msd ignition

Johnny U · 08-06-2008, 01:09 PM

A friend of mine has a new dragster and he has been fighting a top end miss/flutter all year. He has tried different carb jettings and different carbs to no avail. Question is has anybody had to lengthen the msd trigger wires beyond the six foot length that they give you. He thinks that this may be where his problem is as there is not much room in this dragster and the msd box is approx 12 feet away from the engine. Have anybody run into this concern.Thanks .

SlickVic · 08-06-2008, 02:10 PM

Check the black connectors. They go bad. I have replaced them on all of my cars, some friends cars, and this past weekend on a super comp dragster.

Tim Irwin · 08-06-2008, 02:11 PM

Most dragsters are built with the ignition in front of the foot box. It's a good idea to use shielded cable for the pickup and coil primary wires or at least seperate them from everything else. RF can come from alternators, water pumps or fans.

ChevyII · 08-06-2008, 05:10 PM

John,

Has Steve got the problem solved yet? When I spoke to him on the phone Monday, he thought it might be the 7AL3 box.

Thanks,

Mike

nshivgator · 08-06-2008, 06:21 PM

I had a problem of the sort years ago! Sometime the car makes a lot of RF! You can run the crack trigger along the bottom rail and run the coil wire maybe on the top rail! Sometime if all your wires are to close together it can affect the signals causing RF. MSD told me to ground the coil(neg) coming from the coil to the frame

340Cuda · 08-06-2008, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny U

A friend of mine has a new dragster and he has been fighting a top end miss/flutter all year. He has tried different carb jettings and different carbs to no avail. Question is has anybody had to lengthen the msd trigger wires beyond the six foot length that they give you. He thinks that this may be where his problem is as there is not much room in this dragster and the msd box is approx 12 feet away from the engine. Have anybody run into this concern.Thanks .

After we went to an MSD many years ago, our car will miss if the distributor cap is not vented well.

Bill

Jeff Beckman · 08-07-2008, 01:32 AM

I have gone to this extent, shield from the crank trigger to the msd box. Run a ground wire soldered to the shield to a chassis ground. On the crank trigger pick up, use a screw clamp to secure shielding to the crank trigger pick up nut.

SC1448 · 08-07-2008, 12:44 PM

Try disconnecting the Tachometer (green wire) and see if that helps. Been there, done that.
-Don

Johnny U · 08-07-2008, 02:34 PM

No Mike, he has not fixed the problem yet but he ordered the shielded cable and is going to try that first. Thanks for the many replies.

thewrench3 · 08-07-2008, 05:55 PM

What spark plug gap are you running? Mine did that when the plugs were gapped too wide. Its something simple and easy to check.

08-06-2008, 01:09 PM	#1
Johnny U Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Oakville Ontario Canada Posts: 55 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	msd ignition A friend of mine has a new dragster and he has been fighting a top end miss/flutter all year. He has tried different carb jettings and different carbs to no avail. Question is has anybody had to lengthen the msd trigger wires beyond the six foot length that they give you. He thinks that this may be where his problem is as there is not much room in this dragster and the msd box is approx 12 feet away from the engine. Have anybody run into this concern.Thanks .

08-06-2008, 02:10 PM	#2
SlickVic Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 81 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: msd ignition Check the black connectors. They go bad. I have replaced them on all of my cars, some friends cars, and this past weekend on a super comp dragster. __________________ 87 Cavalier, 92 Corvette, 72 Nova, 68 Firebird

08-06-2008, 02:11 PM	#3
Tim Irwin Junior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Portland IN Posts: 31 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: msd ignition Most dragsters are built with the ignition in front of the foot box. It's a good idea to use shielded cable for the pickup and coil primary wires or at least seperate them from everything else. RF can come from alternators, water pumps or fans. __________________ Tim Irwin 3002 COMP

08-06-2008, 05:10 PM	#4
ChevyII Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Calgary, Alberta Posts: 263 Likes: 3 Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: msd ignition John, Has Steve got the problem solved yet? When I spoke to him on the phone Monday, he thought it might be the 7AL3 box. Thanks, Mike

08-06-2008, 06:21 PM	#5
nshivgator Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 34 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: msd ignition I had a problem of the sort years ago! Sometime the car makes a lot of RF! You can run the crack trigger along the bottom rail and run the coil wire maybe on the top rail! Sometime if all your wires are to close together it can affect the signals causing RF. MSD told me to ground the coil(neg) coming from the coil to the frame

08-07-2008, 01:32 AM	#7
Jeff Beckman Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Columbus Ohio Posts: 308 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: msd ignition I have gone to this extent, shield from the crank trigger to the msd box. Run a ground wire soldered to the shield to a chassis ground. On the crank trigger pick up, use a screw clamp to secure shielding to the crank trigger pick up nut. __________________ Jeff Beckman 318J ET, SG 318T SC

08-07-2008, 12:44 PM	#8
SC1448 Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Southampton, PA Posts: 226 Likes: 4 Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: msd ignition Try disconnecting the Tachometer (green wire) and see if that helps. Been there, done that. -Don

08-07-2008, 02:34 PM	#9
Johnny U Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Oakville Ontario Canada Posts: 55 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: msd ignition No Mike, he has not fixed the problem yet but he ordered the shielded cable and is going to try that first. Thanks for the many replies.

08-07-2008, 05:55 PM	#10
thewrench3 Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 14 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: msd ignition What spark plug gap are you running? Mine did that when the plugs were gapped too wide. Its something simple and easy to check.