MSD Distributors - Here's Another Thing I Don't Like

[hauss]

That is not rust it"s chocolate powder sprinkled on top look underneath no rust.

[Dons427]

I have an ERA 427 with a 428 SCJ and aluminum heads.
It has an MSD distributor and it has rusted like your photo.
Also: the carbon button under the distributor cap has worn down in 1,000 miles!
The new cap and rotor from MSD came with a height gauge to set the spring steel conductor on the rotor.
They may have figured out that the premature wear is due to non contact from the rotor to the cap, which causes arching and erosion of the carbon.
I will remove the cap for winter storage and spray the distributor with WD-40.
Wipe off summertime.

[DanEC]

I've been helping a friend reassemble and sort out a 69 Hemi Roadrunner and the engine builder convinced him to use an MSD distributor. It's a monster - sits a full 3 inches higher than the original and after blowing holes 3 times in the #1 wire cap boot, we finally figured out it was compressed up against his underhood fresh air intake tray and there was a metal reinforcement in the tray perimeter that was right on top of that wire boot and was bent from contact. Still not sure how it's going to ground as the rest of the tray is fiberglass/plastic but doesn't matter it is. He talked to MSD and they basically denied their distributor was significantly taller than a stock one and one guy there went so far as to suggest he saw a piece off the bottom of the cap and shorten the rotor!!! The next guy he talked to at MSD did tell him not to do that. But they were still clueless as to why there was a problem. A full 3 inches taller. So now I'm rebuilding a dual point Prestolite Mopar distributor for him. He still wants to put a Pertronix unit in it which I think is a mistake but it's his car. You couldn't give me and MSD under any circumstances.

[undy]

Mines been totally trouble free for 20K miles, with the same distributor cap and rotor. There's never been a hiccup from idle to redline!

[MaSnaka]

I had a share of problems with my old Mallory Unilite. The MSD I replaced it with has been working like a champ. 1 year old now. I better open it up and look inside. Fingers crossed.

John