cougla wrote:Is going to a electronic Distributor a good idea for a 1966 Olds Toro?
Does this still have Vac advance tuning? Or how does one orientate it when installing?
Its going to depend on your driving. When point were the only option, I pushed cars hard,
fast, and far, in every kind of weather. Points were not great new, and continuously degraded
until they were intolerable approaching 10,000 miles. The system was highly vulnerable to
getting wet. Plugs were changed at the same, to be sure things were best possible.
I got so fed up with points, I built an electronic ignition for my 62.
With the 76-79 Olds HEI, these problems went away. That big cap with better wires puts
a lot more energy into plugs, without arcing when wet. Plugs last 100,000 miles; probably
a good idea to clean and regap them a few times. A wider plug gap is possible, depending
on your compression ratio. Wiring is cleaner on the engine. The HEI is much more efficient
with the ballast resistor eliminated, putting out more energy but using less.
Small block HEIs fit a big block. The small block used a dented and slid forward air cleaner
to clear the bigger cap/coil. Don't know what is necessary for a big block. The mechanical
and vacuum advance might need some tuning to perfectly match your engine. After 1980
the HEIs used an electronic advance as part of the CCC system. good luck, Bruce Roe