I just installed a MSD 6AL and a MSD 85551 pro billit dist without the vaccuum advance and an ajustable rev limiter. I think my problem is setting up the springs and bushing in the mechanicle advance, i cant seem to get the rattle out when i advance the timing to where i like the running, it rattles/detonates whatever you want to call it, i currenty have the lightest springs (small silver) and the blue bushing but im not happy with the setup. My old HEI was tweeked with MSD stuff and it hadlight springs and it ran much better than the New MSD setup.

my engine, 468ci BB chevy in a 69 chevelle 4 speed 373 posi rear, 850 deamon on a performer RPM airgap with closed chamber 100.1cc heads 219/188 valves pockett ported bowl blended & gaskett matched. speedpro forged pistons w/100cc domes moroso kicked out pan w/trey. ARP bolts or studs throughout, hooker headers and of coarse the New MSD Ignition setup.
aw yes dont forget the vintage air

Thanks Darryl

Assuning that you're not trying to run too much total advance, try using one silver spring with one blue spring. According to the MSD instructions, two silver springs with the blue bushing (21º) reaches total at about 1800 rpm while the silver/blue spring and blue bushing brings total in at about 2300 rpm. If that's not enough, use two blue springs to delay total until about 2800. If the "where I like it running" part is refering to idle quality, replacing the blue bushing with the black one will allow 3º more initial with the same total but will require another step up in spring weight to keep advance from coming in too soon as it is now.

I have tried several combos of springs and bushings but i just cant find that sweet spot where it has great power and doesnt detonate, the idle seems to be great with any setup i have tried. so far i have tried
2 blue springs with a silver bushing
2 silver springs with a blue bushing
1 heavy silver and 1 blue spring with a blue bushing
and 1 or 2 more that i written down in the garage and i still have a high RPM detonation

Thanks Darryl

i have also had a terrible time with to of those dist's while on a dyno. just send it back and get a good hei. just my 2 cents . tom

Do you have your vacuum advance hooked up??
I had the same problem with mine years back when I first installed it. I pulled the vacuum advance off.......ran great ever since. I think the stock vac advance pulls too much vacuum too soon.
Brian

Brian, it doesnt have a vaccuum advance, it has a mechanicle type...
Tom, to much money, time, effort and agrivation spent to stop now
i have a great setup HEI but i wanted the rev limiter and didnt want to go the HEI dist and the 6AL box route so i figured what the heck its only money..

Brian, it doesnt have a vaccuum advance, it has a mechanicle type...
Tom, to much money, time, effort and agrivation spent to stop now
i have a great setup HEI but i wanted the rev limiter and didnt want to go the HEI dist and the 6AL box route so i figured what the heck its only money..

Any chance you want to part with your HEI ??

Scott

Scott, Thanks for the offer but i already have plans for it to go into my 67 chevelle projects 402....

By the way NICE 69

Can't blame a guy for trying ;) :D , I have been trying to decide if I should rebuild my HEI or spring for the MSD for my car..

PS, thanks for the kind words, your car looks sweet as well :thumbsup: ..

Scott

and 1 or 2 more that i written down in the garage and i still have a high RPM detonation

Thanks Darryl
You must have to much total advance for your combo. What is it set at now?
At high RPM all the mechanical advance is in anyway so it doesn't matter what combo of springs and bushings you use. You need to find out what the engine likes for total advance first, with a timing light( usually somewhere between 34-38 ), then see what the engine likes in intial advance (usually between 12-20) then you can better pick the bushing and spring combo.
http://www.msdignition.com/pdf/85561_8547_85501_frm25672.pdf

Greg, u hit it on the money, too much total advance, i couldnt read total with the light i have so i got a timing guage meeter from a friend and it was set at 45 total so i backed it down then went to 1 heavy silver spring and 1 blue spring and changed the bushing back to the blue 21deg one, so far no detonation and it has made a noticeable improvement in the ON IT feel but until i get it on the dyno i wont know for sure, that comes next week

For about the same money MSD has a digital E-Curve dist out now that does everything you are trying to do by simply turning two dials. It gives you up to 25 different advance curves with or without a vacuum advance. There is no vacuum canister just a small port in the bottom of the unit to plug in the vacuum line if desired. It also incorporates a rev limiter you can set betweeen 5,000 and 10,000 rpm. Several guys here are using it including me and all that I have talked to love it. Maybe you can exchange your Dist and box for the single unit E-Curve.
Mark

