Ignition Coil Upgrade
02-12-14, 09:09 PM
#26
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I burned a j109. But I had assumed it was because of the 8202 I was using horizontally. The coil had a slight leak and then ended up failing resistance checks.
Im on gm 7 pin HEI's with three msd 8222's. Trailing j-109 has been fine for a little while, but I have been collecting back-ups just in case!
Im on gm 7 pin HEI's with three msd 8222's. Trailing j-109 has been fine for a little while, but I have been collecting back-ups just in case!
02-12-14, 11:17 PM
#27
84SE-EGI helpy-helperton
You're right - ignition is bone stock, as I've never had any issues with it and the car performs just fine as designed originally back in 1984!
That said, I'd be up for better performance and/or fuel economy and would consider making it a Direct Fire ignition - and even looked closely into MSD boxes awhile back - but there are so many confusing write-ups that I've never gone at it.
If you have a clear link with pictures and a tutorial, I'd give it a shot.
Also, I appreciate the kind words, but my engine bay is anything but pristine! Right now I'm fighting a power steering pump leak that's going through a 1/2 cup of fluid every commute (50mi), coolant being lost through seals at a rate of 1 cup (50mi), fuel economy that's dropped like a rock due to poor overall sealing (apex/side) at about 13mpg city, and it's drinking about a quart of engine oil every fillup (250mi) due to bad oil control rings.
I suppose at 220k miles, the engine's pretty tired at this point. My spare 13b sitting on the engine stand in the garage is going in at some point this year, because I'm tired of dumping $$$ into replacement fluids!
That said, I'd be up for better performance and/or fuel economy and would consider making it a Direct Fire ignition - and even looked closely into MSD boxes awhile back - but there are so many confusing write-ups that I've never gone at it.
If you have a clear link with pictures and a tutorial, I'd give it a shot.
Also, I appreciate the kind words, but my engine bay is anything but pristine! Right now I'm fighting a power steering pump leak that's going through a 1/2 cup of fluid every commute (50mi), coolant being lost through seals at a rate of 1 cup (50mi), fuel economy that's dropped like a rock due to poor overall sealing (apex/side) at about 13mpg city, and it's drinking about a quart of engine oil every fillup (250mi) due to bad oil control rings.
I suppose at 220k miles, the engine's pretty tired at this point. My spare 13b sitting on the engine stand in the garage is going in at some point this year, because I'm tired of dumping $$$ into replacement fluids!
02-13-14, 09:45 PM
#29
My SA ignition burned itself out after running the 2G coils. Not sure if it was the
ignitors though because the little circuit board in the SA control box had some
scorch marks on it. The symptoms when your SA ignition fails will be it starts up cold
fine but when it gets warm it will start to miss and when it gets hot it will fail to run.
Once it cools it will work ok, lather rinse repeat until it happens so fast you can't
drive anywhere. At first you will think its something else and eventually it will strand you somewhere.
Ask me how I know.
ignitors though because the little circuit board in the SA control box had some
scorch marks on it. The symptoms when your SA ignition fails will be it starts up cold
fine but when it gets warm it will start to miss and when it gets hot it will fail to run.
Once it cools it will work ok, lather rinse repeat until it happens so fast you can't
drive anywhere. At first you will think its something else and eventually it will strand you somewhere.
Ask me how I know.
A leading 2G coil left PercentSevenC stranded. It killed the J-109 he was using. Yes we did include the ballast resistor but it still was too much for the stock ignitor.
His is an '83 that was set up for 2GCDFIS. I was there and "edited" his car to use trailing, which was still stock, going to the leading plugs and I think we rotated the dizzy for closer to leading timing. It got him home.
His is an '83 that was set up for 2GCDFIS. I was there and "edited" his car to use trailing, which was still stock, going to the leading plugs and I think we rotated the dizzy for closer to leading timing. It got him home.
Just to verify; when you two gents are talking 2G coils, are you talking MAZDA 2nd Gen, or MSD Blaster 2's?
The MSD instructions are completely unclear if the ballast resistor is needed for stock ELECTRONIC ignition; in one place it says "...stock, points style ignition..." and in another it says "...a points or stock style distributor..." requires the resistor. The website says that stock electonic ignitions don't. Or seems to.
The Mazda points ignition also used a ballast resistor to limit coil current, of course.
Obvious mods like the DLI**** stuff won't get past cali smog any more - - the MSD coils come with CARB-approval stickers.
