Changing to electronic ignition • The Dodge Challenger Message Board

by **coggers24** » 19 Feb 2006 7:27

May have been covered previously......When changing from standard points ignition to old-school chrysler 1970's electronic ignition, will the tach still work ? Do you have to alter the tach set-up for the 'new' electronic ignition?

Cheers

Piers

by **dave-r** » 19 Feb 2006 10:09

The tach just hooks up to the coil -ve same as usual. Very straight forward upgrade. :thumbsup:

The chances that your factory tach actually read anywhere near right to start with are slim though. :wink:

by **coggers24** » 20 Feb 2006 2:21

Thanks Dave, the tach has not worked in the time that I have owned the car, so I might take this opportunity to pull it out and upgrade it with an RT-eng board (as discussed previously on this site).

Cheers

Piers :thumbsup:

by **rookie** » 08 Mar 2006 17:47

hi im thinking of changing from a mallory distribitur with points to mopar performance electronic conversion kit and wounder if a this will be well spent money? the engine is a hopped up 440!

i were on year ones pages and checked out the mp set and noticed it was a vacum advanced distibutor!! the one i have now is not!!
is this something to thik about?

or should i go for a msd kit? can i just change the distributor?

regards rookie

by **dave-r** » 08 Mar 2006 18:39

Let me start by saying this;

Any system at all is better than using ignition points.

The Mopar system works well and was stock equipment from around 1972 on.

The MSD capacitive discharge systems are better than the Mopar system but look less stock.

Read about setting up points type distributors here;
http://challenger.mpoli.fi/forum/viewto ... ?p=192#192

Read about MSD type ignitions here;
http://challenger.mpoli.fi/forum/viewto ... ?p=266#266

These were written a long time ago now. The MSD products are now much better than they were back then. In fact I will be fitting a MSD ignition myself (using the stock mopar electronic distributor) in the near future.
Mainly because I want two different level rpm limiters. One for the burnout and one for the strip.

by **Jon** » 09 Mar 2006 2:21

Oh come on Dave, those points are fun to adjust, file and sand flat, and of course replace all the time. (Don't forget the condenser.)

Your setup dave, must be for drag racing and it makes good sense.

I could use a rev limiter just for the missed shift's on my 4 speed. Any advice for that set up? It is a factory electronic converstion kit from the mid 80's?

Thanks,

Jon

by **fbernard** » 09 Mar 2006 18:39

Jon wrote:I could use a rev limiter just for the missed shift's on my 4 speed.

That's exactly the only thing it can't do. If you miss a shift, it's the wheels and transmission that will take the engine RPM way up, not the ignition (been there, done that on a dragstrip [1, 2, 3, 2, guess what I did wrong], blew up a valve, rebuilding the engine now).

But a rev limiter is a must anyway. Simply because a new pair of heads will cost 15 times as much as a very good ignition box , or 40 times as much as a basic rev limiter.

Dave, what ignition box are you going to use? I bought an MSD Digital 6 Plus box (for the 2 rev limiters also, and the retard stages).

by **dave-r** » 09 Mar 2006 19:12

Yeah you can't stop the rpms going up if you shift down a gear by accident.

I did 1st, 2nd, 2 + overdrive, 2nd......oh bugger!

I lost count of the number of people that told me a rpm limiter would have saved the engine. :roll:

BUT! What a rpm limiter will do for you 4-speed (or auto come to that) users is protect the engine if you accidently power shift to neutral at full throttle.

It also stops you over revving in the burnout and protects the engine from things like throttle return spring failier etc.

I was planning on buying the MSD Digital 6 Plus as it is the cheapest one with two rpm limiters.