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MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation #2992335
12/05/21 05:36 PM
12/05/21 05:36 PM
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St.Pete,Florida
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lancer493 Offline OP
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Lots of coils appear to be compatible with a 7al 2 unit but I am am looking for a good, known coil recommendation for race only application. May use up to 200hp nitrous but positively no more. Won't use nitrous if the car is light enough to make the index without it. 500", roller cam, 13 1/2 compression. No street at all. Finished building the trans, coming down the home stretch. I wanna drive this thing! Thanks, Bill

Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: lancer493] #2992393
12/05/21 09:18 PM
12/05/21 09:18 PM
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what fuel will you be using.? Birdtracker

Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: lancer493] #2992409
12/05/21 10:06 PM
12/05/21 10:06 PM
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I've used the old Mallory 28880 with good success, MSD ended up putting their part number and decal on it later.
The small rectangular red MSD coil for the race boxes works well also up
The new big heavy transformer type is supposed to work well also shruggy.
I have one but I haven't use it yet, waiting to use it with their grid on a non programmable digital 7 in the near future luck

Last edited by Cab_Burge; 12/05/21 10:06 PM.

Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: Cab_Burge] #2992410
12/05/21 10:07 PM
12/05/21 10:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Cab_Burge
I've used the old Mallory 28880 with good success, MSD ended up putting their part number and decal on it later.
The small rectangular red MSD for the race boxes works well also up
the new big heavy transformer type is supposed to work well also shruggy. I have one but I haven't use it yet, waiting to use it with their grid on a non programmable digital 7 in the near future luck



I would love to see a 28880 coil with an MSD sticker on it. I don’t think that ever happened.


Just because you think it won't make it true. Horsepower is KING. To dispute this is stupid. C. Alston
Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: madscientist] #2992411
12/05/21 10:15 PM
12/05/21 10:15 PM
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Originally Posted by madscientist
Originally Posted by Cab_Burge
I've used the old Mallory 28880 with good success, MSD ended up putting their part number and decal on it later.
The small rectangular red MSD for the race boxes works well also up
the new big heavy transformer type is supposed to work well also shruggy. I have one but I haven't use it yet, waiting to use it with their grid on a non programmable digital 7 in the near future luck



I would love to see a 28880 coil with an MSD sticker on it. I don’t think that ever happened.
work
I'll look in the shop in morning to see if I still have one or not up
If so I'll take a picture of it up grin


Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: Cab_Burge] #2992459
12/06/21 07:26 AM
12/06/21 07:26 AM
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St.Pete,Florida
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lancer493 Offline OP
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As far as fuel goes, I believe VP recommended C12 race gas @ 113 octane when I spoke with them, but to be sure I would have to dig thru my notes. MSD's preferred recommendations are #8201 pro power,which appears to be very high output short duration use, oil filled coil. Also, the 2 HVC square box style coils #8251 &#8261, one of these is made for longer duration use. My car is strictly a drag car with no street use. I am leaning towards using one of these 3 coils, just not sure which is best suited. It will be used with 7al2 ignition box. Thanks, Bill

Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: lancer493] #2992473
12/06/21 09:31 AM
12/06/21 09:31 AM
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Mine is 15-1. It has used the 8201 w/7AL2 for 9 years. It's never had any ignition or misfire issues. However no nitrous.
Doug

Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: dvw] #2992513
12/06/21 11:20 AM
12/06/21 11:20 AM
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lancer493 Offline OP
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Thanks Doug,that was the coil I was leaning towards as it has been around longer and obviously is a proven performer in non street applications. I personally don't expect a very small dose of nitrous to be a major problem for it. Most of the warnings on that coil seem to be about extended running time overheating it. As I said earlier it will not get nitrous at all if I am light enough to make the index without it. Thanks all for the info, greatly appreciated. Bill

Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: lancer493] #2992568
12/06/21 01:51 PM
12/06/21 01:51 PM
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Fulton County, PA
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First choice - 8261. Second choice - 8201

8251 is for longer duration/street use, but will work OK for drag racing. And may be recommended over the 8201, depending on who you talk to.


