ignition options

[foreverska]

How much worse is firing through a locked dizzy compared to a distributorless system?

I have a MS2 v3.57 that I plan to use for spark only for a little while. Its currently configured for a single high current coil which I planned on firing through the stock dizzy. There are no huge downsides to this setup, right?

[miniman82]

How are you triggering it? I don't like firing the ECU with a distributor, I prefer to take my timing reference from the crankshaft since it's much more accurate. I went with EDIS, but you can still fire through a distributor with a single coil when using a crank trigger. Not sure why you'd want to though, not when there are so many better coil pack and COP options out there.

[foreverska]

I will be crank triggering it.

I'm playing with all ideas to include possibly sequential but I like the idea of changing stuff one variable at a time.
1) Fire through dizzy
2) Dizzy-less
3) EFI
4) Sequential fire
5) sequential fuel

And a turbo somewhere in the middle of those steps

[Piledriver]

Stick a crank trigger on there and you can use it as the foundation for all of the above, with a MS2 or later, and most of it with MS1.

There's really no upside to keeping the distributor, though, until you go sequential COP ignition or fuel, then it makes for a great cam sync trigger.

Start with a V3 mainboard and an MS3 case, costs an extra ~$5 vs. the little bitty std case, and add ons/upgrades later are easy.
I strongly suggest ignition first, wasted COP or CNP if you plan to go w/COPs anyway, if the motor isn't a high revver, there really isn't much upside vs. waste spark with Ford or Neon 4 post coils, and it preserves a couple spare outputs on MS2.

My MS2 ECU lives in an MS3 case, and the ignition and injector drivers live in the original MS case, keeps all the high power stuff out of the ECU. Also left room for an *error board and the ratsnest of wires that requires.
(There are FAR simpler ways to do it, now id just use logic controlled coils, what I ended up doing anyway)

[foreverska]

I've been looking all over for a logic controlled coil. What did you go with?

edit:

Oh.. how did I miss LS1s being logic driven That might just be worth it. Its a bit more money but for the saved hassle of not having to build a high current driver it might just even out.

[Piledriver]

The IGN1As are an excellent choice as well.

Used ones are ~$25 (Mercury DFI outboards--- make sure to look for the right PN, they also come in a NON logic controlled version the aftermarket calls the IGN1)

[luftvagon]

What's the stock application of IGN-4?

[Steve Arndt]

Vanagon 2.1s run a locked dizzy with ECU controlled timing and run up to 40* advance. If you get up near 50 degrees total or so (big boost retard, big vac advance) then you can run into problems with cross firing in the cap. As a base line to to get going and test the system it will work fine and I doubt you will notice much difference once you go to crank trigger. It is fun to brag and have a bunch of technology but they both will run fine under 90% of conditions if tuned right.
s

[foreverska]

As a base line to to get going and test the system it will work fine and I doubt you will notice much difference

This is what I figured and more than likely my first several months will be firing through the cap using a crank trigger. It hard waiting for $100 for this part, $100 for that part, etc etc.