02-14-14, 08:32 AM
#31
I only reacently started using "2G". Doubt I'll keep using it. But when I used that term recently, I was refering to the 2nd gen leading coil. I can't say the same for anyone else using that term. There is no such thing as a 2G coil made by a company like MSD to the best of my knowledge.
As for whether to use a ballast resistor with a 2nd gen leading coil if using an MSD, I honestly can't remember. I'd like to say no because the capacitive discharge causes the coil to behave less like a coil and more like a step up transformer.
As for whether to use a ballast resistor with a 2nd gen leading coil if using an MSD, I honestly can't remember. I'd like to say no because the capacitive discharge causes the coil to behave less like a coil and more like a step up transformer.
02-14-14, 09:54 AM
#32
Waffles - hmmm good
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I bet you can get cali sticker on em too! You'd have to hide the trailing somewhere
else and then theres the missing wires on the dizzy cap. Oh well it was a thought.
02-14-14, 10:23 AM
#33
I only reacently started using "2G". Doubt I'll keep using it. But when I used that term recently, I was refering to the 2nd gen leading coil. I can't say the same for anyone else using that term. There is no such thing as a 2G coil made by a company like MSD to the best of my knowledge. As for whether to use a ballast resistor with a 2nd gen leading coil if using an MSD, I honestly can't remember. I'd like to say no because the capacitive discharge causes the coil to behave less like a coil and more like a step up transformer.
It works well, noticeably better than stock.
02-14-14, 10:54 AM
#34
Thanks for the clarification, Jeff. I'm still running the stock 80 ignitor/control box, so no CD in this one.
I guess it's worth the risk to try it; I do have a spare known-good control box just in case, but there's no point in just wantonly wrecking hard to find parts if there's existing known results for a particular app. Weren't all that many 80 ignitions made, in comparison to later years.
I guess it's worth the risk to try it; I do have a spare known-good control box just in case, but there's no point in just wantonly wrecking hard to find parts if there's existing known results for a particular app. Weren't all that many 80 ignitions made, in comparison to later years.
02-14-14, 11:55 AM
#35
Waffles - hmmm good
iTrader: (1)
I guess it's worth the risk to try it; I do have a spare known-good control box just in case, but there's no point in just wantonly wrecking hard to find parts if there's existing known results for a particular app. Weren't all that many 80 ignitions made, in comparison to later years.
ignition to use COTS GM/Ford parts because the 80 ignition is fragile and rare. When
mine died I saw no reason to keep it (because I live in a state like NC).
02-20-14, 08:45 PM
#36
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msd blaster 2 1979 rx-7
I just got a pair mounted them in stock braket airways and one blew up today advise not too put them in horizantaly. At leaat I still have new one for lead :-)
05-09-14, 06:46 PM
#39
Hey sorry for the horribly newb question, and the semi-gravedig, I just read through this whole thread and have only been left in more confusion. I recently aquired an 81 GSL and would like to stage zero the car before I get it on the road, but I want to do all these efficiency mods/clean the engine bay up before I stage zero it. That way I can have it primo when I clean and replace everything.
So my question is, on my 81 can I simply slap on 2 MSD blasters (8222) and that's be all and end all?
If not Then I'll do some more research and figure out whether or not to do the DLIDFIS mod as opposed to this one.
So my question is, on my 81 can I simply slap on 2 MSD blasters (8222) and that's be all and end all?
If not Then I'll do some more research and figure out whether or not to do the DLIDFIS mod as opposed to this one.
03-04-20, 11:50 AM
#44
@che'srx-7 For electronic ignition in mine there hasn't been any ballast since I've owned it. Based on what I can tell it's not required on electronic ignition and only required on points. However, I may be wrong and it may take a while to burn out when you only drive the car a couple thousand miles a year.
03-04-20, 12:39 PM
#45
@che'srx-7 For electronic ignition in mine there hasn't been any ballast since I've owned it. Based on what I can tell it's not required on electronic ignition and only required on points. However, I may be wrong and it may take a while to burn out when you only drive the car a couple thousand miles a year.
Thanks brother!
03-04-20, 11:14 PM
#46
@che'srx-7 For electronic ignition in mine there hasn't been any ballast since I've owned it. Based on what I can tell it's not required on electronic ignition and only required on points. However, I may be wrong and it may take a while to burn out when you only drive the car a couple thousand miles a year.
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