Keeping an ’04 Cobra running cool on the jam packed southern California freeways is challenging, but Canton makes it easier with their Battery Box/Supercharger Surge Tank. With the tank in place of the battery, we then relocate it to the trunk with help from Optima, Steeda, and Accel.
Ignition, Electronics, & EFI
To learn more about FAST’s brand new XFI 2.0, we’ve sat down with a number of tuning experts to dive into the host of new features housed inside the rugged new XFI 2.0 unit and within the combined C-Com tuning and diagnostic software.
SCT has revolutionized the market with the introduction of their new SCT iTSX tuner. It works with iPhones, iPads, and iPods and has a bunch of new features that include tuning, performance calculators, data logging, and trouble code detection! Plus custom tune loading gets easier.
When it comes to building an engine that makes gobs of horsepower, you need a spark hot enough to correctly burn that additional fuel and air in the combustion chamber. For this tech feature, we are going to be installing a full Crane ignition system into our 666 Mustang Project car.
The latest product from Innovate is their MTX-L all in one gauge, which only needs power, ground and a signal from the supplied wideband sensor. We install their newest, easy to use wide band sensor on our Fox body Mustang Project 666.
Monitoring your engine’s air/fuel ratio (AFR) is one of the most important sensors from a tuning and safety stand point. AEM has launched their new X-WIFI wireless gauge technology that allows you to stream EGT and air/fuel sensor outputs directly from your phone!
MSD unveils a new easy to program, high performance ignition system called the Power Grid. The Power Grid system is design for easy install, programming and use. Learn more about Power Grid right here.
Project Grandma: Relocating the Shocks, Racepak Data Logger and More
by Lauren Hargrove
on August 2, 2011
Dragzine’s Project Grandma undergoes surgery to relocate her shocks to a “new original” location and gets a heart monitor (a Racepak V300 SD Module and Digital Dash). But plans are a little shaky on what we are doing for the engine combination…
Our friends at SCT Performance recently released a video on flash tuning basics. This isn’t a video that goes into deep theory on the functionality of flash tuning, rather than about the bare fundamentals of how it works. Inside, we will give you a brief overview and then you can watch the video for more.
MSD recently released an all-new 2-step module designed specifically for the 2011 Mustang. It is super easy to install and allows you to select the launch RPM you want for consistent passes at the track. Check out our install article and video inside!
OPTIMA Batteries are easily-recognizable high-performance batteries, with red, yellow, or blue tops and a “six pack” of 2-volt cells. What’s the difference, and why would somebody want any particular size, capacity, or charge/discharge characteristics of one over another?
In this tech article highlighting the new Digital 6AL ignition box from MSD, we take a look at the some of its impressive new features and power specifications that will benefit our turbocharged Fox body, while comparing it alongside it’s electronic predecessors.
How To Build Custom Plug Wires With MSD’s Universal Plug Wire Kit
by Bobby Kimbrough
on January 10, 2011
Custom spark plug wires can highlight an otherwise bland engine bay, making an ordinary engine look extraordinary, even in stock vehicles. you can save some bucks and get the look and efficiency of a custom set of wires by doing it yourself – and we’re going to show you how with MSD’s Universal Plug Wire Kit.
Over the past 50 years, the venerable Holley carburetor hasn’t changed much. It’s simple design and near infinite adjust-ability have long made it a favorite among enthusiasts. While EFI tuners routinely use this new technology with great success, surprisingly few carb owners have warmed up to the idea yet.
A relatively simple yet highly important component of any vehicle that has benefited from modern technology is the shift light. While digital shift lights have been around for some time, the folks at MSD Ignition have delivered with a truly remarkable piece that is universal and compatible with any vehicle.
Converted from Carburetor – Chad Henderson Goes Holley Dominator EFI
by Mark Gearhart
on December 1, 2010
Converting a carbureted guy to fuel injection is like converting a Chevy guy to a Ford. One of those who has made the recent switch to fuel injection is Chad Henderson and his EZ Street Grand National. We talk with Chad and tuner Monte Smith about some of the highlights behind Holley’s new EFI systems.
