engine will not start

Pull a plug and see if there's spark

Hi Will,
I already have and no spark.

Steve,
I've never had trouble with mine, but MSD boxes are famous for instantaneous complete failure.
Basically, good one second and gone the next. Take it to a speed shop, they should be able to test it.

Doug M

I you search on MSD web site they have installation instructions there. I recall a section that instructs how to test a box. Should be easy and you don't need to remove the entire box to do it. Could also be the coil in witch chase it would be an easy fix.

If all of your MSD parts are good then your problem may be the roll pin on your distributor. Just a thought.

I've had 3 MSD 6 boxes die in my Mustang.
Unplug it and jump the wires out and see if it fires.
For the Mustangs they had an adapter harness you could unplug and plug the stock stuff back in, fired right up after that for me.

MSD=Might Suddenly Die.......


Good luck....John

quote:

Originally posted by jjenn:
I've had 3 MSD 6 boxes die in my Mustang.


MSD=Might Suddenly Die.......

Lol.....This seems like a common MSD experience. I had two die in different cars within 6 months of each other and they were installed at the same time.

Does anyone know what gives up inside these boxes ??

Hi John.
I may have a spare MSD box if you need to test.
Let me know.
Will

Thanks for the offer Will.
I've gone a different route and no longer use MSD stuff.

The Ford ignition is much more reliable. The MSD continues to be Mysteriously Sucky Devices and will leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere for no apparent reason.

I only went through four MSD units before I saw a connection?

They seem to like low humidity climates like Texas, Arizona, Nevasa, Southern California the best.

They do not like the Norheastern US much at all.

Racers swear good by them but racers tend to change them out a couple of times a year or more which is my experience with them on the street.

Your mileage may vary?

Before we cause everybody to rip out their MSD stuff and pitch it in the dumpster. My mileage varies.
I have a digital 6AL and have run it on the track in Phoenix at well over 100 deg. In Canada at barely above freezing and in a foggy downpour on the Wahington west coast and it hasn't missed a beat in 4 years.

Doug M

Post that as a testimonial on the MSD website. They could use it.

Maybe it's just an era thing? I gave up on them about 1982.

Went to the Ford system.

Updated that a year ago with the Pantera-Electronics Ignition with the Ford pointless distributor.

So far, so good.

I can't think of even one instance where I have heard of the Ford failing on some one. I have heard of the drive pin failing, quite often, but usually associated with a freshly "rebuilt" unit.

It's good to compare notes and experiences.

Personally I look for common denominators and I take personal exception to manufacturers tech support telling me to stick it and buy someone elses products and "why don't you go bother them?"

But that's just me. Admittedly, I can be funny that way and sometimes take things too personally?

I don't understand why all you guys are having trouble with MSD ignitions. I have MSD distributors and 6AL in 4 of my fords. I have never has a problem. I wonder if by using both the distributor and the box both MSD mine are more reliable.

Some guys get lucky is the only answer. NASCAR uses MSD regularly and weight-conscious crew chiefs normally install TWO of everything, with a selector switch, so a driver can finish the event when (not IF) the first box, distributor or coil fails. And race-MSD stuff is 10X the cost of the over-the-counter prices at Summit or Jegs. Count your blessings.

I'll admit that I have had MSD failures - fewer than with Mallory; yet, still use the product. I think one reason so many units fail is that they are wired by well intentioned home mechanics who know little about electrical wiring. OTOH, Assembly line cars have had the wiring designed and laid out by engineers and installed by professionals.

While MSD does provide instructions, I have witnessed some horrific wiring of these units. I thought this type of ham handed electrical wiring was limited to cars. However, I attended a member's aircraft fly-in event. He lives in one of those neighborhoods with a home adjacent to the runway. Way cool. To my amazement, there was plenty of bubba wiring in a couple of the planes that I saw. Wirenuts were employed for gods sake. I couldn't believe it. I guess if that is what you know.

When I had mine fail I was using the wire harness I purchased from MSD for late model (at that time)Mustangs.
It was a plug and play set up.
They still failed.

Remember when Mallory put a bounty on the dead MSD equipment?
Buy a Mallory unit and send in a dead MSD part for cash back....
Kinda funny to me as I switched to Mallory long before that was offered.

I also see that Roush Yates has teamed up with Mallory in 2011 as well, so maybe those guys are fed up with MSD's failing.

I'm not a fan of a product that leaves me stranded in an intersection in traffic...

Just sayin.....John

I know that many car enthusiasts are completely out of their depth when it comes to electrical work and i have seen wiring in cars that a 10 year old would be ashamed of.

Some years back i made a electronic conversion for Chev engines to fit in the early model small distributors.

I gave the whole thing away because of the number of cretins that would not follow the instructions of how to wire the system up.

I had "customers" that even decided the earth wire on the ecu was not necessary and removed it even before installing the system. Consequently it did not work and they blamed me for it. Doh !

So i can see where MSD are coming from when they give explicit instructions on how to wire up their boxes.

I wired the MSD boxes up to the letter of the instructions and as others have found the boxes can still mysteriously fail without any warning.

When they work they seem to work well and i like them but the possibility of instant failure usually at the most inconvenient time puts me off them.

I'm still looking for someone that actually knows what the fault is that makes them fail.....

My car has a full Mallory setup, no failure yet, I hope it lasts LOL

I also have the MSD Tach adapter which flat out did not work ON MY CAR. This was the source of the problem with the MSD Tech people.

The Pantera is actually listed as being applicable. It didn't work.

Mallory, MSD, Allison all have fans BUT you can get replacement parts THAT ARE IN STOCK, if even generically for the Ford system virtually at any auto parts stores in North America.

I don't think you can say that about the other brands. Something to think about when you are out on a little spin in say "God's Country" and maybe can hear the howl of the wolves at Yellowstone? AHWOOOOOO! Just howl back, maybe they won't like the flavor of your meat?

Oh, and to my Canadian friends, they are "Canadian Timber wolves" that the US Interior Department imported and stocked into Yellowstone. You can tell by their accent hey?.

A Pantera that will not start can't possibly outrun a bear?

@AusFord:

"I'm still looking for someone that actually knows what the fault is that makes them fail....."

If THEY know, they aren't saying. They are made with too much crapolla off shore. The Tech guy reminds me of Senator Cruise of Texas, nothing but attitude?