For years I had the 6AL box mounted vertically on the left side of the foot box so it would double as a foot rest. I mounted the old 6A box behind it and rigged it up NASCAR style so I could switch from one to the other if one failed. I got a little carried away and modified an MSD distributor to hold two ignition modules so I could have ultimate reliability for long distance events. This worked ok but didn't run very smooth. I think that the two modules interfered with each other. The spark gap in the distributor cap and the NASCAR coil splitter also created a lot of electro magnetic interference that bothered my rally computers.
I recently found that I could buy a Megajolt distributorless ignition system with a Motorcraft EDIS8 controller and coil packs for under $500. The EDIS system was used on Fords through most of the '90's and the stuff is really cheap now. It is also much more reliable than any aftermarket stuff. I attached a crank trigger wheel to my crank pulley and made a bracket to hold the crank trigger. I had to convert my MSD spark plug wires to clip onto the coil packs. I also had to make a simple wire harness to connect the electronic modules together. You can leave the distributor in place to drive the
oil pump or cut it off. I found a
oil pump drive that fit under the intake manifold. I used the old distributor hole for a PCV valve.
The neatest idea I had was to use an old leaky 427 surge tank to make a cover for the coil packs. I cut the bottom out of it and cleaned it up and painted it. I mounted the coil packs on the front of the engine upside down and ran the black spark plug wires around the sides of the engine. A cable tie holds the tank on and a chrome radiator cap tops it off.
The little Megajolt box goes in the foot box where it's dry and cool. You plug your laptop into it and choose all your timing parameters. Or, just download an ignition map from the website like I did. With the new system, the coil packs have much more time to build up a charge for each ignition and the timing is much more accurate. The engine runs much smoother and has more power throughout the rpm range.
If anyone needs a couple of MSD boxes, let me know.
RS
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