• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

MSD ignition or comparable with a 1275

Share this page

Not on a spridget but have used it on a few probes, helped ignition problems fairly well on those. I can elaborate if wanted but it wouldnt apply to yout question. I do know installing on the probe wasnt fun, would be quite a bit easier on the spridget but would still be around 250-300 i would imagine.

edit: the probe had an internal coil which these obviously do not and spridgets have less electronics obviously that is why the install should be quite a bit easier.
 
What do you hope to gain by installing an MSD? Not trying to change the subject, but I can not see where it would benefit you unless it has a built in rev limiter that you need (or something like that).
 
I could definitely see how an MSD 6 series box would help. It's a multi-spark unit, and all reports indicate a slight power, economy and throttle response increase can be expected.

I have not done the install personally, but I have researched it. It should be pretty straight forward. The MSD box inputs a trigger from your dizzy, and outputs to your coil. You will probably get much better results if you are using something like a Pertronix unit as a trigger as opposed to points.

In my research, several people mentioned that the Mallory Hyfire VI box is a superior unit to the MSD.

IMHO, for about the same $$ and a little more work, you could install a Megajolt system and have dizzyless, multispark ignition.
 
Morris said:
IMHO, for about the same $$ and a little more work, you could install a Megajolt system and have dizzyless, multispark ignition.
Click to expand...

I was going to make the same suggestion: try a Megajolt. It's easy and fun to build and if you can get cheap Ford parts from a wrecking yard it is a bargain for such a flexible system. The only tricky bit is mounting the trigger wheel, I put mine on my crankshaft dampener.

I built one for use on my A-series for the Westfield I am building, but now I plan on using that box with Ford V-8 parts on a 519 Dart I am having built for my boat and will build another Megajolt later. We will be dyno'ing the motor in about 3 weeks and I will be able to compare results between the Megajolt after fine-tuning with a Vertex magneto after the same tuning. I was quoted $800 for a complete MSD electronic system and I should be able to put together the Megajolt for less than $100 since I have a friend in the wrecking business. It will be an interesting comparison anyway. BTW we are shooting for 615 hp on 91 octane! (it's a very heavy boat)
 
Hmmm... I'd suggest the money be spent on quality ignition components and maybe a rebuilt distributor. Spending money on an MSD box will be wasted if the distributor is tired and worn out.

I'm just saying that it would be very low on my priority list.
 
My distributor drive is now blanked off and is being used as a coil bracket. Megajolt is crankfired: no dizzy!
 
I'm familiar with the megajolt and megasquirt systems. But the original poster is asking how difficult it is to install an MSD box (I assumed him meant just a multistrike unit). The answer is VERY simple compared to megajolt. But... my point is that there is little to be gained by doing so. I'll even make the argument that a megajolt will make little difference on a stock engine.

I'm not against modern technology (in fact I'm planning on using the megasquirt system on my Midget so that I can later turbo charge it). However, it would be erroneous to assume that a shiny electronic box is going to magically improve the power and driveability of an old engine. So my suggestion stands ... get everything else in top shape, and then look to see where you can get real bang for the buck.
 
Then I'd spend the money to ditch the Weber DGV and get some SU's and rebuild them. You'll see more of a gain in performance there.

Really, unless you are running really high CR at high RPM and a wild cam I can not see where you need anything more than a good basic ignition system.
 
Trevor Jessie said:
Then I'd spend the money to ditch the Weber DGV and get some SU's and rebuild them. You'll see more of a gain in performance there.

Really, unless you are running really high CR at high RPM and a wild cam I can not see where you need anything more than a good basic ignition system.
Click to expand...

Exactly the MSD ignition should make the car more efficient, not more powerful.
 
I have my doubts about increasing efficiency to any measurable amount.
 
I'm not looking to see how difficult it is to install. I'm confident about that. It looks pretty simple. I'm interested in what can be gained (hp), or experiences with an improved ignition, whether it be MSD or others. Is it worth the investment. Efficiency and reliability is a good thing, even without gain. I'm rebuilding my engine for a little performance, and if it demands a better ignition, whether it be the entire system, or just a coil, I'd be interested in the experiences of others.
 
My point was not to increase efficiency of mpgs from like 25 to 50. The point was, that at least in my experience on the probes, is that I could run a wider gap and it should have sparked better, the idea getting a more complete burn. This would make engine more efficient. But with the size and power coming from a 1275, I imagine there wouldnt be a whole lot of difference, but I will stop posting on this because is not the question at hand.
 
I'm with Westfield - the megajolt is great. No cap or rotor to crack, very healthy spark (running my plugs at 50 thou gap)and fun to play with too. It's impressive when you flash the timing light and the marks show absolutely rock-steady, no dancing around as with a dizzy - plus it makes a fun winter project.
 
I've run a MSD box and Crane HI-6 in a mild prep engine. Points trigger the boxes which eliminate any load on the points (no capacitor), CD type coil installed and the plug gap gets opened to 0.050". The system will give plenty of spark, he problem is the electrical noise. Don't plan on listening to the radio. No idea on power gain, never ran a side by side on the dyno.
 
My street MGB runs fine with just standard points. The points along with cap, rotor and wires (solid-core) are all pretty new.

Original '69 distributor. Bearings seem OK.

Cars spins up nice and starts easily (I just drove it to the post office after it's sat for over a week).

(Trevor mentioned the DGV. Mine came with one. It works OK, but I've bought a set of the proper SUs. They'll go on when I get a chance.)

My race car ignition is another story. I ran points with a rich (13:1) carb mixture and 10:1 compression. Euro-spec camshaft. It ran decent but would foul plugs at idle and sputter at mid-range. Distributor was a good used unit with no real bearing play.

So I put in a simple Pertronix unit (about $100) and $14 "Chevy" coil.
I run it through a ballast resistor all the time; even during starting. My theory is that the ballast is an electronic "cushion" so the Pertronix unit will last longer. The Pertronix is now 6+ years old...so far, so good.
grin.gif


It idles perfect, starts quicker and mid-range to upper power is a little smoother (at least in terms of seat-of-the-pants). Visually, the spark looks "hotter" or more "snappy" and will jump a wider gap.

So the electronic ignition is nice for easy of starting, warming up engine and driving it onto trailer. Never fouls a plug anymore and maybe has a small power gain at upper RPMs (I'd guess mostly because it keep the plugs cleaner with my rich-carb setup).
 
aeronca65t said:
So the electronic ignition is nice for easy of starting, warming up engine and driving it onto trailer. Never fouls a plug anymore and maybe has a small power gain at upper RPMs (I'd guess mostly because it keep the plugs cleaner with my rich-carb setup).
Click to expand...

That is an accurate description of what I have heard are the greatest benefits of a mapped ignition: better drive ability without giving away anything to a race dizzy in the upper ranges. But what do I know? My car is still being built and you guys are driving this summer! As far comparing ignition systems: we will see about the upper end on the dyno later this summer, probably in late July, idle and real world tests will have to wait until after we launch in August or Sept.
 
Back
Top