I ordered a new HEI Distributor https://marineenginedepot.com/distributor-kit-57l350ci-74l454ci-gm-delco-voyager-est for our 1986 Gibson. It has a AQ260a engine and I plan to install it this weekend. The one thing I’m confused on is the wiring. On the old coil there is a red wire and black wire on one terminal and a purple wire on the other terminal which is coming from a resistor. See photo below.

How do I know which wires go to the new coil?

Appreciate any help.

 

That does not seem right to me. Normally on a coil one primary (low voltage) terminal goes to power and the other to the distributor (points,etc). The power terminal should have two wires, one to 12V when it's cranking and the other to a lower voltage through the resistor.

Does this engine run the way the coil is wired?

 

Yes, this is the way it was wired when we purchased the boat.

On another forum someone mentioned the black wire probably is for the tachometer.

also note that the coil is seperate from the distributor itself.

 

Enlarging and looking closely there is a power wire connecting after the resistor and that goes to the coil.

 

Ok, thanks!

 

Wipe off the existing coil around the two primary coil wires and look for a + and -. The wire going to the points should be on the same-. Wire going to power from resistor should be +.