I
IgnitionMan
Guest
As most here know, I am in the ignition system business. That said, there is information I'd like to post on coils.
I used to recommend MSD Blaster II and III coils for my HEI conversions. They used to work well. These coils used to be manufactured at Andover Industries, Andover, Indiana, and were of superior quality. In early 2000, production of RED MSD Blaster II and III coils, p/n's 8202, 8203 and 8223, was moved from Andover to a company in Mexico, Pro-Bobbin.
When this happened, I started to experience HEI module failures for no apparent reason. Others did as well, and MSD box failures when the RED Blasters were used. It was so untraceable that the problem would only be found by changing the coil. The cause was the insulation materials between the wire windings was deteroratinf and falling away from the coils, causing a layer shorting of the coils, and change of resistance/load on the module/box and failure of same.
The 8200 chrome Blaster II coils remained at Andover, and had only the regular failure rates one would expect from a mass produced coil, functioned correctly. Sometime last year, production of the 8223 RED Blaster III coils with the HEI terminal,was returned to Andover.
When I finally figured it all out, I switched my recommendations on coils to Accel round Super-Stock, made at Andover. Good quality coils, problems stopped, up until about a month ago. IN the last month, numerous Accel coils, 8140 and 8140C, were coming up either new defective or had operating issues like missing, erratic idle, no performance. This was traced to a move in production in the Accel coils.
Accel was sold earlier this year, off the Dana Corporation, and the Accel coil production was moved form Andover to Taiwan. It was these Taiwan Accel coils that were having the issues. I have vended 19 Taiwan Accel coils in the last month, had 16 of them defective/develope problems with under 2 hours run time on them. No more Accel recommendations for me anymore.
To identify different Accel round Super Stock coils:
Andover Accels have segmented crimping at the top of the case to retain the top, with raised sections around the top.
Taiwan Accels have a clean full crimp around the whole circumfrence of the top of the case.
AVOID THE ACCEL TAIWAN COILS.
Coils and their origins:
MSD,
8200, and now, 8223 Blaster II, III series, Andover, good quality
8202, 8203 Blaster II series, Pro-bobbin, Mexico, avoid
Accel 8140/8140C, 8145/8145C, Taiwan, avoid
A good black coil with the same specs as the good Andover Accel is the NAPA IC12, same specs.
AVOID the lesser cost NAPA IC12SB, Mexico made, low quality
Crane PS20, PS40, Andover, quality
PerTronix, NO, Taiwan, reboxed with USA logo, avoid
Mallory round coils, no info
Jacobs coils, overpriced Taiwan, avoid
Hope this info stops someone from getting a problem coil.
I used to recommend MSD Blaster II and III coils for my HEI conversions. They used to work well. These coils used to be manufactured at Andover Industries, Andover, Indiana, and were of superior quality. In early 2000, production of RED MSD Blaster II and III coils, p/n's 8202, 8203 and 8223, was moved from Andover to a company in Mexico, Pro-Bobbin.
When this happened, I started to experience HEI module failures for no apparent reason. Others did as well, and MSD box failures when the RED Blasters were used. It was so untraceable that the problem would only be found by changing the coil. The cause was the insulation materials between the wire windings was deteroratinf and falling away from the coils, causing a layer shorting of the coils, and change of resistance/load on the module/box and failure of same.
The 8200 chrome Blaster II coils remained at Andover, and had only the regular failure rates one would expect from a mass produced coil, functioned correctly. Sometime last year, production of the 8223 RED Blaster III coils with the HEI terminal,was returned to Andover.
When I finally figured it all out, I switched my recommendations on coils to Accel round Super-Stock, made at Andover. Good quality coils, problems stopped, up until about a month ago. IN the last month, numerous Accel coils, 8140 and 8140C, were coming up either new defective or had operating issues like missing, erratic idle, no performance. This was traced to a move in production in the Accel coils.
Accel was sold earlier this year, off the Dana Corporation, and the Accel coil production was moved form Andover to Taiwan. It was these Taiwan Accel coils that were having the issues. I have vended 19 Taiwan Accel coils in the last month, had 16 of them defective/develope problems with under 2 hours run time on them. No more Accel recommendations for me anymore.
To identify different Accel round Super Stock coils:
Andover Accels have segmented crimping at the top of the case to retain the top, with raised sections around the top.
Taiwan Accels have a clean full crimp around the whole circumfrence of the top of the case.
AVOID THE ACCEL TAIWAN COILS.
Coils and their origins:
MSD,
8200, and now, 8223 Blaster II, III series, Andover, good quality
8202, 8203 Blaster II series, Pro-bobbin, Mexico, avoid
Accel 8140/8140C, 8145/8145C, Taiwan, avoid
A good black coil with the same specs as the good Andover Accel is the NAPA IC12, same specs.
AVOID the lesser cost NAPA IC12SB, Mexico made, low quality
Crane PS20, PS40, Andover, quality
PerTronix, NO, Taiwan, reboxed with USA logo, avoid
Mallory round coils, no info
Jacobs coils, overpriced Taiwan, avoid
Hope this info stops someone from getting a problem coil.
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