Jacobs Electronics Install on a Spider.

[ddouglas77]

This thread will be complete in 8 days from now. The Pro Street Kit will arrive Friday when I'll install just the coil, but in the meantime, figured I would do side by side comparison of the Pro Street and a MSD 7AL:
MSD 7AL-2: $559.40

Ignition Box Output: Capacitive discharge
Circuitry: Analog
Rev Limiter: Yes
Timing Retard: None
Data Acquisition: No
CD Voltage Output to Coil: 570 V
Current Draw: 1 amp per 1,000 rpm
Spark Output (millijoules): 160 Millijoules
Minimum Operating Voltage: 12 V
Maximum Operating Voltage: 18 V
Length (in): 8.250 in.
Height (in): 5.750 in.
Width (in): 3.750 in.
Ignition Box Color: Gold
Coil Included: No

Jacobs Electronics Pro Street: Cost $339

Circuitry: Digital
Rev Limiter: Yes
Ignition Box Output: Capacitive discharge
CD Voltage Output to Coil: 535 V
Minimum Operating Voltage: 7.5 V
Maximum Operating Voltage: 18 V
Current Draw: 11 amps at 10,000 rpm
Spark Output (millijoules): 145 Millijoules
Length (in): 8.500 in.
Height (in): 2.500 in.
Width (in): 4.500 in.
Ignition Box Color: Blue
Coil Included: Yes
Coil Style: E-core
Coil Internal Construction: Epoxy
Maximum Voltage: 60,000 V
Mounting Bracket Included: Yes
Coil Wire Included: Yes
Coil Shape: Square
Coil Color: Blue
Anti-Theft Switch: Yes (I got that as an option)
Micro Throttle Activated Switch: Yes (I got that as an option)
"The Pro Street uses a high speed digital
processor to control multi-sparking and capacitive discharge
output. An adjustable rev limiter set by rotary dials is
included. An optional full throttle switch can be connected
that significantly boosts the Pro Street's output when you
need it most!"

My oppinion is that $ for $ Jacobs Electronics Pro Street is the best ($ to $) ignition system around!

[spider21]

I've got msd on 75 spider, but it isn't the 7al-2, I'd like to see where this thread goes with the jacobs system.

[ddouglas77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spider21 I'd like to see where this thread goes with the jacobs system.

[John M]

Don't have any reason to think the MSD or the Jacobs to be superior than the other. The Crane is also digital.

In regards to the pricing...I have not researched what the 7AL-2 would provide over the 6AL. Pricewise the 6AL is actually cheaper to setup than the Jacobs. There are modules that you can add onto the MSDs for launch control studder boxes, or in cabin retard/advance control, etc. But they cost extra above the main unit. A MSD 6AL with blaster coil can be had for under $300 if you shop around.

It will be interesting to hear what you think of the Jacobs. I personally always thought that the Crane was a little better than the MSD performance wise...seat of the pants. But after having the Crane fail on me....I went with MSD and it has been durable and without issues. My perceived difference may have only existed in my mind....but if it was real then perhaps the digital vs analog. And to further propagate speculation, I've always wondered if the under hood heat adversely effected the modern digital circuitry of the Crane while not being a problem for the MSD analog circuitry in regards to my Crane failure.

Best Regards,
John M

[ddouglas77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by John M Don't have any reason to think the MSD or the Jacobs to be superior than the other. The Crane is also digital. In regards to the pricing...I have not researched what the 7AL-2 would provide over the 6AL. Pricewise the 6AL is actually cheaper to setup than the Jacobs. There are modules that you can add onto the MSDs for launch control studder boxes, or in cabin retard/advance control, etc. But they cost extra above the main unit. A MSD 6AL with blaster coil can be had for under $300 if you shop around. It will be interesting to hear what you think of the Jacobs. I personally always thought that the Crane was a little better than the MSD performance wise...seat of the pants. But after having the Crane fail on me....I went with MSD and it has been durable and without issues. My perceived difference may have only existed in my mind....but if it was real then perhaps the digital vs analog. Best Regards, John M

[msiert]

I have to say that I wasn't to impressed with MSD. I had a MSD Dis-4 in my car and the dang thing fried after 4 months of use. After surfing the MSD Tech Forms I found that I wasn't the only one who had this problem either.

