I was talking to a guy at a machine shop that was cutting my stick shift to make it shorter and he was asking me what type of engine I had. I told him that I had a firebird and that it was a 94 with an LT1. The moment I told him, he said that they where really good engines except the ignition really holds it back. If I were to replace the ignition in the LT1 he said that it could free up 70 to 80 hp easily. I didn't really believe the guy, but he had built 1000 hp chevy short blocks for racing cars more than once, so he must have known what he was talking about. He kept trying to explain it to me but it only confused me more. Anywho, does this sound right? Getting 70-80 hp just from ignition? He told me that it should be the first mod I do to the car before slapping anything else in it.

 

I wouldnt let someone like that touch my car. he is full of **** tell him to lay down the crack pipe

 

if the guy knows his stuff then you missed something somewhere...you either did not understand what he was telling you or he is an idiot

my guess is if he would take time out of his day to cut a shifter....he was probly drinking wild irish rose and smokin a $5 giblet

 

He was talking really specific though, saying how the ignition coils shrink at 4200 rpms, and by getting the MSD set up (the whole gig), that it could easily free up 70-80 hp. I dunno, I'm going to go back to that guy to see if he can write down what he told me :P

 

yeah do that...I think most people have all the ignition stuff and get about a zero h.p. gain its good to have but it doesent really make h.p.

 

lmao, MSD ignitions are usually used for boost / nitrous applications to help prevent detonation. The TRUTH is they will net you around 1rwhp

more of a safety feature if you ask me

I am running the msd digital 6 btw and it didnt gain me any faster track times after the install

 

Maybe a 1000 hp engine with a stock ignition would only make 925 hp and 1000 hp with an upgraded one. Trying to get in his head, if i really can I got the whopping 1 hp gain but then added the supercharger so it is worth every penny.

 

youll gain exactly 0rwhp over the stock ignition, and don't let that guy come within 20ft of your car.

 

He might as well have said 70 MPG, 'cause 70 HP ain't gonna happen [either].

 

It takes more electrical energy to make a spark with high cylinder pressure (i.e. boost). That's the main reason a blower car, or a very high compression race engine needs a better ignition. The old (early 80's) GM HEI systems would crap out about 4,500rpm. Maybe that's what he was thinking of when he heard "LT1"?

Rich

 

Was his last comment "i'm an MSD dealer you know...."?

Ken R.

 

Let me know what ignition system it is, I'll dump this Mallory piece of junk in no time.

 

I actually picked up about 300hp when I replaced my stock ignition with a Delteq.

My results might be a bit skewed though, because my stock coil was bad at the time.

 

this one hit a nerve. i think ther was a problem with the old stuff if that was the case. it could happen but not looked at the REAL reason why it gained so much. or he misread the numbers somehow. soem guys are good at carbs and don't understand fi that much

 

Unless there is a sinificant problem with the ignition system it would be unlikely to even pick up 7hp. The oly way to pick up 70hp would be to way screw up the timming maps. The old large cap HEI systems (in stock form) were the only ones I know of to fall on their face above 4500rpm.