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Ignition Box

Scuba Steve

Scuba Steve

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Fort Bragg, NC
I have been wanting to put in a ignition box in my truck. I have been looking at the Crane HI-6, MSD Offroad, and Jacobs Off-road kit. Which is the best, and would it really be worth it to put a ignition box in? I know that they can improve starting and gas mileage, but how much of a improvement. I was going to buy it off ebay, been looking at a few, so the price wont be as bad as new. /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif
 
if you go msd-buy the 6AL with the built in rev limiter-when i bought mine i screwed up and bought the black msd off road box, and it doesn't have a rev limiter and you have to purchase it seperately-i bought the whole setup-the distrib, coil, rev limtr and offroad box and plug wires for like $275 for my 80k5 and it made a big difference in starting and seemed to me a little hp
 
[ QUOTE ]
if you go msd-buy the 6AL with the built in rev limiter-when i bought mine i screwed up and bought the black msd off road box, and it doesn't have a rev limiter and you have to purchase it seperately-i bought the whole setup-the distrib, coil, rev limtr and offroad box and plug wires for like $275 for my 80k5 and it made a big difference in starting and seemed to me a little hp

[/ QUOTE ]

Werd! /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif I've got a 6AL with coil, dist and Taylor 10mm wires. I also noticed the same differences/benefits that Shawnster did. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
I bought the offroad ignition with high vibration coil & msd distributor. The ignition box crapped out on me so I sent it back to msd. They did not fix the box so they sent me a new one. Right now I have a stock hei setup. Very simple /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif If I go back with MSD stuff I will get the
6AL box.I've heard that other people have had problems with the offroad ignition.
 
I personally say no, they aren't worth it.

If you can't get your rig to idle like GM did with stock ignition stuff, the box isn't going to help.

For extreme applications the additional spark energy is useful, but stock HEI is more than up to the task of what 95% of the people on this board use them for.

Ask or try to find dyno tests that prove aftermarket ignitions add power, where the plugs/wires weren't changed at the same time. Not only will you not find any, you will also find tests that prove they do not add anything to the engine. Butt dyno does not count.

Perhaps it may idle better, but a better idle isn't going to help economy. Besides, how do you quantify "better idle"? The only thing that helps economy in this case, is more efficiency out of the engine. If the aftermarket ignitions helped, that WOULD be shown on the dyno. Heads, cam, headers will ALL produce huge gains comparatively.
 
stay away from jacobs crap... my budy worked for them and he was always telling me its just crap. and my father was one of their test bunnys back when he owned his own shop. and thier crap can mess just about anything up. .02
 
Ive heard the problems with the MSD offroad box is that it is sealed to keep water out, and because of that, if you mount it underhood, it is cooked by the heat. I have the 6AL, and you could def tell a difference when I put it on.
 
It happened to me also. I had the MSD 6 offroad and the AZ heat baked it after about 1.5yrs. MSD sent me a new one. I ran it for another year and sold it.

If you get MSD get the 6AL box like mentioned. You will need the low resistence wires to reap the full benefits of the box though. Coil helps some too.

I did notice good performance increases with my truck on my carbed 350. It started easier, better MPG's, more seat of the pants power, ran smoother, cruised alot better.

I think it is a worth while thing for a carbed motor. The MSD will help make the motor more effiecient and therefore run better. Carbs tend to run rich and the MSD helps burn the extra fuel.

On a FI motor with the the ECM metering fuel I don't think it will help as much as a carbed truck. I converted to FI and sold the MSD because of the quirks it can cause the computer to see.

Harley

p.s. My roommate has been running an MSD 6A box in his 66 Chevy truck for 3 years, and it was used when he bought it. Still runs like a champ. He also felt the gains I talked about. Especially the throttle response and MPG's.
 
I have a 6AL.

Installed it for the rev limiter. No change in performance.

MSD is a good setup IMO.

If I had it to do over I would have just bought the rev control by itself though.
 
What spark plug wires are you running? Because if you run stocker wires you will probably not notice much difference because the wires won't carry the extra power the box produces to the plugs. You must run a good quality low resistence wire to reap any benefits. Taylor, MSD, Accel, etc.

Harley
 
Just get a better coil and wires And call it good. I would not buy a MSD box off E-bay. You might just end up with someone eles problem.

Check out a coil and module from:performancedistributors.com
That will do the same thing as a MSD box without all the extra wireing and heat problems MSD is fameous for.
Keep it simple.
 
[ QUOTE ]
What spark plug wires are you running? Because if you run stocker wires you will probably not notice much difference because the wires won't carry the extra power the box produces to the plugs. You must run a good quality low resistence wire to reap any benefits. Taylor, MSD, Accel, etc.

Harley

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I call bullshit on that for a number of reasons:

1. MSD does not require special plug wires. They must be mag core but they dont need to be anything special.

2. MSD ignition box does not create, "extra power". The only thing that can create more voltage would be a different coil, and I doubt even this would change performance any in the RPM range that my truck operates in.

3. Accel wires are no better than the premium stockers I've got on the shelf. In fact, I firmly believe my Prestolite wires are better than Accel. Accel is all hype. MSD and Taylor do make some bad ass wires though!!

I simply cannot see how more sparks is going to make more power. The spark simply initiates the combustion event. More sparks once combustion has begun aren't going to do you any good IMO.

I'm glad I did it because I like the rev limiter. I've got a 5,000 RPM pill in mine and it keeps me from blowing up this engine which is good enough for me.
 
Cool Beans. I think that I will stick with the stock stuff. I already have a good coil and wires. I think I will go with a new cam and intake. Need to find a 14bff to put in the rear and change the gears. I think that will help the most. Just trying to get the most mpg that I can. Thanks everyone.
 
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