Going to replace my Ignition module. I would usually go with Delco, but it seems Delco is nothing but Chinese crap now.

Of these brands, which one would you say is the best?

Wells
Borg Warner
Delphi (I know basically Delco)
SMP (Standard Motor Products)
Echlin (NAPA)

Of course there is the possibility that they are all made in the same chinese plant, and the name slapped on them is dependent on which day of the week they are made...

 

I've had decent luck with Delco ones. Cant say anything against the other brands though as I've never tried them.

 

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very interesting... thanks

My old one isn't even bad. but I was going to pull the Dizzy to change the o ring, so I thought it would be a good idea to put a fresh one in..the car has over 200K on it

 

Just bought a MSD Distributor and I am going to put the Thermal Compound under the ICM before I even install it this weekend. It is worth it for re-assurance that there will never be a problem.

 

I have never used heatsink compound with ICMs and never had one go bad.

I've gone so far as to mount an ICM to my inner fender with a drywall screw, no heats inking, hanging off the inner fender well, kinda to see what I could get away with. It worked flawlessly.

Heat is not usually the issue, unless it's physically on fire. The killer of ICMs is unregulated or poor voltage supply.

 

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Still would like some input on which brand to buy... if it makes a difference

 

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that's the strange thing... there's a Delphi version, and a Delco version. Same thing? Delphi is cheaper.

I have no idea.

 

Init4fun; I'm very versed in electronics, I've been playing with them for years and am currently in school for electronics engineering, I understand what the ICM is "essentially".

However, in my experience and research it has become clear to me that it is not heat that kills these ICM, but an unstable or noisy voltage source.

Many people have tried moving the ICM to a remote location and using heatsinks with varying success, many still have issues with frequent ICM failure. So if the problem was heat, the large heat sink being away from a source of heat should solve tht issue, no? It rarely does. In the cases where the problem seems solved I would suspect that it was actually improved grounding or bypassed a source of poor positive voltage supply in the process.

Most of the time the solution is proper grounding between block, battery, ECM, dizzy and alternator, along with good connections (lack of corrosion) in the positive signal path which has to travel through a fair amount of wire between the alternator/battery (source) and the ICM. A little bit of corrosion on a connection or carbon build up in the ignition switch can cause positive voltage supply issues that ARE A real source of problems where the ICM, and electronics in general are concerned.

The ICM is able to work in high temperature conditions, but voltage supply is a greater issue.

Another part of this to consider is that if the voltage supply is low or unstable, the current needed to drive the coil will be higher, that will cause more heat in the output transistor. Adding a heat sink to this situation is a band aid at best, and will still fail, you're just delaying it. It is best to ensure that everything else, voltage supply wise is proper, clean and working as it should, your electronics will thank you for it.

Consider the conditions that the ICM was designed to work in. It was designed to work in the hottest spot in the engine bay, without being physically inside the engine block. Since many ICMs last for many thousands of miles in these conditions without heat sink grease from the factory, it would seem to me that the heat is not an issue, but something else is.

 

Skip the Delphi stuff, they are no longer owned by GM. Use AC Delco ICMs. Or, hit a u-pull-it yard and search for vehicles that either have low miles or a not-so-old distributor in it. Look for GM ICMs.

If looking at V8 engines, skip any module with 048 on it. The ones marked 369 are good modules to use.

RBob.

 

ordered the Delco. It was the most expensive one, hopefully it will be worth it

 

I have had two failures in 350,000 miles. I don't remember the last brand I put in but was either Delco or Delphi.. DO PUT the heatsink compound under it. All of my failures were heat related. I am an electrical engineer and have dealt with heat related electronic components more than once and heat will kill them over time... The heatsink compound conducts the heat away and into the dizzy plate.. Think of the compound like your thermostat.. What happens to the engine if you don't remove all that heat... My three failures would go away once it cooled down and come back after it heated up.. But, when they finally fail, they are dead...

Humorous story... I was climbing over a mountain pass and as the car heated up, it started cutting out.. Would stop and let it cool, then could go on.. Over the top of the pass it quit and wouldn't seem to cool.. Carrying tools, I pulled the icm out of the dizzy and put it in a stream from snow runoff.. That cooled it down so I could go on.. Got another 5 miles and it quit for good... No phone including no cell phone.. Coasted about 10 more miles off the mountain pass to get to a phone.. Manual trans fortunately...

 

Have had an issue with bwd ( borg warner) advance said it had a lifetime warranty. But said only one replacement is allowed. I told them that's NOT lifetime. Threatened to sue them, got another one.
The probe I now have...the new dizzy cap screw ( of course the one near the firewall) broke just finger tightening. Now I only have one screw holding cap on. Don't have tools to remove the broken screw.

 

Got the new ignition module in. The old one was a cheap piece of junk that said "made in hong kong" on it. Glad I got a delco in there (even though it probably wasn't made in the US either)