Ignition upgrade:MSD,Accel,Crane, Mallory, Jacobs, Holley?

Hard to go wrong with MSD, but like was said earlier, all the add on modules will kill you.

I am going with Mallory this time around. Comp 9000, HyFire VI, Pro Master coil, and RF eliminator. Oh, MSD 8.5mm wires and NGK plugs.

 

I like the start retard when trying to turn over a 12.5:1 motor. I'll mount my HyFire VI box inside the glove compartment door. Open the door (it's out in the open), reprogram it, close the door, out of sight.

 

I agree with that! I'v acually researched a small project of buiding a rpm activated switch for both my switch pitch and high speed retard. If get started on it one of these days, I'll post a final schematic.

 

MSD and one of Dave's HEI conversions!!! Go Dave!!! Awesome product :TU: .

Michael

 

Low Cost Unilite Modules

P.S.
It's not uncommon to pay $90 or more for a Unilite module. It's one of the reasons that so many Pertronix kits are sold. But if you have a Unilite distributor (or Unilite conversion in a stock distributor) you can buy a replacement module for much less.
Look for a Mallory "E-Spark" module or an Accel "Points Eliminator" module. They sell for around $40 and are a direct replacement for a Unilite. They even perform the same. The plastic housings are a different color and shape but they the same internally.
Just a helpful hint from an inside source.

 

msd

I put an msd 6AL on my car and it has been melting the dist. cap around the button ever since. I tryed the low resistance botton but it didnt help.

 

I'm running an older Jacobs box that was given to me as a takeoff from a race car. I had to make some WAG's as to which wires went where, but I got it right the first time. I am currently firing the unit with stock points but am going to convert to Cranes conversion which has an adjustable rev limiter built in. As is, it works great. Any one have any opinions about the Crane units?

 

msd

i have a msd 7al with a stock hei as a magnetic pick up
drop in and fire it up.
msd does get you with the add ons though(dial a limiter)6000-8000
and for any future reference a msd al unit will not work without a chip
it will give cranking spark but no rpm chip= no rpm literally
i spent a while tring to figure this out when i didnt have a chip for my
7al unit when i switched from a 6a(no chip or rev limit)
so if you "friend" pulls it out on you for a joke and your car dont start
you will know why.
andy

 

AM&P is using the MSD "ready to run" on my new motor. I heard some good and bad things about it. Any opinions??

 

i have a msd drop in in my 430 no boxes and it runs great just make sure your car gets 12 volts to it, i rewired the car with a painless system becuase of wiring problems ,dead battery-hard to start-gauge problems
no longer has the resister wire to ignition and starts easier and mpg went up

 

Re: Low Cost Unilite Modules

I had a Jacobs back in the day and did not like it. Whatever I tried, it would not idle as well as an HEI. Talking to their tech support, I opened the plug gaps up to .125" (in stages), and added (again in stages) 3 of their "stabilizer" resistors. So this was a long tedious process and I was still not happy. When I flipped the switch to stock HEI, the idle would pick up, also throttle response was better, as was gas mileage. However, I do have to say that it had enough spark energy to fire .125" plug gaps all the way up to 6000 rpm!! Just not enough low-rpm spark energy.

 

MSD RTR Jacobs Ultra Coil (old one)

ACCEL billet 71105e with 7.5amp module and same oldstyle ultra coil

Allison conversion, jacob'sold styleultra coil

 

Re: Low Cost Unilite Modules

0.125???

That is blankin' HUGE! I do the Dr. Jacob's method (he has a doctorate in EE and many patents on pace makers and auto electronics.

What I'm guessing is that idea of the iginition compoenets acting as a system was not given enough thought.

E.G., I can have a 100,000V caabable coil and a mega-multi-spark box, and if all the voltage and current requirements are met to arc the plug gap, all the other stuff is hype.

Jacob's had the variable magnetic core--which, on models like the Omni Torquer, senses idle rpms and increases current and the voltage necessary to arc whatever spark plug gap you have.

BUT--if there's one weak link in th ign chain, any benefits will not be obtained:

Did you replace the wires with a lower-resistance/high-dielectric variety? Did you stick to regular plugs-- and not the Splitfire Super Hype (the jacob's systems need to see a regular resistance across the gap)? Change the cap& rotor?

I assume you mean you opened it up by 0.005" for each upgrade.

I use a 0.065" gap, and everyone here jumped on me. It idles better than a practically new lexus. and I had a 455 with an HEI. I rebuilt the thing wit ACCEL's blue thunder in-cap coil, cap&rotor, 35367 ign model( same as in the 71105 ACCel distrib I have in another 455), and it idles MUCH better.

