Im looking into getting a crane ignition box I know you can use a hall effect dist but can you use the stock dist from a 99 mpi motor?

I don't know about the 99 distributor but I just installed 2 of the Crane Hi-6 marine boxes on my 454 mags and they perform awesome. Digital rev limiter (no banging or popping), 6 different advance curves, retard capabilites for supercharged configurations etc. Works great with the stock Thunderbolt IV hall effect distributor. Easy install and a great piece. If you have any questions call the Crane tech line. Very helpful and great todeal with.

go with MSD

distributer or box?

I liked cranes box due to the rev limiter and the ignition curves

Msd digital box is neat also I like their dist aswell but if you need to the merc. will work use some good taylor pro wires and you'll be in the ball game

CRANE is maybe O.K. its just not proven yet like the MSD stuff thats been around since the 70's (except the digital boxes)

the msd stuff has been breaking since the 70's. stick with the Crane, you wont be disappointed.

I have 50 hours on the Crane Hi-6M boxes in my boat and they have worked fine thus far. I am using them in conjuntion with their PS-92 coils. Other ignition components I am using include, MSD Billet distributors and the MSD crank trigger system. The Crane box allows you to dial in the desired RPM limit and the kind of timing you desire. That digital stuff that MSD offers sounds kind of interesting though.

To be quite honest with you, I originally bought the Crane boxes a couple of years ago as my engines were being built because I was advised to----otherwise I would probably have purchased the MSD boxes. I was told the Crane box has a much hotter spark than the MSD boxes do---but I don't honestly know how much truth there really is to that. Something like Cranes miljoules (Spelling?) being much more than the MSD's ???. -----Again, I just don't know if there is any truth to that. However, they have worked fine for me thus far, but I am not sure if the Crane's have given me any more NOTICABLE performance gains over one of the MSD boxes. I was told this by a guy who was going to be setting up the electronic fuel injection system on my engines, but I decided to go with a carb set-up instead and decided to buy the Crane boxes anyway. Still, another guy who dyno'd my engines really likes the Crane boxes as well---he buys them for his cars, his boats and even his snowmobiles!---He really likes the way they work! Best wishes

It looks like most of your post just say the opposite of the prior one ??What do you base your blanket statement above from your years of reaserch from the 70's that MSD has or the few years CRANE and Holley have been coping MSD??
Crane has not been out long enough for Crane to know their own problems were like the guy before you said MSD has been out and used by IHRA,NHRA<and nascar and alot of other racing groups since they invented the system inthe 70's
They have had a long time for trial and error repairs ,my builder Sterling won't use any thing else why do these people use the stuff its GREAT !
The guy aboe B.D> even said Crane was o.k. ,they all break MSD just sells more and is alot better for most people

I agree Crane and Holley are most likly O.K. just not for the masses yet if you like it great

Sounds like a big pissing match...whew. The reason I went with Crane is there is absolutely nothing wrong with Mercury's hall effect trigger setup (Dodge has been using it for years) so there was no need for me to buy billet distributor etc. I like the fact that Crane has many functions in the one unit and many of MSD's options have to be added (piggy-backed) on as another unit. Far be it from me to say MSD is junk - they're not. Very good equipment. However, if someone like Crane, Jacobs or Holley never challenges the establishment...