Ignition Control Module (aftermarket)

[rubio9800]

I'm probably wasting my bandwidth here, but on a stock engine, buying Taylor wires and NGK plugs- you'll likely only notice your wallet is lighter. Don't get me wrong, those are some great components. But nobody's ever been able to convince me the cost benefits of using these over GM components for use on a stock engine. People have a tendency to think the aftermarket components are automatically better because they cost more, but that's not always the case.

If your stock HEI and wiring/plugs are currently in good shape, they're adequate for lighting off your stocker. This is not to say the Taylors/NGK's will hurt anything, but any "improvement" you see is likely just fixing a problem you had with your stock setup that could have been fixed with good, stock GM components for likely a lot less. Getting them free, swap meet bargains, on sale, etc., there's nothing wrong getting them if you don't have to pay more than you would for GM stuff.

Nothing new. People been diss'ing the GM HEI system since its inception. They will throw a helluva spark right off the assembly line. Anyone who's ever been "bitten" by one can tell you that. I can tell you that. Like anything else, good maintenance procedures and following that plan is the best medicine to keep things alive and kicking. When the tuneup is right, they can easily last for 50 years under the hood.

It's your money. Your peace of mind. Only you know the value of that. If you have the $$ and you don't mind, I surely don't mind.

makes perfect sense, i’ll be price shopping and go from there.

thanks for the advice

 

[olds307 and 403]

I have used multiple aftermarket HEI coils, ignition modules, wires and whole distributors. The replacement GM stuff now is nothing special at all. I noticed a smoother idle with NGK plugs over AC Delco or Autolite. Both are not quite as good as a few years ago since production went to China. The cap and rotor are especially cheap, aluminum terminals. I bought an AC Delco HEI ignition module, it has worked just fine. I used that 7 pin Accel module with 0 issues. I would upgrade the coil to a super coil and the Accel cap and rotor, if using the module. The Accel plug wires are decent as well and affordable, actually better quality than 30 years ago. The expensive and now discontinued Accel 8.8 25 ohm race wires were my favorite, much more robust than the MSD Superconductor wires with high heat. Both supposedly had RFI suppression, just super low resistance. Look for deals, I got one of the last sets of the 25 ohm wires from Holley for $20 a set! Is your motor a 267 sbc or a 265 Pontiac? Did CA get thr sbc like Canada? Good luck.

 

[rubio9800]

I have used multiple aftermarket HEI coils, ignition modules, wires and whole distributors. The replacement GM stuff now is nothing special at all. I noticed a smoother idle with NGK plugs over AC Delco or Autolite. Both are not quite as good as a few years ago since production went to China. The cap and rotor are especially cheap, aluminum terminals. I bought an AC Delco HEI ignition module, it has worked just fine. I used that 7 pin Accel module with 0 issues. I would upgrade the coil to a super coil and the Accel cap and rotor, if using the module. The Accel plug wires are decent as well and affordable, actually better quality than 30 years ago. The expensive and now discontinued Accel 8.8 25 ohm race wires were my favorite, much more robust than the MSD Superconductor wires with high heat. Both supposedly had RFI suppression, just super low resistance. Look for deals, I got one of the last sets of the 25 ohm wires from Holley for $20 a set! Is your motor a 267 sbc or a 265 Pontiac? Did CA get thr sbc like Canada? Good luck.

my engine is a pontiac 265
right now the coil i have is standard blue streak, where that falls in terms of quality i’m not too sure

 

[69hurstolds]

Standard is good quality for the price range. They used to be on the Teir 1 supplier list for GM (as was a lot of companies like Borg Warner, et al) and made some of the GM parts per their specs.

That's why I always recommend the GOOD ACDelco stuff. Sh*t that was made in USA before globalism killed everything (when GM actually owned them). Green stripe plugs and Packard wires. The Chinesium stuff is hit or miss. I just avoid all those. I got enough green stripe plugs for my G's to last me a lifetime. And probably your lifetime.

 

[rubio9800]

i had this same coil fail on me in a few months. only reason why i put the same one is because i got it replaced free.

coil is def not made here, so far this coil has been okay.

 

[rubio9800]

this morning i went from ac delco rapidfire to bosch 9659 and noticed much better idle and acceleration.

rapid fires under a year old

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

Since HEI is electronic, you really should use carbon core suppression wires to avoid EMI and RFI in the electronics, especially if you are running CCC or EFI. Spiral core stuff generally costs more yet does a much poorer job of suppressing EMI with no ignition improvement. The ignition enegry travels through the magnetic field around the wire.

Coil in cap ignition coils are a compromised design. In order to fit in the tight space inside the cap, they have to use thin windings and insulation which makes them weak. Not to mention being in cap results in them retaining more heat which promotes coil overheating which aggavates the thin windings and insulation. There is a reason for remote coil conversions.

 

[rubio9800]

Since HEI is electronic, you really should use carbon core suppression wires to avoid EMI and RFI in the electronics, especially if you are running CCC or EFI. Spiral core stuff generally costs more yet does a much poorer job of suppressing EMI with no ignition improvement. The ignition enegry travels through the magnetic field around the wire.

Coil in cap ignition coils are a compromised design. In order to fit in the tight space inside the cap, they have to use thin windings and insulation which makes them weak. Not to mention being in cap results in them retaining more heat which promotes coil overheating which aggavates the thin windings and insulation. There is a reason for remote coil conversions.

remote coil conversions? is that when it sits outside the distributor? car is running ccc

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

remote coil conversions? is that when it sits outside the distributor? car is running ccc

Yes, but its probably only needed for really wild setups. In 87, Monte Carlos switched to small cap remote coil HEI.

 

[rubio9800]

Yes, but its probably only needed for really wild setups. In 87, Monte Carlos switched to small cap remote coil HEI.

understood. So far with the new plugs already drives smoother. I'll see how things go switching to a better set of spark plug wires.

thanks for the tips