So, Im planning the ignition for my car. Before it was stolen, I was running DLIDFIS with three MSD Blaster 2 coils using J-109 ignitors. For my next system, Im trying to decide the style I want to go to.

I was thinking about using the MSD Blaster SS coils, since I like that look better than the canister coils, and mounting options would be easier. I am aware that custom wires may be needed due to the male output of the SS versus the female of the stock/Blaster 2 coils. They also have a shorter spark duration than the Blaster 2 coils at 220 uS versus 350 uS. I assume I want the longest duration possible due to the shape of our (inefficient) combustion chamber...

I also gave thought to the 2GDLIDFIS/TT system, but Im not sure if I want to do that and have a mismatched trailing coil (Im a little OCD, haha). If there was a way to run a matching trailing coil easily, I might go that route. Is it possible to run an aftermarket dual post coil with this system and make them both fire at the same time? Something like THIS maybe, then just use another single coil for the trailing.

Also, which ignitors are we thinking are better to run now days? The J-109s seem to be "hard to find", and maybe not as reliable, whereas if I built my system with the GM parts, it seems like it might be a little better seeing as theyre not 20+ years old, easier to find if I need one on the side of the road, etc.

I need to order some coils and parts eventually, but Im not sure how I want to go about doing it. Anyone have any opinions or advice?

~T.J.

 

I just switched over to GM HEI igniters when I blew a J109, and it is working great. The HEI igniters are only $15 each, and they are always in stock. I just gutted the old J109's, and used them to connect the dizzy to the new HEI igniters. I mounted the HEI's on an aluminum heat sink and they are now running my 2GCDFIS with much success. The idle is smoother and everything is smoother through the whole RPM range.

 

Get HEI for the reasons stated.

 

It depends on how crazy you want to get.

For Naomi (my primary 7) I'm putting a 2nd gen CAS and building a Megasquirt to run a pair of 2nd Gen coils properly. I know it seems kind of odd to build a Megasquirt *just* for the ignition control, but I couldn't find an adequate ignition-only controller that suited my needs and the price on the Megasquirt wasn't too bad.

For Keiko (the parts car for Marc) I'll -probably- be going stock, but since I just swiped the ignitors temporarily for Naomi I might do the GM HEI setup and see if I can couple it with my TT box and 2nd Gen coil. I'm a little OCD about the coils too but my solution was to just remove the trailing completely. I've run a car without trailing wires at all and the difference was not noticable. There was even someone on here who Dyno'd back to back with and without the trailing and got like 1-2hp difference, which is well within the margin of error for the dyno itself! The trailing are only for emissions control anyway (have you seen the size of the tiny hole that they have?) so I figured I'd pick up properly sized bolts to cap them off cleanly and just remove the entire trailing, running on 2GDFIS w/ TT on leading only. The added power of 2nd gen coil and plugs should balance it out quite nicely.

Just a few ideas I've tossed around. I like the idea of an empty looking engine bay. These plans were made with that in mind (the CAS looks better than the dizzy cap, and if I mount the 2nd gen coils right you won't see the wires much, and for the 2nd gen coil w/ TT only I would end up with a similar arrangement, except I'd run a naked distributor cap... which is a great way to baffle the hell out of almost anybody who looks in my engine bay and sees the car running with nothing attached to the dizzy cap!!)

Jon

 

That and if you left two plugs in the trailing holes to seal the combustion, but had nothing hooked up to them, lol.

Well, thanks for the thoughts everyone. I myself like a very clean bay as well with neat wiring, which is why I want things to match and look good together. Seems I have some thinking to do.

~T.J.

 

Does anyone with any technical knowledge have any input on the shorter spark duration of the MSD SS coils?

~T.J.

 

Bump.

~T.J.