MSD Ignition

UGLY OLDS · October 15, 2008, 08:42:56 PM

Ok Kids.....Question time .. MSD Ignition systems ..How many people run them??? Good news ?? Bad News ?? Positive feedback ?? Junk ??

Not looking to go faster...Just curious if they help driveability..plug life ..Etc...

Bob.................

Carnut · October 16, 2008, 12:14:08 AM

I have an MSD Ignition box, MSD distributer and MSD Coil on my 350 in my 40 Ford. About $400 pkg deal.

I installed it in an effort to find a stalling/dying problem solution.

Found a clogged fuel line filter was the problem.

A friend said if I put the MSD in I'd have a better starting and running engine.

Honestly can't say if it's any better at starting or idling that it ever was.

chimp koose · October 16, 2008, 01:26:20 AM

Make sure you get the right MSD box, some are not made to withstand constant use(drag only) . If you have a really cammed up motor with a carb ,they can really clean up the idle . they can help out a motor that would otherwise load up on fuel at an idle or low speed driving.If you want more power from an MSD box you may find some by gradually opening up the plug gap until performance drops, then go back to the last gap where power was found.Holley made a programmable CD ignition system a while back,have heard some bad things about them.

Charlie Chops 1940 · October 16, 2008, 08:55:13 AM

I'm a believer. I have a -6A box and a Blaster coil on my track roadsters 4 cyl with 2 side draft Weber carbs, Still running a points dizzy as it's basically just a switching device.

Before I went with the MSD system the car ran so fat that it would about run me out of the shop. Since improving the ignition I have had to fatten up the carbs.

Charlie

rumrumm · October 16, 2008, 09:09:11 AM

I added an MSD 6A box to my MSD distributor last spring. I found that my 383 idled better, performed at lower rpm more smoothly. I was not a believer before and figured it was just one more thing that could go wrong. Not anymore. Now, I'm a believer in them as well.

IC2 · October 16, 2008, 09:42:01 AM

I've been running 6A boxes and Blaster coils very successfully for years and now with a new Ford powered car just being completed am running the 6A, coil, and a small diameter billet distributor. My biggest complaint - the @#$% $55 tach adapter required to run my VDO tach. My investment, Dist = $281, 6A = $185, Coil = $40, Tach adapter = $55, Vibe mounts = $22. or $581 plus shipping from Summit. Of course you need some spiral wound plug wires, mine are Taylor Spiro Pro = $54, and in my case a steel dist drive gear for a roller cam = $73

Grand total for the ignition set up = approximately $710 all plus shipping from Summit (or Jegs)

Will I still be happy 1, 2, 5 years from now? We'll just have to wait!!

papastoyss · October 16, 2008, 11:20:13 AM

I am a cheapo, on a basicly stock GM engine I prefer a HEI. I do like the Accel coil, they seem to start better. There is much to be said in favor of parts availabilty on weekends when on a trip in your rod.

Rich Guzman · October 16, 2008, 11:28:15 AM

I've been running 6A boxes and Blaster coils very successfully for years and now with a new Ford powered car just being completed am running the 6A, coil, and a small diameter billet distributor. My biggest complaint - the @#$% $55 tach adapter required to run my VDO tach. My investment, Dist = $281, 6A = $185, Coil = $40, Tach adapter = $55, Vibe mounts = $22. or $581 plus shipping from Summit. Of course you need some spiral wound plug wires, mine are Taylor Spiro Pro = $54, and in my case a steel dist drive gear for a roller cam = $73

IC2 I hope you meant that you purchased the "bronze" drive gear for your roller cam? The Iron gear is for std malleable iron hyd. stocker cam and will eat an aftermarket billet roller cam in no time, the caveat to this is the Ford EFI motor with stock roller cam which likes a steel gear...you said "Ford Powered" but not which motor...but I know you did your research

rumrumm · October 16, 2008, 11:36:35 AM

FYI: Some things have changed regarding the quality of coils. Since a lot of things are made off shore now, what used to be good is not necessarily the same high quality now. There is a particular problem with the ones made in Mexico. The quote below is from an ignition expert from another forum:

"These coils are functionally the same, and will work just fine with the MSD and other after market boxes:

Chrome:
MSD Blaster II 8200 ONLY (Made in Indiana, USA)
Summit SUM-G5215 (SAME coil as the 8200)
Black:
NAPA IC12 (NOT IC12SB)
CarQuest 26189

Haven't tried the Crane round oil filled coils, but from reports, they are good ones as well.

