FBO ignition syste

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smythge

65 with a BIG BLOCK
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Is anybody using the FBO ignition system? I just called them to ask some general ignition questions and after spending 45 minutes talking to Don, I was throughly impressed and sold on the system. We went through every detail of my car and after some careful calculations Don came up with the optimum specs for the distributor the next thing I knew I had my distributor out and in the mail to get recurved.

Total for everything including re-curving the distributor, new ECU, coil, ballist resistor, voltage regulator, cap & rotor was $245.00, I was about to pay that for the 6al box alone. Said it should take about a week, as soon as I have it in the car, I'll let you know how its working.
 
FBO comes recommended by a few people over on the Early A-Body Forum (www.earlyabodyforum.com). I just bought a setup from him too for my '65 Barracuda. I just got it yesterday, but it didn't include the wiring. He forgot to mention to me that it was extra and didn't ask me if I needed it. Anyhow, I found a local mopar guy with an extra wiring set which he gave me today. Hopefully later this week I'll get around to installing this kit in my car. I hope to hide the ECU somewhere because I don't think it looks right in a '65.
 
I have one, comploments of Don. In testing, it seems to be a hair better than the Chrysler Chrome box in my lowly '78, 400 cid HP motor. I tested it vs the MSD 6A, Orange and Chrome box's.
For the price, it can't be beat.
On performance and mileage, it stands toe to toe with the MSD @ cruise/Hwy. speeds.
Idles better than the MoPar boxs. Not as well as the MSD with it's multi spark advantage, but that advantage is gone after 3000 where most hot engines live and work. The MSD advantage is gone and is no better than most any other ignition.
I wish I could give you a spark plug report, but T-Q problems persist. But there lasting longer over the leanburn and Orange box noticeably.
 
Do I really need to switch to the FBO supplied ballast resistor, or is my stock ballast resistor okay?

Also, what is the canister attached to and beside the coil, a condensor? Should I remove this with the FBO system?
 
FYI, Jegs has a sale on MSD boxes right now and you can get the 6A unit for $148.
 
You need to run the surplied resister, which is a MSD unit to get the box to run right. It will get you home should the FBO resister fail. But power and rpm's suffer.

I'm not following you on the second question.
Call Don for a system and he'll set you straight.
 
Yeah, I contacted Don via email and he said I need to run the ballast resistor supplied. It's an MSD made resistor, rated at 0.08 ohms and physically much larger than my stock one. I had to put it vertically on my firewall instead of horizontally to make it fit!

I've got the whole shebang working now, no problems.

I found out the small canister is a noise suppression capacitor or something for the radio. The wire broke so I opened the end, soldered it back and sealed it up with some epoxy. Thanks for the tips guys!
 
Isn't it just a ferrite bead sealed up in epoxy?? Not sure because I've never paid attention.

I have Don's FBO Stage II on my 360 and love it. Complete night and day difference, and I was running an Orange Box, Blaster coil, and light springs on my distributor.

Worth every penny.:thumblef:
 
The little canister on the side of the coil is a condenser or other wise known as a capacitor. Many Chrysler coils had it on them and it is for RFI suppression for the radio.

And it never hurts or interferes with any system to have it on there. If anything it will help any system by smoothing out the voltage spikes.
 
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