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What Igniton System Do you prefer? And Why? (specify in a post after voting)

  • Stock HEI System

    Votes: 60 45.8%
  • Stock Duraspark system

    Votes: 9 6.9%
  • Other (And please specfy in a post, and why..)

    Votes: 62 47.3%

Which Ignition System Do you Prefer? And Why?

41K views 73 replies 67 participants last post by  heyjude076 
#1 ·
Doc here, :pimp:

Which Ignition System do you prefer and Why?

I thought this poll ought to be handy for "Shoppers" of New Ignition systems.

Lot's of Pro's and Cons out there, so let's get them in one spot to wade through the types to help folks decide.. :thumbup:

Please Qualify your answer, with :

"Used brand X for 15 years, and never had a failure"

OR:

"Used Brand X , was a nightmare Because, No instructions, never ran right, failed after install "... Ect...

Thanks!

Doc :pimp:
 
#55 ·
I used a Mallory HEI that was terribly inaccurate. Evidently the shaft wasn't strong enough because it dropped 2 full degrees at redline with the mechanical brazed closed. It was fine otherwise; good electronics, but the dizzy itself I didn't like.

I just bought a Pertronix ignitor 2 for a vortec SBC in my boat. LOVE it. Accurate spark, inexpensive, and great reputation.
 
#56 ·
Ignition

I've raced 11.0 and quicker GM cars since 1979 with home made dual point distributors. In 1981 my first wife bought me an MSD 7AL box to use with a Delco single point and no condensor. Too bad MSD doesn't make wives because that box lasted twice as long as my first marriage.

MSD rules for any vehicle!
 
#59 ·
I guess I'm one of the few going backwards.... I just pulled an MSD 6AL out and I am in the process of putting in a Joe Hunt Vertex Magneto in. (It performed flawlessly in a supercharged street BBC). It must be my antisocial side that likes buzzing radios....

Plus, there's nothing quite like the site of one of your buddies holding a magneto and out of habit giving it a spin..... and (thankfully) managing to not drop it as it nailed him over and over.

In the spirit of the thread - I have had nothing but great performance out of MSD: The "banana" chip upgrade for the HEI (stock engine), 6AL (10:1 street motor) and 7AL2 (13.5:1 race motor). Once you invest in all those little rpm chips.....
 
#62 ·
I think I have used most every thing out there both on the street and strip. I definatly prefer GM HEI. You can usually set it and forget it. Aftermarket modules can pick them up a little on the oscillascpe but not enough to notice on the street or track. A coil upgrade is needed if you are running rich on purpose (racing application). Remember that if your running a normal mixture the firing kv should be around 13,000 volts. The stock coil will hit 40,000 easy and the aftermarket 50,000 +. The duration of the spark only needs to be around 1 milli second. If you timing is right you can light a ton of fuel and make a gob of horsepower. As for MSD: Works good. If your timing is off, it will cover a multitude of sins with that long pulse. Most people don't work hard enough to get correct timing in non-stock applications. In other works, if you have a stroker motor, radical cam and aftermarket heads stock base timing is not going to get it. Stock advance probably won't either. Don't spend a bunch of money on different boxes until you get the timing curve right. (you can do it yourself an advance kit, a good timing light and a few hours of fooling around or you can pay some one to put it on a chassis dyno with a scope for a few bucks.
 
#65 ·
best dist.

unilite Over many years these units have impressed me. For GM engines with a carb. it's hard to beat HEI untill you get to radicle. HEI is a simple self contained unit. most other factory dist. have electricle wires traveling throught
to modules pcm etc(I rember the EST HEI exception).This could go on so I'll tell you why the uni. Many years ago I changed out the points in my old Ford pu, made a set of red mallory wires boy were they pretty and this is a true story. I set the truck for emissions it took a while to finally get it when the numbers were right off to the government sniffer withought the air cleaner big mistake. I sat in line in near 100 degree weather finally as the temp gauge rose I was probed idle test only guess what it past zero hydrocarbens. Only a block away I goosed it in victory this 351 was near melt down here is where happy turns to fear the lean boiling carter back fired through the carb. This caused a fire tried to restart,close the choke even blowing didn't work. Lucky me I had a fire extinquisher. I squeased the trigger nothing came out the fire was growing then my glass fuel filter exploded this thing was raging. There was nothing to do but through dirt on it then my lo side ac hose blew R 12+fire not good finally a nearby shop came with a working extiquisher. Back to the uni. The carb was melted my wires gone the uni cap n rotor was a glob of dirt and red plastic the electric wires were gone. After rebuilding the engine I cleaned up re wired the dist using the original module it worked! To this day 7 years later or so it's never let me down never needed a module etc. With all the bad I learned alot and it's the first engine my son helped build plus it was a good reason to up grade. one-arm-dude




i
 
#66 ·
I like accel because it is cheap and reliable. A lot of people will prefer MSD and there are good, but there are others that will do just as good of a job for cheaper. All MSD means is multiple spark disscharge and is most noticeable at low rpm's. Because at high rpms it will become pretty much a singal spark anyways, it will keep the spark more stable though.
 