I advise NOT using:
PerTronix EPOXY filled round coils
ALL round Accel Super Stock coils
ALL Mallory round coils."

unklian · October 16, 2008, 12:05:23 PM

The OLD Accel big Yellow coil worked very well with MSD,
no idea what they are like now.

Has anyone run MSD with the Ford EDIS ?

IC2 · October 16, 2008, 12:10:28 PM

Quote from: "Rich Guzman"

IC2 I hope you meant that you purchased the "bronze" drive gear for your roller cam? The Iron gear is for std malleable iron hyd. stocker cam and will eat an aftermarket billet roller cam in no time, the caveat to this is the Ford EFI motor with stock roller cam which likes a steel gear...you said "Ford Powered" but not which motor...but I know you did your research

OK - we all know that cast iron gears and steel cams don't work.

Then there are the bronze gears - they are fine for steel cams but still have an unacceptable wear factor.

Next are the steel gears and from the MSD catalog "EFI 302 with Roller Cam, (replacement for MSD PN 8455 and 8456),
also for MSD 351W Distributors, 0.531" shaft PN 85834"

My engine was originally a crate 5.0L EFI (but now carbed and with conventional ignition) and is running the Ford SVT -E303 camshaft, the Crane equivalent to Ford springs and 1.7 roller rockers(The rockers even have Ford ovals but blurry).

Now to make life interesting, Comp Cams is offering a composite gear. I don't have any warm and fuzzies on that one yet - plastic....is still plastic

Dave W

Rich Guzman · October 16, 2008, 01:15:02 PM

Now to make life interesting, Comp Cams is offering a composite gear. I don't have any warm and fuzzies on that one yet - plastic....is still plastic

AMEN

wayne petty · October 16, 2008, 02:51:08 PM

plastic dist gears... hmm.... slant sixes have had them since they were designed... they lasted for a decade or two before they needed changing..

as for the msd boxes... i have seen instant improvements in idle quality..

i have also seen test equipment blown up with them..... the high voltage primarys tend to let the smoke out of scopes... so do beware... if you still use full sized scopes...

as for the humorous side of this thread...

decades ago... a friend with a built V8 vega... had a 7A box and a mallory coil that had the coil wire held down by a retainer...

the starter got changed... the bypass wire on the starter shorted to the top post on the solenoid... so the engine would not shut off with the key...

while we were talking about how to shut it off... another friend stepped forward and said.. i'll just pull the coil wire... before we could stop him... he did it... except it came off at the cap... he looked like he was wearing michael jacksons glove... his hand up to the wrist was covered in blue electricity... as the motor slowed to a stop from ... about 1800 rpm... he was finally able to let go... since we were out at the donut shop at about midnight... there were lots of people who missed it. must have been over 100 people there. but even with all the prodding... he would not do it again for everybody too see.,... in fact.. that was the night the cops chased a guy from northridge to seal beach and back to within 3 blocks of where it started... i think that chase was measured at 238 miles that nght.. they ran police cars out of gas.. went through several air units also.......

IC2 · October 16, 2008, 03:33:25 PM

....and the good ol' Ford flathead had a composite timing gear as well - at least for the first few thousand miles until your friendly corner mechanic replaced it with an aluminum gear. And yep, I'm old enough to have done it many more times then then once

I need to be convinced that the composite gears are as good or better then the tried and true cast, bronze or steel versions that have been allowing performance engies to turn astronomical RPM numbers rather then the average grocery getter that MIGHT see 3500 or so in passing gear for a hundred yards or so

As far as MSD ignitions - bit once, twice shy. The 6A/6AL Series is a good painful tingle, higher level - o-o-w-w-w-w-w

Learpilot · October 16, 2008, 04:55:55 PM

I put a MSD 6A on my SBC 350 when I ran a carb. The plugs would get smoked up real bad from short trips, but after MSD the plugs looked almost new. I ran the MSD 6A for about three or four years with no problems.
I now run EFI and took off the MSD.

MSD Ignition

Learpilot