The reason I asked about the battery size is I've heard that some teams have to run an alterntor in order to keep up to the drain on the battery using a MSD dist. I guess I'll have to call MSD about a MSD 10 being able to keep up to a MSD or Mallory mag. What they are trying to say is a 10 is almost as good as a MSD 44 is IF the cylinder pressure is lower and the electrical pressure is not needed as much.
The more cumbustion pressure you have the more amps are needed. To answer your question on our Adams built early 410 ci Hemi we are running 15.8 compression, burning pure alky [ Heritage rules], running 2.2 to 2.3 gal of fuel flow [ again more cyl pressure] that's why we need a 20 amp MSD.
If a MSD 10 is almost equal to a 44, why don't the blown nitro or at least the Top Alcohol racers use them ? The 44's take alot of effort/ HP to turn the 44, and they go thru allot of coil wires, and ign boxes. But I guess the pro's run the 44's because they supply the amp's they need/want.
If a team is running less compresion [ 12-13] and less fuel, then less amp's are needed.
Jon, 805-444-4489