What's a good CDI box value these days?

General engine tech -- Drag Racing to Circle Track

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In-Tech
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Re: What's a good CDI box value these days?

Post by In-Tech »

The only stock type modules worth buying come from Delphi, not AcDelco.
Here's one
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.ph ... 72&jsn=451
Heat is energy, energy is horsepower...but you gotta control the heat.
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Re: What's a good CDI box value these days?

Post by EDC »

n2omike wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 12:05 pm Older 6AL boxes were FAR more reliable that today's finicky, Chinese digital boxes. The new stuff has more bells and whistles... as well as rotary dials to control rev limits, etc... but the old boxes definitely win the reliability contest. I have three boxes. One is on the mustang, one is on a 4 cyl Ford Ranger (got it cheap when a guy upgraded) and another is on my engine run stand. All have been in service since the 1990's. Two have been kept in a non heated/cooled garage through all seasons in WV. All still work great. I've had friends who have had nothing but grief with the newer digital boxes.
Not just "today"....

Switching from our antique but reliable MSD 6A to a "new at the time" Digital 7 unit cost use a couple of event wins back in the old NMRA Pure Street days. Chased a random miss at high RPM until the red box was put back in.
"Quality" is like buying oats. You can pay a fair price for it and get some good quality oats,
or you can get it a hell of a lot cheaper, when it's already been through the horse.

Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

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Re: What's a good CDI box value these days?

Post by mopardave »

Ice Ignition is another choice. Been using there 7amp box for about 15 years now, never an issue and i like the voltage booster they offer which keeps a constant 16v to the coil.
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Re: What's a good CDI box value these days?

Post by Schurkey »

Bill Chase wrote: Fri Oct 15, 2021 2:38 am Love the old hei distributor with 5 pin module... ...Have you found a replacement 5 pin hei module that is worth a crap? Or a 7 pin module for that matter?
4-pin modules are the typical "hot rod" "performance" units.
5-pin modules were for knock-sensor/timing retard. Two versions--one retarded timing when the fifth pin was grounded, one retarded timing when the fifth pin got + voltage.
7- and 8-pin modules are for fully computer-controlled timing advance.
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Re: What's a good CDI box value these days?

Post by dfarr67 »

I almost laughed in an email to DUI- they want 'economy shipping' $110usd to ship coil and module to Canada- not likely.

Don't want to start a new thread......

- box is out for cdi, considering age of small cap hei, dizzy is new- what are the good parts to wake it up? Or is it a case of it works till it doesn't?
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Re: What's a good CDI box value these days?

Post by Cfin »

It appears that FAST is doing Crane HI-6 ignitions again .... now called HI-6R
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Re: What's a good CDI box value these days?

Post by Schurkey »

dfarr67 wrote: Fri Oct 15, 2021 6:30 pm considering age of small cap hei, dizzy is new- what are the good parts to wake it up? Or is it a case of it works till it doesn't?
"Small-cap HEI? As in, TBI? "New" as in a Chinese knockoff? Everything is suspect, but particularly the module, cap, rotor, and distributor gear on the bottom.

An ignitions system doesn't "work until it doesn't". There's a dozen ways they can fail yet keep the engine running at some sub-optimal level.
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Re: What's a good CDI box value these days?

Post by dfarr67 »

NOS oem distributor, NOS 369 GM module, some oem coil I pulled off the pile I collected. I avoid anything with an 'china' identifier. System isn't runing 'bad', was looking for an enhancement with reliability. Since the module seems to be competent with anything out there- is an oil filled coil and step forwards or back?

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B002Q3 ... EEQB&psc=1
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Re: What's a good CDI box value these days?

Post by Schurkey »

dfarr67 wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 11:24 am NOS oem distributor,
Nice. I have one left. Came as part of the Delco Voyager marine ignition system--so it has the marine module, but otherwise usable for TBI.
dfarr67 wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 11:24 am NOS 369 GM module, some oem coil I pulled off the pile I collected.
OEM HEI coil? If it will reliable fire a spark-tester calibrated for HEI, and passes the usual resistance tests, it's fine.
dfarr67 wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 11:24 am Since the module seems to be competent with anything out there- is an oil filled coil and step forwards or back?

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B002Q3 ... EEQB&psc=1
1. I don't trust Pertronix.
2. That's lower resistance than typical HEI coils. Which might be fine...but I'd be concerned about pulling too much current through the module.
3. I've used these with MSD, but not with HEI. The PS60 is the same, but "chrome". Made in USA, unless they've been outsourced in the last couple years.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/fst-730-0050
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Re: What's a good CDI box value these days?

Post by dfarr67 »

I'm running good Crane NOS fire wires with NGK Rutherum gapped to 0.040- Napa down the road has the IC-12 in stock, seems to be a well regarded coil, we don't have O'rielly here.
I can only read what I read- on one hand 0.3-0.5 is ideal for HEI oil canisters, then the IC-12 or O'rielly MasterPro XXXX are the ones to use with HEI......? SUmmit branded are supposed to be ok too- then theirs shipping.

Yes- Pertronix is supposed to have one good oil filled coil out of their lineup.
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Re: What's a good CDI box value these days?

Post by Schurkey »

I just checked the www.napaonline.com web site. They're not listing primary resistance of the IC12 coil.

The buyer's guide shows it being used on Dodge/International/GM/Mercury Marine...and all old enough to have a ballast resistor and points/condenser.

First Guess: they claim low resistance, but "low" compared to WHAT?

I suspect it's just another "points" style coil with lower output than the OEM HEI coil you have now.

I know that Dave Ray pushes the oil-filled coil thing pretty hard. I'm not convinced.
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Re: What's a good CDI box value these days?

Post by Geoff2 »

An oil filled coil [ canister coil ] is a step backwards. It is an inefficient design compared to an E core or O core design coil because the canister coil has a lot of leakage inductance [ lost energy ].
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Re: What's a good CDI box value these days?

Post by dfarr67 »

I've never had an oem coil fail- however I have had an msd blaster e-core fail.
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Re: What's a good CDI box value these days?

Post by dfarr67 »

Geoff2 wrote: Sat Oct 16, 2021 8:04 pm An oil filled coil [ canister coil ] is a step backwards. It is an inefficient design compared to an E core or O core design coil because the canister coil has a lot of leakage inductance [ lost energy ].
Is the ford TFI and equivalent to the hei coil or better?
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Re: What's a good CDI box value these days?

Post by Geoff2 »

Not sure, but any E core will be better than a canister coil. There is a reason canister coils are not used on modern cars...
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