Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 2 of 2 1 2
Re: Do MSD boxes or coils give a clue before they quit? [Re: Bigcube] #1681101
10/03/14 08:45 PM
10/03/14 08:45 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,875
communist bloc of new jersey
J
jamesc Offline
master
jamesc  Offline
master
J

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,875
communist bloc of new jersey
i've never been particularly impressed with msd (mighty stupid design) products. unfortunately they have had a stranglehold on performance ignition for a long time. crane had some strong products and imho the best bracket race ignition ever made was the holley line of digital ignitions

Re: Do MSD boxes or coils give a clue before they quit? [Re: GTX MATT] #1681102
10/03/14 10:02 PM
10/03/14 10:02 PM
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,410
Belpre,Ohio
C
CHAPPER Offline
master
CHAPPER  Offline
master
C

Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,410
Belpre,Ohio
Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

Not sure, mine just went though. I layed into the car and it broke up, tach bouncing all over the place. Tried to ease into it, same thing. Would rev up clean with the clutch in and ran fine if you drove it easy. Started heading home and made it about a mile before it crapped out. When it died it was actually running, barely, with the tach at 0. Tried to refire, tach bouncing everywhere and ran for about 10 seconds, then died.

Thinking back on it, the car has smelled a little gassy at idle for the past 2-3 weeks and when I got on it with a buddy a few weeks back I swear it broke up and missed a little in first.





Just went through the same thing a few weeks ago. Ran fine until under a load. Free revved fine, ran fine in water box...as soon as the motor was under load, it would break up/miss on both sides. The box I had on the car was made in '94 according to the number code on the back. I had another box on my run-in stand that was new in '01. I switched the boxes and coils and the miss went away. I sent the old box and coil back to MSD to be tested together and repaired if needed. I got them back in about 2 weeks. They sent the test papers of both. The coil was OK but the box failed. They put 3-4 electrical components in and re-tested for 2 hours at 4000 RPM...test OK/Pass. Cost with shipping was $61.xx. I had never had a box cause a miss before. Others have told me they had. I had only experienced them just completely failing, as in NO start.




Got my RMA and am planning to ship it to them this afternoon. Did your tach go nuts too?




YES...I didn't give ALL the info on my problem!! I will try to now,,,
The first time it started acting up, I thought it was just the spark plugs needing replaced. I replaced them and still had the missing problem. I was CERTAIN it was an electrical/ignition problem. I inspected/replaced the cap & rotor with new ones. They looked OK to me. While I was running the car in the garage,,adjusting carb/etc, trying to get it to sound right, I looked in the car at the tach to set idle RPM, I saw the tach was jumping from 1100rpm to 2800 rpm with NO change in engine speed. I had an older Sun tach (period correct) with an MSD tach adapter to run it. I figured THERE is the problem!! So I put a new Autometer tach in that I had on the shelf. The tach jumping went away, but the miss was still there. As I have said, the miss was only under load,,so I had to make a few hits on the street in front of the shop. I did a leak down on the engine and a valve spring test,,,all checked OK. THEN, I changed the box and coil,,,,also, I replaced the wires. I am SURE the box was the problem. My wires were fine ohm checking wise, with no oil saturation or chaffing/etc. I am sure the box was the culprit...my first time to experience this type of problem, but


If you like drag racing, support your local track.
Re: Do MSD boxes or coils give a clue before they quit? [Re: CHAPPER] #1681103
10/03/14 10:45 PM
10/03/14 10:45 PM
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 12,129
Cleveland
sunroofgtx Offline
I Live Here
sunroofgtx  Offline
I Live Here

Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 12,129
Cleveland
MrT,if you are looking for a replacement for the 6AL, please give Ron Wilson, or Mancini a call. They have a great alrternative.


Join the quickest team in motorsports. Team FireCore. CustomWiresets.com
Re: Do MSD boxes or coils give a clue before they quit? [Re: sunroofgtx] #1681104
10/04/14 04:02 AM
10/04/14 04:02 AM
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,890
North Alabama
M
Monte_Smith Offline
master
Monte_Smith  Offline
master
M

Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,890
North Alabama
You guys complaining about MSD, act like 1 of 2 boxes is bad. Their actual failure rate per units sold is outstanding and by far the best in the business. These days what you have to be careful of is "knockoffs". Very hard to spot as they look identical. If you find a "new" box from a non mainstream supplier at a smoking deal, you should likely pass.

Me personally, have been racing for over 30 years with pretty much exclusive use of MSD products. I have had one box go bad in that time. That said, they are electronic and parts fail from time to time

James, you mentioned the Holley.........I assume you mean the "Annihilator".........your kidding right??? That stuff was a wiring nightmare. There is a reason we don't make that anymore........LOL!!!

Monte

Re: Do MSD boxes or coils give a clue before they quit? [Re: Monte_Smith] #1681105
10/04/14 09:32 AM
10/04/14 09:32 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,005
Tulsa OK
Bad340fish Offline
master
Bad340fish  Offline
master

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,005
Tulsa OK
My msd box(digital 6+) gave me smoke signals when it failed on drag week last year. It did give me a little notice though, it started to smell right before that lol. Actually it didn't want to start at the checkpoint just a few miles prior to where it died. I had a coil go bad on me last year on drag week as well.

My biggest msd problem is a digital 6 I have that misses in high gear. I replaced the box and the miss went away. I had msd check the box last year and it worked fine for them. I had to use that box as my spare this year and sure enough the high gear miss was still there.


68 Barracuda Formula S 340
87 "Chrysler" Conquest
Re: Do MSD boxes or coils give a clue before they quit? [Re: Bad340fish] #1681106
10/04/14 10:13 AM
10/04/14 10:13 AM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,468
N.Y.
sixpacksteve Offline
pro stock
sixpacksteve  Offline
pro stock

Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,468
N.Y.
There sort of like women fine 1 minute the next not so much!


Hell Hath No Fury Like Mine
Page 2 of 2 1 2






Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.1