If the results don't match the theory, change the theory.
Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: madscientist] #2992576
12/06/21 02:04 PM
12/06/21 02:04 PM
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Originally Posted by madscientist
Originally Posted by Cab_Burge
I've used the old Mallory 28880 with good success, MSD ended up putting their part number and decal on it later.
The small rectangular red MSD for the race boxes works well also up
the new big heavy transformer type is supposed to work well also shruggy. I have one but I haven't use it yet, waiting to use it with their grid on a non programmable digital 7 in the near future luck



I would love to see a 28880 coil with an MSD sticker on it. I don’t think that ever happened.

Ask and you will see scope up
Sorry for not seeing the best picture before attaching them.
That Mallory made coil with the MSD decal was working when removed, it had leaked all the oil out of it on my race car mounted with the coil outlet wire pointed sideways instead of straight up, I hadn't noticed the writing on the decal saying to mount it with the coil wire pointed straight up realcrazy whiney
I called MSD and Mallory and they both told me that I could refill the oil by drilling a hole in the top and fill it back up and seaing it with expoxy, I haven't done that yet, and I won't tsk My luck is it would fail in the finals at a big race, HUH whiney work shruggy
The later little red coil quit working on a dyno test for around 15 minutes of running, we were using it on a Roots 10:71 blown gas 426 Street hemi type all aluminum street motor with a dual distributor drive with two MSD 7AL 3 boxes with twin MSD 8201 coils and dual spark plug Mopar aluminum heads.
I wish I had taken a picture or a video of that motor on the dyno at WOT. It turns out the motor made almost as much power firing one set of plugs (970 HP at 7000 RPM with 7.5 lbs. of boost whiney) as it did with both firing, not enough difference to see a measurable result confused
That testing was done a long time ago, around 1999 or 2000 hammer

SANY0209.JPGSANY0210.JPGSANY0208.JPG
Last edited by Cab_Burge; 12/06/21 02:22 PM.

Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: lancer493] #2992593
12/06/21 03:12 PM
12/06/21 03:12 PM
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I wouldn't put the MSD 8201 on my lawn mower. Look at the specs (800 mA peak current) now what is that going to fire. With the MSD 8261 (2 amps peak current) that's what you need in a high compression motor.
Seen too many 8201 coils on drag cars. A friend of mine ran that coil always gave him crap about then at a race started dropping cylinders changed spark plugs no help checked his spark plug wires high resistance let him use my old pair of wires they had 2000-4000 ohms less worked ok. He bought a new set at the track put them on started miss firing again and dropping cylinders put my old wires back on car ran fine again.
Told him to throw that crap coil away he put on the MSD 8261 works great now. This was on a 10.5 compression small block Mopar.
MSD 8201 Use with MSD 7 and 8 Series Ignitions ONLY - Short-Duration Applications, yea what the really mean is use only for warm ups then put on a real coil.

Last edited by JD Dart; 12/06/21 03:14 PM.

best so far 8.53 @ 158.59 MPH 60'1.240
Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: JD Dart] #2992609
12/06/21 04:29 PM
12/06/21 04:29 PM
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FWIW,
I have been running the MSD-8251 on my race car since 2019. The ignition box is the MSD-7AL-3.
I like this style coil. I ran the blue version with a Digital-6 ignition in my old race car for about 14 years when I sold the car.

The price has gone up 33% since I bought the 8251 in 2019 eek

MSD-8251_installed2.jpg

1993 Daytona, 5.50 at 130mph (1/8) 1.19 sixty ft (PG). Link to 572 B1 - Part 1
Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: JD Dart] #2992611
12/06/21 04:40 PM
12/06/21 04:40 PM
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Being drag racers we used what the MSD reps at the races suggested, the one that died was new back then and easier to mount than the Mallory types were.
I hadn't heard of or knew of the any other brand or part number that would work well with those drag race type #7 boxes back then shruggy
I have one of the 8201 coils hooked to a MSD7AL2 on my S/P E 85 car with 15.0 to1 comp. ratio, it has worked very well since 2013 when I got the car and put it together. I do carry a spare box and coil but haven't needed either one yet so far luck
I have tried swapping the box on the car but not the coil, maybe that will be done next year at the races on the same day back-to-back instead of running one for the day and swapping them over that night and testing it the next day work


Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: lancer493] #2992627
12/06/21 05:16 PM
12/06/21 05:16 PM
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NE Ohio
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MSD Ignition 8261 - MSD HVC-2 is the best for the 7AL - you can run the smaller coils but you would not be taking advantage of the full spark capability of the 7AL box

Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: Cab_Burge] #2992817
12/07/21 09:46 AM
12/07/21 09:46 AM
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Originally Posted by Cab_Burge
Originally Posted by madscientist
Originally Posted by Cab_Burge
I've used the old Mallory 28880 with good success, MSD ended up putting their part number and decal on it later.
The small rectangular red MSD for the race boxes works well also up
the new big heavy transformer type is supposed to work well also shruggy. I have one but I haven't use it yet, waiting to use it with their grid on a non programmable digital 7 in the near future luck



I would love to see a 28880 coil with an MSD sticker on it. I don’t think that ever happened.

Ask and you will see scope up
Sorry for not seeing the best picture before attaching them.
That Mallory made coil with the MSD decal was working when removed, it had leaked all the oil out of it on my race car mounted with the coil outlet wire pointed sideways instead of straight up, I hadn't noticed the writing on the decal saying to mount it with the coil wire pointed straight up realcrazy whiney
I called MSD and Mallory and they both told me that I could refill the oil by drilling a hole in the top and fill it back up and seaing it with expoxy, I haven't done that yet, and I won't tsk My luck is it would fail in the finals at a big race, HUH whiney work shruggy
The later little red coil quit working on a dyno test for around 15 minutes of running, we were using it on a Roots 10:71 blown gas 426 Street hemi type all aluminum street motor with a dual distributor drive with two MSD 7AL 3 boxes with twin MSD 8201 coils and dual spark plug Mopar aluminum heads.
I wish I had taken a picture or a video of that motor on the dyno at WOT. It turns out the motor made almost as much power firing one set of plugs (970 HP at 7000 RPM with 7.5 lbs. of boost whiney) as it did with both firing, not enough difference to see a measurable result confused
That testing was done a long time ago, around 1999 or 2000 hammer




Thanks Cab. I’ve never seen that before. Do you remember the year you bought that coil?


Just because you think it won't make it true. Horsepower is KING. To dispute this is stupid. C. Alston
Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: madscientist] #2992902
12/07/21 02:46 PM
12/07/21 02:46 PM
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Bend,OR USA
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I don't remember but it was before the 8201 coils came out, probably in the 1980s: confused:


Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: 440Jim] #2992912
12/07/21 03:05 PM
12/07/21 03:05 PM
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WA
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Originally Posted by 440Jim
FWIW,
I have been running the MSD-8251 on my race car since 2019. The ignition box is the MSD-7AL-3.
I like this style coil. I ran the blue version with a Digital-6 ignition in my old race car for about 14 years when I sold the car.

The price has gone up 33% since I bought the 8251 in 2019 eek



The 8251 is the same coil I use great coil. The newer 8261 is better, if my current coil would ever fail that's the one I would buy. up


best so far 8.53 @ 158.59 MPH 60'1.240
Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: JD Dart] #2993018
12/07/21 08:13 PM
12/07/21 08:13 PM
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St.Pete,Florida
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lancer493 Offline OP
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After reading posts here and elsewhere I've reconsidered and the 38261 coil is on the way from Summit. Some have had excellent performance with the#8201 coil even over a long period of time.Others have had poor luck with it. Can't find any negative feedback on the#8261 so it seems the logical choice. Thanks to all for the feedback. Bill

Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: lancer493] #2993247
12/08/21 03:00 PM
12/08/21 03:00 PM
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Posts: 16,923
NC
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I think you can't go wrong with the MSD 8261 in a drag race application.
Sometimes I wonder where manufacturers come up with mounting dimensions. confused
For example, 3.410" Could they just use 3.437 (3-7/16)? And 87mm =3.425"
And the other 3.356" Could they just use 3.375 (3-3/8)? And 85mm = 3.346"

MSD_8261_mount-dims.JPG

1993 Daytona, 5.50 at 130mph (1/8) 1.19 sixty ft (PG). Link to 572 B1 - Part 1
Re: MSD 7AL-2 coil recommendation [Re: lancer493] #2993260
12/08/21 03:59 PM
12/08/21 03:59 PM
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Oregon
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MSD 8261 is what we have used in the dyno cell for the last 20 years

DSC_8511 (Large).JPG
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