MSD Blaster 2 High Performance Coil

[MPoxon]

Evening all,

I am looking to replace my ignition coil upon searching found the MSD Blaster 2 45KV coil. TVR power sell these as an option to the Taraka upgrade.

Would this be suitable for a standard engine?

http://www.msdignition.com/product.aspx?id=5003&am...

I also notice that a shinny version is also available:
http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/Motorsport/Ignition_...

Matthew

[Bluebottle]

Don't know about the BlasterII but i am running the BlasterIII on my car.
Which I am told is a popular choice on race engines.

[MPoxon]

Bluebottle said:

Don't know about the BlasterII but i am running the BlasterIII on my car.
Which I am told is a popular choice on race engines.

Thanks for the reply and the pic. I see you have an SC500 Griff and very nice too. Do you think it will be OK on a standard Griff? Also does yours have the ballast resistor or not?

Matthew

[Bluebottle]

MPoxon said:

Bluebottle said:

Don't know about the BlasterII but i am running the BlasterIII on my car.
Which I am told is a popular choice on race engines.

Thanks for the reply and the pic. I see you have an SC500 Griff and very nice too. Do you think it will be OK on a standard Griff? Also does yours have the ballast resistor or not?

Matthew

It'll be fine on a NA engine, it basically give you a bigger bang per cycle. I asked about ballast resistor, as the MSD website went on about needing it, but I was told they fit them to racers without one ans havedon't have any issues. They fitted mine without and it seems to run fine (And i'm using mangycores which will show up any floor in your ignition system).

[Squid Biker]

I've never seen real proof that a coil upgrade can make more power over an already perfectly working coil.

We've done this to death on dyno's in the bike world. Ignition upgrades. Lead upgrades, etc etc.

I've yet to see how making a more powerful spark to ignite mixture can make the mixture release more energy than it already would from a less fancy perfectly working coil. A spark is a spark after all? But I'm all ears in this new arena.

[Guillotine]

As the man says...no benefit over a correctly working original set up.
Just belt and braces on a std car. If you need to replace, why not upgrade? We do it with shocks/tyres etc.
The uprated stuff does see benefits...

1 in harsher environments (better component design, components)
2 higher revs (better recovery/mechanical strength).

No 1 could be useful in a TVR...not No2.
We use MSD stuff all the way through and I have to say that it is excellent.
Allowed 7800 revs without issue for many 000s of miles. As revs are now lowered for class regs its just nice to know that the big stuffs in there.

Andy

[Squid Biker]

Agree with the quality of component issue Andy. I'm guilty of overlooking perhaps what is the most important aspect of why it's best to upgrade. Thanks for that.

[blitzracing]

There are some very silly myths around about coils, firstly the one about its peak voltage- ie 45kv. This is fine if the coil has a sufficient time you reach a full charge (I use this phrase as the best one, as its when the coil can no longer increase its magnetic field around the core), but at say 5000 rpm, firing 8 cylinders every 2 crank cycles, you simply dont have enough time to reach this value, so the EHT voltage starts to drop. You will see 15 -20 kv drop available EHT as the RPM rises, but realistically the peak HT value you need is just enough to jump the plug gap and no more (typically 12-20 kv). The stock system is very carefully ballanced with its magnetic trigger timing, coil construction (with ballast wire) to provide suffcient spare capacity to keep the plugs firing to 6000 rpm plus including the voltage drops, and simply putting in a "big power coil" wont overcome any coil dwell and spark firing duration issues at high rpm. You might well overload the igniion amp as well if the primary current is higher in an aftermarket power coil. Dont waste you money on this one, spend it on a wasted spark system with more coils and mapped ignition timimg if you want to upgrade the ignition, or stick to good quality stock components that are designed for the job. You only really need huge HT voltages to ignite the mixture when running very high CR ratios, nitro, or LPG, not a trusty old TVR motor.

