The good and bad with MSD 8552 ready to run distributor?

Hi.

Im thinking on buying a MSD 8552 ready to run for my 455, I guess my only distributor from a 430 68 are as much worn-out like the rest of that 430.

I searched the forum but didnt find all to much so Im taking a chance and ask again and see if there are more users and experience on this product now.

Im just wondering if MSD 8552 plug and play are good or what is bad with it?
$383.10 does it cost, $47.70 for MSD 8202 coil. And as Osborne wrote Be sure to use good plug wires with 500 ohms or less per foot resistance so I have to find quality wires also, any recommendations?

Thanks :TU:

 

I like my msd distributor, I was disapointed it didn't have an adjustable vacuum advance but a regular one instead.

Steve

 

Summit has vacuum advance MSD distributors for $363.90.

Go here: http://store.summitracing.com/partd...&N=700+4294908256+4294840139+115&autoview=sku

Not a bad price when you consider the Mallory Unilite cost $355. in 1994.

My pal runs an MSD on his SBC in a 29 roadster and is happy with it so far.


I have an American rebuilt stock points distributor that I plan to run in my 31 on 32 rails roadster.
From NAPA a couple of years back.

No reason why a points ignition can't work on the big Buicks.
They were a viable ignition in the past and considering that most of our hot rods don't see too many miles, they should go several years before needing attention.
10,000 miles is the usual figure between tune-ups on a points ignition engine.

Most of the street running big Buicks don't see over 5000 rpm anyway and a single points ignition can handle that with ease.

There's also a Pertronix unit to upgrade the distributor, but in my case I probably won't.
Plans right now are to use an MSD 6al and trigger it with the points.

If you go for points, make sure to get a quality set.
That means with a fiber rubbing block instead of the fast wearing plastic rubbing block.

Get a quality condenser as well.
The major US brands should be ok, what you want to stay away from are the condensers with a cardboard end where the wire exits.

I note that you're in Sweden.
It shouldn't be too difficult to have a machine shop fit some new bushings in your old distributor.

And . . . if it came down to it and Buick points were difficult to get there, you can always re-drill the points plate and install Volvo points or commonly available European manufactured points

We used to run Ford points in a Maico dirt bike.
Worked fine....

 

i have a distributor that is another option for you.

Stock for my 69 430, converted to mallory unilite module with the surge protecter thing also.

If youre interested ill sell it to you with a mallory coil, also have my delco-remy replacement plug wires, they look newer but they might just be very clean stock.

PM me if youre interested.

 

What are points?

A concern I had while deciding which way to go myself was the Ready to Run distributor doesn't have the benefit of the stored energy that you get when you run a CD box and pro Billet distributor. I went with a MSD Digital 6+, Pro Billet distr and Blaster 2 coil. More expensive, but better spark IMO.

 

Check out the Mallory Comp SS. The best on the market and the best price. Plus you can use a dial timing light with it. See below, as taken from the TA Performance catalog pg 124

 

Yes I was wondering why TA performance didn’t have this ready to run MSD distributor,
Should perhaps look more into that Mallory Comp SS and see if anyone bad experience on it.

 

Can you qualify that statement?

 

Mallory has ALWAYS had the better product. But since they became part of the Mr. Gasket group they have had poor promotion. MSD has flooded the market with advertising and sponsorship, so everyone instantly thinks MSD. Happens all the time, quick name a restaraunt--- McDonalds, are they the best not at all but we have been groomed for it.

Happens to us (TA) all the time, the Car Craft engine had to use certain sponsored parts, for instance the camshaft. We probably lost 200+ sales because of it and we have that grind and better ones. There is a 455 engine being built right now that will air on one of the popular weekend car television shows, it can't use TA heads because Edelbrock is a major sponsor. So you won't get the best there either, just an ok combination. The Overhaulin' engine had to use an MSD distributor, the MSD is the direct reason why we had to work on the engine until 3 am. ---See using a timing light below for some of the reasons.

Reason for these examples is that the MSD isn't by any means junk. It's just not the best. Most of the inovations came from Mallory, the fit, finish and quality of Mallory is better. For instance, one of their control boxes which is the same market as the MSD 6 series, the Mallory does everything the MSD 6 does, but it also... uses less input voltage, creates less heat and output voltage is higher and more consistant.

