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 This is the MSD Crank Trigger kit for the SBF. Everything you need in one package. |
Next up I decided to install the MSD Ignition “crank trigger” wheel and pickup assembly (#8640) made specifically for SBF. The purpose of using a crank trigger is to eliminate any possible movement of the timing due to timing chain stretch, distributor component movement, etc. With a crank trigger, the only purpose of the distributor is to distribute the spark from the rotor to the cap electrodes. The amount of timing advance is adjusted by moving the pickup up or down on its bracket and then you bolt it down tight. Once set, the timing is rock solid and will not be affected by timing chain stretch or any other variables. The timing pickup receives its signal from the 4 magnetic inserts that are spaced 90° apart in the aluminum wheel that bolts to the dampener. Every time a magnet passes the pickup it sends a signal to the MSD control unit (7AL2 in my case) and it fires the coil, which sends a spark to the rotor, which then arcs across to the next available cap electrode and so on.
The initial “phasing” of the distributor is done by setting the Rattler at the desired amount of total timing with the pointer, 35 degrees BTC is a good place to start, then line up a magnet in the trigger wheel with the pickup by mounting the wheel with one of the available bolt patterns to the dampener, adjust the pickup to be dead nuts centered on the magnet with your “calibrated eyeball” and tighten it down. You want the pickup to have some adjustability in both directions to allow timing changes. Then you install the distributor by “eye-balling” the rotor to be lined up with the no.1 terminal on the cap and lock it down. This is how things are supposed to work, but, unfortunately, I had some unintended work ahead of me.
 This is the TCI adaptor hub. The holes circled in black are the new mounts I made for positioning the MSD trigger wheel. |
The TCI Rattler uses an aluminum adaptor hub that bolts onto the flat face of the absorber and gives the correct amount of offset for installing the normal 4-bolt pulley system. If I were just bolting on a pulley I would not have had any issues, but unfortunately for me it wasn’t that simple. I know, big surprise! You see, the MSD trigger wheel bolts into the same 4-bolt pulley pattern and it fit just fine.
But, when TCI laid out the hole pattern for the pulleys they obviously did not consider that if someone were to install a crank trigger wheel that the holes would need to be positioned in such a way that the user can find a pattern that allows them to line up the pickup in the previously explained procedure. The way the holes were indexed I could not come even close to being able to line up the magnetic pickup and have less than about 45 degrees of timing and no adjustment for any less.
So, after a few choice words I went to work. I figured out where I needed the holes to be and drilled, tapped, and heli-coiled them into their new positions. Now I have the adjustment I need.
This is not where this story ends, however, and I think it may interest the readers to know that in this world of big businesses that honestly don’t really seem to care about what us “little guys” think or want our input, TCI is breaking the mold. You see, I emailed my connection at TCI about this issue and explained to him what the problem was and how little ol’ me would fix it and guess what? He responded by saying that he would put the engineers on it immediately and have them implement the changes! Not just because I’m a “magazine guy” either. He asked that I write about this because TCI wants the readers to know that at TCI they listen to the customer. How is that for listening to your customers?! He also has told me that TCI is doing some more development work to bring new parts to the market for Ford applications. As a Ford man that makes me happy! As a future article will demonstrate, TCI already has many more transmission parts available for Ford than I had thought. I also had to make some spacers for the TCI pointer to use it with the MSD trigger wheel and TCI will be working on that also.
END PART 1. (Part 2 coming soon, stay clicked!)
SOURCES
Comp Cams |
TCI Automotive |
Moroso |
MSD Ignition |
Ferrea Racing Components |