Super Jet MSD VS Stock CDI

[jjk8]

I know this has been asked a few times. I recently lost spark and it was determined that my MSD was junk. It was installed on my ski prior to me buying it. The ski has ran awesome and I'm satisfied with the power for now. I've heard different things from different people. Some have said the MSD vs stock isn't noticeable and that the MSD has reliability issues. My question at this point is, should I pony up and get a direct replacement or is the stocker the way to go? I'd like to get back on the water soon Thanks!! 96 RN B-Pipe and a few other mods.....

 

[Mdavies_02]

When did you install the MSD? Was it new then?

 

[jjk8]

Sorry, error on my part... It was installed prior to me purchasing the ski. It ran all last season flawlessly....

When did you install the MSD? Was it new then?

 

[tac]

Yeah i have hurd of msd issues before. Not to common but does happen. My opinion is that your searching for more rev limiter thats why ppl change the cdi in the first place. So buy a reliable stock one and have someone like pro tech mod it so the rev limiter is higher. Problem solved at 1/2 cost or even 1/4 cost of msd. Thats just me tho. Ppl like msd just how they like aftermarket throttles and flame arresters you dont gain much but since you do gain a tiny bit why not change it right? Lol

 

[jjk8]

I think the MSD advances the timing as well. ProTec might be worth looking into, hopefully the turnaround isn't too long... THX

Yeah i have hurd of msd issues before. Not to common but does happen. My opinion is that your searching for more rev limiter thats why ppl change the cdi in the first place. So buy a reliable stock one and have someone like pro tech mod it so the rev limiter is higher. Problem solved at 1/2 cost or even 1/4 cost of msd. Thats just me tho. Ppl like msd just how they like aftermarket throttles and flame arresters you dont gain much but since you do gain a tiny bit why not change it right? Lol

 

[Big Kahuna]

better timing curve. more advance.

Yes, some go out. I still have a working unit from 99 that I replaced thinking it was bad and it was still good, never swapped it back. If your electrical box is dry there is a better chance of it lasting longer. I have never had that luck, I have had to cut back the wires and add new ends over the years to both units, but both still work. Have friends who only got 2 years out of them.

 

[jjk8]

Have you been able to compare between the two? Is the gain worth the bucks or is it very subtle?

better timing curve. more advance.

Yes, some go out. I still have a working unit from 99 that I replaced thinking it was bad and it was still good, never swapped it back. If your electrical box is dry there is a better chance of it lasting longer. I have never had that luck, I have had to cut back the wires and add new ends over the years to both units, but both still work. Have friends who only got 2 years out of them.

 

[smoofers]

I was troubleshooting what I thought was an electrical problem last year. I swapped back to a stock cdi from my MSD and the ski felt like a pig. I put the MSD back in and the ski felt like i remembered. In my opinion, the difference is very noticeable.

 

[tac]

Thats the timing curve your feeling. Msd advancement .

Lol blowsion adapter for 700$ your crackin me up ^

 

[MADMAT]

I love MSD enhancers and can notice the diff for sure..... in my style of riding.

I HATE rev limiters and the 4 degrees timing is nice for sure.

I have had 1 go bad in all my years of riding and it was before I knew not to crank my ski (when working on it for whatever of hundreds of friggin reasons ) without plugs in the caps. My current one is strong as hell after 5 or 6 seasons and I have a brand new back up on the shelf.

 

[JHD]

Sorry for the hijack but why do plugs need to be in the caps when cranking? And does this apply for plugs both in and out of the head?

 

[MADMAT]

From what I understand (and fully believe because of what I have seen laptop and PC caps do over the last 20 years!!) when you crank the ski with no plugs in the energy then has no where to go..... so the capacitors in the CDI (capacitor discharge ignition) swell and then explode.

Ever since hearing this I have never cranked my ski without plugs in the caps and all has been well.

 

[EfX]

Always have plugs in the caps when cranking. I make sure they are touching the head, or ground. Just like MadMat said. I've been using same msd since '97 in the FX-1, and right now its in the SJ and still going strong. Keep it dry. Very noticable diff over stock to me. Ski seems to start a lot easier too.

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2

 

[stefan]

I have hade a MSD enhancer die too i whent ATP TL a never looked back if you wante a charging system then the new epic lookes good

 

[Watty]

Personally, I think the MSD is a cleaner running/revving ignition. Yeah the timing curve is advanced a little, and it has a slightly different curve, but for the money I don't think it's a huge improvement over a stock CDI. For the most part, as mentioned above, even removing the limiter from your stock CDI will add some performance in certain conditions.

I see a lot of guys saying that when they swap back to the oem ignition, the engine loses performance. If it's been tuned correctly for the MSD, then yes, you will most likely see a drop in performance. The same is true when swapping from an OEM to MSD when the carbs are dialled for the OEM. The same goes with timing curves, compression etc. Sometimes it's not a simple plug and play if you are chasing the best performance.

There's nothing wrong with the Enhancer, and for the most part it works well. In saying that we have a lot of guys running the ATP Flame total loss now due to the similar cost of an Enhancer and lightened flywheel. The ATP Epic HX3 is also a great option, and is what I currently run.