we have ignition!
ACHIEVING ESCAPE VELOCITY AND MUCH MORE WITH MSDAutomotive performance enthusiasts are all good people, for the most part. Trouble is, those hot rodders, drag strippers and drifters fall into the general category of asphalt jockeys. These guys and gals don’t fully appreciate the level of skill and performance off-roading requires. They liken rock crawling to watching grass grow; their idea of steep is a speed bump; water and mud constitute foreign matter to be avoided at all costs. If they break down, they call a tow truck from a cell phone.
What they don’t realize is that if the power cuts out on an off-road vehicle, the consequences can be far more severe. After all, if you don’t have enough power or torque to make it up an extreme incline trail, your rig might go for a tumble.
Another thing: these pavement pounders sometimes think they’re the center of the performance aftermarket universethat companies like MSD Ignition cater only to their needs. Wrong time for a reality check.
MSD started life in 1970 under the name of Autotronic Controls Corp. (ACC), by two engineers from White Sands (New Mexico) Missile Range. They were working on a leanburn fuel system called the Electrasonic Fuel Induction system to help fuel economy of new and older vehicles. However, the air/fuel mixture became so lean that it was difficult for conventional breaker points and early electronic ignitions to ignite it, so ACC started using a then-new technology called capacitive discharge (CD). This CD design opened another door for the ignition process, the capability to spark multiple times.
From that breakthrough, ACC began producing high-performance systems that combined the high-energy of the CD design with multiple sparks, resulting in a far more potent ignition. Not only did the multiple spark discharge (MSD) ignite the lean fuel mixture, it made overall improvements in the engine’s performance, such as easier starting, smoother idle, less emissions and more power, benefits for all types of vehicles, off-road or otherwise.
Professional racers learned of the new MSD quickly and soon word spread throughout the competition scene. Since then, MSD Ignition Controls has gone on to be the ignition of choice of the top professional drivers in NHRA, IHRA, NASCAR, World of Outlaws, DIRT, SCORE, IDBA and many more.
Today MSD Ignition’s factory encompasses over 84,000 square feet, with more than 400 employees, including a core of highly trained engineers, technicians, and assembly specialists. Together this team designs, develops, tests and manufactures the entire line of MSD products which consists of ignition controls, coils, timing accessories and spark plug wires and other ignition accessories. MSD Ignition is housed in three buildings, with four engine dynos, two chassis dynos, complete CNC and machining centers, along with assembly and burn-in departments.
Over the last few years MSD has expanded into a full range of electronics, according to director of marketing Todd Ryden. The family now includes programming modules, alternators, electronic fuel injection systems, data recorders and information systems. And at just about any level of off-roading, be it rock crawling, trail riding or desert racing, most of MSD’s growing product line is not simply appropriate, but in many cases essential.
In breaking down the lineup of products, we’ll start where MSD did, with ignition systems. Stock ignitions are inductive systems — simple, inexpensive and just adequate in terms of performance. The weak link is the fact that the coil is required to do double duty — both creating and storing the spark. This works at lower RPMs, but once the engine is churning out higher revolutions, there simply isn’t time to multi-task. The end result is a weaker spark when the engine requires much more, along with misfires and fouled plugs, all of which add up to loss of power.
As already noted, MSD produces capacitive discharge (CD) ignitions whose only job is producing full sparks throughout the entire RPM range. Energy is drawn directly from the battery where a custom wound transformer steps the voltage up to 460. The voltage is stored in a capacitor. When ignition is triggered, all the voltage is dumped into the coil, transformed into even higher voltage — up to 30,000 to 45,000 volts — then forwarded to the distributor and plugs. What all this means is real horsepower and seamless throttle response when you’re powering up the proverbial slippery slope or through a mud bog and can’t afford to leave any fuel energy unburned in the cylinder.
But, MSD ignitions don’t just produce one quick big bang, but multiple sparks at lower RPMs, generating more heat in the combustion chamber. This is invaluable at the lower end of the power range, when you’re trying to finesse your rig out of a tough spot or converting the dead weight behind your tow rig into rolling momentum.
In contrast, when you’re commuting to work in your daily driver with a conventional ignition system, you know there’s a point on the power curve that’s pretty much a dead zone. That’s not anything to get frantic about when you’ve got nowhere fun to go, but definitely not good when you need to mash the skinny pedal.
With MSD’s high-performance 6-Offroad Ignition Control, though your fuel economy improves, your plugs aren’t fouled and all’s right with the world. This multiple-sparking unit delivers the goods from idle to 3,000 RPM, sparking like a little demon for every 20 degrees of crankshaft rotation.
In addition, the 6-Offroad is completely potted by an epoxy compound called Ciba that encases the circuits for water and vibration proof ignition. Weathertight connectors are installed for positive locking and water-resistant electrical connections.
You and your rig can go for a little swim with the sure knowledge that you’ll keep on sparking ‘til you reach dry land. The unit can be installed on any vehicle with a 12-volt system, connecting to points, amplifiers or magnetic pick-ups on four-, six- and eight-cylinder engines.
New for 2007 is MSD’s DashHawk, a realtime vehicular spy that provides data on how your vehicle is running, whether you’re trying to improve gas mileage on the highway or maintain peak performance off. The unit, no bigger than a credit card, keeps track of more than 100 parameters, displaying up to seven at a time. You can even program in shift points based on engine speed or alert points for any parameter and the DashHawk lights up or sounds an alert.
Also new this spring is the Blaster Fuel Injection System ,providing a serious boost to performance and drivability, especially if your trips start at sea-level and end up on the top of a mountain. The Blaster is a closed loop system with a wide-band O2 sensor that guarantees accurate air/fuel ratio feedback. The system constantly monitors the exhaust gases and makes adjustments for the best performance. With an on-board acquisition feature, you can select the engine management variables to be recorded in real time for up to 5.5 minutes. Then, using the supplied software, you’ve got a roadmap to make the adjustments you need.
MSD’s expansion, starting a few yeas ago, took the form of acquiring some of the best brains and product lines in the automotive electronic arena. Respected companies such as Racepak (racing acquisition systems), Superchips (plug-in tuners), and Edge (inline tuners), pooled their electronic wizardry under the MSD umbrella. These allow off-roaders to do everything from monitoring engine vitals to programming onboard drivetrain computers to compensate for changes in tires and gearing.
And, finally, MSD hasn’t forgotten Quads. Under MSD Powersports, you’ve got your choice of ignition upgrades, fuel injection enhancer kits, Pro Coils, super conductor spark plug wires and other plug accessories, NiCad batteries, fast chargers and charging harnesses, plus a full range of MSD tools.
There’s no reason for off-road enthusiasts to feel left out of the performance world. Maybe we don’t hit speeds in the 200mph range, burn much rubber or intentionally put our rigs into endless slides. What we do is demand a lot of guts from our vehicles that deserve upgrades to deal with the terrain we drive them through-besides, the scenery for off-roaders sure beats the asphalt jockey scene.
SOURCE
MSD Ignition
12120 Esther Lama, Suite 114
El Paso, Texas 79936
915-857-5200
www.msdignition.com