Back when we had a choice..MSD or Mallory ignition products??

[autogear]

Im certainly not an engine guru; at all. However, I had good luck with the UniLites; ONLY if the car had good grounds, AND you used the 'filter' meant to protect the photocell.

Ive had my Crane HI-6 box in several cars over the years and it never missed a beat. I also had the pleasure of working with a friends car that had a Holley Annihilator system. Wow that thing had tons of features back in the day! If I was going back in time, I'd grab one of those. If I was going back to the early 70s? I'd use an OEM distributor and a Delta 10b (mark2) CD box. If I was buying new today, I'd use an OEM distributor and a Daytona Sensors 'box.

[rebelrouser]

I have used or installed all the brands in the 40 years I have been drag racing. I always liked the accel distributors, and the msd boxes. For a long time I used an accel dual points distributor to fire an msd digital 6 box. I unhooked one set of points so I always carried a spare. I have had issues with all of them. Most of the time it was cross breeding brands, pick up coil polarity and electrical interference from plug wires the majority of the time. MSD is prone to issues if voltage drops below 10 volts when cranking. recently I had an msd copy distributor which ran an engine just fine, but when we hooked up a Fitech injection system it would not work. In using a scope the Chinese distributor actually made a stronger signal than the msd distributor too strong it seems, because an msd distributor fixed it rightup. My issue is that when you offer to email a scope pattern or start asking a tech guy about voltage and amperage values, a lot of the time they don't have a clue what you are talking about. No product is better than its support. I had a friend who had some issues with a MSD power grid system, turns out it was a voltage drop issue on the solenoid they used as a relay for the alternator so it would shut off when you killed the battery switch. But it took him about 50 hours on the phone to find the right tech guy to help him solve the problem.

[FC-Pilot]

Im certainly not an engine guru; at all. However, I had good luck with the UniLites; ONLY if the car had good grounds, AND you used the 'filter' meant to protect the photocell.

Ive had my Crane HI-6 box in several cars over the years and it never missed a beat. I also had the pleasure of working with a friends car that had a Holley Annihilator system. Wow that thing had tons of features back in the day! If I was going back in time, I'd grab one of those. If I was going back to the early 70s? I'd use an OEM distributor and a Delta 10b (mark2) CD box. If I was buying new today, I'd use an OEM distributor and a Daytona Sensors 'box.

Funny you bring up the Annihilator. I had both good and bad luck with them. I later fond out that the ones that the pro teams got (pro stock and pro stock truck) were made in a different factory. I liked them enough that I bought up the remaining stock from some of the PS teams and still have a bunch. I use it on my dyno as they have been very reliable for us.

Anyway, back to the real topic at hand.

Paul

[statsystems]

I still buy and use any old Mallory stuff I can find.

I just got home from installing a HyFire VII box with a 28880 coil and Unilite. All bought used.

Of course, some dilhole blue out the module so we dropped in a new module (~60 bucks), changed the curve to what I wanted and wired it all up.

Fired and ran like new.

Under $300.00 for everything. If the owner actually listened to what I told him, it will all be running long after he is dead.

[FC-Pilot]

I still buy and use any old Mallory stuff I can find.

I just got home from installing a HyFire VII box with a 28880 coil and Unilite. All bought used.

Of course, some dilhole blue out the module so we dropped in a new module (~60 bucks), changed the curve to what I wanted and wired it all up.

Fired and ran like new.

Under $300.00 for everything. If the owner actually listened to what I told him, it will all be running long after he is dead.

I was very happy using that same 28880 coil. We run injected alky and it always did a better job than the MSD or Holley coils, even when using a Holley or MSD box.

Paul

[Fred Winterburn]

And before Crane bought Allison, it was the Allison Speedatron CDI , and before Allison bought the rights, it was General Nucleonics that first built the Speedatron CDI. General Nucleonics had a CDI patent, but never produced a CDI using its own design as far as I know. The original Speedatron actually used a very close copy of my father's(Lloyd Winterburn) patent#3564581 except that is was very high voltage. Fred

another company to consider is http://www.daytona-sensors.com/home.html

These are former engineers and employees from Crane when Crane sold ignition products. My recent experience with the company is good.

[ZEOHSIX]

Personally, if it was not a very high power race engine, I preferred the Accel stuff if you simply need a great ignition and not all the other electronic type switches and features in the later units from just about everybody..

The Accel 300+ was a perfect ignition for most anything like that ... now their 250+ is the same thing but, without the REV limiter.

