When do you upgrade the ignition?

justavillain · Apr 16, 2020

I am asking the hive mind when do we switch the distributor, coil, and ecm box out?

I have an accel super Coil, MSD 6AL and proform dizzy, accel Ceramic plug wires.

do I upgrade the dizzy now? It starts, runs and pulls pretty decent for a driver. The coil/ rotor in the photo have about 1000 miles on them. The dizzy has about another 1000.

I have been trying to research this topic for about a week, searched on a few forums and no real answers, just "MSD" stuff. Or points to pertronix.

when do you KNOW you need a new system?

dadsbee · Apr 16, 2020

Running stock points and distributor on my Bee since '69.. still good !

Lionized · Apr 16, 2020

justavillain said:
I am asking the hive mind when do we switch the distributor, coil, and ecm box out?

I have an accel super Coil, MSD 6AL and proform dizzy, accel Ceramic plug wires.

do I upgrade the dizzy now? It starts, runs and pulls pretty decent for a driver. The coil/ rotor in the photo have about 1000 miles on them. The dizzy has about another 1000.

I have been trying to research this topic for about a week, searched on a few forums and no real answers, just "MSD" stuff. Or points to pertronix.

when do you KNOW you need a new system?

View attachment 937224 View attachment 937225 View attachment 937226

If it's not broken or giving you trouble, why bother throwing money at a non-issue?

justavillain · Apr 16, 2020

Well that's kind of the point. The only reason why I have the msd box is because it was on it when I got the car.

I did have an issue at the dyno of it breaking up. But I believe it was a plug issue more than the distributor. It doesn't bounce around, mech advance all in 35 degrees advance if I remember right. It's been a long winter/pandemic

wagonman · Apr 16, 2020

dadsbee said:
Running stock points and distributor on my Bee since '69.. still good !

I run a Mopar electronic in the 440 RR and points in the 470. Can’t tell the difference.

dadsbee · Apr 16, 2020

wagonman said:
I run a Mopar electronic in the 440 RR and points in the 470. Can’t tell the difference.

Exactly and I can fix the point system with my pocket knife on the side of the road if need be!

Lionized · Apr 16, 2020

justavillain said:
Well that's kind of the point. The only reason why I have the msd box is because it was on it when I got the car.

I did have an issue at the dyno of it breaking up. But I believe it was a plug issue more than the distributor. It doesn't bounce around, mech advance all in 35 degrees advance if I remember right. It's been a long winter/pandemic

I'm running a NOS chrome box which may be the only thing I eventually replace. With this:

https://www.manciniracing.com/reeligcoun1.html

Everything else is no more than five years old. MSD Blaster II coil, Proform/MRE distributor running Taylor 8mm Spiro-pro wires. Also bypassed the ballast resistor.

rumblefish360 · Apr 16, 2020

I really don’t see what could be wrong with anything though the cap pictures are hard to see anything on. If it works, leave it.

Does it break up while driving? If not, then what is wrong with the ignition system?

wagonman · Apr 16, 2020

dadsbee said:
Exactly and I can fix the point system with my pocket knife on the side of the road if need be!

Yup been there in the middle of the Nevada desert. 5 minuets later and see ya.

Aeronet · Apr 16, 2020

The factory electronic ignition with a MP Chrome ECU is hard to to beat. Been running it since the '90s.

66Satellite47 · Apr 17, 2020

In the early/mid '70's my stock '70 383 single point was a PITA. Points lasted 3-5 thousand miles (lots of high RPM), even with the best ACCEL points, condenser, cap durability was poor. Mallory dual point & coil worked well on the drag car, but switched that to the Mopar electronic dist & Blue box ECU. Clear performance gain. It was very common for folks in the know to carry a spare ECU in the street cars. Cap & rotor last a long time with the electronic system. If you go with the Mopar electronics, match the ECU to your application, street, street/strip, race.

