POWER PLAY
Four Wheeler|July 2022
We add a High Energy Ignition to our AMC V-8, and reap the benefits
Verne Simons
POWER PLAY

The high-energy ignition install was pretty easy, and the improvements can be felt in the seat dyno as well as in our wallets as the Jeep picked up a few mpgs with this upgrade. This is an upgrade we won't hesitate to recommend to anyone or add to any of the other applicable engines in our herd of 4x4s.

At some point in the mid-1970s or so, GM, with Delco-Remy, came up with a new electronic ignition system known as HEI, or High Energy Ignition. We've touted this as an upgrade for many engines and it continues to be a great upgrade for any older vehicle.

Davis Unified Ignition (DUI) is a leader in supplying drop-in HEI systems for many engines, including the AMC 304ci V-8 in our '74 CJ-5. These systems from DUI incorporate GM's large-cap distributor with an integrated coil and control module. Installation is simple, and the system offers not only a custom distributor recurve but also a more powerful spark for the engine. We opted for all of the advances to come in at about 3,500 rpm, a place where our engine would see lots of use. The result is a major seat-of-the-pants improvement, as well as improvements in mileage and reliability. Here's how we installed the unit.

This story is from the July 2022 edition of Four Wheeler.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the July 2022 edition of Four Wheeler.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM FOUR WHEELERView All
2022 Summer Safari
Four Wheeler

2022 Summer Safari

NEK Overland led the way into parts of Vermont and a bit of New Hampshire most will never see

time-read
5 mins  |
February 2023
This fourdoor Ford foreshadowed late-model Broncos
Four Wheeler

This fourdoor Ford foreshadowed late-model Broncos

Ddecades ahead of the '20 four-door Bronco, and even preceding the Ford Explorer and Excursion, came an SUV that could have passed for OEM and was built to answer the call for a three-row people-haulin' off-roader.

time-read
3 mins  |
February 2023
JEEP OR BLAZER BUILDING
Four Wheeler

JEEP OR BLAZER BUILDING

I was hoping to pick your brain as to a couple of different builds. I have a '19 Jeep Wrangler JL and a '74 Chevy Blazer. I'm a little baffled as to what to focus on. The '74 full convertible Blazer is my dream vehicle. She's been a long build and now I am thinking of focusing my energy on my wife's '19 Jeep JL. I recently joined a Jeep club and have been going off-road with a few guys. I'm shopping around for lift kits. Would you suggest that my time be spent and focused on the Blazer or enjoy the Jeep? I really can't do both.

time-read
6 mins  |
February 2023
JEEP BEACH 2022
Four Wheeler

JEEP BEACH 2022

10 days, 25,000-plus Jeeps, 225,000-plus spectators

time-read
3 mins  |
February 2023
TAULER JACK
Four Wheeler

TAULER JACK

A new alternative to the old off-road jack

time-read
3 mins  |
February 2023
OVERLAND ADVENTURE 2022:
Four Wheeler

OVERLAND ADVENTURE 2022:

MEET THE PARTICIPANTS 12 outstanding, Mojave-ready over landers

time-read
7 mins  |
February 2023
JEEP GRAND CAMPER
Four Wheeler

JEEP GRAND CAMPER

This custom 1994 Grand Cherokee and homebuilt trailer were made to go camping

time-read
3 mins  |
February 2023
ROCK JUNCTION 2022
Four Wheeler

ROCK JUNCTION 2022

4 days, 23 trails, 1 awesome event

time-read
4 mins  |
February 2023
DECKED OUT SILVERADO
Four Wheeler

DECKED OUT SILVERADO

Is this the ultimate overland accessory for pickups?

time-read
10 mins  |
February 2023
SANDTASTIC!
Four Wheeler

SANDTASTIC!

Dangle the opportunity to put the hammer down on more than a dozen square miles of the largest coastal dune complex in the world, add in partying with family and friends at sand camps, spice it up a bit with a variety of motorsport competition and nightly concerts, and it's easy to see why the five-day

time-read
6 mins  |
February 2023