Trying to hook up HEI on an 87...i searched and searched, but still no answer...

[01maroonz71]

i'm going to hit the starter to the purple starter selonoid wire in my stock harness, other than that...i can't find 12V's that are only tehre when the truck is in run/start mode...not acc. can anybody tell me a wire in the stock harness that would have this that i can tap into for my HEI dist....once i get that hooked up, she should be ready to start...which is what i wanna do tonight. can anyone help??? i don't have a test light and wanted to get her runnin tonight.


also, can i fire it w/o headers???? or will it hurt the plug wires in some way????

 

[Confedneck79K30]

your 87 doesnt have hei? im confused... the easiest way to find a wire that you need is a test light...

 

[01maroonz71]

no...it was TBI and i swapped a carb on her.

 

[Confedneck79K30]

ten4 then... just grab a test light and check the harness for wires that come on when the key is in the run position...there should be a couple...

 

[sandawgk5]

It is HEI it just has a remote coil not the coil on top of the cap. There should be 2 plugs that the old remote coil would connect to that has your 12v source.


I will see if I can find a pic.


Ira

 

[01maroonz71]

The coil is on top of the cap...it's a stock GM HEI off of a different 350, i put a new cap and rotor on it.


well, here's what i have hooked up so far....the starter has ground and battery, then if i hook up the ignition wire to the starter, that will tell the starter to start...now where does the fuse box get it's power from???? i still need to get that wired up, otherwise nothing will have 12v power right????

oh yeah, i f'n hate electrical stuff...it's no good.

here's the best pic of what i've got so far...

 

[goldwing2000]

ten4 then... just grab a test light and check the harness for wires that come on when the key is in the run position...there should be a couple...

Power in Run won't do it. It has to be power in Start. Most key-on functions get shut off when the key is in Start.

Also:

i don't have a test light and wanted to get her runnin tonight.

If you just need to get it running temporarily, hook it to a toggle switch and battery power. Just don't forget to shut it off when you turn off the engine!

Then drive to the store and get a test light. There should be a wire to the old distributor that was on during start. Disconnect the starter solenoid and start probing wires as you're turning the key.
Alternately, if you have the solenoid with two small terminals on it, one of them is to activate the solenoid and the other is for power in Start.

It's ok to start it without headers but don't run it for more than a minute or so. You could burn your exhaust valves.

 

[sandawgk5]

Checki this thread it might help you out they changed dizzys to the style you have.

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=183628&highlight=HEI+wiring

Ira

 

[goldwing2000]

...now where does the fuse box get it's power from???? i still need to get that wired up, otherwise nothing will have 12v power right????

You need to have another wire (around 10 gauge and with a fusible link) that goes from the big terminal on the starter (where the battery goes) up to your junction box on the firewall. This is where the truck pulls power for everything and also where the alternator charges the battery.

It looks like that wire is already there, hanging just in front of the trans dipstick.

 

[ryoken]

also where the alternator charges the battery.
.

Not so sure about that... my 87's alternator fed directly to the battery...


original poster.... as goldwing mentioned, the junction block feeds the cab with a fused wire from the starter lug (the fusable link is down by the starter).. in your pic, it's directly above the left edge of your booster, right above the harness, plastic sucker with 2 posts...

man was I glad to ditch all that fusable link, junction block bs...

 

[dyeager535]

Get or make a test light. You can use a dash bulb (194 or 168) with some wire attached to each terminal.

The fuse panel will have a terminal you can use, I don't see any reason one of those couldn't feed the distributor. I guarantee one you need (hot in start/run only) will be there.

 

[goldwing2000]

Not so sure about that... my 87's alternator fed directly to the battery...

It will work that way, too, but it's not how it's hooked up from the factory.

Not saying that the factory way is necessarily the best way but I'm not going to recommend somebody cobble together their electrical system. Just cautious, I guess.

The most important thing is to have the voltage sense lead up at the junction block, not directly from the alternator output.

 

[ryoken]

oh, I know it works that way.. I run 4 gauge right over to my marine switch now... but my stock setup had it right to the battery too, iirc.... didn't look like it was tampered with either...