I am proud of myself
 

Well today i got all of my parts in for my first project. I had ordered a new hei distribute, 3 and 5 inch drop springs, and a power brake kit. Well today i decided to install my coils and i started at about one took about a 2 hour brake and finished at 11. I am 18 and it was my first real mechanical thing to do on a an old tuck. I have been a tractor mech for years but i just got started with the classic restos. When i got started i didnt know how big of a job i had gotten into but i somehow worked through it. My dad just sat back ad watched me struggle i ges he wants me to learn it on my own like he did. I just wanted yall to know it worked out for me and i had fun. Just wondering if anyof yall could give me some pointers on installing my distributer and brake booster kits. Thanks for any guidance on the subject.

Re: I am proud of myself
 

I'm sure if it looked like you going to get into trouble Dad would have stopped you.

As for the distributor; pull the #1 spark plug and stick your finger in the empty spark plug hole. Then have somebody "bump" the starter until the compression "blows" your finger out of the spark plug hole. Don't worry, it's painless.
Manually roll the engine forward, or backward, until the timing mark on the harmonic balancer is pointed at "0 degrees".
Pull the cap off the distributer and mentally make a note in your head where the rotor is pointing in relationship to the intake manifold; and the relative location of the distributor housing.
Pull the distributor clamp and lift the distributor out.
Note: The distributor has helically cut gears (I think that's the term) and it will rotate backwards upon removal. Keep a mental note of this also, as to how far it rotates.
Take the new distributor, point the rotor to about where the old one pointed when it came out and drop it into the hole.
You may have to do this a couple of times to get the oil pump drive to line up.

Once you have the new distributor tight against the intake manifold, clamp it loosely.

Put on the new cap and install the wires and it should fire right up.

This whole thing sounds a bunch more complicated than it is, trust me.

Hopefully, others will chime in and maybe give you a couple of short cuts.

Oh yeah, don't forget to install a new distributor gasket under the distributor flange, unless you like oil leaks.

Re: I am proud of myself
 

Yea i dont need any more oil leaks. It already seems to be leaking somewhere around the intake. Do i need to get new plug wires to hand he hei system and if so what size and brand do you prefer?

Re: I am proud of myself
 

Personally,I use either CarQuest (but the store owner is admittedly a friend of mine) because of the lifetime warranty, or NAPA Beldon wires, for the same reason.

Except for things like oil, filters, and chemicals, etc; I avoid places like Kragens, Schucks, Pep Boys, Autozone.
I won't cut off my nose to spite my face. If it's Sun. evening and nobody else is still open, I'll go to the chain places, just so I won't have to wait until morning to get parts.

But that's just me and my .02.

Re: I am proud of myself
 

if replacing a points distributor with an hei distributer you need to run a new power supply wire as the original wiring in the truck is a resistor wire and will fry the dizzy in short order

also you should be taking the truck in to have an alignment done so that you'll get max life out of your tires with the new geometry in the front end with the lower springs

Re: I am proud of myself
 

JD
You deserve to be proud. These trucks are a grear American hobby. There is nothing wrong with a little "bragging exercise" after an accomplishment. Good luck on the rest of your project

Re: I am proud of myself
 

Hensonjd,

Way to go!! Doing it yourself will make you feel better than anything. I'm sure your Dad was proud of what you did and he probably wanted to help but knew better. For one of the best ways to learn is to just figure it out for yourself.

Do a search on here for the wiring for the new Dist. Run a larger guage wire.

Also searching this forum is a great way to figure things out before starting to tear into it.

Congrads on the new coils!

Re: I am proud of myself
 

Oh yeah the feeling of accomplishing something on your own, there is no better feeling.....Good job!!!!!!

Re: I am proud of myself
 

After reading through the old post i think that i have gathered that you need to remove the resistor wire and run a new wire between the distributer and something to ensure that it turns offf. Could Someone elaborate on these things? Im knida slow and need the play by play. thanks

Re: I am proud of myself
 

you'll need a 12v power supply to the dizzy (keyed power) - also regap your plugs to about .045.

Re: I am proud of myself
 

I use a blade plug from Napa and replace the whole wire from the main firwall plug. Locate the wire to the points dist and that is a whitish wire with a fiberglass sheath. Trace it to the firewall plug, use a 3/8 or 5/16 socket to remove the bolt in the center of the plug. Pull the plug out and with a pair of needle nose pliers, squeeze the blade horizontally ( [----] ) the [ and ] are the best I could do to "look" like the pliers! Squeeze the blade towards the base of the plug looking down on all of the blades. The wire will pull out from the back of the plug, NAPA sells the exact blade type plugs, carry the old blade in with you and they'll be able to match it up. Use a new 10-12 guage wire and run it to the HEI, NAPA also sells the correct OE hei plug as well (you do not 100% need it, but it helps to keep the wire from unplugging as you drive!). the new blade slides in from the back and the spliced spade "clips" it into a locked position, put the firewall plug back into the firewall and reinstall the bolt, now you have a 12v switched power wire to the hei!! I'll let someone else help you o the brake MC/booster as my fingers are tired!!


Congrats and good luck, I learned my skills under the watchfull eye of my dad and brother over the years and from doing it myself, reading, listening and asking, the best way in my book, I know what I know because I have done it, and so do you now!!

Re: I am proud of myself
 

I got the new brake pads on and put the front wheels back on and lowered it to the ground and have discovered that the back end is sitting lower then the front. Is this normal after a 3 and 5 inch drop? this realy bothers me what is the deal?