I recently installed MSD 6-AL with programable timing. Little tricky to figure out at first but it allows you to program the advance curve and retards in at anywhere, you can start your engine with 15 degrees and let it idle @ 9 degrees etc... This is best suited for SC engine where retard is important or a heavy boat or running a lower octane occasionally

Anybody need a set of the Crane Hi6 marine ignitions?

I had the same problem, bought a low hours boat that had been sitting. I took the stator off, wire wheeled it and soaked it in naval jelly to get the rust off then soaked it in gun blue with a coat of corrosion inhibitor. It's been 3 seasons and no more rust.

Allen & Chris, Chris , is the engineer that designs them, the new boxes are fully digital even better than Cranes of the past.

Thats guys for all the responses and keep them coming! I too have the MSD distrib. and have had the rust issues, BUT don't know if I should ditch it for a totally new set-up or not. Thats part of my inquiry. All I know is MSD. Been using it for YRS. during my drag racing days (then I got a boat! LOL) Thank for the Amazon info Mild Thunder! And I guess I need to take a look at this Daytona Box, I too waant to no if it can be used w/ MSD Distrib?

Send the Dist back to MSD. For what they charge, you cant rebuild it yourself with the parts. Sent my rusty old distributors in, with no caps and rotors. Got them back, with all new parts, looking brand new, and with brand new cap and rotor. I want to say it was about 100 or 125 bucks. The new gear, reluctor wheel, pickup, cap and rotor will pretty much cost that much.

Heres what I used to coat the internals of the distributor when I got them back. This stuff is great.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/CRC...143?Pid=search
The Crane box, or Daytona box can be used with a MSD or just about any other magnetic trigger style distributor.

I used the Crane Boxes on my last boat. For some reason they would work this spring? Either way I'm going to send them back to Daytona Sensors and have them repair them. If you look into it on here you will see a lot of people had problems with the MSD stuff, which is the reason why I went to the Crane in the first place.

I still don't get the need for boxes...

On most stock engines, they really arent needed. However, when you get into big long duration cams, superchargers with big carbs, lots of cylinder pressure, etc, the multispark helps keep plugs firing and not fouling.

Been running them for years on blown big blocks. Lots of no wake zone idling, never fouled a plug.

Plus some of the stuff allows lots of other options. Start retard, built in limiters, programmable curves, boost retard capability, knock sensor input, and so on.

I get it with superchargers for timing and such and completely agree. Lots (ok, maybe some) of standard systems fire twice at low rpm or have a longer spark, you don't need a box for that. Everyone feels the need for boxes and I just don't get it, that's all.

I'd rather foul a plug (which I have never done) than need to worry about a box failing or carrying an extra, or carrying an extra complete distributor!!! All of which I have heard in this thread.

Every one of these threads ends up "My XXX box is a hunk of ****" "No your XXX box is a hunk of **** and mine is better" "I rewired my hunk of **** box with this other hunk of **** box and it failed too"

While I agree they are necessary in a lot of circumstances, about 80% of the people who use them, don't actually need them.

That is all

I've been running MSD 7M boxes, coils and dist's for 5 seasons now without issues with the boxes. Only issue was with dist vent screens corroding up since they made them in brass or copper and moisture would build up in caps causing scattered spark. Replaced the screens with stainless and no issues since.