ok. i just got off the phone with Pat Collins at TechWest Racing.

he emphasized over and over and over again that i should stop what i'm doing, the problem is not in the car, the problem is in the box. he described the exact problems i'm having, and specified the chips in the box that are the problem, (chips that are not over the counter, and MSD doesn't release).

he said he has migrated many people away from this box, and suggested that if i want to keep the same basic setup, to get the older analog version, the 6ALN.

so at this point i will try a set of resistor plugs, but i'm done. i'm going to do the best i can to get a refund on the latest box i bought from MSD, try and get a 6ALN, and take things from there.

i'll post whenever i have something new.

thanks to everyone for contributing here, the help has been awesome!