msd/billet distributor

[Vortec 5.7]

what are you thoughts of a billet distributor on a 5.7 vortec?
do they really help with throttle response/help make power?

[Vortec 5.7]

anyone?

[96ImpSS]

No, it will not help performance at all; just bling.
And I'd be surprised if it's as durable as the stock distributor. Mine is at 377k with one cap and rotor replacement; never a hiccup out of it.

[ryan_thompson87]

x2 I'm extremely wary of MSD stuff after their coil left me stranded twice.

[SUBURBIAN]

Waste of money.

[Vortec 5.7]

WOW,well i wont waste my money then......thanks guys

[TTavenier3]

I have to disagree with this post. the msd distributors are better than the factory ones. the contacts are bigger there also flat which creates a better spark transfer.
also the msd coils provide a stronger and hotter spark. one down fall is the amount of output is so strong it seems to short out the coils and leave you stranded. but luckly
most autopart dealers and msd them selves will replace the defective part. another thing to look at is the msd control. when combined with the distrubutor and coil they create a perfect ignition set up. strong and dependable. i had a few times the coil pack took a crap on me but once after adding there control box i havent had any issues in over a year now.

[96ImpSS]

Good testimony, TTavenier3 ! You just reinforced everything the rest of us said above ;)

[ryan_thompson87]

:lol:

[TTavenier3]

no my point is there not a waste of money if you do the full set up..
if your a cheap ass trying to get more hp out of a just a coil then your clearly an idiot.

[TTavenier3]

its like those idiots that buy the performance chip off ebay that goes on the maf sensor that says they make 100hp when its just a .33cent resistor that does nothing!
if your interested in power. be smart. buy the complete set up for things not just bits and pieces.

[ryan_thompson87]

I'd run the MSD box if I found a cheap one, but If was going to spend the coin I'd probably go with a Crane, not a huge fan of the Limiter pills on the MSD.

[TTavenier3]

But sir after seeing your profile i can see your an old school mechanic. i dont expect you to understand the new aged electronic. back in the day simple things like distrubuter adjustments and cams and bigger carbs worked great and were cheap easy hp gains to do. unfortunately these new car and truck manufactures are making new aged cars that are better on fuel economy. yet there killing are hp and making things super difficult to get that muscle we had back in the day.
my post my sound harsh but im not meaning it that way. just my veiws and points.

[TTavenier3]

crane is a great brand also i agree with that. deffinitly better that msd. only thing im not liking about crane is the inital lag on the new cars. which in most cases are ok because most people dont realise them but when you use them for drag every .001 counts.

[ryan_thompson87]

I don't see what any of that had to do with my post, or anything really in this thread, I was pointing out how the MSD boxes (with the exception of the CD box) use pills instead of a built in limiter, but anyway

As for your "new aged electronic" comment, I'm a mechanic by trade and am very familar with fuel injection, spent a year in school doing nothing but fuel injection and had to write service manuals on how to diagnose and repair all fuel injection systems, and of you'll read my sig, you'll see my truck is fuel injected and heavily modified to boot. Milder than some, but wilder than most.

[TTavenier3]

glad to find another mechanic on the bored. but my comment wasnt to you. clear was to the smart ass (96impss).
clearly everyone has there own opinion on certian thing. i respect that. my thing was that you told this guy msd was a waste of money.
my opinion was that was partially correct is all.
and if were introducing ourselfs. hi i am a ASE certified master tech mon-fri sat and sundays i race 2.5 ton race trucks in mud for a living. check me out
im at all the mud events in the south. ive been on trucks gone wilds pages and in mud life mag. i run msd in all my trucks.
my fathers into draq racing. i work on his car also. so when it comes to performance i know what to do. glad to help anyone if they have a question. glad to meet you. see your a fellow mudder.
hows the mud in canada

[ryan_thompson87]

Ah gotcha I see where I got confused. It's not bad, kind of a clay/sand/slop mix here, we had a hundred year floor last year followed by a drought so this year may be interesting when the ground thaws.

[96ImpSS]

.....but my comment wasnt to you. clear was to the smart ass (96impss).
......
Hey, sorry you walked right into that one. I couldn't resist.
Seriously, go back and read the OP's original post, and then with a clear conscience tell him to spend hundreds of dollars on all that stuff to see zero gain in performance and a decrease in reliability. MSD components have their place in truly high performance applications, but not in his.
I was just trying to make sure he got the right answer to his question. It looks like he did, and isn't participating in the argument.

[BlacK20]

what are you thoughts of a billet distributor on a 5.7 vortec?
do they really help with throttle response/help make power?
billet distributor is like saying, i bought shiny new valve covers, do i now have more power?

if your stock distributor works good, you wont see gains with a new one.