? for u msd guys, msd worth it?
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 39
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From: bosie id
? for u msd guys, msd worth it?
I was looking into buying the msd blaster coil and 6a ignition but before I spend that kind of money I was wondering is the msd really worth the money and am I going to notice a seat of your pants difference from it? On my car right now I have corsa, cut air box, k&n, airfoil. thanks for replies. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,107
Likes: 171
From: Dublin CA
I have the MSD box on my 85. It took awhile to figure out where to mount it due to space limitations. I finally mounted it on drivers side in the middle of the wheel well. Made a heat shield to keep heat from the exhaust from frying it.
I don't think you will notice an gain in horses, or anything like that. I installed mine to get a cleaner burn and pass smog. It also allows you to open the gap on the plugs. I have had this box on my 74 4X4 Blazer with a mild build on the 350. I have had blown intake gaskets where the engine was sucking oil to the point the plugs had almost no gap....but the plugs would fire with the box.
My son runs one on his built 350 65 Chevy. It helps when he spins it up in the 5000-6500 rpm range. But I never run the Vet that high....I want to keep an engine. He BLOWS them up!
I guess the bottom line is you will not loose anything with the installation. Just don't expect to have any HP gains. I think you will have a cleaner running engine, better starting and better spark.
Have fun....there is always another thing to add, change or convert to a Vet to get the appearance or feel that you want.
I don't think you will notice an gain in horses, or anything like that. I installed mine to get a cleaner burn and pass smog. It also allows you to open the gap on the plugs. I have had this box on my 74 4X4 Blazer with a mild build on the 350. I have had blown intake gaskets where the engine was sucking oil to the point the plugs had almost no gap....but the plugs would fire with the box.
My son runs one on his built 350 65 Chevy. It helps when he spins it up in the 5000-6500 rpm range. But I never run the Vet that high....I want to keep an engine. He BLOWS them up!
I guess the bottom line is you will not loose anything with the installation. Just don't expect to have any HP gains. I think you will have a cleaner running engine, better starting and better spark.
Have fun....there is always another thing to add, change or convert to a Vet to get the appearance or feel that you want.
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 144
Likes: 0
From: San Bernardino Ca
I am planing into buying an msd or mallory for my 87 it will helpp with fuel economy.
I have used the mallory on an 2.8 s10 which eat gas like a big block now it saves a good about finally I get over the 20 mpg with out it it was like 13 mp
not lying
not that it will do the same for this cars but it will start better and feel better may be it's physiological but it works for me but you are not going to get a kick on your pants your probably looking for
I have used the mallory on an 2.8 s10 which eat gas like a big block now it saves a good about finally I get over the 20 mpg with out it it was like 13 mp
not lying
not that it will do the same for this cars but it will start better and feel better may be it's physiological but it works for me but you are not going to get a kick on your pants your probably looking for
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
Originally Posted by 956spd
I was looking into buying the msd blaster coil and 6a ignition but before I spend that kind of money I was wondering is the msd really worth the money and am I going to notice a seat of your pants difference from it? On my car right now I have corsa, cut air box, k&n, airfoil. thanks for replies.
Now I'm running the digital 6. It has a very nice and very easily adjustable rev limiter, a staging rev limiter and a timing retard. It also provides a very convient place to connect a shift light. Performance gain? Not likely. It does seem like when I first installed it that the car idled smoother, but I have no scientific proof of that. If you're not getting the 6al or the digital 6 for it's rev limiting features, don't waste the money.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
I had one on my '87 for a while, no differance, waste of time/effort...it's in the cabinet now, sitting idle.....
it DID help with a cammed up carbd' Pontiac some years ago....at idle it fired that rich mix and smoothed it out....
but with a modern DPFI car, save your bux....
GENE
it DID help with a cammed up carbd' Pontiac some years ago....at idle it fired that rich mix and smoothed it out....
but with a modern DPFI car, save your bux....
GENE
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
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From: The Top of Utah
No ignition system will supply a spark hotter than necessary, to do the job. As the demand goes up to fire the plugs, so does the spark energy to meet the demand. There is a more than ample margin of safety built into the stock systems. Unless or until you have an engine with high enough compression or problems, demanding a spark hotter than the stock system can supply, nothing is to be gained by a higher performance ignition system. MSD makes great products. They work well. Except for the ease of connecting some auxillery features, like a rev limiter, retard systems, and their attractive appearence, they do nothing to add performance to 90% of the daily drivers they are installed on. Buy an air foil. It will waste MUCH less money and provide just as much performance.
