Ignition box effects on Cap and rotor
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
From: Orlando, FL UCF area
Ignition box effects on Cap and rotor Since I have gotten my car in Dec if 05, I have replaced 4-6 cap and rotors. I am thinking that maybe my MSD Ignition box could be killing them. My last cap and rotor was a MSD cap and rotor and it lasted me 6 months. Could mym MSD Ignition box be killig my cap and rotor? Ifso, is there a way for me to lower the settings?
Since your sig says "FAST chip" can we guess it is a 93?
Spark jump in the opti creates ozone which is corrosive hence the swap to the vented opti setup in 94 when the LT1 was offered in the b-body and in 95 on the other LT1 cars. I could see the extra voltage causing a greater ozone buildup and accelerating corrosion and wear but NOT at the level you are experiancing and the MSD cap and rotor kit should have converted it to vented unless you neglected to hook that up. I think there is another cause. At the same time though I think the ignition "upgrades" are a complete waste on a car as mild as yours. Heck even on mine an Accel box did nothing, and mine is making by the most concervative estimates over 120rwhp more than yours so cylinder pressures and demands on the ignition are a bit greater. Not taliking a shot at your power numbers, you are doing fine for basic boltons, my is just modified a bit more.
Spark jump in the opti creates ozone which is corrosive hence the swap to the vented opti setup in 94 when the LT1 was offered in the b-body and in 95 on the other LT1 cars. I could see the extra voltage causing a greater ozone buildup and accelerating corrosion and wear but NOT at the level you are experiancing and the MSD cap and rotor kit should have converted it to vented unless you neglected to hook that up. I think there is another cause. At the same time though I think the ignition "upgrades" are a complete waste on a car as mild as yours. Heck even on mine an Accel box did nothing, and mine is making by the most concervative estimates over 120rwhp more than yours so cylinder pressures and demands on the ignition are a bit greater. Not taliking a shot at your power numbers, you are doing fine for basic boltons, my is just modified a bit more.
In the beginning I installed the MSD box not for HP gains but hoping that a more complete burn would help keep the combustion chambers cleaner, less carbon build up, and maybe prevent less hot spots. The one thing that I did notice on the LT1's is that somewhere in the 5000 RPM range there was a little dip in the graph on the Dyno, when the MSD was plugged in the dip would go away, Did it make more power.....No
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,023
Likes: 6
From: LT1 land...the "409" of the 90s!
I have found on Big cam cars the MSD keeps the plugs from fouling and has a cleaner idle. I have been running one for 11 years. It DOES eat a cap and rotor every 10-14k miles. Not bad for what I do with it.
It sounds like you have other issues. What is it doing?
It sounds like you have other issues. What is it doing?
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
From: Orlando, FL UCF area
It is a 93. It still is vented as the vent lines are connected directly to the distributor. Theprolbem is I need to have cap and rotors replaced every 6 months. It will run great once replaced, as time goes on, the higher revs seem to get slower and then eventually, the car wil surge. Before my last replacement, my car died and wouldn't restart. The mchanicsaid the MSDbox might have an effect on the cap and rotors but I don't want to do anything unless I'm sure it does play a big part.
Yes the MSD is hard on the cap and rotor but like TwoFast says that is excessive wear, you say the lines go to the distributor, but are they connected correctly? some people connect both lines to the vacuum side which is wrong..
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