I've got an MSD 6AL on one of my non-HAMB vehicles & I had an incident today with an electrical short circuit & now the car won't start - no spark. Any quick & dirty way to check the MSD box itself? I've got to test the distributor too & I can do that, but would like to test the MSD if able... ...because I was going to swap this MSD box onto my '40 when I build the new engine for it.
Ohm meter check? A buddy wired up a 6A box color to color instead of reverse of that and burnt up the magnetic pick up in the distributor b4 the box had any damage. And it had no damage. Changed distributors and was running fine.
http://www.msdignition.com/1troub1.htm If that link doesn't help you can download the installation instructions for a 6AL right off of MSD's website. Good luck...
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No problem Ernie, most of our circle track and street cars run MSD parts up here. I'm more than familier with that website... Let me know what you find...
OK - MSD is working well. However, it's not getting juice from the ignition switch - fusible link is fried (thought I saw a whiff of smoke over there earlier). Haven't checked the Unilite module yet, going to get some shut-eye & start fresh tomorrow - will get a fusible link tomorrow & replace it - see what happens! Thanks for the help - I'm an MSD virgin!
If it's anything like the Ford "Black Box" from the 70's/'80's you put a new one in and if it works, that was the problem. Symptom was they got heat sensitive, they'ed work fine until they got hot, like while you were blasting down the freeway, and then just quit. By the time you coasted over to the side of the road it'd cool off enough to work again. I usta keep a known good one in my desk when I worked at a dealership and would just plug it in ad go for a drive. If it ran OK Id sell the customer a new one.
msd and a unilte? thats like double trouble. msd liek a constant voltage, spikes will fry them. jumping starting, battery chargers, and of coarse welding wil lkill them too. on the plus side they are fixable. the unilite is another one that is very tempermental to voltage spikes. i do have both and they can work great. i dont think id give up my msd for the world.
I had problems with my msd6. i fried 2 boxes with a booster-charger .A rep at msd had me add amsd8830 noise capacitor in the feed line. it not only filters noise but also stops voltage spikes to the unit. I havent had any problems since. good luck! ME. GASSER
MSD has a test instrument for their boxes. Not sure if it works with the 6 box, I've only familiar with the 7 module. Should work I guess.
UPDATE: Replaced the fusible link & it runs. Seems OK too. Had the alternator pulley go shooting off & can't find the nut/lockwasher. So I can't run it until I replace that (runs the water pump). Thanks for all the help
Be carefull when dealing with MSD. I run Digital 6 boxes and had one go out because of the battery charger thing. I called MSD and they told me they would fix anything that was wrong for $89. I sent it to them ($11) and they called a week later and said they couldn'd fix it . If I wanted it back I had to pay another $11 shipping or they would sell me a new one . They also said I should run a capacitor to stop the voltage spikes. I ask " If you knew voltage spikes would blow out the unit why didn't you make the capacitor in the box?" No answer. I now run Mallory.
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