#67 ·
I have used several different ignition systems and prefer the GM HEI over most unless going for performance and race engines reving to high RPM. In which case I like the MSD crank trigger system. It is very accurate and more stable than any distributor can be since its getting its reading right from the crank. For the Pontiac guys on here I have a trick to reduce heat issues with the HEI. I cut the housing in half and weld in a piece of aluminum tubing with SBC shaft. it raises the head of the distributor about 2" giving it far more cooling on the coil than the stock unit does. A note for that: it wont work in 2nd gen F-body cars without firewall mods. It will work in nearly everything else.
 

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#68 ·
im gonna have to say msd,as i have owned many hotrods all of them got msd6al boxes,hotter fire,more consistant.and if u wanna add delay boxes,2 step module's etc u can with ease.now on my current mustang i am trying out a mallory hyfire6 its digital with retard,2 steps of timing retard(for nos) and rev limiter as well. my 2cents
 
#69 ·
I'm sticking with a stock point system for my SBC. New points are available most anywhere, it's a simple system, and it's been providing spark for millions of engines for many, many years. I have no need for high energy ignition. If you're 100 miles from home, and your electronic ignition craps out, how likely are you to find a replacement HEI system? Good luck with that!
 
#70 ·
Oldguy48 said:
I'm sticking with a stock point system for my SBC. New points are available most anywhere, it's a simple system, and it's been providing spark for millions of engines for many, many years. I have no need for high energy ignition. If you're 100 miles from home, and your electronic ignition craps out, how likely are you to find a replacement HEI system? Good luck with that!
Guess who ever it is when it takes a crap better have a back-up in the trunk. :eek:


Cole
 
#72 ·
Oldguy48 said:
I'm sticking with a stock point system for my SBC. New points are available most anywhere, it's a simple system, and it's been providing spark for millions of engines for many, many years. I have no need for high energy ignition. If you're 100 miles from home, and your electronic ignition craps out, how likely are you to find a replacement HEI system? Good luck with that!
I've been driving HEI equipped vehicles now for 13 years. I have never had one "just quit" with no warning. Virtually everytime I've had an HEI module issue, it's started out with hard starting while hot, progressed into a bad misfire and then eventually it would not start any more.
this includes GM factory HEI engines, as well as my '72 monte equipped with a 4-wire hei system.. and now a complete MSD system :)
(the MSD system, I've had for two years now with no failures, and I average about 10,000 miles a year in my 72)
the HEI 'module' only serves as a trigger for my MSD box, so it doesn't handle high current any more. and if the MSD box craps out, I can swap a couple of wires around and run w/o the multi-spark :>
i've also owned 3 GM vehicles with coil packs, and have had ZERO failures with that system. a 3100, a 3300 and a 3800 series-II engine :)
 
#73 ·
HEI over MSD

When I have no fire to my dist. when I just drove the truck yesterday and I have no problems. I have a 305 in the 86 GMC 2wd and it did have a Q-Jet on it and i replaced with a Edelbrock 600 cfm 4bbl. And still has the computerized dist on it with the vacuum advance which is throwing everthing off. If I could get some help here it would be much appreciated.

Thank You
 
#74 ·
shawn305 said:
When I have no fire to my dist. when I just drove the truck yesterday and I have no problems. I have a 305 in the 86 GMC 2wd and it did have a Q-Jet on it and i replaced with a Edelbrock 600 cfm 4bbl. And still has the computerized dist on it with the vacuum advance which is throwing everthing off. If I could get some help here it would be much appreciated.

Thank You
Shawn - this is a very old thread. I suggest you post your question in a new one. Give as much detail as you can and I am sure you will get some answers.

"no fire to my dist" isn't much to go on.
Do you mean that you are not getting 12V to the dist or no spark?

Did this occur right after you replaced the Q-Jet? if so did you possibly move/pinch some wires?

What do mean the vacuum advance is throwing everything off?

Post this info in a new thread.
 
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