GM ignition modules?

[ejs262]

the AC delco modules showed up today. they look promising, not that you can see much other than a hunk of plastic and metal... they're laser etched "GM" on top... maybe that's worth something? oh, and they came with heat sink compound! I don't think the last one did, which made for quite the hunt to find some...

[Beagle]

Way back before 3.00 a gram CPU thermal pastes became a "thing", white lithium grease worked much better than nothing for a heat transfer compound. I think BBR has a writeup on GM module on a Duraspark dizzy somewhere on here where the heat sink is improved... or one of the other "old guys" (reference to join date) even on GM distributors but good luck finding it. Maybe they'll chime in. Something to consider maybe if you think heat is what is getting to them.

[DanStokes]

As far as the heat sink compound - we had cans full of it as we used it to attach thermocouples to fuel tanks as part of our testing protocol (we heated the fuel as part of the test). Anyhow, IIRC we got it from Omega - you can Google them. I think they offered it in half pint cans like we bought but I think they also had it in small tubes. Bear in mind that I've been retired for about 17 years so this is all dated info.

Dan

[ejs262]

so, I've been gone a while, and thought this deserved a follow up, The modules weren't actually failing... Turns out the pick up coil wires going to the module were coming out of the connector to the module, which gave the impression they were failing, when I installed a new module, the pushed back in enough to work, until they didn't and I had a read head scratcher on my hands. DOH!

[Loren]

Thanks for that update. How often does one apparent problem turn out to be a different problem...then sometimes yet another problem, or some combination...

I had the module-replacement-shuffle going on w/ an older HEI once, 'til I just replaced the whole distributor. I hate it when things seem like they're fixed, and then fail again, to get fixed again and fail again...why don't they either just work or not? Spooks, I tell you... Then my '88 TBI I had next, w/ a huge amount of miles on the distributor, was never a problem that way. Too bad about all the other ways.

[SuperBuickGuy]

such a good reminder to check everything before you start replacing parts.

[Deaf Bob]

Now I’m wondering..,
at least we run the “ready to run” ones in derby cars.

[ejs262]

such a good reminder to check everything before you start replacing parts.

yeah, at the same time, if it looks like a duck...

and in this case, the pigtail off of the pick up coil is under the distributor cap, it's not something you'll see easily, and in reality, I couldn't see it until I got a small mirror out.