The official "MSD sucks" thread...

[Clem]

I started off to work today. Happy to be driving my truck. The darned thing dies just like turning the key off. I checked all the stuff I can while standing on the side of the road waiting on my wife. The stupid thing turned over but wouldn't catch... I've got fuel, I've got air. Fast forward to now... I check the dizzy to make sure I haven't eaten a gear. It's in good shape. I check the MSD box. Nothing. I check it again and it fires a spark...
Just to make sure I am not missing any thing, does any one have any idears?

If I got it all, the ****ed MSD is coming off and being replaced with an HEI.

[Desert Beast]

prabably a faulty box.
as hard as it might be to grasp, they might have a few items in thier inventory that might not work.

they are pretty good w/ thier customer service, just call them and they should send a new one out.

[Spectre]

Try a Jacobs Ignition. I've had bad luck (and heard about others having similar luck) with MSD 6-series boxes on Jaguar sixes.

[dedelus]

The one thing ive learned from my brother MSD is that they dont like heat. if yours was mounted inside the engine compartment that probably caused it to start being stupid.

[Clem]

Originally posted by dedelus:
The one thing ive learned from my brother MSD is that they dont like heat. if yours was mounted inside the engine compartment that probably caused it to start being stupid.

It is mounted to the passenger side inner fender well. It sits in front of the fresh air opening in the front of the truck (air for the carb). I am not being sarcastic asking this, but where is there a place that doesn't get too hot on a FSJ? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I think, if O'Reillys doesn't pitch too big of fit, I am gonna try to get my money back on it and go with one of Zach's HEIs...

[Spectre]

The only place I can think of is on the AC ducts. Speaking of which, I got mine working. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Bob Barry]

Is your MSD triggered directly from the distributor with a harness, or is the Duraspark II box still wired in-between? If the latter, the Duraspark II box can still fail and render the whole system dead.

[babywag]

Most of the problems I've seen or helped people with is usually bad wiring. Incorrect gauge/quality of wire, poor connections, corrosion in old crusty stock connectors, etc. etc.

They usually just fail, since your problem seems to be intermittent I would bet it's in the wiring somewhere???

[Clem]

I eliminated the duraspark stuff. I soldered up my own connection for the dizzy to the MSD. The wiring is all brand new. Soldered properly(heatshrink tubing and the like). I am the overkill guy on the electrical stuff. You can never be too safe with it.
All of the trucks electrical was ouot of the loop when I tetsed the box and got the one failure with it.
Usually, if it's fuel or an intermittent type of problem, I would think (bad thing to do late at night) that it would stutter and cough and back fire. This thing died just as simple as turning off the key...

[Clem]

Originally posted by Spectre:
The only place I can think of is on the AC ducts. Speaking of which, I got mine working. [img]smile.gif[/img]

I need to mess with my A/C system. No time and little money with a move coming up.

[Green Giant]

Buy it some flowers, and beg for forgiveness.....whoops, sorry that would be what I do when.... er.....nevermind.

Possibly a bad ignition switch? Honda recalled my wife's Civic because they had a few just die while driving. Recall was to replace ignition switches.

[Spectre]

Originally posted by Clem:
I need to mess with my A/C system. No time and little money with a move coming up.

I got mine up and running from zero in about six hours total labor and $400. This is that whole Sanden conversion thing.

[ July 14, 2005, 12:19 AM: Message edited by: Spectre ]

[Clem]

It's new too... When I say I redid the electrical, I ain't foolin'. It even got a new dizzy pick up just to be sure when I redid it all . I tried beggin' it to go. I gave up and cursed it after a while...

[Clem]

So that everyone can understatnd my frustration- the MSD box in question was purchased in February. It has been parked/started up until 500 miles ago. That is why the title to this thread is as harsh as it is...

[Clem]

Originally posted by Spectre:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Clem:
I need to mess with my A/C system. No time and little money with a move coming up.

I got mine up and running from zero in about six hours total labor and $400. This is that whole Sanden conversion thing.</font>[/QUOTE]I'll check back with you on that when I get after that...