v8 FC

ok cleaning out my shed and i found my brand new msd box just sitting there in the box. i said hell i already have the msd sticker under the hood i might as well use it. i was looking for the lt1 wiring hanress that i have seen before. so my question to you is, is it worth using? or should i just sell it. i have there in the box all brand new. i can get the wiring adapter for like 30 bucks at summit. what do you guys think?

96capricemgr

Not worthwhile on an anywhere near stock car, even on a strong heads and cam car like mine I could not tell the difference when I put a box on it, I just bought it for the spark based rev limiter and far as I can tell that is all I got out of it.

v8 FC

yeah i was thinking about selling it but i was like everyone and there mamas has one so no one will buy it. i don't have much done to it (yet) just long tube headers full exhaust and cold air intake. over the winter i want to get new heads and a cam. might go le stage 2 but i am not sure yet. all this stuffed in a rx7 ..lol

ABA383

I've got one also and have noticed no difference at all. The opti ignition, when working right is a pretty good set up stock...I have heard rumors that the ignition boxes actually do damage to the rotors in the optis, but I've never seen anything factual...

The only failure I've ever had occurred when my Accel box just quit working and I had to bypass the system... I only put on the MSD because I got it real cheap...Imho it doesn't really do anything that I've noticed...

--Alan

shoebox

I was in the same situation-had one laying around not doing anything, so I put it on years ago. Nothing noticeable, but it can't hurt (don't let people tell you they kill optis).
I did happen to notice that one time when I was chasing an ignition problem (that turned out to be a bad plug wire), that I could notice a difference in the engine note at idle when comparing with the box or without.

v8 FC

i know that mine needs to be tuned. and i don't want to mess with it to much but i was just saying maybe it might help me out some. and because of the famous opti spark i went and got an extra, so i know if it goes bad i have one in my shed and it does work i did have it in my friends motor and it SHOCKED THE $*&T out of me..lol so i know it works. but i am just not to sure yet everyone and i mean everyone i spoke to told me don't do it unless your supercharged or something like that. but i don't know i will see i mean i can get the harness for 30 bucks from jegs and see what happens thanks for the insite shoebox

v8 FC

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=110163473691 just going to sell it

96capricemgr

First mistake I made with this car was a Jacobs ignition, it ate plugs like you would not believe, massive electrode wear, they were colder plugs and it was not detonation damage. The opti seemed to survive that just fine. That said anything you do too increase spark is going to wear cap, rotor, and plugs more, the question is really does it accelerate wear them enough to cause any noticeable problem. I don't think that can be well answered, an opti cap and rotor last so long and those of us who are detail oriented enough to make any good observations are unlikely to just leave it be till it goes bad.

Heatmaker

It's an excellent device if you want to manage your ignition. The soft touch is amazing, when you hit the limiter, even when you bounce off of it. Which is why it's good to have. It does help smooth out the RPM band and give smoother idles. It's very well worth it, when racing, and setting up shift points. It's just a safety percaution for your motor. It's not something you need or would notice unless...you actually race your car. which is why most people that do have them. It's read out is also more acurate than the readout on your stock tachometer if you connect a gauge through it. I checked the gauge using tech 2 to see the exact RPMs, thats also a bonus, plus you can hook up shift lights, timing retards, etc.

1racerdude

Is it a 6 or 6AL?

Projectz28

I don't see any performance gains from mine but I use it to drive my tach since my stock guages are gone. I also use it for the rev limiter and I have the option of adding a timing controler later on if I chose to do so.

Firebird_fr3ak

nitrous people love em since you can switch timing on the go.

Z07

Mine idled better after I installed a DIG6. The car would also stall out evrey now and then with no real pattern as to why. After I put the MSD box in almost a year ago, it never stalled again.

n2ceptor

Hot Rod magazine did an article on ignition boxes (Accel, Crane, and MSD) a few years back (stock engine), and the most they found was around 1~2 HP increase, if that.....

But like stated above, modified engine usually will benefit.....

v8 FC

its a 6a, i am to scared of messing anything up. i am waiting on a new transmission so i just want to drive it. so i rather sell it off make a few bucks on to pay off my new tranny. thanks for everything guys