DSII modules

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bmbm40

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Is there any DSII module from any particular year vehicle that is considered better than others? I saw a post on classicbroncos.com and someone there thought the 79-80, I believe, was better. Quicker advance at low rpm if I remember correct although most of those Broncos are v8 on that site. I have a 66 Bronco with a 1969 250 Mustang engine all stock except for the DSII from a late 70s Fairmont. Carter carb and NV 3550 5 speed trans daily driver. Mostly street use some dirt roads.
Thanks
 
I don't think one is any better than another. Get one with the "Blue" grommet and you are good to go. Or you can use a 4-pin HEI module too.
 
Like Harte said, for the fords the 'blues' seem to be the most common, usually the one that is stocked, and usually the cheapest one. I have never seen any documentation explaining the different colors. The Gm's contain a small microprocessor that supposedly has better dwell control than any of the other electronic modules of the era. With any module the key is to get a genuine factory one or a well known quality brand. The cheap store brands have a less than a stellar record.
 
Emissions has always been the suspect but what I would like to see is something that says whats different other than the grommet. Without extra wires for some other input its hard to imagine how different they could be, or what there some with extra wires?
 
Looking at pictures 'Yellow' looks to have an extra connector with 3 extra wires. 'Red' has a newer style connectors, perhaps for the TFI style coils? Some early non computer GM's had options in the modules to retard timing based on things like vacuum. Other semi computer systems in the trucks had a sort of knock sensor input that could manipulate the timing along with the mech and vac. I would assume Ford was doing the same things since they were all working with outdated engine designs and trying to meet the same emissions standards.
 
fordconvert":2i8eqefu said:
'Red' has a newer style connectors, perhaps for the TFI style coils?
Click to expand...
I have a red one, and it's got the same connectors as the blue.
There are also brown, black, and white grommet models out there.
 
Anyone out there have any manuals that state what the versions are for or what they did different? I figured out the GM ones by reading the shop manuals for the cars they came in. I just dont have many (if any) Ford manuals that are that new.
 
Several years back (before the big "crash") I recall someone on this forum telling that the Red strain modules were for California vehicles and were capable of operating at higher current flow than the Blue units, thus they could be used with the TFI type coils.

This is strictly hearsay and my memory isn't as good as I used to think it was so enter at your own risk :lol:

Bottom line: The GM HEI module is definitely capable of handling the hotter TFI/HEI type coils, they are cheap, reliable, easy to wire up, and take up less space (install two of them side-by-side for a backup). The only downside is the fact that they were intended for General Motors vehicles, and that is cause for some heartburn to some folks. I have personally had several DS2 modules fail and thus far never lost an HEI; I have owned more Chebbies than Fords.

Have fun,
Joe
 
I know the 2.3L carbed turbo had a special DS2 box with boost retard built into it. not sure how it all worked though.

where are you finding the pics of this boxes/plugs at?
 
XFlow_Fairlane":2cuy8htj said:
where are you finding the pics of this boxes/plugs at?
Click to expand...

I was just looking at napa's site. For the most part I have found their pictures correct but obviously I have only bought a thousand or so parts so they still have a few 100 thousand parts I have not bought to verify the pictures.
 
Lazy JW":1bx3srus said:
. I have personally had several DS2 modules fail and thus far never lost an HEI; I have owned more Chebbies than Fords.
Click to expand...

I havent owned a GM pickup that was new enough to use HEI. I have used the GM modules on Volvo and Nissan vehicles that had very expensive OEM modules and they worked fine. No idea why a Bosch or Hitachi module that does basically same thing should be $200 to $300 when the aftermarket GM module is $16.95. However you figure it, still just a big transistor. And except one OEM GM module off a '75 Vega that rattled around in my tool box for years, they have all been generic aftermarket and no failures. Now Chrysler modules different story, it was before I knew you could mix and match modules, I had a Dodge pickup and you had to carry spare module and spare ballast resistor or you would get stranded. Never knew when they would go out and it wasnt infrequent. If I'd of been up to speed would have used GM module on that Dodge.
 
What appears to be the big difference in the HEI's vs. the others of the era is they used a Motorola microprocessor to vary the dwell. I have never seen any documentation that indicates the others had anything like that.
 
I remember reading one time that the yellow one had a function that retarded when starting. Old memory, not reliable,
 
Thinking back to when these were very common I remember it was a fairly common failure that during cranking you got no spark but as soon as you let off the key sometimes they would start and run fine. I bet thats because they all had that start retard and it was more or less a separate section so it could fail but leave the 'run' section functional.
 
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