DIY MSD install on a Honda Civic

[one4spl]

These MSD units are JUNK.

I totally agree... I didn't even realise they made them any more. I used to fix them Back In The Day, and they were not very well made, certainly much worse than anything Honda has made in the last 30 years.

MSD units may have been a step up compared to the points ignition on your '72 Hemi, but they are totally pointless on anything modern.

Yet another pointless mod that only makes your car worse...

[dsp26]

^^^what was wrong with them and what needed fixing on what units?

[one4spl]

* They are poorly made
* They don't do anything that any other "High Energy" system does when above 3000RPM
* People putting them in cars do terrible sub-par sub-OEM work that’s not water-proof and will only cause grief for the car owner long term.

Every modern ignition is "high energy" these days. the current into the coil is regulated electronically, rather than with a ballast resistor so that the coil is charged very quickly and then the current is turned off to stop the coil heating up too much. CDI doesn’t achieve anything usefully better than this.

And, the internet has voted -

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=why+msd+sucks

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=why+msd+rocks

[one4spl]

If you were serious about making some marginal improvment to a car such as this you would put in an aftermrket ECU that can drive a coil-pack and get rid of the distributor.

[Limbo]

hmm was looking at doing this before but chickened out cos i couldn't be bothered pulling out the OEM coil.

Might look into this again, thanks for the neat write-up

[A-man]

i think if u look at the kit i have bought


the only reason i am changing mine to external coil is the note fact given previously that the factory coil can just die in the ass... and ive worked my problem to be with the coil.

however i have a blaster coil, converted dizzy cover, and leads

if u look a the wiring diagrams of ur dizzys (in the b18a anyways) the dizzy has a built in ballast resistor, of .8ohms
this would stop overheating of the coil.

as for the non waterproof wires im sure there is something that can be done to adjust this. maybe some sikaflex or gasket goo