Possible MSD Problems???

[AMiller]

Fired my 351W for the first time in the car after a several year storage nap. Before the motor was put to extended sleep it was built, fired, and broken in on the dyno. Everything was good then. Now its in the car and things are not as good as I hoped. Just cant get things running right.

The short story is the only thing that has changed from when it was dynoed to now besides where it is sitting is the Ignition box. I dont know what it was hooked to on the dyno.

I bought a MSD 6AL and Blaster 2 coil for the installation. Carb and distributor are the same.

Anyway, I can not achieve a constant idle or proper easy start up. Sometimes it pops and sputters along with being really hard to turn over. Other times it runs like a top but if you check timing it is all over. It jumps around over 30 degrees but sits there and purrs like a kitten.

Motors good, distributor is set correct after hours of screwing around, and carb was just rebuilt do to long storage period. Things should be working.

Thanks Guys,
Aaron

[madmaxx]

could be the magnetic pickup in the distirbutor. if that is loose or defective the timing will hunt.

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Originally Posted by madmaxx

could be the magnetic pickup in the distirbutor. if that is loose or defective the timing will hunt.

I've found on my 2 cars with MSD ignitions that after sitting for a while, corrosion sets in real bad. Not only check the contact point in the distibutor car, but the reluctor wheel on the shaft, I've found mine will have corrosion on it after only a month or so without being run and the spark will be very erratic as is doesn't make good contact on the pickup as it spins around... Easy fix, just take some sandpaper and clean off the corrosion on the edges of the wheel, had to do it with my car the other day, running poorly and missing badly, checked everything and found the reluctor had a bunch of corrosion on it, once cleaned off, it ran like a champ........

Ckeck all you ground wires also, you might want to take them off and clean them up and re-install, sitting up will sometimes cause corrosion making for bad connections........

David

[FWB]

while i agree with the above posts, i have gone with a more permanent solution. i removed the msd 6 box, and the msd gm retrofitted distributor they hacked to fit the fe. they are for sale with 2000 miles on them. for the life of me i can't understand why a cap and rotor only last a year. msd offers nothing that a factory ford electronic does. oh....wait i'm wrong i get years out of cap and rotors and the ford unit doesn't rust up overnight. oh and the ford unit isn't mashed up against my front carb.

note: think about it, in all the years of screwing around with cars have you ever had a button fall out of a distributor cap? have you had to de-rust the pick-up in a distributor? msd is a great upgrade from points. msd is a downgrade from factory electronic.

[jwd]

Originally Posted by FWB

note: think about it, in all the years of screwing around with cars have you ever had a button fall out of a distributor cap? have you had to de-rust the pick-up in a distributor? msd is a great upgrade from points. msd is a downgrade from factory electronic.

Interesting. There are 100's of thousands that have never had a problem with a MSD product. I'm one of them. I wonder why they are the #1 seller of aftermarket ignition products if their products are so bad.

[DAVID GAGNARD]

note: think about it, in all the years of screwing around with cars have you ever had a button fall out of a distributor cap? have you had to de-rust the pick-up in a distributor? msd is a great upgrade from points. msd is a downgrade from factory electronic.

I agree with ya, been there, done that, but after we spend 500 bucks on an MSD distibutor and box, you feel compelled to use it no matter what............They really don't make good paperweights!!!!!!

David

[vector1]

is the msd box the same type that was used on the dyno?

if they are different likely one is retard and the other advanced.

analog amplifiers are ran with ign retarded, digital are advanced.

put a timing light on the balancer and check timing and then switch the wires and see wether the spark advanced or retards, this will tell you where your wires should be corresponding to the type msd unit you have.

check your timing none the less and see wether it has changed.

hth

[FWB]

Originally Posted by jwd

Interesting. There are 100's of thousands that have never had a problem with a MSD product. I'm one of them. I wonder why they are the #1 seller of aftermarket ignition products if their products are so bad.

consider yourself lucky, your in the minority, he's a few i linked there are hundreds just here with msd issues.

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[gt500bill]

I was having same trouble, Idling eratic, hard to start, BAD MSD box. Replaced it works fine now

[bobcowan]

When you took the engine off the dyno years ago, did you run fuel stabilizer through the carbs? If not, they're probably dried out and full of varnish.

As for the distributer, I agree. Seems like both MSD and Mallory have the same issues. I had the button in the cap disappear one day. I replace the module every year as a precaution. And I carry an extra cap, rotor, and module in the trunk at all time.

[AMiller]

Carb was removed, drained and shelved. Just put a Holley renew kit in it before install.

I dont know what ignition box it was dynoed with but it is not the MSD6AL I have now.

Talked with the MSD Teck. He thinks my alternator wire is to close to my distributor wires. Said to check voltage on the small red wire from the box, not running there should be 12 volts to the ignition with switch is on and at starting the voltage should drop to no less than to 8 volts.

More things to check I guess.

Thanks for the suggestions guys.