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Ignition and Fuel

There is a lot of mystery surrounding ignition systems, coils, spark plugs, and wires. We’ve seen claims of mega horsepower gains with the use of certain products. There’s unbelievable technology engineered into some aftermarket ignition products, but we couldn’t begin to explain much of it to you – we barely understand some of it ourselves. But we have one thing that helps us sort out the myth from reality: our Mustang Chassis Dyno.

In all of the dyno testing we’ve done over the years, on nearly every ignition product on the market, we can clearly state in simple terms that none of them will add horsepower to a healthy engine. Of course, if your current ignition system is flawed (bad wires, failing coil), then replacing the faulty part with any functioning part (cheap or expensive, stock or aftermarket) will return your engine to normal functioning. That’s not to say that you should just skip over this chapter. On the contrary, we want you to be armed with as much knowledge as possible. Plus, there are techniques hidden in some of the paragraphs that will help you add some ponies.



Neons come standard with an excellent ignition system. There is no need for an upgrade unless you plan on exceeding 6,000 rpm for extended periods of time. Highly modified drag cars, aftermarket turbo systems, and serious road racers could consider a performance coil pack.

Ignition Systems

An aftermarket ignition isn’t necessary to have a fun, competitive vehicle. The stock Neon ignition is an excellent system. Upgrading should only be a priority if you plan on powering a high-performance race engine. Your decision should also be based on the intended use of the car. For example, if you plan on hopping-up a Neon or SRT-4 for the street, you don’t need to spend money on an aftermarket ignition. Your money could be spent in better ways. For the track, however, you may want to give it some consideration.

Unfortunately, Neons are ignition challenged in one significant way: you can’t easily adjust the ignition timing. At the Speednation dyno, we can usually promise our customers that they’ll leave the dyno with at least a few horsepower more than they came with. But we don’t make that promise to Neon owners. The chance that a car’s ignition timing has been set from the factory for optimal horsepower is unlikely. Only about 1 in 10 are set to get max power. We pay no attention to what other tuners have done to a car before we get our hands on it. Unless they set the ignition timing on a dyno, they’re probably not getting the most out of the engine. The 2.0-liter SOHC and DOHC, and 2.4-liter SRT-4 engines get their spark from a distributorless ignition system. No distributor – nothing to adjust. Even if you install an aftermarket ignition, such as an MSD or Crane, you still can’t advance your ignition timing past the programmed factory settings of the stock PCM.



To install a performance PCM in your Neon, you first need to remove the stocker. It’s located on the driver’s side of the engine compartment near the battery. Remember to disconnect your battery before starting any electrical work. (Photo courtesy Michael Carpenter)

We’ve tested a variety of ignition systems over the years, and for the most part, they’re the same. Some have different features than others, and if you feel the need to buy one, consider some of those features. For racers, the feature that will serve you best is rev limiting. You can manually select the maximum RPM you want your engine to rev to. If you try to rev beyond that point, the unit will systematically withdraw spark. It will feel like your car is running on three cylinders, which is exactly what is happening. Your car will refuse to accelerate, and you’ll have to either back off on the throttle, or shift to the next highest gear. For purpose-built racecars that have no built-in limiter, an aftermarket ignition that keeps you from over-revving your engine could save you thousands of dollars and hours of new parts and labor.



There are lots of great performance PCMs available for Neons and SRT-4s, leaving 99 percent of the people reading this book with no reason to go to a standalone EFI system. Modern Performance, Howell Automotive, and Mopar Performance can hook you up with a great PCM based on what you want to do with your car. (Photo courtesy Mopar Performance Parts)

Since the stock Neon PCM has a built-in rev-limiter, you won’t need to buy an aftermarket unit unless you have a performance PCM that has raised or eliminated your limit. Even though we didn’t need an aftermarket ignition on the Speednation Turbo Neon, we chose to install the MSD DIS-2 (cost: around $325). The reason wasn’t that the MSD provides a multiple spark. The multiple spark only works up to 3,000 rpm, and then the system reverts back to a single, more conventional spark from 3,000 rpm to redline. We installed it because of the cool, two-stage rev limiter and timing retard functions. The two-stage rev limiter is great for drag racing, Solo I, and Solo II launches. You can set the first limiter for a low RPM (for your launch), and the secondary limiter for a high RPM (to protect your engine). We played with the launch limiter for several events, and eventually settled on 4,250 rpm for the launch. We used a small push/pull switch and set it so that when the switch is pulled upwards, the stage-one rev limit is activated.



