MSD IGNITION

Road-race engines and ancillaries - general discussion
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nabihelosta
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Re: MSD IGNITION now available on a 131

Post by nabihelosta »

Perry

Information of Great Value. Thank you

Respectfully

N
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Guy Croft
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Re: MSD IGNITION!!! AMAZING THREAD ABOUT THIS IGNITION SYSTE

Post by Guy Croft »

I HAVE ALTERED THE TITLE TO THIS REMARKABLE THREAD

PERRY IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO READ YOUR POSTS

GC
Guy Croft, owner
n2oxide
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Re: MSD IGNITION!!! AMAZING THREAD ABOUT THIS IGNITION SYSTE

Post by n2oxide »

More of a privilege for me that you say so GC.

BR

Perry
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eddie124
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Re: MSD IGNITION!!! AMAZING THREAD ABOUT THIS IGNITION SYSTE

Post by eddie124 »

Hello all,

I stumbled upon this topic, and I felt I should add my own testimonial.

I first got an MSD 6A years ago on the advice from my friends at the Mirafiori forum, to fit in my pre-series 124 Spider. I was very pleased with the difference, although at first I didn't notice it much because there were still issues to sort (car had been static for 5 years, and someone not very knowledgeable had been messing with it before that).

After 6 years as a daily driver, it still runs like a champ, though, and I can tell that it does make an amazing difference. The engine runs smooth and ever so torquey (especially for a lowly 1438 TC) even at low revs, it is a delight to use. Also, between this and the electric fuel pump, starter time was reduced quite substantially (which is always good, but on a pre-series car it's even better because these used the small 0,8 kW starter from the pushrod engines, which takes quite a pounding with the bigger engine). If the engine is warm, I can usually just give the key a quick tug, and the first cylinder that fires immediately gets the engine going. Pretty amazing stuff!

Mine is used with the stock distributor and points. The wiring was dead simple to do, it took me much longer to get it fitted, as Perry has mentioned time and again, especially because I wanted it hidden (it's concealed inside the dash behind the gauges). My only problem was that the rev counter didn't like the square wave signal, so I had to use MSD's adapter to get it back to form. But that's as far as my troubles went.

In the Spider, the setup was used with an Alfa 33 coil (a model fitted to cars with electronic ignition), silicone HT leads and stock NGK plugs opened up to 1 mm gap (pretty much doubles the flame front by itself).

In the meantime, I got another one to fit in my 127 (stock coil, silicone leads, 1mm gap). And that made an even bigger difference to that little 903 cc pushrod, it felt pretty amazing! And last year the head gasket blew, and I left it sitting for a while. When I went back to retrieve it, it fired on one, then two, three, four... you could feel them all coming back to life! After that, ran smooth as silk, and no complaints about the gasket failure... felt completely normal to drive, except after a while it would start getting a bit hot. But since it only needed to go 3 km between my two garages, no problem.

I've had friends who've experimented with several ignitions on the market, but had never heard of MSD. They were pretty much left indifferent to downright angry at the previous results, but everyone that's bought and fitted MSD under my advice have all gotten back in touch to say how amazing the difference was. Oh, and I've yet to see one fail...

thank you, Eddie
_______________________________________
1967 Fiat 124 Spider AS
1978 Fiat 127
And you never know what tomorrow brings...
bernie
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Re: MSD IGNITION!!! AMAZING THREAD ABOUT THIS IGNITION SYSTE

Post by bernie »

Hello Eddie, long time no hear from sportspider.co.uk.

As you may have read, it's to go on my 124 coupe.
Good to hear it improves things.

I'm also thinking of some sort of anti-theft use.

Can it be adapted ie. insert switch into circuit?

Bernie
Book 28
Too many 124
Brit01
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Re: MSD IGNITION!!! AMAZING THREAD ABOUT THIS IGNITION SYSTE

Post by Brit01 »

bernie wrote:Hello Eddie, long time no hear from sportspider.co.uk.

As you may have read, it's to go on my 124 coupe.
Good to hear it improves things.

I'm also thinking of some sort of anti-theft use.

Can it be adapted ie. insert switch into circuit?

Bernie
If you're using the small white and red wires then the violet wire can be used as an anti-theft device. Hook it up to a switch and ground the wire. Once it's grounded it will not produce a spark if someone tries to crank the engine.
n2oxide
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Re: MSD IGNITION!!! AMAZING THREAD ABOUT THIS IGNITION SYSTE

Post by n2oxide »

Even better if you have an alarm with a -GND output for a Central Door Locking or Ultrasonic sensors, just wire the purple to that. When you activate the alarm (or if it's cat1 and self activates) it does it automatically.

