Is the MSD Ignition 8239 Sport Compact Replacement Coil pack really worth it ? im going to install a 15% reduction pulley along with ngk iridium plugs...are these things REALLY necessary or stock coils are good enough?

 

No gains from coil packs....
I run one just cause it has brass terminals...so less likely to corrode than the oem nickle plated iron....

 

The MSD has been know to cause expensive problems like fried ecu. No gains & a chance for a big loss.

Zippy as knowledgeable as you are about MINIs it really surprises me you use an MSD?

 

Thats what i figured, just wanted to confirm thanks guys.

 

What about changing the cables using the stock coil pack? Is that beneficial? Or should we keep using the stock cables as well, I almost pull the trigger on an MSD and backed out as I saw some of the comments, but I have to change my cables anyways so I wonder if getting aftermarket cables would make any difference. Much appreciated in advance.

 

minibx, im going to buy new cables...its just that from past experience the MSD is a big waste of $$ UNLESS you are making BIG POWER

 

only if your stock wires are damaged. never heard of stock plug wires wearing out. don't drink the snake oil.

 

This ^

Only reason im changing mine is because for some reason 2 of them were rubbing against somethign and have some wear on the outer shielding, so im just playing it safe.

 

Thanks daonlyillwiz, that's what I want to do as well I don't really care about the bling factor of the MSD but then again I'm not having any issues with my coil pack.

 

No problem man

 

3 of them are fine but the 4th one was a pain to remove and ended up ripping off some of the seal, works fine so far.

 

Yes you should change your cables occasionally, say every 30k miles. Contamination on the rubber sheath and the high voltage eventually leads to HT leads breaking up or underperforming.

If you need a new coil pack, buy this. It's the OEM part, which means it includes the sleeves for the bolts and needs no modifications to fit, unlike others.

Prenco 36-1158

 

So much crap on these boards are "here say" and urbuan legend....
The truth sometimes gets lost....if the msd is dangerous...the the scream on deamon MUST be worse...it put out more volts right....lol...key is THEY ALL USE THE SAME INPUT...THEY ARE JUST A SIMPLE TRANSFORER....CHANGE THE NUMBER OF WINDINGS..and volts vs amps change.....the "scream on deamon" is just a more extreme and sold by a few vendors...Hmmmm....some $$$ at stake...(and often shorter lived coil)....folks often do the install like crap...they don't use the right bolts, don't use new rubber insulators....it goes on and on...oh yeah...there are TWO different coils plug types on mini's...get the rounded and then FORCE it in the plug...fried ecu....other folks have cut the wires...spliced them...no solder....
Sometimes it seems 30% of the issues folks report are self inflicted....but alas...folks learn by making mistakes....just hate to read some threads thst are like trainwrecks...same op...again...and again...and again...month after month...sucks to have a good Memory for some memorable names.....
The fact the msd coil is as much a "commodity part" as any one of the other 5 commonly used ones (ranging from ngk to screamon deamon) can make one wonder...the fact the msd is ONLY marketed by alta for the mini, but can be had for much less from the likes of Summt RACING OR JEGGS, etc means nobody defends It and says (mostly due to the association with alta selling a kit which is 25% overpriced) it is good if you want red....or it comes from alta...must be junk...
Things in mini's go by FAD...
Remember when BRISK SILVER plugs were all the rage.... German made plugs... Made more power...lol...lasted 3000-5000 miles...and after folks found out CHAMPION owns Brisk...folks suddenly forgot about the "wonder product".....
Sorry for the rant folks but sometimes folks bolt parts onto a mini expecting it to run better, make more power, get better mpg, last longer, etc...
But the reality is...
Most stuff is talk....very few changes are noticeable IF the part removed was in good shape and fully functional....
Spark plug wires can be inspected...both visually and with an ohm meter...
Reality is, on a mini they are so SHORT, they are changed for bling 99% of the time unless physically dammaged or perhaps the rubber plugs getting hard from heat exposure....
But SALES make money...and many folks would rather change a wire than FLUSH A RADIATOR.... simple choices like this costs folks big $$$.
End rant-o-mattic.....
Resume normal activities!!! Lol.

