Are there any "high performance" ignition systems/components/coils that will work on an 84 2.5L engine?

Yes, I know there is no high performance in the Iron Duke, but I was wondering if there are any upgradable components like there are for the 85-88 2.5L and 2.8L V6.

Thanks!

MSD makes parts. You should be able to get an MSD coil and wires fairly easy.

I have an MSD GM Blaster coil and a a ignition box on my 84. To use the MSD coil I went to the junk yard and cut a later year coil connector out of a Buick to match the MSD coil and spliced it in. The 84 coil used a blade connector. Very easy upgrade to do.

quote Originally posted by johnt671: I have an MSD GM Blaster coil and a a ignition box on my 84. To use the MSD coil I went to the junk yard and cut a later year coil connector out of a Buick to match the MSD coil and spliced it in. The 84 coil used a blade connector. Very easy upgrade to do.

I did this too, the coil makes a noticeable difference, the box actually seemed to make it run worse. MSD 8226 coil and 6T box.

https://www.fiero.nl/forum/A...060811-2-068532.html

[This message has been edited by RWDPLZ (edited 12-23-2011).]

You guys are so helpful! Thanks!

Might be because I bought the box used, there might be something wrong with it, but I was shocked when I started driving it. Caused a bad hesitation when accelerating, and the car just felt like it was down 5-10HP, not sure how to describe it.

quote Originally posted by RWDPLZ: Might be because I bought the box used, there might be something wrong with it, but I was shocked when I started driving it. Caused a bad hesitation when accelerating, and the car just felt like it was down 5-10HP, not sure how to describe it.

Are you still driving with the box?

Next question... where can I get a 25HP super chip for the Duke

Don't worrry.... we are just picking on 'ya but it is all in good fun!

It is nice to see the enthusiasm for the old beast. Reminds me of when I was 17 with my first car and spending $60 on "high performance sparkplug wires" on my 1981 Mazda 626 because I wanted to believe that it would make the car go faster.... I think the only difference in performance was the slight reduction of weight due to my lighter wallet!

[This message has been edited by cam-a-lot (edited 12-23-2011).]

quote Originally posted by cam-a-lot: Next question... where can I get a 25HP super chip for the Duke Don't worrry.... we are just picking on 'ya but it is all in good fun! It is nice to see the enthusiasm for the old beast. Reminds me of when I was 17 with my first car and spending $60 on "high performance sparkplug wires" on my 1981 Mazda 626 because I wanted to believe that it would make the car go faster.... I think the only difference in performance was the slight reduction of weight due to my lighter wallet!

lol

Hey just trying to make the best out of what I have. I do not want to do an engine swap as I would like to keep my car as original as possibly while doing "tasteful" upgrades. I look for deals and spend my money wisely. Plus, I do most of the work on my car with my neighbor so I save a lot on mechanical costs. Will be dropping the cradle to install a new cam I bought and to rebuild my transmission before I move out of buffalo, ny. All of this will be done in a heated two story garage... without all the money I would spend at a mechanic. It really does pay (play on words here) to have mechanical know-how friends

edit: If anyone has that super chip, I will buy it from you

[This message has been edited by FirstDrCar (edited 12-23-2011).]

quote Originally posted by FirstDrCar: Are you still driving with the box?

Nope, I tried it for a few days to see if it would improve, and reset the computer to see if it would re-adapt to having the box, but gave up. It's still installed in the car, but unplugged. I used the adapter harness so it could be easily installed and uninstalled. I also added the filter capacitor because it caused an alternator whine in the stereo, the cap helped a little, but it was still there. Now I think the whine may have been due to a poor battery to body ground.

quote Originally posted by RWDPLZ: Nope, I tried it for a few days to see if it would improve, and reset the computer to see if it would re-adapt to having the box, but gave up. It's still installed in the car, but unplugged. I used the adapter harness so it could be easily installed and uninstalled. I also added the filter capacitor because it caused an alternator whine in the stereo, the cap helped a little, but it was still there. Now I think the whine may have been due to a poor battery to body ground.

So it is probably just best to install the MSD ignition coil

Probably, if you do a search you'll see a lot of people have installed an MSD box and noticed no difference at all.

I agree about the box. I could feel some difference at higher RPMs with the coil, but the box made no performance difference. Maybe it ran just a bit smoother. I went with the box because when I first came on PFF I read about a lot of ignition module failures, and some folks said the as the box took over most of the functions of the IM, the IM ran a lot cooler and was less likely to fail.

I don't know how true this is, but I've had this car around 15 years and it still has the IM that was in it when I got it.

quote Originally posted by FirstDrCar: edit: If anyone has that super chip, I will buy it from you

Here you go... Super Duper Chip for Fiero http://www.gfchips.com/pontiacfiero.aspx 69 HP increase, better fuel efficiency, re-grows hair on middle aged men, and makes cellulite disappear from our wives' butts.

quote Originally posted by cam-a-lot: Here you go... Super Duper Chip for Fiero http://www.gfchips.com/pontiacfiero.aspx 69 HP increase, better fuel efficiency, re-grows hair on middle aged men, and makes cellulite disappear from our wives' butts.

hmmmmm seems fishy.... yet curious.....