[MPoxon]

Many thanks for the replies gents - very useful

[MPoxon]

blitzracing said:

There are some very silly myths around about coils, firstly the one about its peak voltage- ie 45kv. This is fine if the coil has a sufficient time you reach a full charge (I use this phrase as the best one, as its when the coil can no longer increase its magnetic field around the core), but at say 5000 rpm, firing 8 cylinders every 2 crank cycles, you simply dont have enough time to reach this value, so the EHT voltage starts to drop. You will see 15 -20 kv drop available EHT as the RPM rises, but realistically the peak HT value you need is just enough to jump the plug gap and no more (typically 12-20 kv). The stock system is very carefully ballanced with its magnetic trigger timing, coil construction (with ballast wire) to provide suffcient spare capacity to keep the plugs firing to 6000 rpm plus including the voltage drops, and simply putting in a "big power coil" wont overcome any coil dwell and spark firing duration issues at high rpm. You might well overload the igniion amp as well if the primary current is higher in an aftermarket power coil. Dont waste you money on this one, spend it on a wasted spark system with more coils and mapped ignition timimg if you want to upgrade the ignition, or stick to good quality stock components that are designed for the job. You only really need huge HT voltages to ignite the mixture when running very high CR ratios, nitro, or LPG, not a trusty old TVR motor.

Many thanks for the detailed reply Mark. I think you have hit the nail on the head with regards to upgrading the coil. I will buy a stock item for the time being and look at upgrading to a fully mapped ignition with coil packs at a later date.

Matthew

[robrover]

I run a Blaster2 with an MSD6A on my 4.6 and it works well. It's fired by a Scorcher dissy. All old school, but simple and effective. Never let me down.

[Pum]

I got a Blaster 2 fitted many years ago, together with MSD 6AL ignition. IMHO an excellent upgrade. The engine sounds and feels much "crisper" after the upgrade.

I also had just the coils upgraded on a bike many years ago, and got a similar effect. I was totally not expecting it - the coils needed replacing and the high performance ones were not much more expensive - but I was amazed by how much I noticed the difference.

[richieboy3008]

[wycoller]

blitzracing said:

There are some very silly myths around about coils, firstly the one about its peak voltage- ie 45kv. This is fine if the coil has a sufficient time you reach a full charge (I use this phrase as the best one, as its when the coil can no longer increase its magnetic field around the core), but at say 5000 rpm, firing 8 cylinders every 2 crank cycles, you simply dont have enough time to reach this value, so the EHT voltage starts to drop. You will see 15 -20 kv drop available EHT as the RPM rises, but realistically the peak HT value you need is just enough to jump the plug gap and no more (typically 12-20 kv). The stock system is very carefully ballanced with its magnetic trigger timing, coil construction (with ballast wire) to provide suffcient spare capacity to keep the plugs firing to 6000 rpm plus including the voltage drops, and simply putting in a "big power coil" wont overcome any coil dwell and spark firing duration issues at high rpm. You might well overload the igniion amp as well if the primary current is higher in an aftermarket power coil. Dont waste you money on this one, spend it on a wasted spark system with more coils and mapped ignition timimg if you want to upgrade the ignition, or stick to good quality stock components that are designed for the job. You only really need huge HT voltages to ignite the mixture when running very high CR ratios, nitro, or LPG, not a trusty old TVR motor.

Agree Former material permability of material is important to reduce Hysterisis effect, so for performance of the coil to assess correctly you need to now the materials used in the construction

[wycoller]

blitzracing said:

There are some very silly myths around about coils, firstly the one about its peak voltage- ie 45kv. This is fine if the coil has a sufficient time you reach a full charge (I use this phrase as the best one, as its when the coil can no longer increase its magnetic field around the core), but at say 5000 rpm, firing 8 cylinders every 2 crank cycles, you simply dont have enough time to reach this value, so the EHT voltage starts to drop. You will see 15 -20 kv drop available EHT as the RPM rises, but realistically the peak HT value you need is just enough to jump the plug gap and no more (typically 12-20 kv). The stock system is very carefully ballanced with its magnetic trigger timing, coil construction (with ballast wire) to provide suffcient spare capacity to keep the plugs firing to 6000 rpm plus including the voltage drops, and simply putting in a "big power coil" wont overcome any coil dwell and spark firing duration issues at high rpm. You might well overload the igniion amp as well if the primary current is higher in an aftermarket power coil. Dont waste you money on this one, spend it on a wasted spark system with more coils and mapped ignition timimg if you want to upgrade the ignition, or stick to good quality stock components that are designed for the job. You only really need huge HT voltages to ignite the mixture when running very high CR ratios, nitro, or LPG, not a trusty old TVR motor.

Agree Former material permability of material is important to reduce Hysterisis effect, so for performance of the coil to assess correctly you need to now the materials used in the construction so based on that you can achieve better performance coils. at a cost