Proform HEI Distributor Review

Originally Posted by valleyfirearms

Great write up and even better pics.

Agreed, is an alternative for the non purist but sticks in the craw of a purist like me. Even my lawn tractor is a Ford.

With the coil on top it makes the engine compartment look cleaner.

your opinion

Being a GM design makes it hard for some to swallow. If it were a Ford engineered design these guys would be all over it.

Hello it's Fordmuscle.com not crapmaro.com

Not trying to start a flamewar but every time this HEI in a Ford engine has come up in any of the forums the same reaction has occured so it is not a surprise now.

Originally Posted by JDKRUZER1

i have what is called in the jeggs book a msd ready to run billit dist.i think you can run that without a box ,or should i get a 6L too. its a 289 that was in my falcon when i got it .i don't khow the specs on the motor but it has a big cam . and sounds realy good. it has 0 road miles .right now it has an accel duel point . did i choose wisely? JD.

Yes IMHO
Get a 6AL down the road if you want a rev limiter.

Good write up 67stang. I run a Performance Distributors DUI in my 400 and I love it. Trouble free and it is simple to install while keeping the wiring clean.....just like the 1 wire alt I have....can't understand why people think you gotta have a crap load of wiring and troublesome TFI modules or so-so Duraspark boxes. Ford's TFI ignitions and Duraspark boxes have left me stranded too many times for me to keep running them. As for the "I wouldn't have a GM part on my Ford" crowd, how about all those Saginaw P/S pumps that Ford used in the 70's or the Quadrajets that were used on the 429CJ? Ford thought the parts were good enough to give GM money to buy those parts and install them as OEM so whats wrong with an HEI system?

Duraspark distributor and MSD box works far better than Duraspark/Duraspark.

I can't really complain about the HEI thing...while I personally don't like them (nothing really to do with GM technology lol). I ran a 1 wire GM alternator for years and years on my 67 Coupe. Brighter headlights, better starts, the whole 9yds...it was well worth it and cleaned things up nicely lol. Now I use the Gen3 stuff.

See I do use Ford when I can =).

Cris

Hello guys,

i´m install this distributor on my fresh rebuild 5.0 in my 67 Mustang. The quality is very good. No play in the shaft and a massive body and cap. Easy to install.
But the huge diameter is a problem. The 14 inch ford racing air cleaner don´t fit any longer. If i use a spacer to rise the cleaner my hood don´t close. So i must buy a 10 or 11 inch cleaner to fit. And the ignition adjustment is very tricky. I can rotate the distributor only a little to adjust the ignition. The heater port on the left side of the upper manifold is in the way.
My curved monte carlo bar fits great. Thank god
Nevertheless i think it is a good investment.





Markus

buy an offset air cleaner base. easily had for short money, and you wont need a spacer. as far as the adjustment, just index the cap. it doesnt know where 1 is sposed to be and so forth. you can have that thing pointing anywhere you want it.

Excellent write up. Im impressed with the initial quality that you can see there.

However i too am against the GM style HEI but for different reasons.
Back in the late 80s early 90s i worked for my parents in their feed store. We eventually had 3 trucks.

1. 1986 GMC 3/4 ton pickup 350ci
2. 1980 Chevy truck 1 ton flatbed 350ci
3. 1988 FORD 1 ton 14ft flatbed Econoline van cut-away 460
4. 1985 GMC dually 1 ton 454 gas (step dads Personal truck)

The work truck chevys had to be towed back to the store at least 3 times each over the 3 years we were in business. Cause? The HEI module burned up because of spark scatter or overheating (IMO).
I got pretty good changing out the CAP, Rotor, Module, (yes Cleaned and thermal greased, AGAIN!) And i think that the coil went out at least twice in the time period.
Wasn't just the work trucks either. I had to leave from work with the FORD in Norco Ca to go to Hemet Ca to tow my step dad back home one morning. Thats 50 miles one way. When i got back that night after work i brought a module, cap, and rotor care package. Cause??? U guessed it. The Module.
It doesnt stop there either. I was on my way back from a delivery and saw the proverbial stranded mother and young child on the side of the road in there late 70s chevy truck. They said that the truck "just died" So i drove them to the nearest part store and told them that i bet its the module. Had them get the care package, Installed it with the Tools that i now carried in all the chevys and fired it right up and away they went.

And Ford has taken such a beating over thier TFI module.

To be fair though FORD had 2 issues.
Starter
Catalitic convertor.

( what a workhorse. 8000LBS on the bed Once! 6000lbs on a reagular basis!! You couldnt even feel a ton on the bed! )

Maybe the technology is WAY better with the modules Etc for the HEI systems in the aftermarket nowadays, But i can tell you after that experiance I will never go with HEI again.

Originally Posted by 71hotrodpinto

Excellent write up. Im impressed with the initial quality that you can see there.

However i too am against the GM style HEI but for different reasons.
Back in the late 80s early 90s i worked for my parents in their feed store. We eventually had 3 trucks.

1. 1986 GMC 3/4 ton pickup 350ci
2. 1980 Chevy truck 1 ton flatbed 350ci
3. 1988 FORD 1 ton 14ft flatbed Econoline van cut-away 460
4. 1985 GMC dually 1 ton 454 gas (step dads Personal truck)

The work truck chevys had to be towed back to the store at least 3 times each over the 3 years we were in business. Cause? The HEI module burned up because of spark scatter or overheating (IMO).

Maybe the technology is WAY better with the modules Etc for the HEI systems in the aftermarket nowadays, But i can tell you after that experiance I will never go with HEI again.

Now reverse your experiences, and those have been mine with Ford's TFI and Duraspark boxes. Between my parents and different buddies and relatives, I've lost count of how many times we've towed a car or truck that has burned up one or the other. The cars of the early 80's were the most problematic for us. One car, 1986 Mustang GT, would die about every 6 months. It got sold after 3 years.

Guess its just the luck of the individual. The only tfi vehicle that is in the family is my moms 1988 Bronco. Never had and issue after over 190,000 miles.

Chevy stuff in a ford.Hei distributors are a great cheap way to get a good distributor.If you dont like running chevy stuff then everyone who has afternarket heads on a small block ford should take them off because the valves are usually 2.02 1.6 and those didnt originally come in Fords.I have a one wire G.M. alternator on my 69 ranchero because the stock one would always take a crap on me and the duraspark ignition on my Torino would leave me stranded in the most convenient places.So if it performs better you should go for it.I currently run MSD ready to run distributors in both my cars and one wire alternators and my AFR heads on one car and World heads on the other both have chevy valves.I was raised die hard Ford but sometimes you gots to do what you gots to do to go fast and drive em every day.Maybe I will start complaining when I see Honda crap under someones hood