69 camaro wiring problem 6 cylinder to BBC conversion HELP

[darthvegagt]

Hello everyone.

I have encountered a problem that is out of my understanding right now. I have a 69 camaro that I recently did a bbc conversion from the original six cylinder. I got the big block fired up in the car for the first time last night. My problem is that I could only get it fired up by jumping a wire from the battery straight to the BAT+ side of the HEI distributor. All other wires that I was using wouldn't give me spark at all. Since the wiring for the six cylinder is so much different I'm not sure what wire to use for the distributor and where my problem lies.

Also,..the car still has the external regulator mounted to the radiator support, I don't need any of this right?? What do I do with all the wires that go to that regulator setup??

Like I said, the car runs and idles great, in turns over fine with the ignition but I don't have spark unless I run a jumper wire from the battery.
Does anyone have a wiring diagram that i could use or download???

Any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks Jordan

[HILROD]

The factory coil wire has a resistor built in. Just run a new wire from the fuse box, ignition hot only, to the hei. It'll run fine and turn off with the key.

[Madspeed]

Well I have diagrams but they are to big to post here so Email addy req

[darthvegagt]

Really? thats all I have to do huh? I was actually thinking of running a wire from the ignition too. So all the other wiring is useless to me right? I can just do away with the regulator or coil or whatever and hide the wires or whatever? thanks again. I will email once i get off of work. thanks to both of you.

[Madspeed]

A neat little trick I have is to unbolt the factory wire block from the firewall. Take it off and use a pair of needle nose pliers to squeeze the terminal and push it out.
I then take another wire from another harness the same way and replace the resistor wire with it.
Makes a really clean installation rather than cobbled up wiring under the dash and out of holes in the Firewall
You can actually buy factory type brass connectors, HEI plug housing and the roll crimp style crimpers and make it look like the factory did it with no butchery to your harness or UGLY butt connectors.

Thats just me Im an elecrtrical NAZI

[darthvegagt]

Which wire is it though? I'm not exactly sure which wire to push out and replace. Where can you get the HEI connectors and terminals etc? any standard auto parts store or special order? thanks

[shep]

The resistor wire should have a white cloth type cover on it. The voltage regulator and associated wiring should stay unless you converted to a newer internally regulated alternator.

[dhardison]

Here's the URL I used when I coverted from points to HEI. Worked great for me. http://www.oldengine.org/unfaq/hei.htm

[darthvegagt]

ok heres the deal now....I ran the wire from the BAT+ on the HEI to the ignition connection on the fuse box. That didn't work though, the car still was getting no spark, even after trying other connections on the fuse box. If I take that end and run it to the actual battery,...the car fires right up and idles. Hmmm...??????

Also the resistor wire that Madspeed talks about is ran to the silenoid on the starter. If I unhook that wire the car won't turn over. Hmmm...?????

Am I missing something, or did I do something wrong???

I unhooked all of the voltage regulator and associated stuff and the car runs great but only when jumped to the actual battery. I still have lights and everything else works, I just need a good positive ignition wire to run to the HEI distributor. Can anyone help and shed some light on this situation please. thanks in advance.

[Madspeed]

Hmm U might have ign switch issues.
The switch is on top of the steering colum above the pedal.
The wires that goto the solinoid are purple to S terminal and (oh man i forget the color is it yellow?) to the I term on solinoid.
the pruple stays the yellow goes.
you want to replace the one that would have been whit or black i think and yes it looks like its cloth wraped (cause it is)
Pm me your email and ill send you the wire schematic on your car

[MonzaRacer]

OK what I do is I getthe harness off the firewall and when you find the resitor wire(cloth type covering ) I clip it short(about 1/2 in) and simply solder a 12 guage wire to this and then i simply snag HEI plugs from junkyard cars and solder this to the 12 guage wire and use some shrink tubing an hide it in the loom and tada your good to go.
NOW if your car happens to have had the set up using the relay terminal(it fed 12 volts at start up to points type coils as the resisted circuit was too weak to start cold engines) and this came from the R teminal on older starters. Which most new starters wont have.
But this shouldnt have to be used.
I never run the ignition to the fuse box as it can draw too much current and smoke the fuse box (or blow fuses when you least expect it).
Now as for the Regualtor and such wiring. If you open the regualtor and gut it and loop the two outer wires inside it runs to the alt plug (this should make one of the wires a 12 volt key on) That wire goes to the f terminal on an internal regualtor alt, then simply loop the R terminal over to the battery post on the alternator.
You an then simply bolt the empty regualtor back on and it looks stock.
Any questions give me a shout.
Lee