Tried starting Cuda for first time this year. No spark.
Checked for power everywhere. Put in a friends new ECU box and it started and ran perfect.

My question to all is this... I hid the box under battery tray.
When I changed it, the screw that holds the harness on was missing.

Could vibrations from a loose harness cause the box to fail? Or was it most likely a coincidence.
Anyone have this happen to them?

Another fifty bucks to replace.

most likely crappy chinese made part or lack of good grounds.

There's been a fair number of reported orange box failures esoecially the newer crop but not all of em & we only get the bad reports since we are here to solve problems. Even tho electronic devices dont respond favorly to an open circuit I would think an open would just stop it from functioning rather than burning it out & those pentastar connectors tend to fit pretty tight even without the holddown screw. I just bought a Standard Motor Products LX101 4 pin ECU which is the old reliable standby & guess what it is now made in china so I bought 2 of em . My FBO coil (older not his new full 12V one)& MP .25 ohm ballast & after a year or so the OE black ECU died so I have the lx on there & a spare in the trunk). it (DD 318) starts instantly year round & that tells me that the ign is compatible & Jacobs ign' came up with something which is that there are different ign requirements for starting/cruising/wot & too much ign can actually cavitate the plug gap & drive air/fuel molecules out & makes things worse & I just stopped at that point

50 bucks for what ?? Another pos "orange" box ??

Okay okay. You guys don't have to hit me over the head more than twice.

I listen to the wise words of MOPARTS. Just ordered two from EBOOGER on E-Bay.

One for me and one for a spare.

Thanks to all. Really appreciated.

Meanwhile my $40 ebay MSD6 keeps on keepin' on. Just how much of the Kool-Aid have you guys drunk? I am constantly amazed at what you'll go through just to keep that MOPAR electronic ignition that's "good enough" and was so groundbreaking back in '73.

R.

I run a Revanator on my 66 426 Hemi!!
Works Better than my old MSD6AL Cost around 200.00 delivered and goes right where your old Orange box went with no wiring changes.

I have at least 12 mopar control boxes The ones I trust are the factory 4 pin ecu, that were used in late 80sI also have several new orange / chrome boxes they will stay in drawer. After fighting no start issues every spring I finally switched to either points or pertronix they don't let me down and frankly they are so easy to work with that I won't switch back

I quit using the Mopar ignitions 20+ years ago when they doubled in price and the quality went to !%@#.
I had an older orange box and gave it to a friend when his box went out at the track. I use CD ignition boxes now, MSD (6 and digital 6) and Crane HI-6.

I'd like to see a real third party test on a 300 hp engine and a 550 hp engine using the RevNnator and competing MSD, Crane, and my favorite Accel 300+.
Years ago when Circle Track did a test the results were very close and probably within test error. of course, that was several years ago.

R.

http://www.thertgarage.com/products.html

for 200 bucks it had better be better

Here's their published average data:

Vs. orange box on a 340...12hp, 14 lb-ft
vs. MSD 7AL on a 440...0.5hp, 1.3 lb-ft
Vs. MSD 6AL on a 493....2.7hp, 3.4 lb-ft

So, my conclusion is: Versus the orange box the RNnator didn't retard spark at higher rpm and made 6% more power.
Versus MSD 6AL increase of 2.7hp, 3.4lb-ft +0.45%
Versus MSD7AL, increase of 0.5hp, 1.3lb-ft +0.082%

So where's the 10-40 hp gain? That's the advertising claim. Against the real competition the gains were within measurement error. Against the real competition, the gains were less than 1/2 of a percent, measurement error.

Advertising claims are NOT BACKED UP BY THEIR OWN DATA!

Another thing...advertised "re-engineered with new digital technology." Shoot, I'm making this post with digital technology.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for anyone who makes a better product in the USA, especially for Chrysler products. It appears that the orange or chrome box has been bettered. But let's not be misleading.

R.