Well while the board was down I got my MSD installed. I didn't notice much of a difference, but it sure is pretty.

http://www.speedfreak.cc/temp/msd.jpg

Whackster

How much did it run you, if you don't mind me asking?

Well actually it was left over from our project explorer, so it was free. :) They usually sell for around $340 (carparts.com has it listed for $430).

Whackster

Good looking truck whackster, and mean looking plumbing on the engine. The MSD unit gives you some bragging rights even if it didn't help much. Neat that it matches the color of the truck too! :)

Can anyone explain why the MSD ignition didn't make that much of a difference for Whackster? The reason I ask is that I have read responses from "both sides of the fence." Many Ranger owners who have had problems with pinging will resort to installing an upgraded DIS (either MSD or Jacobs) and usually report a "seat of the pants" difference, no more ping and a smoother idle. The other side of the arguement is that the stock DIS can easily handle engine RPMS into the 5000 range, and is more than adequate for agressive street driving. Whackster got lucky and had a spare, but approx. $400 is a pretty big roll of the dice if the unit may or may not make a noticable difference. What do you guys think?

I personally think on a stock engine you would be wasting your money. Even on a slightly modified engine. I wouldn't think about spending $400 on a unit unless I had super/turbo charged the engine, or maybe nitrous. And not then unless I was having problems with misfires. The stock ignition on a Ford is pretty good.

The reason people that had pinging and runability problems like it is because there was something wrong to begin with causing the problems. Probably something like bad plug wires or spark plugs or a bad connection somewhere. Once they put the new parts on it fixed the problem so they claim it was the new ignition that made is all better. On the other hand people that had good running engines to begin with put it on and nothing really happend because there was nothing wrong to begin with. Then you alway have to account for those who put the new exhaust tip on and think they got more power but it is all in their head.

The real reason I put the MSD on, other than because it would work and I just had it lying around, is because I'm upgrading to a smaller blower pulley and I'll need to take out timing at the higher rpms. Right now I have the 7 lb pulley on, and I don't ping. I'm looking to get close to doubling that, and It'll ping at that point.

As far as people saying that they can really feel smaller mods, alot of people need to immediately justify the money they spent. If I spent $400 on the MSD and couldn't tell the difference other than a red box under my hood, I don't know if I'd be happy.

Adjusting the MSD is much easier than getting chips programmed to take out timing, because it would involve alot of trial and error and sending chips back, etc.

...but that's just my opinion. :afro:
Whackster

I looked a simiilar setup about 4 months ago and asked a few people. All of whom said except for the timing adjustment part, you are wasting your money.

To meet emmisions requirements one of the things ford has done is to juice up the ignition system to make it more efficient.

Yes, both Ford and Chevy make very good stock ignitions, so really only after big mods like NOS, a Supercharger, or a Turbo does it make any kind of sense to get and MSD.

Whackster

Hey Whakstar how's it going? Man if you'll notice you can't make any timing retard until 4000 rpms. And on the 4.0 without any chip mods that raise the rev limiter that makes one adjustment due to the 5000 rpm limiter. Or really around 5200 rpms. I use the MSD part number 6562 which is the DIS-4 Boost retard, the only retard you can use with our trucks or with teh DIS completely. It retards the timing according to boost pressure, nwo another thing you have to have to use the Boost retard is either a laptop or the controller from MSD to program the Boost retard. The part number on this is 7550 I think, i don't have it in front of me right now but if you want it jsut let me know. Are you useing any of the stage limiting functions on the DIS-4? Later Doug904.


P.S. you think the DIS is expensive wait till you check on prices for these two items. Summit sells them both the cheapest for 6562 is $376 and the 7550 is around $75. Jegs sells the 6562 for $512 so check around for pricing!! Heck of a note after you buy the $400 DIS unit huh?

Nah, Luckily I didn't need to buy the Dis4. My friend had pulled it out of his truck,The Troll (http://www.speedfreak.cc/troll/), when he built his new motor and gave it to me because he wasn't using it.

Right now I'm not using the stage limiting, or even adjusting the timing. I've only got the 7lb pulley on my vortech, and I'm not having any kind of pinging problem yet.

Diablo has yet to finish the program for my ecu without timing added so I can't rev above stock right now. This should hopefully be rectified in the next day or so (at least as far as PDQ tells me).

In the very near future I am having my old 5lb blower pulley ground down so I can make 13 lbs (ish). Then I'll definately need to start playing with the MSD.

Whackster

Guys,

FWIW, I can tell you that the stock EDIS system with plugs gapped to .030-.035" _will_ support 335hp with absolutely no problem. All, and I mean _ALL_ of the currently available DIS replacement ignitions are nothing more than glorified ignition amplifiers. Just a thought.:daze:

Originally posted by Sven Pruett
Guys,

FWIW, I can tell you that the stock EDIS system with plugs gapped to .030-.035" _will_ support 335hp with absolutely no problem. All, and I mean _ALL_ of the currently available DIS replacement ignitions are nothing more than glorified ignition amplifiers. Just a thought.:daze:

Thanks Sven for confirming what I said earlier. Most of these things are sold on hype. The only reason I can see getting one is if you need to be able to modify your timing advance curve. My brother fell for one of the Jacobs Electronics systems that have been advertised so much in the last few months. He put it on and noticed nothing. He was getting 14 mpg on his 96 F150 with a 5.0, and he ran it for two weeks and 1500 miles and didn't pick up .1 mpg and couldn't tell any differnce in performance. He took advantage of their 30 day return guarantee and sent it back. I think he told me they charged him a restocking fee on it though. :(