A Load-O-Matic distributor is old technology and provided one of the first versions of a vacuum advance distributor. While this was the hot ticket when it was new, it has since been deemed archaic and troublesome. Upgrading to a DUI HEI-type distributor was going to be a simple solution to our ignition woes.
The words “EFI Conversion” to classic, carbureted muscle car owners might as well be spoken in a foreign language – most don’t understand how you do it or think it’s too much work. On the other hand, they might suffer from carburetor problems, including bad gas mileage, and do nothing about it. What if there was an easy solution that allowed you to convert your classic muscle car over to fuel injection in a weekend and never have to worry about tuning it…ever? Well there is an answer, and it’s called the FAST EZ EFI. We installed one on a ’68 Camaro to answer the question – is this idea of self-tuning really possible?
FAST’s EZ EFI system is an extremely versatile system for virtually for anyone that is looking to switch from traditional carburetor, or even as a controller for currently fuel injected cars. All you need to do is answer a few basic questions and the EZ EFI does the rest. No more laptop or expensive tuning sessions are required – everything you need is right there inside, waiting to learn.
The TCI Permanent Magnet Starter turns over the high performance LS3 engine in our Nova with ease time after time. With applications for both LS-style and traditional mouse motors, there’s no excuse for owning a small block Chevy of any vintage that goes “RRRRRrrrrrRRRRRrrrrr” instead of “Vroom!”
One of the most important aspects for a properly operating engine is the air/fuel ratio. An air/fuel ratio that is too rich will waste horsepower, and one that is too lean will cause certain destruction to your engine. One of those critical gauges, the wide band air/fuel ratio gauge, has up until recently been an expensive one. Thankfully, however, FAST has released a budget wide band air/fuel ratio gauge that allows you to tune on the road without breaking the bank. We install and test one on our Project “Riced Rat Rod” 240sx.
You learn a little something new everyday. If I hang around long enough, I’ll be a genius. Today’s lesson; Ford 2G alternators and fires. Before you get the wrong idea, our stripper Mustang that we call “Project 666″ is fine. We didn’t burn it to ground or anything like that. We were having some battery [...]
Ignition systems can’t really make horsepower, but they can cost you power if you can’t get the air/fuel mixture to burn. High-flowing heads, fuel delivery, cams, pistons, and compression are the main cast members in this mechanized drama. An under-performing ignition system will drag down the entire show. MSD Ignition has built an entire industry around providing support to the other characters in the internal combustion epic, and the introduction of the MSD Ready to Run is sure to bring the HEI crowd to their feet. Read on for a full video and article on the MSD Ready to Run.
There’s a glut of air-fuel ratio meters on the market, and picking the right one for you and your car is not an easy task. FAST realized during development of its latest FAST Air/Fuel Meter that it could not build a tool that would work perfectly for every street and race car, but they could build a unique meter that would work great for a wide variety of enthusiasts. After seeing a FAST meter in a few carb’d street cars at our local track in Irwindale, California, we decided to ask around and see why it was so popular. This story is a result of that research.
Spark Plug Wires. Important, yet un-sexy. There’s not many technical articles about spark plug wires, and for years we’ve been relegated to finding whatever information that was out there in the form of advertisements from manufacturers or on the back of the spark plug wire box. We’re going to suppress the interference and get down to the truth about plug wires: whether you’re picking a set of wires for your daily driver, pimped out ghetto cruiser or balls-out race car, you’ll want to get the right info… and you’ve found the right place.
MSD’s Pro Data Software is one of the most popular ways you can control your MSD ignition for your race car or street car. However, learning how to use it DOES INVOLVE a learning curve. Whether it’s setting up basics functions such as a rev limiter, or learning how to use traction-aiding functions such as the slew-rate or rev limiter over time – it pays to listen to an expert.