For about the same money MSD has a digital E-Curve dist out now that does everything you are trying to do by simply turning two dials. It gives you up to 25 different advance curves with or without a vacuum advance. There is no vacuum canister just a small port in the bottom of the unit to plug in the vacuum line if desired. It also incorporates a rev limiter you can set betweeen 5,000 and 10,000 rpm. Several guys here are using it including me and all that I have talked to love it. Maybe you can exchange your Dist and box for the single unit E-Curve.
Mark

Not to hijack the post, but if you were already running a 6-AL box, would you just leave the limiter chip out of the box & use the rev limiter in the dist ??

I guess what I'm asking, is can the E-Curve dist be used with a 6-AL box??

Scott

this is one of the coolest things I have read about lately! I have an HEI on my car, and I have a 6AL sitting off to the side that I was going to have to mount and play around with..looks like I will be selling that stuff!!

I am trying to keep a stock looking engine bay, not really crazy about the msd box to begin with, and the red is a turnoff (but i can paint the cap i guess)..

To be able to change advance curves and timing 'on the fly' is really cool. I think I just got sucked in, thanks again guys-you just cost me more $$$$.

I'd love to hear more feeback from anyone running one of these new digital e curve distributors. So far sounds very positive.

i think performance dist sells a rev limiter for hei if you ever need one

i couldnt read total with the light i have
If you have a factory balancer you can get timing tape for it so you can readings up till full advance. Glad to help.

The best way to figure out your total advance with an MSD billet dist. is to add the initial with the degree bushing you have in the dist.
I have a 21 degree bushing + 19 degrees initial= 40 degress total.
The springs (of coarse) let the advance come in at your desired rate.
Brian

Reading about the Dist I would say you still need a MSD box for the multiple spark. The distributor isn't generating any spark.

http://store.summitracing.com/default.asp?Ntt=digital+E-Curve+&Ntk=KeywordSearch&DDS=1&searchinresults=false&N=0&target=egnsearch.asp&x=62&y=12

Sorry I'm so late on the response but to answer a couple of questions about the MSD E Curve dist yes you can use the MSD 6AL box with it for even more options or just use it as a stand alone unit. A stock GM Black cap will also fit the unit for the stock look. The engineering people at MSD didn't know if my stock MSD timming control which mounts inside the car could be used with the E Curve or not. It was hooked to the HEI I took out. They supplied the wiring color codes and I hooked it up to the E Curve unit and it works fine. So I have additional timming control just by turing the dial up to 15 degress. 7 1/2 each way. It's turning out to be a very versitle unit.
Mark

I am not much for changing springs and weights in a distributor and I really didn't know what curve I needed for my project 350 chevy motor so I went with an E-Curve. It is a pretty awesome distributor from my aspect. I added an MSD 6AL box and some super conductor wires. It was pretty easy once I figured out how the distributor worked. I haven't run the motor much but plan on soon to see how it works in long term.

Curve Track - www.cammhsm.com E-Curve curve tracking system

this is one of the coolest things I have read about lately! I have an HEI on my car, and I have a 6AL sitting off to the side that I was going to have to mount and play around with..looks like I will be selling that stuff!!

I am trying to keep a stock looking engine bay, not really crazy about the msd box to begin with, and the red is a turnoff (but i can paint the cap i guess)..

To be able to change advance curves and timing 'on the fly' is really cool. I think I just got sucked in, thanks again guys-you just cost me more $$$$.

I'd love to hear more feeback from anyone running one of these new digital e curve distributors. So far sounds very positive.


I don't know about the e curve deal but it sounds good....but An MSD ignition with their billet distributor is a piece of cake to set up. Don't be scared off just because one guy had some problems.I've never had a lick of problems and I have three cars with them in them. They provide instructions with the distributor telling you how to set up the springs and bushing stops.It's actually easier than messing with an HEI because you do not have the vacuume advance to worry about.It wasn't the MSD's fault he had 45 degrees total advance,,,that's why it detonated,obviously. Just my opinion.I may have misunderstood,but I think you were saying you were going to sell the msd because of the trouble the OP had. If that's not what you meant then obviously disregard my post.

P.S. I think you could just use a stock GM black cap but not 100% sure