Hi all!
Awhile ago I was asking questions about MSD ignition components and such for my son's 1996 F150 w/4.9 L6. Well, just wanted to let you all know that this stuff really paid off. We have gone from less than 13 mpg to around 22-23 mpg! What did it take? MSD multi-spark ignition box, MSD super-conductor spark plugs, AutoLite double-platinum spark plugs, MSD Blaster coil, 3 O2 sensors, and we're still waiting for the K&N FIPK air filter.

We've gone from 12.8 mpg babying the truck (short shifting, easy driving, etc) to driving about any way you want and getting around 22+ mpg. Can't wait to get a chance to put the truck out on the highway and set the cruise and really quantify the actual "best" mileage.

Just thought someone else would like to know.

Randy

 

Sounds too good to be true, so does this MSD package work with the stock Computer? or is there is special chip or programmer? What gen computer in that truck,EECIV, or EECV? What about the O2 sensors...are they stock or something special? What plugs are in the truck now?.. 'cause you named two different brands of plugs here. Come on back

 

What other mods have you done to the engine/exhaust, besides the MSD ingnition?

 

I'll jump in on the curiosity wagon as well. I assume that you meant MSD super conductor wires? Obviously you have an OBD11 system with the pre and post cat O2 sniffers - why did you change out all three of them? How much did you have to pay for the Autolite double plat. plugs and do you think that they are making much of a difference on their own? What other mods have you done to the motor, if any?

Oh yeah, hurry up and make that highway run, I'd love to see what your mileage is capable of on an open road run.

Cheers!

Mike

 

The MSD MultiSpark ignition plugs directly into the existing ignition system... but rather than providing a single spark per combustion stroke, you get a near constant flame across the spark plug gap for the first 20 degrees of the crankshaft rotation, virtually guaranteeing that all of the fuel is burned.

The MSD Blaster coil steps up the voltage to the spark plugs from approx. 30,000 volts for a conventional coil to 45,000 volts. The MSD super conductor wires are supposed to get nearly all of that from the coil to the cap and from the cap to the plugs with no loss of current - they advertize 40-50 ohms of resistance per foot of cable. I can tell you that I put my meter on each wire and I only saw a measurable resistance on one cable, that being the one from the coil to the cap... and it was well under the 40-50 ohms. The wires from the cap to the plugs measured zero resistance on my meter - as if I were touching the leads directly to each other.

I bought the AutoLite spark plugs from Advanced Auto Parts - I think I paid around $3.00 each. They're guaranteed for 2 years. I figured that if this extra voltage and spark burned 'em up, I'd just get some new ones on AutoLite's tab.

Other than that, I have replaced the cap and rotor - should have gone ahead and bought an MSD cap and rotor, but I didn't think about it... so for now I just put in new stock AutoLite from my local Advanced Auto Parts. These will be the next things I buy - I think they run under $30 total, and should be geared for the higher voltage.

As for the O2 sensors... I replaced them because of a fouled O2 sensor triggering a "Check Engine" light. I replaced the one near the cat, which caused the check engine light to go off for about a day... then it came back on. I found two more on eBay for about what I paid for the first one, and since I couldn't tell which of the remaining two was bad, I replaced them both.

The exhaust is still stock, or so I believe - and the cat hasn't been touched. I'm planning on replacing the muffler with a FlowMaster SUper 40 in the near future... and I'm still waiting on the K&N FIPK air filter. No other modifications have been made to the truck.

MSD does in fact have an ignition chip you can buy for the F150 4.9 L6, but I have not made that investment.

The Discovery Channel has this new series called "Full Throttle", which is where I saw the MSD ignition stuff for the first time. They showed a demo of the stock v/s MSD ignition spark the other day. The stock was clearly visible and clearly an individual spark for each rotation. They put a piece of paper in the gap and you could see small black spots being burned onto the paper. Then they switched to the MSD system. In place of this spark was this brilliant flame in the the gap - no longer a single spark per rotation. They then put the same piece of paper in the gap and the paper immediately burst into flames and burned. It was impressive.

I know it sounds too good to be true... but at this point I can only tell you that the mileage I've reported is based on our testing - YMMV. I figure I've spent around $400 on the mods thus far and at this rate the gas savings will pay for itself in fairly short order.

Seeya...

Randy

 

What is the part Number for the MSD MultiSpark ignition that you got?

 

Coil - #8227 - paid $46.70 on eBay
Wiring harness - #???? - paid $14.99 on eBay
Wires - #31179 - paid $68.99 on eBay
MultiSpark box - #6A - paid 149.99 on eBay

Other parts purchased at Advanced Auto Parts

Randy

 

i spoke with msd a about a week ago, and the guy i talked to said they had no chip, rotor cap, nore plug wires for the 4.9l 6cyl. the guy i talked to must not of known what he was talking about..
so if you know the part numbers for those please post them

 

WOW! mileage went from 13 to 22! Thats incredible! That truck must have been in one serious need of a tuneup to nearly double the mpg's.

Wish I had someone I could borrow the MSD setup from to see what it would do in a 5.0 v8. I've read that its less than 10%.

Best wishes,
Popa Tim

 

^ I have a 6A and blaster TFI coil on my 5.0. I noticed that it idled and ran a little smoother, but my mileage is pretty much unchanged. I'm running ford motorsports wires and regular ol' NGK plugs. When I bought the truck, I was getting around 12 mpg. I bought new plugs, cap, rotor, wires, blaster coil, and was given a cat-back exhaust - all that got me up to about 14-15. I added the 6A later (picked one up for 40 bucks) and mileage is still around 14-15.

 

Thanks EPNCSU2006
the info is greatly appreciated!
Popa Tim

 

I have been to all the Hot Rod, and Performance places here and they all say that they don't have any MSD stuff for a Ford 6. Like to know how you new it would work? And how you got it to work on a 300 4.9l.

 

An MSD 6 series ignition will work on most everything, except maybe odd fire V6's (which the 300 isn't). The TFI coil is the same, and the 6A box plugs into that. You might have to get some cut to length ignition wires, but the box and coil should work fine.

 

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All,
I didn't know for sure if any of this stuff would actually work, but I contacted MSD directly and just started asking questions. I reviewed all of the parts with a tech support guy online and he filled in the blanks on a few other things. Then I researched the plugs - touched base with just about all of 'em online and finally came to the conclusion that I'd go with AutoLite. BTW, all of the MSD part numbers I used that I have are above. Nearly all of it is readily available on eBay, which will save you a modest amount of $$$.

Keep in mind that the MSD makes two different types of road ignition boxes. One is single spark, the other is multispark (or at least that's what I understand). The box I have is multispark, which I think makes the biggest difference. You can feel it in the accelerator; it is very, very noticeable.

Randy