Converting 1973 Sleekcraft with 455 Olds to HEI Ignition, please help me with wiring

Quick01GT

Cadet
Joined
Aug 21, 2011
Messages
15
Ok so I have a 1973 23' executive with a 455 Olds, I bought a HEI distributor from a 75' cutlass because the old distributor died on me on the water and a boat mechanic out there told me to upgrade to HEI(there was oil inside the petronix electronics) Question #1 do I put the wires back on the cap just the way they came out?(looks like the 75+ engines have the #1 plug more towards 1 o' clock instead of the 5 o' clock on the 73, also there is power (green wire) and ground (brown wire) on the factory harness with a yellow wire that was not connected also, do I just wire it up green to red, brown to black, and yellow to white(assuming the yellow wire is a tach signal) I have been told to add a ballast resistor but I have no idea what that is. Please help me get it wired up so I can take it out this weekend. Also the distributor I got came with a vacume advance, my old didnt have that, do I just cap the vacume port on the distributor or should I add a vacume line to my carb?
 

sqbtr

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 23, 2010
Messages
716
Re: Converting 1973 Sleekcraft with 455 Olds to HEI Ignition, please help me with wir

I don't think you will get many responses, seeing how you are putting an automotive distributor in a boat. Marine distributors don't have vacuum advance and are not ignition protected. Was this a marine mechanic that recommended the HEI?
 

Bondo

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Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
71,012
Re: Converting 1973 Sleekcraft with 455 Olds to HEI Ignition, please help me with wir

Ok so I have a 1973 23' executive with a 455 Olds, I bought a HEI distributor from a 75' cutlass because the old distributor died on me on the water and a boat mechanic out there told me to upgrade to HEI(there was oil inside the petronix electronics) Question #1 do I put the wires back on the cap just the way they came out?(looks like the 75+ engines have the #1 plug more towards 1 o' clock instead of the 5 o' clock on the 73, also there is power (green wire) and ground (brown wire) on the factory harness with a yellow wire that was not connected also, do I just wire it up green to red, brown to black, and yellow to white(assuming the yellow wire is a tach signal) I have been told to add a ballast resistor but I have no idea what that is. Please help me get it wired up so I can take it out this weekend. Also the distributor I got came with a vacume advance, my old didnt have that, do I just cap the vacume port on the distributor or should I add a vacume line to my carb?

Ayuh,.... For many, Many reasons, that distributer ain't the 1 ya want,....

Forget it, 'n move on the a Marine rated distributer for it...
 
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