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
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Drifting
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,594
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From: CALGARY ab
Originally Posted by CFI-EFI
No ignition system will supply a spark hotter than necessary, to do the job. As the demand goes up to fire the plugs, so does the spark energy to meet the demand. There is a more than ample margin of safety built into the stock systems. Unless or until you have an engine with high enough compression or problems, demanding a spark hotter than the stock system can supply, nothing is to be gained by a higher performance ignition system. MSD makes great products. They work well. Except for the ease of connecting some auxillery features, like a rev limiter, retard systems, and their attractive appearence, they do nothing to add performance to 90% of the daily drivers they are installed on. Buy an air foil. It will waste MUCH less money and provide just as much performance.
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
Most ignition systems will provide detailed installation ..... and offer perfrormance surpassing the of stock equipment!!! i am surprised that with the wealth of infromation you have supplied ...you haven't reconizied this
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 14,680
Likes: 752
From: NEwhere Ohio
Whatever you do, do not run an MSD Digital 6 on your LT1 .
I had 3 units in a row fail on me. They lasted about a week and then left me stranded. After that I said screw it. I originally got the box for its retard functions for when I run nitrous. It turns out, at 100 shot, I didnt even need it.
MSD told me one of their ignitions should never leave you stranded if it malfunctions, because you can bypass it. Sure, I can stand on the road side in the middle of the night with cars blasting by me while I bypass the box. Ha ha yeah right.
Although I believe MSD is absolute $h1t, Ive heard of some people having good luck with the MSD 6AL boxes on their LT1. So if thats the type you are getting, you might be ok. I still wouldnt waste my money,
I also had a set of brand new MSD 8.5mm wires spark arc against the water pump housing. Not cool.
Im not an isolated incident either. I remember, a forum member by the name of red-y (93 hot cam'd LT1 with NX 100 shot nitrous) also had the same problem as me. There are a few others here as well.
I had 3 units in a row fail on me. They lasted about a week and then left me stranded. After that I said screw it. I originally got the box for its retard functions for when I run nitrous. It turns out, at 100 shot, I didnt even need it.
MSD told me one of their ignitions should never leave you stranded if it malfunctions, because you can bypass it. Sure, I can stand on the road side in the middle of the night with cars blasting by me while I bypass the box. Ha ha yeah right.
Although I believe MSD is absolute $h1t, Ive heard of some people having good luck with the MSD 6AL boxes on their LT1. So if thats the type you are getting, you might be ok. I still wouldnt waste my money,
I also had a set of brand new MSD 8.5mm wires spark arc against the water pump housing. Not cool.
Im not an isolated incident either. I remember, a forum member by the name of red-y (93 hot cam'd LT1 with NX 100 shot nitrous) also had the same problem as me. There are a few others here as well.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,700
Likes: 3
From: Lebanon KY
i have a msd 6al box on my 86. it definitly added some performance gains, but i also replaced spark plugs, spark plug wires, and installed a high performance distributor cap/coil. so it could have been all these items put together that increased performance. i just added an msd timing controller also. nothing like driving down the road and being able to chance your timing to whatever you want on the fly 
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
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From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by korvette4u
: Most ignition systems will provide detailed installation .....
Originally Posted by korvette4u
...and offer perfrormance surpassing the of stock equipment!!! i am surprised that with the wealth of infromation you have supplied ...you haven't reconizied this
RACE ON!!!
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 234
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From: 1987- L98, auto OH
EFI-CFI is absolutely correct. Only the amount of voltage that is needed to actually fire the plug is what is supplied by the ignition. The additional capability is not used. It seems that some folks think that every time the plug is fired, that it is getting the full 45,000 volts that some of these systems claim as their upper end limits. If it doesn't need the full amount of voltage, it is not developed and delivered... just what is needed.
Brad
Brad
is this enough voltage?????
.. frustrated are we?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,140
Likes: 0
From: Cincinnati Ohio
Originally Posted by Nathan Plemons
If you're not getting the 6al or the digital 6 for it's rev limiting features, don't waste the money.
been running a 6al for over a year with no problems...Ran headlong into my 6000 rpm rev limiter several times Once you smack the limiter at WOT, you think "Damn am I glad I bought that"
