Does anyone know why my HEI coil keeps dying? I replaced the old HEI dist with a new unit 6 months ago..i have only driven 2000 miles max and the new coil has died.. Ive tested it and the readings show it has failed. I know they last more than 6 months so does anybody know what it could be or am i looking at changing to the trusty points system
I've never seen an HEI coil itself fail. What makes you think it's bad? Could it be the cap or (as someone above mentioned) you're not providing +12 from a reliable source (12V with the ignition on at the HEI).
My coil failed this last summer after a 150 mile drive. The center contact in the cap was fried as well. The next day the coil in my buddy's 69 fried on the freeway coming home after only a couple minutes on the road. His cap looked fine but it was following a week of 100deg weather. These were both in-cap coils. I think with the heat generated under the cap these coils have a finite life span. I've gone to carrying an extra coil in the trunk just in case until I can change over to a dist with a separated coil.