MSD coil paks...do I need a tune?

**racingrev** · 09-02-2009, 08:30 PM

HEy all the 99 SS I bought already had MSD coild paks, wires and plugs on it. I seem to feel a bit of power surging when I have light throttle on the car. Is this something related to these bolt ons? It seems to pull fairly strong and steady when I put the hammer down, it's just at a light acceleration I feel the surge it seems.

Anyone with experience on this? Would a tune help the problem perhaps?

**c5z28** · 09-02-2009, 09:01 PM

If your throwing a code get a reader to see what exactly it is it might be something else. Wires and plugs don't require a tune as it's just maintnance as should the coil packs but if they were for another car then you have something.

**MNR-0** · 09-02-2009, 10:18 PM

Sounds like a part throttle tune-up is in order to me

As for the MSDs - they won't cause what you are describing. But I would make sure your dwell is dropped to around 2ms. These coils are very fragile and blow readily when subjected to factory part throttle dwell timing

**racingrev** · 09-03-2009, 07:22 AM

Wow you guys are speaking a different language to me...not sure what a dwell is. Also don't know how to determine whether or not I am throwing a code. I am fairly new to this Camaro thing...just bought car end of last summer so only drove a bit then parked it, and took it out again this season and noticed the surge...is a throttle tune something I can do??

**NoscamaroSS** · 09-03-2009, 09:08 AM

In other words, sell your MSD's and put a set of factory coil packs on, then smile with all the extra money you have. Your factory ones are better and more reliable than the msd's.

**99'CajunFirehawk157** · 09-03-2009, 09:14 AM

On a similar note; anyone here try the accel ls1 truck coils yet? I know the gm coils are good but the way we all go about tweaking our cars surely someone will get these sooner or later, LOL

**neo74** · 09-07-2009, 12:36 PM

The coil packs were made by Weastec Inc in Hillsboro Ohio until 2003. Mitsubishi in Maysville, KY ended up getting the contract from GM after Weastec failed to obtain the contract. The cheapest bid wins the contract. Weastec also was in charge of the Hemi coil when the new engines were coming back out. Weastec has the original patent and designed the coil. I was in maintenance and worked on the winders and the test equipment. We actually bolted the coils to the bracket after production and then leak tested the valve covers to ensure the seal was good against the head. These coils could easily produce 45,000 volts and were ran in shock chambers where they were exposed to months under salt spray tests, and thermal shock where the temps went from -20 F all the way up 200+ F to see how well they managed. You wont find a better coil. The wire used was the best coil winding wire in the world, the plastic in the bobbins and case were also domestic and all molded in the factory. The epoxy was the only thing imported and it was from Japan. Very expensive stuff, which is why the company eventually went to a black epoxy in order to try and do a cost down to keep the contract. It was just to good of a coil for GM and their need of cutting back cost.

**6.0LiterImportEater** · 09-10-2009, 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by neo74

The coil packs were made by Weastec Inc in Hillsboro Ohio until 2003. Mitsubishi in Maysville, KY ended up getting the contract from GM after Weastec failed to obtain the contract. The cheapest bid wins the contract. Weastec also was in charge of the Hemi coil when the new engines were coming back out. Weastec has the original patent and designed the coil. I was in maintenance and worked on the winders and the test equipment. We actually bolted the coils to the bracket after production and then leak tested the valve covers to ensure the seal was good against the head. These coils could easily produce 45,000 volts and were ran in shock chambers where they were exposed to months under salt spray tests, and thermal shock where the temps went from -20 F all the way up 200+ F to see how well they managed. You wont find a better coil. The wire used was the best coil winding wire in the world, the plastic in the bobbins and case were also domestic and all molded in the factory. The epoxy was the only thing imported and it was from Japan. Very expensive stuff, which is why the company eventually went to a black epoxy in order to try and do a cost down to keep the contract. It was just to good of a coil for GM and their need of cutting back cost.

Only to -20F?!?

GM design guidelines went to -40F for anything in the engine compartment years ago....think -20F was right in the 80's! All the HVAC products I developed for Delphi were -40F and so was all our testing haha.

Sorry for the thread jack!!!

**neo74** · 09-11-2009, 04:30 AM

You guys at Delphi never could deliver those harness's fast enough to us. I work at Denso now, and if you guys dont get your stuff right we may be taking some of your business......haha

**99'CajunFirehawk157** · 09-17-2009, 06:17 AM

Back to the OP: what he said was for you to take your car to a tuner and have them change the dwell to make your msd coils operate better. I would guesstimate the cost to do this would be $50-75 but YMMV.