HEI Module to Aluminum Mopar Electronic Distributor Adapter > performance thermal paste.
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Got a new Truck (new to me)
- Thread starter George Jets
- Start date
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Made the jump to HEI.
Nice job on the conversion kit, even has small guide holes for the plastic line up pins on the HEI module > fits nice.
Thermal Paste ^
Ready for the wiring ^
Set it up with the 12 volt, no ballast resistor E-Coil.
Filled the fuel bowls and it fired right up. Working Great > as expected.
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Nice job on the conversion kit, even has small guide holes for the plastic line up pins on the HEI module > fits nice.
Thermal Paste ^
Ready for the wiring ^
Set it up with the 12 volt, no ballast resistor E-Coil.
Filled the fuel bowls and it fired right up. Working Great > as expected.
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Did a keyed start wire > to trigger full 12 volts to ignition coil feed circuit by way of the relay.
Keeps the load off the ignition switch/circuit, and full 12 volt power to the e-coil.
(12 volts, not 7 volts like the ballast resistor ignitions).
Green wire is the feed wire to the e-coil. 12 volts, no ballast resistors.
E-coil is running cool to the touch.
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Keeps the load off the ignition switch/circuit, and full 12 volt power to the e-coil.
(12 volts, not 7 volts like the ballast resistor ignitions).
Green wire is the feed wire to the e-coil. 12 volts, no ballast resistors.
E-coil is running cool to the touch.
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Oil Pressure Gauge with factory idiot light sending unit.
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New Transmission Mount
(old one is gone, gone, gone.)
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(old one is gone, gone, gone.)
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Took the truck out on US1 here last night for the first test drive.
So far, so good. Changed oil again when I got back in.
Coming Along...
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So far, so good. Changed oil again when I got back in.
Coming Along...
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Scraped off the old Sun damaged Window Tint on the back and door glass windows.
Surprisingly there are nice Factory Tinted Windows underneath the old tint, that came as an option with the Factory Air Conditioning.
Happy about that. Later on down the road would like to put a new windshield in it as this one is fogging around the lower edge.
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Surprisingly there are nice Factory Tinted Windows underneath the old tint, that came as an option with the Factory Air Conditioning.
Happy about that. Later on down the road would like to put a new windshield in it as this one is fogging around the lower edge.
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Vinegar washed the windows for final clean up. Wow, spotless windows.
Any hard water spots > they are gone.
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Any hard water spots > they are gone.
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OK, have been wrestling with charging issue over the last so many weeks.
Guess it was time to get educated in "Charging System School".
On board '89 Truck computer contains the Voltage Regulator that failed.
Went to experimenting with external voltage regulators and different alternators as all tests had large overcharging issues, like 30 volts overcharge.
Apparently there are wiring issues of backfeeding with the original computerized truck wiring, that is now being bypassed.
Glad I wired in an inline fuse that was heading back to the battery.
The ultimate fix was wiring in a 3 wire Alternator and using the aftermarket 1 wire conversion kit. So that the Alternator and Regulator are now self contained.
Now holding 14.32 charging volts.
Success, now to straighten up the rest of the wiring on the truck.
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Guess it was time to get educated in "Charging System School".
On board '89 Truck computer contains the Voltage Regulator that failed.
Went to experimenting with external voltage regulators and different alternators as all tests had large overcharging issues, like 30 volts overcharge.
Apparently there are wiring issues of backfeeding with the original computerized truck wiring, that is now being bypassed.
Glad I wired in an inline fuse that was heading back to the battery.
The ultimate fix was wiring in a 3 wire Alternator and using the aftermarket 1 wire conversion kit. So that the Alternator and Regulator are now self contained.
Now holding 14.32 charging volts.
Success, now to straighten up the rest of the wiring on the truck.
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JDMopar
Well-Known Member
Now that you've got the voltage regulator running its own show, is there still a reason to supply voltage to the old "Out of a job" computer? Asking for a friend with an 88 D100 who will need to know!
Now that you've got the voltage regulator running its own show, is there still a reason to supply voltage to the old "Out of a job" computer? Asking for a friend with an 88 D100 who will need to know!
That old computer is going to go Bye Bye.
I have tried running with the computer unplugged and it still starts and runs now the way I have it wired.
There is one main power feed that unplugs at the Battery that powers everything in the cab: key start, idiot dash lights, head lights, turn signals and fan motor.
With that main feed plug unplugged that all goes away.
Going to try to set it up now with the main feed plugged in, and the old computer unplugged. Believe that is going to work to get it road worthy.
Really would like to rewire the whole truck to Old School from scratch. But for now just want to get it up and running reliable.
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OK working on the engine bay wire harness to get basic things working.
Computer is plugged in and main power lead at the battery is plugged in.
Found one power keyed wire to feed the engine bay components and start keyed circuit.
Auto Shutdown Relay Plug has the power feed wire to run it all.
Ignition, keyed start circuit and ignition shut off. Temporary gauges, alternator light, engine temperature light, simple volt meter.
Alternator light shuts off when the charging system starts charging.
That is the basics on this No Computer Needed conversion.
