location
indiana
First Name
Edward
Truck Year
1985
Truck Model
c30
Engine Size
350
Jealous of you all in Texas, no rust on that baby, looks nice !!
 

mlparkey

Junior Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2021
Posts
9
Reaction score
8
Location
Oak Lawn
First Name
Mark
Truck Year
1986
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
5.7
I had a similar situation with my 1986 C10. It was originally a California truck with a 305 that had ESC and CCC (computer controlled carburetor). The previous owner dropped in a crate 350 and kept the original distributor, carburetor and 700R4 transmission. It ran okay, but nothing like my 1976 C10 with a 350 and turbo 350 transmission. I started having some carb issues so I swapped out the Rochester CCC with a non CCC quadrajet. The throttle response and performance increase was immediate but it still wasn't exactly where I wanted it. Then I swapped out the ESC distributor for an HEI unit with vacuum advance. I set my base timing at 10⁰ advance. I get 17⁰ of vacuum advance from a manifold vacuum source for a total of 27⁰ advance at idle. I get a total of 34⁰ mechanical advance at 3000 rpm. The difference is like night and day. Even with the 3.08 gear in back, it really pulls hard on acceleration. I can run regular gas and I have no pinging or detonation issues at all. My '76 had 3.73 gears in the back so it was much quicker off the line, but I do a lot of highway cruising with my '86 so the 3.08 gears are just fine. The 700R4 has a lower 1st and 2nd gear ratio than the turbo 350 so that helps as well.
 

SirRobyn0

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2019
Posts
6,755
Reaction score
11,402
Location
In the woods in Western Washington
First Name
Rob
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
C20
Engine Size
305
My truck the ESC went down . I put in a regular HEI I messed with it springs,weights,vacuum can initial. I never got it to run as a total package as well as it did with ESC. Same with @SirRobyn0 he chronicles all the changes he made over the coarse of a year,finally when it was all said and done,it was back as an ESC truck. He documented it all recorded gas milage etc. I can tell you mine runs better with esc. But I didn't document anything. Working ESC is best in my truck. I suspect yours never worked right. So it's real similiar to the I took off a messed up Qjet and put on an Edelbrock and it runs great stories. But you never hear anybody say I compared a Fresh Quadrajet to an Edelbrock.
I haven't the time to read though the entire thread or to dig up my old thread and link it, but ya for my truck the ESC needs to be there for it run with any kind of power and get the best gas mileage it can.
 

boloboss

Full Access Member
Joined
May 6, 2023
Posts
72
Reaction score
19
Location
Houston Texas
First Name
Shuntel
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
Chevy C10
Engine Size
v8 350 5.7 liz6er
What's up guys?
I just upgraded my stock fan to a dual 12-in electric fan. Wanted to know how many cfms do I need to cool my 350 small block engine that I have?
The setup that I upgraded to, each fan is 1700 CFM. I have a total of 3400 cfm
You must be registered for see images attach
Is that enough to cool my engine
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
44,197
Posts
951,351
Members
36,324
Latest member
josh4paint
Top