230 Electrical question

[rbuckin111]

I could use some help with a couple of questions on my just installed rebuilt 230 engine (came out of a '62 Nova I was told). It came with an HEI distributor that has two wires from it, a red and a black. My old distributor has only one wire that went to the coil. Intuition would say that these two wires both go to the coil, red on positive and black on negative, but I don't want to burn something up. Can someone tell me if I am correct?

I also have a bit or a problem with the alternator on this engine. After installing, I noticed that the pulley for the alternator is about 3/8" back from the fan and crank pulleys. There is no adjustment on the bracket to move it forward. There is not enough room on the shaft to put a spacer behind the pulley to move it forward. Has anyone else had this kind of problem or a solution?

I really appreciate your help!

[1963c-10]

Sounds like the wrong alternator is on there. If you run that engine with that alternator you will burn it up very quickly. When you swapped the alternator did you keep the original pulley? Could be as simple as just swapping pulleys. Compare the two and see if there is a difference. As for the red and black, you are correct. Positive and negative. The empty slot on the HEI will be a tach wire if you decide to run one.

[HEI451]

Hold on o the HEI, is it one with a large diameter, spark plug type terminals on the cap, and BATT/TACH on the cap? If not, what diameter is the distributor?

Also, a lot of people call any electronic ignition an "HEI", when, in fact, they aren't, especially the drop in point conversion types, Mallory UniLite, PerTronix, all of 'em, others.

[rbuckin111]

Thanks for the input guys. HEI451, I may be calling it HEI incorrectly. It is a regular size distributor with a regular cap, it just has no points, just a little box inside with the two wires attached to it. I actually bought an HEI for it not know it already had the non-points distributor and it is like what you describe, rather large with the spark plug type terminals on the cap. Would I be better off putting this in instead?

1963-c10 - This is the same alternator that was on the OEM engine I pulled out. I had recently replaced it and it was exactly like the one that was on it before. It is just on the "new" engine, there is the discrepancy in the pulleys. I will look into it and see if there is another one I should be using.

[1963c-10]

I had to replace my alternator a few months ago and it had the wrong pulley on the reman. Took off the original puley and was a drop in. What you have is an aftermaker system under the stock cap...like a pertronix ststem. Red to + side of coil and black to - side.