I removed my MSD and my 462 Poncho runs much better without the MSD.. My engine builder who also races Pontiacs agrees, the MSD is a waste of money on a good running Pontiac 455.. He has hours of dyno time and has tried all kinds of ignitions.. He says the big Pontiac likes the natural high rpm retard that is inherent with the points ignition. My Pontiac has never run better since I switched to points only. If your motor idles better with it, you have lean idle carb issues. If you want to waste your time and money on MSD to band aid a poorly functioning ignition system, go right ahead.. Checkout the Jim Hand articles when building a Pontiac.. http://www.bafb.org/1968firebird.org/jharticles/jharticles3.html
Install a pertronix unit in place of the points in the stock distributor. You don't need anything extra externally..
I'm really not believing it, there has to be more to it. Just my experience. Some questions was it the same distributor? Had he adjusted the curve if it was an MSD distributor?
What to expect? it should run like any Poncho without the MSD. They were or are plenty stout as they came. You will most likely notice that your gas mileage has dropped a bit and maybe it'll be a little harder to start when it gets cold out.
What he said is correct. We ran plenty of cars with point distributors with no problems for years,other than replacing the points and condenser once a year. The other option you have is you can move the MSD box up under the dash. I am a big MSD fan, and I have mounted many of them under the dash (or even seats) in a number of my Hot Rods and street cars. Just a matter of lengthening the wires. Good luck which ever way you decide to go. (and forget about the dual points. At 5500 rpms, it won't make a bit of difference.
Hide the MSD under the dash, you'll be sorry if you take it out. It makes for a much cleaner running engine...
I am going to say points.. you will loose some mpg's and a bit of throttle responce... but they are easy to fix on the side of the road, and cheap to replace.
Everything car and truck I own (7) has a points triggered MSD ignition system. The points are merely a switch, so they will not wear out and will last forever. I notice a difference between a stock points system and and MSD triggered system, the MSD system starts faster and idles better. I have dual point distributors on a few of my cars and I simply remove one set of points. You can rev them to 7,000 + RPM's as I have a points triggered MSD installed in my dirt modified and it does not miss a beat. In the unlikely even that the MSD box ever goes bad, you can switch a couple of wires and be running on points power to get home.
I lke the simplicity of points also. But here locally, it's difficult to find parts in stock. The big chains have them but only in their warehouses. I had to wait to get a ballast resistor.
good luck with it. I would think that you had done something wrong or not tuned it to suit the msd for this to be true.
Im running points on all mine, no issues out of them, clean em every once in a while, replace em when they get bad, they always start.....
Tough question, if your ignition box was giving you problems then yeah, you need something that works. A little background on what I've been doing. I purchased and repaired a sun distributor machine. I run MSD, my racing buddies all ran Accel duel point distributors and the super coil. We've been going back and forth with what is the better ignition system. Over the last winter I've been researching a ton of stuff, and this is what I can tell you, most points ignition use a ballast resistor that limits voltage to the coil, so instead of 14.5 when running you have is lower than that, voltage makes it easier to jump the gap, and an MSD and other aftermarket ignition systems have a transformer that bumps the voltage up to 500+ volts to dump into the coil. (500v X 100:1 coil ratio = 50,000 volts at plug). I don't know how it works but something happens in the points system where when the coil field collapses, somehow the voltage is bumped up in the coil enough to jump the plug (10v x 100:1 = 10000v doesn't sound right). Anyhow to my point. My racing buds have had issues with their points, mostly mechanical issues, we tested them on my distributor machine, and we also set it up to fire the plugs like it would in the car. You can see a difference in intensity of the spark by bypassing the ballast resister (as most systems do when starting) but the points would carbon up real quick. Then to compare, we tested a duraspark system, it seemed more steady perhaps a bit better. The final test was a MSD 7a with the correct coil. The spark was ANGRY, though down low it can be deceiving because of the multiple strike, so you have to compare at say 4000 engine rpm. What has happened is that my friends are in the process of going to the 7 boxes, and using their points distributors to trigger it. If you think MSD is a bad company, Crane and Mallory make good ignitions as well. I'd love to have a setup where I could measure the output of the coil in Kv, and amp, but the setup is pretty expensive so the best I can do is make a pressure chamber to test plugs under pressure, but that's not done yet, mostly due to flooding issues... The thing that kills most MSD systems is poor grounds, you may think your system is grounded, but do a voltage drop test to the negative battery post to make absolutely sure your ground is good. IMO Points have their place, mostly in lawnmowers.
I don't doubt that it runs better. You had a problem with your ignition somewhere in the system. Two things that I have run into, one on a Non HAMB GM car with the battery in the trunk, I was not getting a good enough ground to the front subframe due to rust and rubber body mounts, I had a weak spark that I could not figure out for a week. Another thing is the distributor phase could have been off, I have run into this as well, the spark was jumping in between terminal posts, making for some goofy timing. Or your ignition box could have went bad. It happens, how many duraspark and HEI moduals have been changed in the world... Same with MSD, crane etc...
In my opinion, it will run better and more consistently with the msd... but the points are better for daily driving as they are so much easier to deal with when you have an issue.
When triggering an electronic system points don't burn away, but they do corrode. There is also the issue of rubbing block wear, distributor cam wear, and the effect of any play in the distributor shaft bearing/bushing. Points can last a long time when triggering an electronic system, but I disagree about them lasting forever. Yes, it's easier and cheaper to carry and replace a set of points than it is a magnetic pick-up. But...... the Ford style pick-up MSD uses in their distributors is VERY reliable. If that wasn't so I would agree that points make more sense.
the thing about msd with points,, the failsafe is built in, if the box fails, take it off the coil, run 12 volts to the coil, and run the - side back to the dizzy and drive home. Its harder on the points but you can drive several hundred miles this way before you have an issue. I've install a bunch of msd boxes, at least 100,, some on my stuff and lots for customers, never have I ever said to myself "Boy sure glad I wasted my time putting that msd on there as it didnt make anything better." Always made immediate difference even before tuning it in. After tuning it in theres no way I go back to stock. were you using the blaster coil with your Msd?
every problem I have had with MSD 6A has been me. instructions are a good thing. you must have 12v to box when cranking, grounds and positive must go to battery I have yet to have one "go bad" out of many and have used other peoples "bad" ones
I too have installed many of these over the past 15 years. I had one go bad. Sent it back to MSD and they sent it back to me repaired and all it cost me was the shipping to them. They fixed it and paid the return shipping. Excellent product and great customer care.
One thing to watch with installing the MSD under dash is the noise....sort of like a click/buzz. Not very apparent if unit is in engine compartment cant hear noise from unit w/ engine noise however, not the case in a quite area like passenger area
Some of you guys kill me.... To suggest that one V8 will run better with points than another V8 with an MSD freaks me out somewhat. Engine does'nt know WHAT is triggering its ignition system....nothing wrong with points, but im thinking there was a problem elsewhere in its installation. Like any electronic component it must be installed correctly to function properly. Never ever had any issue with MSD - been running in 2 cars for years without a problem. A great way to make these work is as mentioned; use the primary point to trigger the MSD box. Point never wears out and is there to get you out of a jam IF need be. Been running my blown flathead this way for opver 6 yrs - point looks brand new.
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