I’ve pondered upgrading my ignition system with a MSD box for awhile. Having the Pertronix electronic point conversion and high output coil already, I wondered how much of a difference the MSD could actually make?
I researched both sides, reading posts of both the Pro’s and Con’s and I gotta tell ya the fence is divided.
Con’s; say a good tune-up will do more for performance than the ignition box. Adding that the boxes give trouble, are hard to install and most times don’t work correctly.
Pro’s; say MSD is easy to install, just follow the directions and expect a big difference on performance and milage.
After talking to several people in my car club that I know have the knowledge on the subject, I decided to take the leap and order the MSD Street Fire ignition box along with a matching distributor cap and rotor (as recommended by MSD).
Installation was easy, only took me about two hours. Probably could have done it faster, but I am incredibly anal about things. I mounted the box under the dash near where my coil is and ran the wires as instructed. I did not change anything other than the distributor cap and rotor, leaving the old plugs in place and only re-gapping them as recommended by MSD. I did this deliberately as some (con’s) had said new plugs were probably the real reason for increased performance (and they’d be wrong). Also ensuring I had a good ground and power source directly from the battery for the MSD. As a knowledgeable mechanic friend pointed out to me, the power and ground source from the battery is imperative and when not sourced correctly is the reason so many have trouble. Thanks Tom!
I set the rev limit, hooked the battery back up and lit it off. Instant start, idle sounds better, smoother and deeper, more powerful (I know that sounds funny). Out on the road, the throttle response is quicker and peppier, there’s no lag or bog of any kind, even when I dump both fours! WOW! I’m pretty excited! And, the motor is smoother at cruise speeds too! With pickup and passing all improved dramatically as well, it even runs better when cold. Much more fun to drive!
Milage, well I can’t tell you that yet, as I haven’t taken my foot out of it long enough to be able to check! LOL!
In summary, if you’re thinking about adding an MSD ignition box, DO IT!
Follow the instructions, be sure you source the power and ground for the MSD from the battery and you will be rewarded with big performance gains for the buck!