Ron H · Apr 17, 2020

I put a 1st gen mopar system in my '63 Ply some 20 years ago, the system is simple and easy to diagnose gremlins and only can say I don't know what I might be missing with an upgraded system. Some years ago I had a no-start condition, crank and crank nothing. I started the drill to find the problem. Eventually installed a new ECU and started right up. I kept the system after a complete engine rebuild. Later encountered a condition where the only time the car would 'run' is if you held key in run position. There's quick checks about this such as the BR and ignition switch; switch checked fine as did BR but put a new one in just in case having a spare one. Nada! Come to find after all the head scratching, my BH connection was like a hair slanted and that was it. Have a new engine harness; but still the original BH. Only thing now is distrib vac advance - currently disconnected and motor running fine w/o; the adj module is effed and will get back on this project. Anyway, as posted, if all good don't see need to mess with it unless you want to upgrade...my 2 cents. I keep a spare ECU in my trunk now.

Nacho-RT74 · Apr 17, 2020

I have been able to feel the diff between ignition boxes. I was plenty happy with Chromed and A688 FBO boxes, but when they failed ( 3 chromed in two years ) decided to go with the Rev-N-Nator trying to get a non failed box coming up from the performance world on stock setup

Ron H · Apr 17, 2020

Nacho-RT74 said:
I have been able to feel the diff between ignition boxes. I was plenty happy with Chromed and A688 FBO boxes, but when they failed ( 3 chromed in two years ) decided to go with the Rev-N-Nator trying to get a non failed box coming up from the performance world on stock setup

Hey Nacho! Good to hear from you! If anyone would be able to offer expert advice it would be you. Ask me how I know!

Nacho-RT74 · Apr 17, 2020

I'm not that good... just undertand the basics

kbfallon · Apr 22, 2020

Aeronet said:
The factory electronic ignition with a MP Chrome ECU is hard to to beat. Been running it since the '90s.

Not to mention .....There is a large price difference. I have an MSD box and coil that was the spare for a 23t altered I sold..priced out a new MSD distributor alone and the cost is about twice what an entire new Mopar complete set-up would cost. I'll probably get it as it's going to go on a modified 426 hemi street motor and will complete the MSD set up.

Nacho-RT74 · Apr 22, 2020

Aeronet said:
The factory electronic ignition with a MP Chrome ECU is hard to to beat. Been running it since the '90s.

just as far they keep working ( 3 damaged in a row in 2 years on my car ). Sure they were the laters ones, not the 90s units

35desoto · Apr 22, 2020

The standard Mopar Electronic system was recognised for years as being superior than what the other two big companies offered. I have had chevy and ford guys tell me to throw away my Mopar electronics and upgrade to MSD but the factory stuff was well engineered and outperforms the others. A good Mopar setup is not to be sneezed at. Sure a MSD setup will provide spark under higher duress like a dfrag engine or such BUT for the street/mild even hot engine its a setup that is proven.
As an early submitter said why try to fix something that is not broken - unless I missed a part that said it was

Aeronet · Apr 22, 2020

Nacho-RT74 said:
just as far they keep working ( 3 damaged in a row in 2 years on my car ). Sure they were the laters ones, not the 90s units

I've been lucky I guess. Believe it or not, the MP Chrome unit I have I paid $5.00 for at a salvage yard in '95 or so. I pulled it out of a mid '70s C-Body.
It still works as of about 20 minutes ago.
The ECU was made in Mexico.

AJ/FormS · Apr 22, 2020

I ran the 292/292/.508 cam on an Orange box no problem , Like you I was looking for an upgrade. Installed a CDI Multi-strike and E-core coil, and soon was stranded. I had left the old system wired in , you know, just in case. So I swapped over and sent the CDI system out for warranty. Since the Orange box/ big SQ-top Accell coil kept on working, and I couldn't tell the difference; the Orange box stayed. A few years later and now on a third cam, the Orange box got replaced by a dash-mounted, adjustable, dial-back timing box with it's own Amp inside it, so the Orange got shelved. But that Big Yellow Accell Super Coil is going on twenty years old and as far as I'm concerned, the best dang coil ever.
I still got that Warrantied CDI system in the box it was returned to me in, Not even sure I ever opened it.
My take on it is this; there are two times your street engine might want more power;
1) if it craps out at high rpm, or
2) if it can't keep your cold engine running.
But as to #1, don't let other things fool you like a bad AFr, bad plugs, or valve float.
And as to #2, don't let a crummy tune or lack of vacuum advance fool you.

When do you upgrade the ignition?

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