The demands for better emissions and fuel economy in the mid 1970s necessitated leaner fuel mixtures. These leaner mixtures required greater voltage and more spark to ignite. This challenge led GM ...

High performance is all about horsepower. But even the ultimate in heads, compression, cam, and the rest won’t make power if you can’t light the fire. Ignition systems don’t make horsepower, but a ...

Around 1975, General Motors made a significant advancement in stock passenger ignition technology: the High Energy Ignition (HEI). One of its major features was installation simplicity. The coil was ...

When General Motors introduced the High Energy Ignition (HEI) distributor in the mid-1970s, it was revolutionary. So much so that it still has a strong following among today's hot rodders. Like other ...

There is only one way to find out for sure. Many Street Stock racing classes limit the ignition to stock-style replacement parts. For most Chevrolet and Ford engines, this means an HEI distributor is ...