 

Not quite true. HT leads are a problematic item and the main reason why most engines have moved to coil-on-plug. The skin effect and the HT (High Tension) lead to mechanical degradation with may not be visible using the naked eye or a Ohmmeter. You may only notice that issue in use.

 

Please check your FACTS before posting INCORRECT INFORMATION
There is difference between OEM and aftermarket.
1) MSD coil pack have different coil primary/secondary windings so it WILL HAVE different output.
2) Should not bad mouth the weldor just because you do not want to pay more for aftermarket product that you obviously do not like.
3) You can NOT be sure ignition wire is good just by visually inspecting ignition wire and measuring resistance. Most people know that there can be a pinhole in the insulation that the ohm meter does not register and unless you were driving with the misfire for a while you will likely not see it. The same goes for improperly sealing wire around the coil terminal or plug…
4) Summt RACING and JEGGS do not market products, they just sell everything they can make money on. And by the way Summt RACING and JEGGS run MSD products on their race cars.
5) BRISK SILVER spark plugs are made in European Union, Czech Republic and not GERMANY and last up to 30,000 km.
6) CHAMPION does not own BRISK, Brisk is privately held company.
7) Your coolant system should not be flushed (unless it is dirty from corrosion contamination or coolant crystallization) as flushing the system contaminate the cooling system with impurities. Generally it is much better just drain at the coolant at the bottom of the radiator and refill with approved coolant and distilled water in the recommended concentration.

 

Or you could just by from the OEM and move on with your life.


Ignition coil 12137510738 Prenco 36-1158 $43 FCP euro

Ignition wires Prenco 35-PF77064 (regular) 35-QC4064 (racing)

 

Over the years, we've seen cracked MSD units and more problems than solutions. If you're willing to spend the money, it's your choice. Just keep in mind that many higher HPs Minis are still running the oem coil pack, mainly because that except for corrosion on a terminal, those things are pretty reliable.

Nothing that a once in a while inspection and some dielectric grease can't prevent.

 

First off there is no one magic bullet when it comes to performance gains in these cars. Each mod IMO has to enhance and act in concert with other mods performed....otherwise your just guessing/wasting your $.

I spent two years trying three different coil packs/wires and using/reading different spark plugs. With respect to coil packs I tested the OEM, S-Deamon, and an MSD. I originally turned to looking for an alternative to the OEM pack because I had it with the #3 Coil Pack connector corroding...PITA. I also used a set of popular aftermarket red wires and with the OEM coil pack and it corroded even worse/faster.

I tried the S-Deamon pack with the aftermarket wires and the pack failed, after one year so turned to MSD with the MSD wires.

With respect to plugs I use 2 step colder for my set up. ( see my gallery for mods )

Most folks install aftermarket coil packs and don't gap their plugs properly ( widen ) then report back here on the boards, "it didn't do crap so went back to OEM. Well, they only did half the job so they got what they deserved...win for guys like me who do their home work, experiment and reap rewards for mods done.

I experimented with gaps from .032 to .065. I found that the .065 gaps occasionally created some skip on WOT runs. I gradually reduced gaps while reading the plugs experimenting with heat range I needed. I eventually ended up with a gap of .060 using the NGK's 2 step colder plug. At .032 using the MSD and MSD wires, the engine did idle better but did nothing for power.

More recently, last week, I changed these plugs after 60K miles, took pics of the old ones and for the fun of it put the gap at .035. I had very noticeable power/torque loss like I had lost a few lbs of boost or my belt was slipping.....I ran them that way until this afternoon, re-gapped them to .045 as I had before and it was back to almost normal again....I eventually went to up to .060 leaving them there.

Based upon the tests I performed, the MSD with MSD wires and proper gapping of plugs and my mods = bang for my buck.

As with any mod, it pays to do your home work first folks !


Update: Switched back to the GP intercooler from the ALTA DFIC. The added pressure created a skip on one of the cylinders during WOT runs. Increased pressure requiring smaller gap. Dropped gap to .045, and was not impressed with the performance loss, brought it up to .055 and that did the trick.

 

You might have said it but what plugs are you using with the setup? I am currently using the Brisk Racing plugs gaped at 0.027 that what factory and ALTA said is the correct gap. Did you have any issues with the MSD coil pack like all these other people?