Headlights, turn signals, fan motor, start circuit, tail lights and flashers and wipers all work now.
So far so good.
Alternator was burning out the 25 amp fuse at the + battery terminal at start up.
Turns out the 25 amp fuses were not strong enough to handle the initial surge when the alternator starts up and goes to charging.
Went to 40 amp fuses and now all is well, starts up and keeps charging as it should, without burning the fuses.
Pretty much a rough draft layout, with everything working as I have wanted it to.
Will secure things and get ready for some road miles.
Can always make it look pretty later, just happy things are up and working after all the conversion processes.
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Computer is plugged in and main power lead at the battery is plugged in.
Found one power keyed wire to feed the engine bay components and start keyed circuit.
Auto Shutdown Relay Plug has the power feed wire to run it all.
Ignition, keyed start circuit and ignition shut off. Temporary gauges, alternator light, engine temperature light, simple volt meter.
Alternator light shuts off when the charging system starts charging.
That is the basics on this No Computer Needed conversion.
Headlights, turn signals, fan motor, start circuit, tail lights and flashers and wipers all work now.
So far so good.
Alternator was burning out the 25 amp fuse at the + battery terminal at start up.
Turns out the 25 amp fuses were not strong enough to handle the initial surge when the alternator starts up and goes to charging.
Went to 40 amp fuses and now all is well, starts up and keeps charging as it should, without burning the fuses.
Pretty much a rough draft layout, with everything working as I have wanted it to.
Will secure things and get ready for some road miles.
Can always make it look pretty later, just happy things are up and working after all the conversion processes.
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dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Awesome thread! I'm getting alot of helpful information here for my d100 project! I plan on doing a 5.9 mag swap with a LA inspired look. The fuel pump idea is brilliant thanks to @Garrett Ellison for that one. I will most definitely do that. And the stand alone alternator I'll do too. Where did you get that part? Also does anyone here have a pic of the steering box frame cracking issue so I know what to look for? Or is it obvious? George what was the reason for bypassing the abs was that to delete the computer or just because you wanted too? Personally I'd like to keep my abs. As far as the ignition system goes I'd thought about points, mopar ecu, and hei. I haven't quite decided yet. I have all the parts to convert it over to a 5 pin ecu I have a couple extra modules several distributors, spare ballist resistors I think I already have a pig tail too. So that might be the route I go. I would like to remove as much unnecessary wiring as possible like you've done.
OK the Alternator was a 60 amp, double pulley bought at Autozone for a 1985 Ford F150 application. The one wire kit is designed for '85 and earlier Ford and 60 amp or less Alternators.
ABS junction block af the rear was all froze up, out it goes.
Went with the Mopar HEI ignition conversion with the E-Coil after starting out with a points system. Much better starts and running with the HEI.
The steering box brace was installed on this '89, but the angle bracket on it still cracked at the core support.
Drilled a 3/8" hole in the good part of the angle brace, and bolted it to the core support where it cracked. Think I will get it up to the welder and weld that crack too.
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ABS junction block af the rear was all froze up, out it goes.
Went with the Mopar HEI ignition conversion with the E-Coil after starting out with a points system. Much better starts and running with the HEI.
The steering box brace was installed on this '89, but the angle bracket on it still cracked at the core support.
Drilled a 3/8" hole in the good part of the angle brace, and bolted it to the core support where it cracked. Think I will get it up to the welder and weld that crack too.
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dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Thanks. I will have to find a way to make a mopar alternator work. I have several from the 70s and 80s plus a couple magnum era ones. I'm sure I could just wire in an old style voltage regulator and it work. I may look into that hei conversion. I've heard good things about them I know @318willrun did one a while back.
dartfreak75
Restore it, Dont part it!
Ok @George Jets I got a stupid question. Can you run the hei without mounting it to the bottom if the distributor like the kit does? Could you just ground it on the firewall or Inner fender like our mopar ecu?
Yes, I think the mopar square back with the 2 terminals and + batt post would be a good choice. Everything I have been hearing and experiencing is that the external parts store voltage regulators are crap (china).
One of the members here is saying he is using Transpo (American Made) adjustable voltage regulators with good success.
Ironically it was Transpo that made the 1 wire conversion kit for the Motocraft Alternator that I used.
(ATP F7078 Ford 1 wire conversion, by Advance Truck Parts.) 60 amp max alternator. Did not have to adjust it, it was spot on right out of the box.
Was so nice to install it as directed and it worked as it said it would. Was a simple kit that you did not have to open up the Alternator to put it in.
The mopar HEI conversion and full 12 volt E-Coil is a nice way to go. (No ballast resistor).
You can install the heat sink adapter on the bottom of a standard mopar electronic distributor for a more stock look. Or you can mount the HEI module up on the firewall, giving more room at the base of the mopar distributor to get to the lock down clamp to adjust the timing.
The HEI is basically the "Trigger" for the ignition. The real magic comes from the hotter spark E-coil that make it work so nice, and they run cool at full 12 volts besides.
(application '95 F150)
Nice simple 2 post spade hookup. Rock Auto, very inexpensive, yet works Supreme.
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