Won a few Auto cross championships using a 300+ still have a brand new in the box back up unit sitting on the shelf. I worked at a NAPA Parts store....Echlin owner Accel and Echlin ignition parts were THE BEST! I used early MSD stuff including a 404 Gold Box...ignition timing drifted due to changing voltages....MSD SUCKED! Triggered a MSD 6 with a Delco Mag Pulse distributor....timing shifted and caused problems....Later MSD got their act together but today’s MSD? The bankruptcy and buy out leave me wondering.....

[autogear]

Several years ago, one of my dirt track guys had an all-MSD setup in his car. Less than one full season of racing and the distributor was all corroded/rusted under the cap. He called MSD to see if there was a vent he could add or something. Tech monkey said "we've never seen this before" and didn't offer help. Plenty of people on the web with similar issues. When I saw that, I decided I wouldn't spend my money with them. Does that mean all MSD products are bad? No. But I'd rather go elsewhere, when possible, with my $.
just my $.02

[Walter R. Malik]

Several years ago, one of my dirt track guys had an all-MSD setup in his car. Less than one full season of racing and the distributor was all corroded/rusted under the cap. He called MSD to see if there was a vent he could add or something. Tech monkey said "we've never seen this before" and didn't offer help. Plenty of people on the web with similar issues. When I saw that, I decided I wouldn't spend my money with them. Does that mean all MSD products are bad? No. But I'd rather go elsewhere, when possible, with my $.
just my $.02

You were the first guy to ever tell them that ... correct ?
I have been that first guy a lot of times so, all the big companies are unaware of their own products; or they are liars.

[statsystems]

Several years ago, one of my dirt track guys had an all-MSD setup in his car. Less than one full season of racing and the distributor was all corroded/rusted under the cap. He called MSD to see if there was a vent he could add or something. Tech monkey said "we've never seen this before" and didn't offer help. Plenty of people on the web with similar issues. When I saw that, I decided I wouldn't spend my money with them. Does that mean all MSD products are bad? No. But I'd rather go elsewhere, when possible, with my $.
just my $.02

You were the first guy to ever tell them that ... correct ?
I have been that first guy a lot of times so, all the big companies are unaware of their own products; or they are liars.

I thought I was the only one who was told "we've never heard that one before...you are the only one to call and say that" crap. Looks like I'm not alone.

Good to know.

[Ericnova]

Several years ago, one of my dirt track guys had an all-MSD setup in his car. Less than one full season of racing and the distributor was all corroded/rusted under the cap. He called MSD to see if there was a vent he could add or something. Tech monkey said "we've never seen this before" and didn't offer help. Plenty of people on the web with similar issues. When I saw that, I decided I wouldn't spend my money with them. Does that mean all MSD products are bad? No. But I'd rather go elsewhere, when possible, with my $.
just my $.02

You were the first guy to ever tell them that ... correct ?
I have been that first guy a lot of times so, all the big companies are unaware of their own products; or they are liars.

I thought I was the only one who was told "we've never heard that one before...you are the only one to call and say that" crap. Looks like I'm not alone.

Good to know.

I think that's the title page on the Tech Phone Monkey new-hire handbook!

[utmost]

I beg to differ.....it may be a decent quality product! But tell that to the employees who worked at the Mallory plant in Ohio.....

I understand the economics but until the American people stand up and stop buying these cheap Chinese, Mexican, or anywhere else for that matter products, jobs will continue to leave this country!

Maybe Im different but when I buy something, I always think about the person who made it. I want to support American Families!

Rant over

they move out of this country even when we buy usa products, like vise grips, cresent etc. its called greed

[Casper393W]

Yeah Greed is the common Dominator !! It is sad that the corporations care more about the share holders than the employees who make them the profits!

I know that some people don't care if their products are made in the USA....but we as a country better wake up and start caring!

I am a huge Mallory fan....and I'm using a New Old Stock Unilite Dizzy in my 393w build! So I hope it lasts a lifetime since I can never truly replace it!

[levisnteeshirt]

I just had my first and last battle with a MSD distributor ,, nothing sold today , should deteriorate from corrosion like that ,, that unit cost 300.00 , never never never will I buy one , I got one in a package deal , and to get it to work has been a total nightmare , I ordered a crank trigger to get away from it

[Morgo]

When i upgrade my turbo Toyota from stock dizzy and ignitor to newer electronic dizzy and MSD6 with Blaster coil.. No matter if there was even side electrods or not;running very good all the same! Back then being tyhe poor kid and a dyno's were something only for pro teams.Butt feeling and trying to adjust the carbs.Wideband lambdas were unheard of..But there always were a spark no matter how lean or rich it were
Street car 10,846 quarter in a proper strip..