Crank Triggers

Pontiac V8 Crank Triggers

Timing Off the Crank — Crank Triggers for Pontiac V8s

A crank trigger takes the timing signal off the crankshaft instead of the distributor shaft. On a Pontiac V8 turning big rpm, that removes shaft deflection, gear lash and distributor bushing wear from the timing picture, which is why racers reach for one when the tune gets serious.

Butler stocks the MSD flying magnet crank trigger, a billet aluminum trigger wheel with embedded magnets and a non-magnetic pickup on a CNC machined, slotted mounting bracket.

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MSD Crank Trigger MSD-8650

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Description: MSD Crank Trigger

Item #: MSD-8650

Condition: New

Price: $675.95

Items 1-1 of 1

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MSD Performance

More About Crank Triggers

1. Why a Crank Trigger

Stabilizing ignition timing is one of the oldest and most reliable ways to make an engine happier at high rpm.

Flying magnet design	Four magnets are secured in an aluminum trigger wheel and pass a stationary non-magnetic pickup. Because the pickup is non-magnetic it cannot be false triggered by stray metal or debris.
Adjustment	The CNC machined aluminum bracket is slotted, which gives a wide range of timing adjustment without touching the distributor.
Mounting	A two-piece bracket is included that in most cases will work on either side of the engine, and spacers are supplied for engines with standard motor mounts or with a .25" motor plate.

2. What It Works With

A crank trigger is a trigger source. It does not replace the distributor or the box.

Ignition controls	This system will trigger MSD 6, 7, 8 and 10 series ignitions and all MSD timing accessories.
The distributor	You still need one to distribute the spark, and its mechanical advance gets locked out. Both the MSD Pro Billet and the MSD ready-to-run Pontiac distributors can be locked out for exactly this.
The rest of the system	Plan on an external coil and a CD box to go with it, plus a harmonic balancer the trigger wheel can mount to.

This is race hardware. If the car sees street miles and you simply want better timing stability, a billet distributor with a good box will get you most of the way there for a lot less work.

Not sure what your Pontiac needs?

Email our tech team at tech@butlerperformance.com. Tell us your engine, heads, car, and power goal, and we will put the parts together as one combination that works.