Everyone has their own way to do things in this industry, but from experience and especially doing tech over the phone daily for almost 9 years. I greatly prefer the Mallory distributors for simple reasons, the greatest being the ability to use a dial timing light. Every day, I sort through tuning after a combination is put together, and most people do not understand all that is involved. The basic stuff is X amount of initial and Y amount of total, you have to have a distributor that can be adjusted. A GM distributor is not made for that. Both MSD and Mallory have this feature, but... You have to be able to check initial AND total timing and sometimes even with vacuum factored in. The best way is with a dial timing light, I use my high end digital light just for a tachometer (I use two timing lights at the same time). You can use a timing tape on the balancer also, but here is the greatest thing about the dial light. You can set your timing BEFORE the engine is ever fired. This is crucial in breaking in a camshaft. As soon as the engine is fired, it must immediately go to elevated RPM for cam breakin, absolutely NO idleing. Setting the timing before hand is easy, hook up the timing light like normal, turn the ignition to "on", set the dial at the desired initial timing. Pull the trigger on the light and point the light to your face, rotate the distributor until the light flashes, then lock the distributor down there. You can't use a dial timing light with the MSD distributors.

See the page(s) in our catalog for more info.

 

Larry,
Everytime I have dealt with an MSD and a dial timing light, the timing light fluctuates and is not accurate. For instance on the Car Craft and the Overhaulin' engines we had to abort the use of the MSD during the cam break in and put the 20 year old Comp 9000 out of the wagon in, to do the break ins. There maybe some dials that work, but in general they don't. I just kill way too much time tuning over the phone, if I can't get someone to confirm a specific parameter that I give them. Hard to explain, but setting up most of these street combinations is not hard, but every day, I have to start with step one and I need an easier way to communicate to the customer. Another instance, had a customer with a combo that wasn't running right. Initially it was an assumption what the initial timing was, because the (OE) distributor was re-curved to the correct spec. Well it wasn't, so after the customer and I had to spend extra time to figure that out, and now because it is an OE and he can't adjust it himself, he is dead in the water for now. I just go through the same scenario 1-2 times per day. I used to do this with the high volume oil pumps, every day stripped dist. gear, broken pin. Ok, here is a cam, distributor gear and oil pump, sorry. Now, I'm pro active instead. "high I need TA 1506 high volume oil pump" me: "Why" cust: "because that's what you use in a performance combination" me: "No, blah, blah, blah". Now almost everyone is aware of the HV oil pump issues. I'm not really complaining, just trying to get the foundation stuff more simple, so we can move on.

This is why we worked with Mallory on the Comp SS, inexpensive plug-n-play distributor so we have a depandable starting point and can adjust as needed. And it is a magnetic pickup (like MSD) Had to go that route for those who insisted on putting 12 volts (instead of the 9.6 they were designed for) to the Unilites and gave them a bad rap.

 

Larry, I can't explain why, but shooting the timing with a Sears Penske dial-back light set at zero showed the timing about 20 degrees off - forget which way - so I returned the light.

The standard Sears Penske timing light I've had for a while shot the timing as it should.

Mallory Unilite, MSD6al, Accell 8.8mm plug wires and an engine that had been tuned and ran well.
(462", mild cam, headers, 9/1 CR, Edelbrock 750, KB roller rockers etc.)

I've seen other guys comment that their dial-back timing light - several different brands - shot the timing just fine and a few that had the same problem I did.

Depending on the ignition system and where I'm at with the engine build (running, on the stand etc.) I set the timing statically with a continuity tester across the points.

If an electronic ignition, I pull #1 spark plug wire, install a spare plug in the plug wire terminal and ground the plug with a test wire lead.
Set the crank where you want to check initial timing, go forward then back and the plug will fire when you're at the desired timing point.

I've used the cellophane off cigarette packs to check initial timing on a points ignition as well as used a worn dime for a gap gauge...

 

I’m convinced, and confused.

Okay, I’m on; I want to buy a Mallory Comp SS. What more do I need; which coil and which plug wires? And what more are good to get related to this.

I have a completely rebuilt engine, new cam and so on so it sounded good about the breaking it in part. For some reason do I worried about using my stock balancer, don’t know if that’s any subject which I should ask related to this also.

Thanks

 

if you plan on running an ignition box you cant get solid core wires (or so the directions say), coil is really more of a preference if you ask me.

i wonder which is better, the summit brand ignition box (made by mallory) or the mallory box?

while reading this thread i decided to change from planning an MSD distributor to a Mallory, now why not run a mallory box?

sorry for sorta hijacking this thread ou:

 

Dave, thanks for the follow-up. You're a good man! :beers2:

 

Larry, there is a really informative sticky on this very subject somewhere. I suggest finding it and reading it! p