Mopar Performance also has PCM/injector combos for the SRT-4. This Stage 2 kit does the hard work for you, so there’s no need to worry about the tune. Adding extra fuel in the right places is especially important for a turbo car, as you’re more likely to break parts under boost. (Photo courtesy Mopar Performance Parts)

Now for the fun. Sitting at the starting line, you floor the throttle, and then let the clutch out – no need to look at the tach. You just put the pedal all the way to the metal. Spectators and fellow drivers alike will come up to you after your run and tell you that your car didn’t seem to be running right when you were launching. In fact, that’s how the engine sounds as it bounces off the rev limiter at 4,250 rpm. Our turbo car has so much power that even when launching at low RPM, the front wheels would spin. With the launch control engaged, you’re basically running on only three cylinders as you let out the clutch. The aftermarket ignition drops the spark on one of the cylinders to keep your revs in check. As you feel the tires start to get traction as you leave the line (it only takes a second or two), you simply push down on the plunger switch and disengage the first stage of the rev limiter. It works great, but it takes a lot of practice to get it right.

Be aware that with all MSD ignitions, you need to install an MSD tach adapter. Be sure to order it with your MSD ignition. There’s also a slick harness, MSD part number PN 8883, which plugs directly into the factory coil pack and harness – no splicing or cutting into the factory harness! I wish this was all around when I was ready to shoot my one car over the wiring. You also need a tach adapter with the Neon ignitions that come from Crane Cams.





Mark Daddio chose the MSD DIS-2 ignition for his national champion autocross car, but he never took advantage of the cool launch feature. We installed a simple switch so that launches could be better controlled for Solo I hillclimbs. Most of the time, cars are facing uphill waiting for the signal to go, and with the weight transfer to the rear, FWD cars tend to sit in place and spin their tires. This helped.

You may encounter a problem if you spend a few seconds bouncing off the built-in factory rev limiter. Since fuel is being systematically cut off to restrict RPM, your engine is running lean for that period of time. Obviously, that’s no big deal if you back off the throttle or shift, which is the response the factory intends you to have. However, depending on the track, sometimes racers will stay on the limiter for a few seconds. If you’re entering a turn that requires you to downshift once you get there, and you’re already maxed out in your gearing, it may be beneficial (time wise) to stay in gear as opposed to making those two shifts. If it’s a second-gear/third-gear shift, then there’s a chance you could make a mistake and miss the gear you’re aiming for. If you end up having to repeat this ritual several times per lap, and your factory system is still controlling your rev limit, you could do some damage.

Aftermarket ignitions limit spark, not fuel, which means you won’t run lean. I probably don’t have to tell you what can happen if your engine gets too lean, but I’m going to anyway. My friend drove his Supercharged Honda CRX on the street as if he were on a racetrack. He would hit the factory rev limit all the time, despite having a shift light flashing him in the face well before the factory fuel cutoff. The result: two blown head gaskets. He’s actually pretty lucky he never melted a piston. With a turbocharged Neon, the results could be even uglier! So if you plan on spending any time on the rev limit, you should probably consider buying an aftermarket ignition system that has a rev limit feature. Visit a chassis dyno to see exactly where you start losing torque, so that you can set the limiter properly.
Table of Contents:

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PDF HTML Table of Contents
PDF HTML Introduction
PDF HTML Chapter 1 Neon History
PDF HTML Chapter 2 Suspension and Handling
PDF HTML Chapter 3 Wheels and Tires
PDF HTML Chapter 4 Braking
PDF HTML Chapter 5 Intake System
PDF HTML Chapter 6 Exhaust System
PDF HTML Chapter 7 Ignition and Fuel
PDF HTML Chapter 8 Camshafts and Heads
PDF HTML Chapter 9 Body and Interior Modifications
PDF HTML Chapter 10 Turbocharging, Supercharging, and Nitrous
PDF HTML Chapter 11 Transaxle Tech
PDF HTML Chapter 12 Engines
PDF HTML Chapter 13 Modifications on a Budget
PDF HTML Chapter 14 Don't Just Sit There - Go Racing!
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