Perry
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bernie
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Re: MSD IGNITION!!! AMAZING THREAD ABOUT THIS IGNITION SYSTE

Post by bernie »

Brit01 wrote:
bernie wrote:Hello Eddie, long time no hear from sportspider.co.uk.

As you may have read, it's to go on my 124 coupe.
Good to hear it improves things.

I'm also thinking of some sort of anti-theft use.

Can it be adapted ie. insert switch into circuit?

Bernie
If you're using the small white and red wires then the violet wire can be used as an anti-theft device. Hook it up to a switch and ground the wire. Once it's grounded it will not produce a spark if someone tries to crank the engine.
Just got the MSD 6AL, what a big beast of a thing.
Now I've had a look at the wiring it looks like I use the white and red so I'll introduce a switch on the violet.
Thanks for the advice
I'll post when it's fitted to see if any improvement transpires
Book 28
Too many 124
Brit01
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Re: MSD IGNITION!!! AMAZING THREAD ABOUT THIS IGNITION SYSTE

Post by Brit01 »

Great good to hear!

What plugs and gaps are you using?

I've had to go 2 ranges colder! Projected plugs also work better in my case. The cold NGK 8's were too hot! Now I'm on 9's and this is normal road driving!
eddie124
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Re: MSD IGNITION!!! AMAZING THREAD ABOUT THIS IGNITION SYSTE

Post by eddie124 »

Hi Bernie, quite true, I do miss the sportspider forum... anyone trying to revive it?

In my case, I'm using the stock NGK BPR7ES as recommended for the Fiat TC, no issues whatsoever, gapped at 1 mm.

Could be something with the petrol or the working environment of the engine? Here in Portugal the weather is usually mild, although in my region we do get the extremes, from freezing in winter to 40º C quite often in the summer. My 124 has been through it all, without as much as a splutter of hesitation, and it's been my main daily driver for the last 6 years.

thank you, Eddie
_______________________________________
1967 Fiat 124 Spider AS
1978 Fiat 127
And you never know what tomorrow brings...
Brit01
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Re: MSD IGNITION!!! AMAZING THREAD ABOUT THIS IGNITION SYSTE

Post by Brit01 »

eddie124 wrote:Hi Bernie, quite true, I do miss the sportspider forum... anyone trying to revive it?

In my case, I'm using the stock NGK BPR7ES as recommended for the Fiat TC, no issues whatsoever, gapped at 1 mm.

Could be something with the petrol or the working environment of the engine? Here in Portugal the weather is usually mild, although in my region we do get the extremes, from freezing in winter to 40º C quite often in the summer. My 124 has been through it all, without as much as a splutter of hesitation, and it's been my main daily driver for the last 6 years.

thank you, Eddie
Hi Eddie,


Have you compared the non-resistor with resistor plugs? An oscilloscope reading would be interesting.
I found the plugs much cleaner/hotter with the MSD running with non-resistor plugs suspecting me to believe the resistor plugs suck quite a bit of power out of the voltage.
Besides the MSD is there to give then strongest voltage so we want to create the least resistance in our cables/plugs no?

Yes I do have issues with bad fuel also (MON 83: E10). Another thread on the whole subject 'Measuring distributor max timing advance'.

Regards

Chris
bernie
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Re: MSD IGNITION!!! AMAZING THREAD ABOUT THIS IGNITION SYSTE

Post by bernie »

At last getting round to fitment.
This unit is huge, no room under bonnet or dash.
All I have left is boot, apart from extending wires I cannot see any reason not to.
Agree?
Book 28
Too many 124
n2oxide
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Re: MSD IGNITION!!! AMAZING THREAD ABOUT THIS IGNITION SYSTE

Post by n2oxide »

No reason not too. A lot of the Sunbeam Lotus guys fit it under their bonnet with no room at all. You could try the glove box or maybe under the seat. But otherwise no problem extending the wires.

Perry
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n2oxide
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Re: MSD IGNITION!!! AMAZING THREAD ABOUT THIS IGNITION SYSTE

Post by n2oxide »

As you can see; not any room with a Sunbeam Lotus, but enough to squeeze in an MSD.......about 60 owners have fitted the MSD; none of them have looked back since.

Perry
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n2oxide
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Re: MSD IGNITION!!! AMAZING THREAD ABOUT THIS IGNITION SYSTE

Post by n2oxide »

Seems like this has convinced a few Twin Cam owners to jump into the 21st Century with an MSD

Now, who can I convince to start injeting nitrous oxide...
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