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Author Topic:   MSD Vs Magneto
jsracingbbf
Gearhead

Posts: 2898
From: Batesville,MS. , U.S.A.
Registered: Mar 2002

posted 05-18-2003 09:58 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jsracingbbf   Click Here to Email jsracingbbf     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I was reading some info on alky injected motors where it was suggested if an alternator wasn't being used with a high output CD ignition system a magneto would be the better way to go. I don't run an alternator on my race car but I do run a MSD ignition, should I switch to a magneto? I suppose it would be cheaper to try to run an alternator. I'd rather stay away from running something else off the crank though.
Thanks!

------------------
Jerry
69 Mustang Pro ET Drag
70 Mustang retired former footbrake car

"Whiskey for my men, beer for my Horses" -- Toby Keith

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kid vishus
Gearhead

Posts: 6395
From: middle of NC
Registered: Oct 2000

posted 05-18-2003 10:08 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for kid vishus   Click Here to Email kid vishus     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I've always heard that a magneto makes less power than an MSD system. I have a buddy that dyno compared the two systems and the MSD did make more power than the mag.

Running an alternator on my car actually makes it faster than without. I'm sure on your car it's more a matter of finding someplace to run it from than worrying about the mythical HP loss.

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jsracingbbf
Gearhead

Posts: 2898
From: Batesville,MS. , U.S.A.
Registered: Mar 2002

posted 05-18-2003 11:16 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jsracingbbf   Click Here to Email jsracingbbf     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
KV, thats correct, nowhere to hang an alternator. Not worried about HP loss. I could stand a tad less anyway. I thought about a second battery, say an optima, just for the ignition. Seperate from the other one that cranks the car and drives some of the accesories, like water pump and fan. I rarely use the fan anyway.

JS

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n2oMike
Gearhead

Posts: 2680
From: Spencer, WV
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 05-18-2003 11:59 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for n2oMike   Click Here to Email n2oMike     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Mags are a high current, low voltage device.

They need tighter plug gaps (around 0.020" ) and solid copper wire core plug wires.

If you think a mag is 'weak' for this reason, go ahead and grab a plug wire while the engine is running... It will knock you into next week!

Most like the CONTROL and wider plug gaps of an electronic system though. Rev limiters, two-steps, easily adjusted timing curves, etc sure are nice.

------------------
Mike Burch
66 mustang real street
302 4-speed 289 heads
10.63 @ 129.3
http://www.geocities.com/carbedstangs/cmml_mburch.html
http://www.fortunecity.com/silverstone/healey/367
http://www.mustangworks.com/cgi-bin/moi-display.cgi?220

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jsracingbbf
Gearhead

Posts: 2898
From: Batesville,MS. , U.S.A.
Registered: Mar 2002

posted 05-19-2003 12:18 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for jsracingbbf   Click Here to Email jsracingbbf     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Mike, they make all those gadgets for mags too. And I have set up several mags, mainly for my boat racing buddies in Texas, my main question was which do you think is better for alky, not how does a magneto work. We run magnetos on some of the engines at work and some run Capacitive discharge ignitions, like the MSD. I thought maybe someone here had some experience running a MAg with Alky fuel.

JS

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