,,There is no chip that will increase the performance of a 4 cyl duke or V6 fiero
the boxes for the duke do not work
replace dist cap & rotor if they are old,, get G.M. or top quality
top quality spark plug wires worth the money
use single electrode spark plugs,acdelco or NGK,champion,autolite,buyem on sale
be precise when timing the engine,,paint the mark white to ease timing ajustment
if you have the head off port the valve throats,fairly easzy to do
port match heads
about 3 times a year there is a duke holly manifold for sale on this forum on the mall,there was one for sale 3 days ago but they do not last long
make the best of what you have do modifications that increase gas milage & also help with performance .
the 87,88 duke have ample power the 84.85.86 need a little help
leave the air cleaner system stock,it works good
make sure TBI has tight bolts it is 2 piece & comes loose after 100,000 miles
check all 4 wheels after a trip of at least 2 miles feel rims to see if 1 is hotter,this means its binding.hurting performance & MPG.front wheels are cooler
put some insulation around or under coil ,,there is some evidence the Fiero heat kills coil life
to quiet the duke add shim to valve assembly
research on this forum""quieting a duke engine"" by white84se
the search feature is at top of tech
you want a duke that gets 28 to 30 MPG around town & will stay with a V6 untill 35 mph

[This message has been edited by uhlanstan (edited 12-23-2011).]

Figured id chim in for rwdplz since I sold him the box and coil. When I bought the 86 se with the 6 cyl in it it ran fine. Only information I know about the box is that its made for a 6 cyl rather than a 4 cyl or 8 cyl. Maybe why rwdplz is having trouble with it? But honestly just like what was said about not noticing a difference between the box or an msd coil even at a high rpm range but an msd coil was noticeably better than the stock or basic coil. Only reason I removed it from the car was the setup I had had no purpose for it and when I had a high idle I thought it was the problem and sold it. Turned out to be a broken wire to the aic valve and a possible common egr tube that I replace anyways.

[This message has been edited by MeAndMyFi (edited 12-23-2011).]

The box I'm having trouble with isn't the one I bought from you, it was another one. The way you select the engine size is the cut two wires under a cover, cutting the one wire makes it for a V6, cutting both makes it work with a 4 cylinder. I actually just checked the one I got from you this afternoon, it is modified for a V6 currently. The one in my car right now is set up for a 4 cylinder, which is a 6T, the one I got from you is a 6BTM, which is actually nicer. My buddy who was going to use it on his car decided to go in a different direction, so it's been sitting here in a box with my other V6 parts.

The coil I got from you is a backup for my current MSD coil, tested it, it works fine. I keep it as an emergency spare.

[This message has been edited by RWDPLZ (edited 12-24-2011).]

quote Originally posted by FirstDrCar: ...Will be dropping the cradle to install a new cam I bought...

I hope you're not planning to install that cam you bought from Toddster in your stock 84 engine.

1984 and older Dukes have flat-tappet lifters; the cam Toddster was selling is for roller lifters, used in 1985+ engines.
Cams designed for roller lifters don't work with flat tappets; they don't have the slight taper on the lobe needed to rotate the lifter and will instantly grind through the lifter- won't even last 1 hour.

Worse still, is that you can't just put the roller lifters in a 1984 block, since they require additional "figure 8" supports that I don't believe a 1984 block has provisions to accept.

If the engine in your car has been replaced with a 1985 or newer engine, disregard the above info.

I have an ACCEL 140008 Electronic E-Core Super Coil for sale.

https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum4/HTML/054047.html

Let me know if you want it.

Rob

quote Originally posted by KurtAKX: I hope you're not planning to install that cam you bought from Toddster in your stock 84 engine. 1984 and older Dukes have flat-tappet lifters; the cam Toddster was selling is for roller lifters, used in 1985+ engines. Cams designed for roller lifters don't work with flat tappets; they don't have the slight taper on the lobe needed to rotate the lifter and will instantly grind through the lifter- won't even last 1 hour. Worse still, is that you can't just put the roller lifters in a 1984 block, since they require additional "figure 8" supports that I don't believe a 1984 block has provisions to accept. If the engine in your car has been replaced with a 1985 or newer engine, disregard the above info.

Shoot... Did not know that. Ugh I just bought something I can not use on my engine.

Kurt... are you interested in it? Thanks for letting me know before I found out the hard way...

quote Originally posted by FirstDrCar: Shoot... Did not know that. Ugh I just bought something I can not use on my engine. Kurt... are you interested in it? Thanks for letting me know before I found out the hard way...

Check your engine first. Probably 1/3 of the 84 Fieros I've worked on have had the engine replaced with something newer.
What you're looking for is this:


If, at the lower corners, instead of being rounded, there's a couple "chamfers" and at the top there's some "bumps" poking out of the cover, you've got a block that's set up to take roller lifters. This particular engine is a 1991 VIN E so ignore the other details....

I do not even think my 84 went through the recall as my engine still has the yellow looped oil dipstick and my owners manual does not have the new stickers in it... as referenced by this thread...

https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/120332.html

Still worth a look.

quote Originally posted by KurtAKX: Still worth a look.

I believe you were inline for the cam shaft when the thread first went up. Are you still interested in it if I can not send it back to Toddster for a refund?

I wont have the engine out until feb., and I think I would be holding on to it for too long only to find out it wont work.

Thanks

If you are going to be pulling the engine, think long and hard about putting a real motor into it. There are people here who can help you, supply mounts, wiring harnesses, etc. It will be FAR more satisfying than putting money and effort into a Duke and having it blow up on you anyway with little or no performance gain. Time is money. Even a stock 3800 N/A motor will more than double your HP and make the car far more reliable without loss of fuel efficiency.

Again, it is up to you and it is your money. There are lots of people on here with unfinished projects who are in over their heads either financially or in terms of time/space. They will sell you wiring harnesses, mounts, etc for a very reasonable price and you will have a proper motor rather than a sewing machine motor. Unless you put in an SD4, you won't even be able to keep up with a 1990's Civic with this puppy.

Good luck, either way!. Your enthusiasm is great

Peter

[This message has been edited by cam-a-lot (edited 12-28-2011).]