They just recently released these, and came with $20 summit bucks, so I picked one up. Internals look identical to the Accel +300 box, including the switch type rev limiter. Ive had the Accel box in my dodge for about a year now, no complaints with it, so we will see how this summit box works out. The wiring diagrams are also identical to the Accel box (which, if Im not mistaken, is much like the newer Mallory CD boxes). As far as price goes, if it works as well as the Accel box does, $160 is a hell of a deal. Ill keep you all posted.

 

Just read about these today myself. I didn't know about the summit bucks, may have to check that out.

 

I also paired this with the Accel Brute force HEI coil, Ive had mixed luck with their products in the past, but this looked to be more like a stock coil with more upgrades in the internals instead of that fancy dust cover/coil combo that takes up too much space and performs worse than the stocker. Ive had a summit coil before, it works well, but no different than the stock type that Ive noticed. Another good thing about this box though- its tiny compared to the MSD boxes! I was able to fit this one in a number of spots (behind the blower motor, underneath the brake booster, behind either battery) and the wiring is simple. Power, ground, two to the coil and one ground there, two from the distributor (remove the module and plug straight in wires to the mag pickup), switched power, and tach. Not a whole lot to this thing. But then again, I don't really consider MSD that difficult either. We'll see how it runs tomorrow.

 

Keep us posted, I have a burned out Jacobs and a dead MSD waiting to be replaced.

 

i belive this kit comes with the same box discussed here and ive asked a question about this kit in the alternative port intakes board and nobody responded. will this kit from summit work even though it says "This ignition system is designed for carbureted, non-computer controlled applications only."
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku
is there a way to make it work?

 

That all depends on if you run a "carbureted, non-computer controlled application" I would think. It would not work with computer controled ignition because you eliminate the module inside the dist. with this kit, and it sends a different tach signal I believe than your computer will use for engine management (this is true or false depending on the computer). Now as far as any carb engine, that kit is more or less what I have. I finished the install with the exception of minor wire insulation and tie downs today. The engine does indeed start faster and idle better when cold than it did previously, however I don't know how well it works driving, because my tranny blew (well the TC did) and I have to wait to put in a new one. The engine also has less of a tendancy to misfire between 500 and 2000 RPMs, which it did to a degree earlier due to a lean cruise mode. So far, I give it my approval.

 

FYI.....

The Summit ignition box is digital, not CD. It is better than a 6A or 6AL.

 

It is still a capacitive discharge box, regardless of it's circuitry. Analog and digital are the "controls" or guts used to create the discharge, but no matter what system is used, it's capacitive on the discharge side, therefore CD.

 

I'm going to install mine tomorrow, i'd like to see how it helps. I've heard good things about cdi boxes. The procomp I bought didn't work, hopefully this one does.

 

So you can or can't run this with TPI?

 

It is not designed for use with computer controled ignition, since it eliminates the module and all input to the coil, as well as connecting directly to your crank trigger or magnetic pick-up. In the instructions it says that it may adversely affect the fuel injection, but they still give wiring diagrams for the later model HEI external coil with the 5 and 7 pin module. Im assuming this means you cna hook it up, but you will need an additional adaptor to feed the tach signal to the ECU.

 

Wow, i'm a retard, I didn't know until now that I had to gut my distributor to install a CDI box. I threw out my procomp box, and it was probably fine. Also, I have an older auto gage tach, turns out they aren't compatible with any CDI boxes. Just my luck, I get shafted everytime I work on the car.
So over all is it worth it, no. I would've just been better off with a distributor that had a rev limiter in it. I pushed my stock hei with a stock coil to 7k with no problems more than a few times.

 

Well, with the 5 and 7 pin hei setups, you retain the module and connect them into the wires going to the coil. My guess would be that the box was good, but the wiring wasn't. I know for a fact that the analog boxes like MSD don't wire in exactly the same way, but they are similar. Its still a good upgrade, my truck has ran much better since putting the box in. Im expecting the same results with the camaro, already it starts faster and idles when cold with less throttle/choke. And the rev limiter is hard to beat, summit has an acess pannel for it that makes changing the rev limit so simple that you could do it before the valet figured out how to use a reverse pattern ratchet shifter (then again, some of them never do figure that one out...). Hope this helps,

 

It is nice, but now I have to buy a tach to make it work. I hooked up the stock tach just now, and it seems lazy. I never saw a tach work like that. I'm also going to buy a non a/c heater box to mount it there, unless anyone else has a good suggestion.
I do like how easy it is to change the rev limiter, I just tested the rev limiter out in my yard. It works
I had a four pin hei. I can't believe how stupid I am sometimes. I was wondering why it came with a grommet and two wire holders.

I think your talking about the shifters where you have to smack it down to shift into drive from neutral, I got stuck with that on a 442.
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I'd really like to not have to buy a non a/c box for 100 bucks. I was thinking about mounting it perpindicular to the battery as far towards the battery as I can, so it's away from header heat. Suggestions would be much appreciated.

 

Can someone who owns one of these boxes help me? I'm going crazy trying to figure out why I can't get my auto gage tach to work. Can someone measure the voltage at the tach output of their box so I know if my box is damaged. I'm getting battery voltage at idle. I was on the phone with summit yesterday and the person didn't answer my question about what voltage I should see coming out of the box. He was pretty sure that if my stock tach worked, that their was nothing wrong with the box. I bought an MSD 8920, because I was told that would correct my problem. The guys at MSD are pretty sure my box is damaged, because they said voltage should range from 1-5 volts (DC) at idle on the tach output. They were aware that it was a summit box, I went to their forum, because I thought the 8920 was bad.
I don't think i'll be buying from summit anymore, I asked the guy twice what voltage I should see coming out of it, and he ignored my question.
thanks

 

Ill double check today, but Im fairly certain it's a variable signal. 1-5 volts is a huge gap for any sensor at one specific reading (thats the entire volt range for O2's), so Im thinking that MSD didn't exactly understand what you were asking. Ill check mine today and get back to you, in the mean time, try the output with a different tach if you have one around. Since tachs require a power, ground and signal wire in most cases, Im inclined to think that the voltage from the signal wire should not be at battery voltage, but I could be wrong again.

 

how are summit brand products?
are they any good?

 

This is what he wrote at first.

"Before you start changing parts lets check the components you have. Unplug everything from the tach output and start the engine. Check the tach output on the box at idle and see if is reads 1-5 volts (DC Volts) on a digital meter. If it is in this range the tach output is ok. You then take the white of the adapter and reconnect it to the tach output. Disconnect the purple from the green of the tach start the car back up and check the voltage across the purple and red of the 8920. The red of the meter will go to the purple of the 8920 and the black of the meter probe the red of the 8920. Change the meter from DC to AC and start the engine again. The voltage should read 2-3 volts."

Thanks,

MSD tech4"

I might've misunderstood, but i'll see when I hear back from MSD. I was checking the voltage directly out of my ignition box. thanks


'86 firebird is the first summit product I bought, the only thing I was disappointed about was the fact that the tech ignored my question when I asked what voltage I should see out of the ignition box, but he probably didn't know. They make a lot of parts, i'd like to know if there quality is good also.