Is this a good update to add?

[ckymacias]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MSD-1994-95-MUS ... 45ff19e283

[Seabass]

I have an msd cap/rotor and an msd coil. From what I've read they are no better than factory motorcraft. They are shiny though The"six litre tune up" that the other site raves about is basicly a tune up with an ignition bump. I did it with the msd stuff and the butt dyno told me it gave me a bit of a bump. I honestly dont think it was the msd stuff over factory that did it just maintenence. I have no regrets but wouldn't sell everyone else on it.


I may be putting an MSD box on in the near future. I hope to have actual gains from that.

[Carlos83]

usually the people that swear the hp/torque/mpg gains given by their shiny red msd stuff had a tired ignition system to begin with. in some cases, parts of these systems are as old as the car..... Usually the OEM stuff is better than aftermarket, however there are cats who like their share of aftermarket goodies under the hood. to each its own.

now, dont get me wrong. I have an MSD box and MSD distributor under my hood.
in my case, it was a night and day difference. My bronc is a 1983 5.0 model originally sold in cali.
it used to have the Duraspark III system (electronic advance for the dizzy, crank sensor, electronic controlled carb, sensors and actuators, and miles and miles of vacuum rubber hoses).
This car has been with my family since 1986 100% stock. back in 91 or 92 the ignition system started acting up. then in 99 or 00 it developed a short somewhere in the harness that would randomly kill the ignition box under the hood. one good box could last days to moths. it always went when cranking the engine. so you would never know when it would die on you. a spare box was mandatory.
I could have gone for the OEM stuff, but overhauling ECM and harness would be cost prohibitive.
so what did I do? i got a msd 6 box with a msd dizzy. then the car became reliable (in the ignition system department) again.
I have gone trough three engines. my latest is a 351W.... my only ignition related problem are the occasional failures of my dizzy gear, but thats because of my roller camshaft and hi volume oil pump.

mis dos centavos, hermanos

[Deleted Account]

just an fyi. i lost 2 msd coils last week. one on my bronco that left the wife stranded and one one the racetruck.. she was not very impressed

[flyinbronco]

just an fyi. i lost 2 msd coils last week. one on my bronco that left the wife stranded and one one the racetruck.. she was not very impressed

Your suposed to put the OEM coil your swaped out for the shiney one in your spare parts bin for just such an occasion.

[SteveG]

Unless you're pushing big power numbers, all stock Motorcraft ignition is the way to go. They make plenty of spark for your engine and are the most reliable. Especially with ignition control modules. Aftermarket modules do not have correct spark control curves and do not work as well as O.E.

Keep it simple!

[Agui-E7TE]

Unless you're pushing big power numbers, all stock Motorcraft ignition is the way to go. They make plenty of spark for your engine and are the most reliable. Especially with ignition control modules. Aftermarket modules do not have correct spark control curves and do not work as well as O.E.

Keep it simple!

I'm going to build a mild stroker and I'm keeping the stock ignition system. It just plain works and the Bow Tie guys with 454's swap out their HEI coil for the Ford TFI coil because it gives a better spark discharge. Stock will always be more reliable.

[BDKW1]

The old joke...... The best reason for running an MSD? You have an excuse to run 2............

[johncharlesb]

The Motorcraft will make more power under 5000rpm.

The Motorcraft is IDI. It has a fixed dwell that is long in duration. It will make a consistent long hot spark.

MSD and the such are CDI. The CDI has a very short duration spark. The very short spark is good for over 5000rpm. Theoretically, the IDI coil signals will become saturated at high revs because of the long dwell (this is bullshit). The spark duration on CDI is so short that at low revs it will perform poorly unless it fires multiple times. Under 3000rpm CDI ignitions fire multiple times to increase spark duration.

If you get a performance improvement under 5000rpm with MSD parts, you were just replacing broken components. Durasparks will easily run at 6500rpm and up to 7500rpm.

Huge plug gaps only increase distributor crossfire. Those monster wires are also pointless.

Motorcraft and MSD modules both decrease the timing during starting. GM and Petronix don't. GM and Petronix are in the distributor next to the heat, which will shorten their life. You can mount a GM HEI on the firewall and use a ford pulse generator to fire it.

All the power is in the curve. You can adjust it by taking apart the distributor. It is in the base, although performance distributors put it on the top.

I am going to run a 1990s module in my '62 and fire it with points.

I have some old distributors. I will try to get some pictures on how to adjust the timing curve.

[kylesgorter]

The Motorcraft will make more power under 5000rpm.

The Motorcraft is IDI. It has a fixed dwell that is long in duration. It will make a consistent long hot spark.

MSD and the such are CDI. The CDI has a very short duration spark. The very short spark is good for over 5000rpm. Theoretically, the IDI coil signals will become saturated at high revs because of the long dwell (this is bullshit). The spark duration on CDI is so short that at low revs it will perform poorly unless it fires multiple times. Under 3000rpm CDI ignitions fire multiple times to increase spark duration.

If you get a performance improvement under 5000rpm with MSD parts, you were just replacing broken components. Durasparks will easily run at 6500rpm and up to 7500rpm.

Huge plug gaps only increase distributor crossfire. Those monster wires are also pointless.

Motorcraft and MSD modules both decrease the timing during starting. GM and Petronix don't. GM and Petronix are in the distributor next to the heat, which will shorten their life. You can mount a GM HEI on the firewall and use a ford pulse generator to fire it.

All the power is in the curve. You can adjust it by taking apart the distributor. It is in the base, although performance distributors put it on the top.

I am going to run a 1990s module in my '62 and fire it with points.

I have some old distributors. I will try to get some pictures on how to adjust the timing curve.

Excellent! couldnt have said it better myself

[johncharlesb]

The Motorcraft will make more power under 5000rpm.

The Motorcraft is IDI. It has a fixed dwell that is long in duration. It will make a consistent long hot spark.

MSD and the such are CDI. The CDI has a very short duration spark. The very short spark is good for over 5000rpm. Theoretically, the IDI coil signals will become saturated at high revs because of the long dwell (this is bullshit). The spark duration on CDI is so short that at low revs it will perform poorly unless it fires multiple times. Under 3000rpm CDI ignitions fire multiple times to increase spark duration.

If you get a performance improvement under 5000rpm with MSD parts, you were just replacing broken components. Durasparks will easily run at 6500rpm and up to 7500rpm.

Huge plug gaps only increase distributor crossfire. Those monster wires are also pointless.

Motorcraft and MSD modules both decrease the timing during starting. GM and Petronix don't. GM and Petronix are in the distributor next to the heat, which will shorten their life. You can mount a GM HEI on the firewall and use a ford pulse generator to fire it.

All the power is in the curve. You can adjust it by taking apart the distributor. It is in the base, although performance distributors put it on the top.

I am going to run a 1990s module in my '62 and fire it with points.

I have some old distributors. I will try to get some pictures on how to adjust the timing curve.

Excellent! couldnt have said it better myself

Thanks, I should have noted that one can space the module off the fenderwell to increase cooling to under the unit and extend the life of the module. Additionally, The cheap aftermarket modules commonly delete the starting retard feature, so buying a Motorcraft is the best bet. One of these days I will write a distributor curve thread for all of us with older rigs. I need to recurve the Econoline 351w distributor, maybe I will document that for a thread.