I read somewhere that you can increase power by putting on a high output coil,like MSD,putting an adapter on top of the Distributor Cap and change some wires around.Has anybody done or hears of somebody doing? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" />

Howdy T2P. Nope! If your ride is running smoothly a new coil will NOT do anything to that ride. All a coil does is build up energy until enough is stored to make a spark across the plug. It takes the same energy from ANY coil to make that spark. So the brand or style of a coil does NOT matter.. You will get the same spark from all coils.
Now if you build an engine with high compression and much higher revs than our little guys normally work. Our normal coils may not be able to build up enough energy to make a spark at those high compression and revolutions.. So at that time another coil may be in order.
Here's the deal. As long as your engine is running normally the way you drive another coil will NOT do anything for you.
Big Jim <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

So right,if it's not broke-don't fix it.Thanks Big Jim.

From your profile, I'm guessing you are asking about the '79 CJ. You can upgrade the ignition for more reliability. The upgrade is called the "TFI" upgrade. Basically, with the 258 that has the Motorcraft ignition, you replace the cap, rotor, cap adapter, coil and wire set with parts from a later model Ford 300 straight six. (AMC V8's use parts from a late model Ford 351 or 460 V8.) The parts for the upgrade cost about the same as the stock parts, and are usually easier to find at a parts store. The upgrade allows you to run a wider gap on the spark plugs which may make a bit more power, or at least make it run more smoothly. The later style cap connections are more secure than the old original type that came on the early Duraspark ignition system.

Here's one excellent write up:

http://www.jeepz.com/forum/engine/16904-tfi-ignition-upgrade.html

And another excellent link:

http://www.geocities.com/cantwait_forviolence/cj_tfi.html

We could argue these points all day and into the night I guess.

However these mods are for engines that do higher rpm than our engines turn.

The reason to have a bigger diameter cap is to stop the spark from jumping to the last or next wire in the dist cap at high rpm.

If your engine isn't missing at the highest rpm you use there will be NO GAIN from putting foreign parts in the ignition system.

Sure these parts will work the same as the ones you have now at the rpm you use...but as for a possible GAIN?

All there will be is that famous LIGHTER POCKETBOOK!

There will be no fuel savings, no more horsepower, no smoother idle, in fact no more anything!.
Big JIm <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

The 300 straight six Ford is a low end torque engine, just like the 258. The reason, at least as I see it, that Ford speced out the better parts in basically the same year rigs is that the more powerful coil and wider gap can fire a leaner fuel mixture without misfiring, as compared with the old school cap, rotor and coil. The spark plug style terminals on the cap and coil seal much better against moisture, also. The 8mm silicone jacketed Ford wires generally last longer than the 7mm neoprene jacketed AMC/Jeep originals. At your local parts store, these parts cost about the same, or less, with generally better availability than the OEM style parts. I've changed out a few Jeeps, older Fords and AMC's to these parts with very good results.

Marty my point was and is... if you just put the same new parts in the Jeep as it came with there would be the same result as there is/was with changing to the ford parts.
I did my last jeep with the chevy HEI dist from a six cyl and it absloutely showed no gains.. I knew it wouldn't but I did the hei change just to prove to myself that it wouldn't. Yeah! It is different! But it ain't better. All you get is the same spark that lights the same fire.

Sure it is a doable swap. I guess guys could do it just to show their friends they did something.. But they have no gain.

As a side note: If I had a Jeep that still had a points dist. I'd for sure change something out to get away from the points.. but short of that I'd leave well enough alone.
Big JIm <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

I'd agree that comparing the new style parts to the older parts, given both sets are new, there is little difference, but the newer style parts will hold the tune longer and the larger plug gaps possible with the new TFI (Or HEI) coil will fire leaner, less ideal mixtures. I like the way that the newer wire style seals against moisture and the silicone jackets are less prone to breakdown from heat. I found that swapping to the new style wires, cap, cap adapter and rotor on 5.9l (360) Grand Wagoneers made a big difference in how long the parts lasted in the underhood heat. The old wires would usually be shot in 30k miles, the new sets would last twice that, if not more.

On my '68 AMX, (401) I'm running a stock Grand Wagoneer Motorcraft distributor, a MSD 6 ignition box, and the TFI style wires, cap, and rotor. It made a great improvement over the stock Delco points distributor.

As a side note, the V8 cap, cap adapter and rotor will fit many of the old Ford points distributors, too. Pertronics makes a neat electronic ignition module that fits inside the stock distributor in place of the points and connects with two wires to the coil for a neat and simple installation. A friend recently put a set on a '56 Ford 312 Y block.

Tinkerers, web nerds and gotta have it because someone on some web site some where said you need it geeks..watch out here is another.

It has been said that "money poorly spent is poorly spent, unless the spender is confronted with either admiting that they spent the money poorly and showed bad judgment or better...use perceived satisfaction and not only say their purchase was just, but in an effort to save face, state that is was a wonderful and great buy."

As Jim Said, an ignition system only uses what it needs to jump a plug gap, 8KV with a stock coil and 8KV with a $200 Coil. In many cases a OEM coil will outperform a hi zoot coil because the Hi perf coil was designed for hi voltage not endurance.

SD

So you're saying that the Motorcraft engineers who decided that the factory parts on Ford vehicles needed an upgrade before they let AMC get the parts are "Tinkerers" "Geeks" and/or "nerds" who didn't know what they were doing and only wanted to "Waste Money"? The factories didn't/don't spend a dime more than necessary for the car to last past warranty, so why would Ford use these parts if they didn't greatly improve the vehicle/s reliability, economy rating, and/or emissions????

8K volts is under ideal conditions, even old 6V point ignitions were able to fire that. What if your jeep is off camber and the carb is flooding? What if it's raining and you hit a large puddle? What about 30k down the road when the plug gaps have opened and the old Hypolon or Neoprene wires are deteriorated and it's damp out?

With these parts, most of them can be scrounged at the local pick-n-pull off early '80s to mid'90s Fords, except that I would recommend new plugs and wires, at least. If you need to change all of the parts during a tune-up anyway, it's very little extra expense.

If you don't want to do it, don't do it! Advise is free, and you are free to do with it as you see fit.