MSD 6A Ignition Box Yes or No...

Hello..I have a new MSD 6A with matching coil..I'm wondering what will it really do for my 241 Dodge Hemi Red Ram..Is it worth my time connecting it up. I have pertronixs in my 318 LA dizzy. The instruction sheet shows how to hook-up with pertronixs????????????????????????/
Help...
Duane

 

I've been using the same MSD 6T for over 15 years. They do work well & you will see a difference in idle quality. You can also hide them if that's an issue.

 

We rely on the Mopar Performance ignition package, and sometimes a customer wants the MSD piggy back either for bragging rights or drag strip advantage.
Never found a need for the MSD on a street engine but then we have never used a Pertronix setup either so don't know if the MSD will 'make it better'.

.

 

i used one on a blown sbc very helpful to get the fire lit on high compression /fat mixture engines. probably not so much for a stock engine .

 

Here u go

 

I've put them on 3 different cars, and its a big improvement.

 

Yes!

 

I put msd on everything I can, easy, bullet proof and parts is everywhere.

 

Hello again...Just some more info on the engine, mild lift cam, bigger valves, .030 over bore, 3 Stromberg 97s, none progressive linkage, Sanderson Headers and the engine was blue printed..
Thanks for the info so far..
Duane..

 

Hotter more consistant spark is always better...MSD will improve over a stock setup..

 

Smoother, cleaner idle.
Can't say it'll run faster unless you had ignition issues before.

 

I really don't think you will see any improvement with the 6A box on your engine and setup. It won't hurt, but I will be quite surprised if you see any difference.

 

Faster starts, better mileage, cleaner idle, steadier at high revs. All big time MSD advantages. I can't believe you wouldn't see an improvement.

 

As said before ,much easier starts can be expected .Seems harder to foul plugs ,plus better performance at high rpm.I have ran MSD 6AL along with their coils and even an MSD distributer on my Dodge and love their stuff.Its not cheap ,but you get what you pay for ...

 

With a PerTronix electronic module already installed and a good high output coil, I think the benefits of faster start etc will already be realized. As for "steadier at high revs" the MSD stops multi sparking at 3,000 rpm so that benefit is gone as well.
I have nothing against the MSD boxes, have run them my self, but in most of the cars that customers have brought to me for installation, we just didn't see any benefits on mild motors if the ignition was already up to snuff with good electronics. Higher compression, big cams, lots of carburetion? Sure, but mild builds, I think they are a waste of money. JMHO from many many installs.

 

nice piece. I run one on my 64 Biscayne. Go with the 6AL to get the pilled rev limiter control

 

Use your stock points setup to trigger the MSD box. Points will last forever because they are now simply a switch telling the box when to fire. I have ALL of my cars running this way with great success. In case you ever have the MSD box go bad, you can switch a couple of wires and be back on the road on points power alone. I believe most people keep the points in the glovebox in case the Pertronix ever goes bad for the same reason. I have seen both MSD and Pertronix go bad at the worst times so a backup system is never a bad idea.

 

If your carbs are a little "fat" (say, the engine is built more for the strip than street), it will clean up the idle considerably, and eliminate a lot of low speed hiccups. For a typical street engine, I wouldn't bother.

 

The MSD box is the best out there and they are multi spark till 3000 and Captive discharge after that, results are well worth it! I run them on all the hot rods.

 

No brainer, go with msd and trigger it with pertronix. I'm not a big fan of pertronix but it'll trigger and i imagine reliable.
It is true that the multiple spark cuts back at about 2500 rpm but the systems power is greater than any points or pertronix and while it may be that it is striking at the same time as a standard ignition the amout of both voltage and currant is much greater. They supply over 500 volts just to the coil.
There is a real good reason millions of people change from -say- hei to msd, ever hear of anybody tossing out the msd in favor of hei?

 

I chose to run a Mallory Unilite over MSD simply because of cost. MSD makes a STELLAR product, has top notch customer service, and provides a hell of a product. MSD boxes last a good long time too. You could easily carry the points in your glove box and use the Pertronix to trigger your box. In the odd even this fails, you have either points driven MSD box, Pertronix alone, or points alone ignition...many options for a quick road side fix.

For street use, I personally see very little advantage for the dollar for getting an MSD ignition setup over Pertronix. People claim easier, faster starts, smoother idle, so on and so forth. Yeah, when you put a new ignition setup with hotter spark in you are going to get those things. Run an electronic ignition with a hot coil and you get the same results on a street driven vehicle IMHO. The better the ignition setup, the fewer problems you will have with it on the road side. Plain and simple.

 

Good thread... I was given one of these a couple months ago. I'm going to give it a go and make a by-pass harness so I can unplug it if I don't want to use it or have issues. It was free and I figure it couldn't hurt. Plus I'm running 10.5:1 compression, a decent street cam, and entirely too many Holley 94's. Maybe it will help.

I was going to run it with a Pertronix coil (no resistor needed) on my LA type distributor. Any reason this would be an issues?

Also, no place outside on my firewall to mount it, so I was going to mount it inside on an aluminum plate. Any problem with this idea? Is that enough ventilation?

 

I would assume that would provide plenty of ventilation, however if there is ever a question you could always contact MSD to clarify. I would also keep a resistor on hand incase you need to switch back.

If your cash flow permits, I would also jump for a MSD Blaster coil.

BTW, there is no such thing as to many 94's!

 

HAHA! Agreed...

Yeah, really I don't have much for a dash in my Model A. Just a plate with some gauges mounted in it that hangs under the dash rail.

I'll have to check into the resistor thing. My coil application doesn't use a resistor at all.

 

MSD box, absolutely, be sure to get good air flow around the unit, the rubber mounts are recommended, absolutely make sure your wiring has excellent connections, a good ground strap from engine to frame, and lastly invest in a good set of low ohm resistance plug wires. The 6A-L has the rev limiter. Worth the extra dollars$. You'll be glad you installed it.

 

SCOOTERMCRAD: It will work fine with PerTronix as the trigger, no issues, we have customers that add them to the PerTronix set up all the time.
If you have the right Flame Thrower coil for the Ignitor that you bought, it is as strong spark voltage wise as the Blaster and will match the impedance of the Ignitor.

 

Same as above. I have run MSD ignitions for 30 years now with excellent results. Make sure to open the gap on your plugs per the instructions

 

I like them. If you don't have room or don't like the looks, at least pick a ready-to-run MSD distributor, or a Summit branded one. If you mount a MSD box inside your car, you will probably be able to hear the transistors switching and it can be a bit annoying.

I wouldn't run a Mallory on my lawn mower...............

 

Not the whole PerTronix setup. Just the coil.