I had a MSD 6 setup on a 350 Chevy and fully appreciate the difference in performance and fuel mileage.
I was wondering if anyone had any experience with the much cheaper MSD 5.
I plan on getting a MSD outfit after the first of the year. I know that I'm being a little loose with my money, but I'd hate to be accused of being too frivolous. My biggest problem, as a wastrel, is that I don't know the difference between frivolous and too frivolous,
Yeahbut

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1967 D100 /225

Some of us catch on slow, and some of us don't.

I've been contemplating the Mallory Hyfire.........

Looks like the features of the MSD 6 with a price of the MSD 5...........

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Yeah, the MSD seems overpriced. On the healthy 350 Chevy I could advance the timing without pinging using 92 octane.

I don't know if it will make that much difference on a stock /6 using 87 octane.

I checked out the Mallory at

http://store.summitracing.com/default.a ... toview=sku

I didn't know that Mallory had a multiple spark set-up.

The only mods I plan on are 2 BBL Carb, electronic ignition, bigger exhaust, and maybe something like the MSD or the Mallory. I've got one of the old granny gear 4 speeds. But that's okay.

I've got 235/75/15 tires, but I don't know if they are the stock size.

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1967 D100 /225

Some of us catch on slow, and some of us don't.

I bought a MSD5, 20 some years ago. At that time the only differance between the 5 and 6 was the rpm limit that each would support. Since it was going on a MGB 4 banger, I didn't see the need to spend more money. The box worked fine, the Lucas electroincs did not. It would regularly burn out the points, cap and plug wires. I took it off and put it back in the box and I still have that box. It sitting right next to the unused Edelbrock Water Injection kit.

At this point in time, I would buy the MSD6.

I have taken a MSD5 apart and put it on a 'scope - there is a lot of difference between a 5 and a 6!

The MSD6 uses capacitive discharge and HV, while the MSD5 just switches the normal coil voltage & current a few times. The 5 has made a huge improvement on my points-based truck, especially starting and idle, but offered no noticable improvement at all over my factory electronic ignition in my car. The latter MSD5 also developed the trait of working erratically below 32F, which is why I took it apart (the warranty expired before it got that cold).

The 5 does make multiple sparks by switching the coil current, but the coil & ballast's RL time constant means that it can only do so at low RPM. On my V8, it did 5 sparks while cranking, 3 at idle, and only 1 by around 1600 rpm.

I also noticed that the points trigger for the MSD5 is only around 5V, too low for my RAC tach, but works fine with my old Stewart Warner Stage I tach.

I decided on the Mallory for 119.00 at Summit. It seems that the Mallory works with aftermarket tachs without an adapter. If I understood the MSD instalation instructions, it requires an expensive adapter to use a tach

I went to order it last night, and found out that some idiot bought some tools that he forgot about.

I need to quit using Summit. They have a retail outlet in Reno, so they charge me sales tax.

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1967 D100 /225

Some of us catch on slow, and some of us don't.

MSD6 does not require adapters to use aftermarket tachs. I have a cheapie kragen tach I tried on mine and it was fine. I think the msd boxes require adapters for factory tachs or specialized aftermarket ones.

Just remember whatever you do use the tach output on the box don't put it to coil negative.

Pierre,
Thanks for the heads up on the tach wire. I did notice that MSD seems to have better install diagrams, online, than the Mallory. But I'm not building a hot rod, just an efficient truck. Just a heavy old truck.
Pat

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1967 D100 /225

Some of us catch on slow, and some of us don't.

As the ignitions pretty much do the same thing (with maybe some wire color differences), I've found that you can use MSD's problem solving tricks on other brands of ignitions............


Let us know how the Mallory works, I'm getting real close to possibly buying one

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Yeah, I will. Like I said some idiot made some credit card purchases on my card that he forgot about.

I seen some on eBay.
One guy wanted more than Summit.
There were a few good deals.
But, I wonder about buying used electronics on eBay.
Sometimes, i wonder if eBay is a curse or a blessing.

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1967 D100 /225

Some of us catch on slow, and some of us don't.