Also , you must know there are two Jacob's--the Dr. Jacob's products, and the Jacobs Mr. Gasket bought out.

It isn't about "names either"; I mix brands just so my electronic coil has <1 ohm for 12V electronic ignitions.

In my 455 I'm working on now, it will have the MSD RTR (with high-quality ign module), Accel 300+wires, and another OLD ultra coil.

Some of this has to do with economics--on ebay, you can get great buys--if you know what to look for.


What I REALLY want is the MSD RTR (ready to run) NAILHEAD distributorfor my '63 riv.

You know how many rebuilt points distributors I've had in that, which later turned up to have shaft wobble and and erratic sparking? Again, doing the 'right way' first saves time and money.

BTW This is a good reason not to use the conversion kits.They use the resistance wire--5-7V for the engine running, and 12v only when starting)

 

It is GREAT!you can get the same thing for less in ACCEL's 71100 series (best quality ign module), CNC-billet shaft, nylon bearings.

I bought both because they were on ebay. I can't say that I find much of a difference between the two, but a HUGE difference over HEI---which craps out over 4500 rpms.

Getting back to the last poster, I have to say that HEI may deliver a good idle, but like all products, it has compromises. In its day, it met its requirements. Now we have better ign systems--why not use them?

and though I've been told, don't get wrapped up in the hype. capacitance discharge model take TIME to re-energize. In accelerating engine, there is less and less time to charge and discharge (like the MSD 6A-- an idiotic marketing idea: if 200mj is good, 6 200mj spark must be better ALL the time. NO! Your engine's life will be reduced by having all those excess sparked when they aren't needed (e.g., cruising on highway). You just need a system to be able to fire a plug that may be fouled or have a flame kernel that goes out.

This is my premise: The wider the plug gap, and a hotter spark to arc it, the more complete combustion, and more potential energy released. In the dynamic conditions of changing cylinder pressure and rpm, TIME becomes a big factor.

There comes a point of when too hot of a spark WILL burn-out your weakest link in your ignition. The only reason I like OLD Jacobs was because the spark intensity was tailored for the conditions: change in velocities (rpms)=acceleration would signal the microprocessor to have a lower dwell and higher voltage. At cruising speed, the bare minimum is needed.


In CAR AUDIO, this number/names thing is even more ridiculous

 

Re: MSD

SEE? Unless you're racing ALL the time, you don't need all that spark energy. Some component will go.

I'm sorry,but this is a subject that gets started at car shows--when I didn't want to open my hood--and there's non-stock distributor/coil/relays/circuit breakers/Fuse blocks
(I do a lot of high-end mobile audio, too. And I'm not going to have some ultra stock environment. The most important thing is that we have cars WE enjoy.)

 

Re: ignition

why have an '76 455/HEI and use0.030"? The stock is 0.060"

 

Re: ignition

Yes, I used his wires which are quite good.

No, I had Bosch platinums, which were all the rage at the time.

An aside note on the Bosch platinum plugs: An old timer gave me a tip one time on diagnosing ignition isues. I went out on a pitch black night to a spot with no lights around. I opened the hood with the engine running looking for sparks. I saw faint blue glows and came to realize that they was coming from inside the plugs. Apparently there were spark gaps that had opened up inside the porcelain, and I was seeing the arcing going on inside each plug.

It was an HEI.

This was back in the mid 1980's.

 

Re: ignition

Dave Ray magnetic pickup with a msd 6al here...Can't say enough about Mr. Rays work..Great performance..

 

I have used the Holley system since it first came out. I was able to get one donated for the 68 Skylark school project car and have liked and used them ever since. I know some people had trouble with them and hated them. I have had 3 without any problems. I do know they depend on a good ground to the engine. I love what you can do with it. Adjustable timing curve and high rpm retard and different switches and limiters. I think it was an excellent idea that didn't get the support it needed or the quality control it should. I have run them for years. I keep a complete MSD HEI distributor and wires as a back up so I can just throw it in if I have a problem at the track. So far never used it.
Jim N.

 

I don't know why this topic came back up again, but my vote is for the best service and conversions there are, all 18 I own, from Dave Ray (IgnitionMan), Dave's small-body HEI's, the EFI HEI's for all my Holley Commander 950 systems, and his MSD trigger only magnetic pickup and MSD ignition boxes. You simply cannot find better than those two manufacturers, Dave and MSD, anywhere.

Regards

Milton