The MSD tech recommended that the box should not be placed in an enclosed area that it needs air flowing over it.

Have you ever watch Nascar? Ever wonder why they have 2 MSD igniton control box's on the dash.................so if one fails they can easly switch over to the other one.

I think that one needs to consider the placement of whatever ignition control box they get. There is quite a few race heads that say the engine bay is too hot for the ignition control box and they should be placed inside the car.

I didn't buy another MSD I went to an Autronic 500R CID instead. I'm running a direct fire ignition (one coil per cylinder) so that limited my choices for a replacement ignition. I feel I have the best ignition system for my set up with the Autronic 500R CID.

I also built a cool tunnel for it to keep it cool.

Here are the spec's for the Autronic 500R CID for comparison.

http://www.autronic.com/page_files/direct_fire_cdi.htm

[ddouglas77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by msiert I have to say that I wasn't to impressed with MSD. I had a MSD Dis-4 in my car and the dang thing fried after 4 months of use. After surfing the MSD Tech Forms I found that I wasn't the only one who had this problem either. The MSD tech recommended that the box should not be placed in an enclosed area that it needs air flowing over it. Have you ever watch Nascar? Ever wonder why they have 2 igniton control box's on the dash.................so when if one fails they can easly switch over to the other one. I think that one needs to consider the placement of what ever ignition control box they get. There is quite a few race heads that say the engine bay is too hot for the ignition control box and they should be placed inside the car. I didn't another MSD I went to an Autronic 500R CID. I'm running a direct fire ignition (one coil per cylinder) so that limited my choices for a replacement ignition.

[msiert]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddouglas77 MSD also makes the switch to automatically switch between the bad and good box, wonder why...Thank you for the input Murray, much appreciated in keeping this thread intelligent!

[ddouglas77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by msiert JohnM is the intelligent one, I'm just blazing fast.

[msiert]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddouglas77 I love your sense of humor Murray-blazing fast-how fast??? J/K. John M is definetly an intelligent one as well for bringing up good facts on both.

[ddouglas77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by msiert the black Spiders are the fastest ones.

[Zunige]

Alright, before David and Murray praise John too much, and it goes to his head , let's see if we can get back on topic!

I can't really comment on the MSD, but I did have a Jacobs unit in my '84 Bosch L-Jetronic Spider for 5 years. I was extremely impressed by the unit. I installed in NJ and drove to the Columbus convention, and then to Middletown. After a week of driving around town, I decided that it was time to re-gap the plugs and try a slightly different setting, as recommended by Jacobs. I had originally gapped the plugs at 0.055, but when I checked them, only one was at that setting. The other three were at 0.050, 0.035 and 0.030, but the car was running better than ever! (I was running one oversize cam back then, although it didn't have the lift of the ones that I use today.) So I find that their claim that they monitor each cylinder, etc. has to be true.

I tried different settings, but anything between 0.050 and 0.055 worked best. The L-Jetronics have a lag between the time that one presses the accelerator and the car actually responds. The Jacobs improved the response dramatically. Furthermore, the gas mileage went up by an additional 2 mpg, minimum. The car ran really well with the Jacobs, certainly much better than stock. What was also nice was that it just took a simple bypass of the Jacobs unit to return the set-up to stock. Then, in case of any emergency, and to avoid the issue of indexing the plugs, and having to re-gap dramatically, if the Jacobs unit was bypassed, I just went with Lodge plugs. Jacobs recommends using the simplest of all the plugs, and not something like the Lodges, but it handled them beautifully. Every time I checked them, they looked great.

The only bad thing about the Jacobs was that it failed a couple of months after the 5-year warranty had expired. In the end, I decided not to replace it due to cost (it was ~ $500 back in 2001/2002) and the fact that I would loose points at a concours for having a non-original unit under the hood. Just to clarify, the Jacobs doesn't require that one remove any of the Spider components; it just sits on top of them. I don't know if that has changed now, as I haven't kept up with the current version.

A final note, I didn't vote on the poll, since having no experience with the other products, I don't have a basis for comparison. Nonetheless, I don't see how anyone can go wrong with Jacobs.

Best regards,