BLKMGK Posted September 9, 2001 Share Posted September 9, 2001 Am considering getting an add-on ignition box. Looking for something digital rather than analog w/discrete components. In the past I've shied away from Crane but their HI-6 has what looks like good features. I've used the Accell 300+ but it lacks a feature or two and one just blew with less than 500 miles over at my friend's shop (sigh). Price is a consideration and I'd like to be able to use it with EFI later on. I'm looking at the Crane, MSD digital, Accell, and Mallory. I might consider Holley but not Jacobs I don't think. Can anyone share experiences on the various boxes? I think I'd like a rev limit at least and possibly a start retard unless I can get my initial dialed back (ahem). I may be running NOS in the future and it will likely be wet flow. I'll probably use a window switch for that to keep the guts inside. I don't think I need two rev limiters as I don't do many burnouts etc.. Despite my misgivings on Crane I'll keep an open mind if someone has found them to be superior. I'm mostly hoping that a stronger spark will clean up things a bit and let me dial back my timing. Will be trying to lean out the idle some and calm it down. Thanks! P.S. I figure most all of us are interested in this anyway and are bound to have opinions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted September 9, 2001 Share Posted September 9, 2001 i am going to have to second the msd digital 6.iran a NOS port niterous kit and the unit worked like a charm.i like the dal rev limiters too.for the price of the unit i couldn`t find another that could match all it`s features and performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted September 10, 2001 Author Share Posted September 10, 2001 Has anyone looked closely at the Crane units? Heh, until I no longer have to worry about the rear I think I'll be laying off the NOS install idea. The MSD unit isn't exactly cheap but I guess if it's good there's no getting around it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted September 10, 2001 Share Posted September 10, 2001 BLKMGK, Just last week got my digital 6 MSD istall completed. I had a problem above 5800 rpms with a sputter or miss, MSD has cleaned up the miss. It has the features you mention, installation was straight foward. Good luck, let us know what you decide. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted September 10, 2001 Share Posted September 10, 2001 I installed the mallory hi-fire in 1994. It has been bullet proof and has the features that you describe as needing. Mallory makes a three way adjustable retard system which works in conjuction with the hi-fire. Neat setup. Has three possible 12v inputs. I use the "a" side for starting. I run 22 degrees initial. With the max retard dialed in, (16 degrees) the starter only has to crank against 6 degrees of corrected initail advance. Both the battery and the starter suffered less wear and tear on them. When I am bracket racing, I may have to start the car as thirty times a race day or more. No dead batteries from cranking against large initial advance degrees. I use the "b" side for nitrous retard only. "b" overrules the input of "a" as does "c" overrule both "a" and "b" inputs. I use "c" for top end of track full throttle retardation. The new Comp 9000 distributor can also be used as a stand alone unit in case you loose the hi-fire box. My Comp 9000 is an older style, which cannot stand alone. It contains two chrysler style magnetic pickup modules. Both are phased the same, and if I ever need to I can switch from one to the other should one pickup ever fail. So far, neither has failed in seven years. The performance output wise and accuracy wise has been excellent. Many of my fellow competitors had opted to use MSD boxes. These were dying at a rapid rate. The reason for this was that during tech, the tech staff were required to test the emergency power shut of switches if our cars if they were equipped with one. The problem is that no electronic ignition should have the main power shut off and on quickly at any time. Switching the ignition on and off is OK but not total disconnect of the constant on battery power supply source wire. The Mallory units did not seem to be effected by these weekly tech torture tests. The MSD units did suffer total function loss. Might consider this when buying an ignition box. Mallory will repair or replace any Hi-fire box at no charge should you ever have a problem with one. Mallory centrifugal advance adjustment mechanisms are just plain neat. The Comp 9000 can be adjusted by simply removing the cap and adaptor. Allows for custom curving of the advance curve. The cost, quality and longevity of the Mallory system I have are the reasons I would buy Mallory again, and why I would recommend it to you. Kim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted September 11, 2001 Author Share Posted September 11, 2001 Were the digital MSD boxes dying? Th eold 6ALs and whatnot have gone on me and at one time I had a colleciton of them gathering dust here. The shop I work with had them coming in dead at an amazing rate there for awhile. The digital boxes on the other hand look pretty fine. Price on the Mallory is pretty good although the one I'm looking at might not have been multistrike. No one running the Crane unit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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