MSD worth the money??
08-06-2002, 10:50 AM
#11
Registered
I put MSD 6ALs on my boat(yes---I know, they are not for marine use, but they're mounted far from any possibilty of salt water getting on them) Besides, most boats I see have th red box anyway, so I figured, what the hell? My motors were having a tough time idling around the docks and loading up after long idle pereiond in no wake zones...so I was told a hotter spark would do the trick...
I installed them and to be honest, I couldn't see the difference...the motors still popped after long idle periods in no wake zones and after about 20 minutes of running, the port motor just up and quit...
After scratching my head and calling my pals back at the shop, I switched back to the Thunderbolt "whatever" that was still in the boat and she fired right up.
I sent the bad box back to Autotronics and am waiting to have it repaired or replaced...
I installed them and to be honest, I couldn't see the difference...the motors still popped after long idle periods in no wake zones and after about 20 minutes of running, the port motor just up and quit...
After scratching my head and calling my pals back at the shop, I switched back to the Thunderbolt "whatever" that was still in the boat and she fired right up.
I sent the bad box back to Autotronics and am waiting to have it repaired or replaced...
08-06-2002, 11:41 AM
#12
Registered
kaama....
i had a similar issue with an msd setup a while back....
motor would fire and idle but cough and spit coming up on rpm...
timing was all over the place...
long story short.....for some reason mechanic had cut the msd harness and connectors and had crossed the mag pickup wires...
msd instructions now include this issue in their troubleshootiing section!!
and yes...i see rust on the reluctor even here in sunny southern calif....
gm
i had a similar issue with an msd setup a while back....
motor would fire and idle but cough and spit coming up on rpm...
timing was all over the place...
long story short.....for some reason mechanic had cut the msd harness and connectors and had crossed the mag pickup wires...
msd instructions now include this issue in their troubleshootiing section!!
and yes...i see rust on the reluctor even here in sunny southern calif....
gm
08-06-2002, 03:12 PM
#13
Toxic FORMULA
Platinum Member
As of last Sunday afternoon a buddy of mine lost his 4th box in as many years. He has triple 408's and put 3 new boxes in 2 weeks before he started boating this season
.If you're going a quarter mile at a time there fine , but on the water I'll go for the reliability factor 
.If you're going a quarter mile at a time there fine , but on the water I'll go for the reliability factor
08-06-2002, 03:28 PM
#14
Guest
Posts: n/a
I have used the Jacobs box on both EFI and carb Merc engines with no problems. I think there a bit better than the MSD on power out put because they use the plug to measure restance and send the proper spark to it. Each plug could require a different amount of spark for alot of reasons. Bottom line from the time I installed it performance was better than claimed.
08-06-2002, 04:27 PM
#15
Registered
I have been running the D.U.I ignition system since spring and it has worked out great! High voltage coil (53,000),allows me to run plugs at .050 gap.
One of the nice things is that the whole setup is in/on the distributor. No messy wiring harnes, just two wires, ignition and tach.
The reason I switched in the first place was I had wanted to run more initial advance and for what it cost for a new module from Merc I decided to spend just a little more and have a whole new distributor/ignition. They set the distributor timing & curve as requested.
All this for just over $300.
One of the nice things is that the whole setup is in/on the distributor. No messy wiring harnes, just two wires, ignition and tach.
The reason I switched in the first place was I had wanted to run more initial advance and for what it cost for a new module from Merc I decided to spend just a little more and have a whole new distributor/ignition. They set the distributor timing & curve as requested.
All this for just over $300.
08-06-2002, 11:09 PM
#16
Registered
TomR,
I have seen those D.U.I ignition distributors advertised. How do they run on your engines during long idling periods? Do your engines still load up at all with these? Just curious. Thanx
BTW, just to let you guys know I saw a 36' Skater at Wolff's shop today with a pair of 900sc's in it with the Merc Thunderbolt non-billet distributors. Not sure if they had any type of ignition box hooked up to it though. The owner had it at Wolff's shop to have the mechanical roller lifters replaced.
I have seen those D.U.I ignition distributors advertised. How do they run on your engines during long idling periods? Do your engines still load up at all with these? Just curious. Thanx
BTW, just to let you guys know I saw a 36' Skater at Wolff's shop today with a pair of 900sc's in it with the Merc Thunderbolt non-billet distributors. Not sure if they had any type of ignition box hooked up to it though. The owner had it at Wolff's shop to have the mechanical roller lifters replaced.
08-07-2002, 06:51 PM
#18
Registered
KAMMA,
The D.U.I. has worked out real well! I don't have any loading even after long periods of ideling, just hit the throttle and go
The D.U.I. setup is just a reworked G.M HEI set up for marine use, full mechanical advance set up to the specs you request. A very clean, simple setup that performs great and so far has held up well.
I have two other boating buddies with the setup, one guy has a 600hp/ 540 Merlin in a 24ft Formula & the other guy has twin 502ci motors in a 28ft Sonic. All of us have been happy with them so far.
p.s. My boat can sit for over a week, one shot of the throttle and the motor instantly fires with the touch of the key, I have never seen any motor fire so fast and I don't have a choke!
The D.U.I. has worked out real well! I don't have any loading even after long periods of ideling, just hit the throttle and go
The D.U.I. setup is just a reworked G.M HEI set up for marine use, full mechanical advance set up to the specs you request. A very clean, simple setup that performs great and so far has held up well.
I have two other boating buddies with the setup, one guy has a 600hp/ 540 Merlin in a 24ft Formula & the other guy has twin 502ci motors in a 28ft Sonic. All of us have been happy with them so far.
p.s. My boat can sit for over a week, one shot of the throttle and the motor instantly fires with the touch of the key, I have never seen any motor fire so fast and I don't have a choke!
Last edited by TomR; 08-07-2002 at 06:55 PM.
08-07-2002, 08:28 PM
#19
Toxic FORMULA
Platinum Member
JON242, If the boat at Hargroves was Purple,Green,Yellow and White , it was a 27' Magnum. A few years back the owner and I had this neat idea
We cut the stern off , extended the boat about 3' , took out three stringers and replaced them with four stringers so we could mount three engines in it
Before the boat was totally finished it was stolen and taken to Florida. It spent a year In Florida , about an hour south of Daytona before we recovered it. We did a "marathon drive" one weekend to retreive the boat (Jersey to Florida and back). It's still got some handling issues but we're getting closer. Today I was correcting a charging problem. It's got two alternators charging four batteries,since there is no room for an alternator on the center engine that's stuffed between a couple of stringers. And BTW do you have that older red Formula 242 that launches from Hargroves
We cut the stern off , extended the boat about 3' , took out three stringers and replaced them with four stringers so we could mount three engines in it Before the boat was totally finished it was stolen and taken to Florida. It spent a year In Florida , about an hour south of Daytona before we recovered it. We did a "marathon drive" one weekend to retreive the boat (Jersey to Florida and back). It's still got some handling issues but we're getting closer. Today I was correcting a charging problem. It's got two alternators charging four batteries,since there is no room for an alternator on the center engine that's stuffed between a couple of stringers. And BTW do you have that older red Formula 242 that launches from Hargroves
08-07-2002, 10:39 PM
#20
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You asked for opinions, you're going to get them.
Screw MSD - not worth the money. Certainly not in a naturally-aspirated engine. For blown applications, the Crane unit is the best. You can use the Merc distributor, and you don't need a lot of springs and bushings to change the advance curve.
Screw MSD - not worth the money. Certainly not in a naturally-aspirated engine. For blown applications, the Crane unit is the best. You can use the Merc distributor, and you don't need a lot of springs and bushings to change the advance curve.
