Bad MSD box?
 

For those of you that have had a MSD box go bad, Just send back to MSD for a rebuild. They charge about 1/3 the price of new or less.

I just got mine back, totally different and new box.

Just a pleasant FYI for those of you that didn't already know.

Yes they are good about that we send alot back yearly and they
replace 99% of the boxes as the epoxy kills trying to repair thrm
and they can replace it easrier and faster and cheaper !!
I've been usising their stuff 25 years or so and don't throw away any of their products return them ,the dist with corrosion or anything its cheap ,cheap :D :D :D :D

Bad MSD Boxes?? When I called them a year ago they told me they don't have bad boxes, & it must be another problem. Funny how I just bought a replaced box & gained 1600rpms. Hopefully I still have it & can send it back so I will have a spare.

turbo...i've had the same experience...

brand new msd box took a crap after 2 hours of running and I sent it back to them. they said they bench tested it and it was fine and sent it back to me. hooked it up and she no work. hooked up the msd box from the other engine and she fired right up...

sent it back again and they did the same thing...bench test, send it back to me and she still no work. they absolutely suck when it comes to tech/customer support...

i'll never buy another msd product.

:rolleyes:

Hey I'm sorry to hear that Dean I really haven't had but one or two slip through unfixed but I call and return them and get a new unit ,I'll return the box for you if it would help they do stand behind their products ,but as in any company they may have some flunky that has a bad aditude and they need to hear about it . I don't want my MSD stock to fall (MOPOWER<LMAO ) so I'll be glad to talk to our rep. ,,,let me know if I can help ,good luck ;) ;)

If one has an MSD box that has had it's connector clipped off and wants to re-connect to the engine (my friend's 7.4 Vovo-Penta), where could one find the wiring diagram to ensure proper connection?

bobby, thanks for the offer, i may take you up on it. i recently got the box back, but have not put the motors back in yet. i'll let ya know how it goes!

Reckless288- Go to there web site. They have all of the paperwork online.

BE happy to do it for you just let me know ;)

We need to shoot this thread over to Allan4 ;)

They have replaced a few boxes for me along with rebuilds on distributors. Always come back like new. I just don't think they should fail as often as they do. I keep a spare box with me on poker runs.

ever notice Winston Cup cars have 2 MSD boxes...there's a reason :)

I've seen many a race where the driver has to switch over to the second box...

Theres nothing to compare in winston cup as MSD is all they use
and with the vibration and high temp and current draw that goes up with RPM and they turn 9k+ its no wonder to me they break anything would for sure thats racing ///ALSO onthe cup cars if the motor starts to miss the driver has no idea why but the first and only thing they can do is flip a switch and it swaps boxes,coils,and even the pick up in the dist. ,,,and most of the time they never say if that fixed it or not ,but its all they can switch so you hear the announcer say "he just switched ign boxes " but its everything at once and that may not be the broken part ,(its valve train alot )
But yes the cup cars carry spares as I do and I also carry a spare water pump
If its man made its going to break ,I like them and my buddy MO-POWER likes CRANE to each his own we're both happy :D :D :D

I'll be glad to help you get a new box sean ,just let me know ;) ;)

:eek: :eek: Now , now , Bobby...get it right now. I like ANYTHING besides MSD:D. At 8500 rpms you can't beat MSD. At 5500 rpm , it's an unnecessary evil and you can't beat TB ignitions for simplicity and reliability;)

Now there's a smart MSD owner:D

Ya Sean, there's a reason, but I doubt you know what it is. Having 2 boxes is nice "in case of failure" but that is only one of the benefits of having an extra box on board. Show us how smart you are.... what is the real reason they all have 2 boxes Hmmmmmmm? My guess is your faith in MSD was shot to hell by incorrect installation, not following the directions (but REAL men don't need no stinkin instructions, right?) or being to cheap to buy the plug wires they tell you to run, or you will cook boxes. So you are saying 2 boxes in a Cup car is in case of failure? Is that your final answer? rotflmao

By the way, since you are educationg us, why isn't any other ignition allowed or approved by Nascar, NHRA etc? Yep, them MSD boxes are badd stuff.... Crane box & MSD distributor better? Only a moron would run a "patchwork quilt" ign. system IMHO, but me, Bobby and those big boys probably don't know she-it, heh?

BOBBY DANIELS... remember, you can she-it the fans, but not the players... (or in this case maybe the other way around)... lol

My last problem with MSD was last year July 3rd which really screwed up my plans for the vacation I had planned. The box was just over a year old and was sent back to El paso. They told me I was s.o.l. and had to buy a new one. However, they were helpfull in telling me how to wire up a gm module as a temporary solution. MSD is great when it works but you definetly need spare parts as a backup. I learned my lesson last year when the vacation I had planned for months had to be cancelled. Every other year I send all my stuff back to them for a check up/rebuild and they are really good about it.

A few things to think about.

1) An MSD ignition is great, but like any other Hi Output performance part it will require service. How many people send there boxes back to be checked out over the off season ? You're having you're engine and drive serviced !!!

2) There actually are other boxes legal in both NHRA & NASCAR, but MSD's service and dependability is why they are used more than all of the other brands combined.

3) As with any compnay problems happen I know a lot of the people at MSD they are great guys, and want to help just give them a chance !

Doug

Lets see,....wrong plug wires can fry the MSD box:confused:
Hmmmmmm , seems to me something is awfully delicate AND/OR running on the ragged edge of failure:(
In any case , out on the water , and in my case perhaps 100 or more miles for home(not a five mile lake) I'll go for the dependability factor.
14 year , TB ingition , zero probs. I.M.H.O.

Hey guys until 91 the boxes were private labeled with GM /Ford
and the parts catalogs for both had HD CD ignition listed and they were different color but were really MSD 6t's and soft touch rev control s marketed in this way to be legal in cup racing ,, in 91 they said run the red boxes and now you can see the MSD red boxes /the old GM boxes are worth alot
just an interesting fact to some !!

They are good people at MSD and as I've said everything breaks but I have never had any problem getting them swaped out for free or 50.00 bucks ,,,if you get a problem with them and the sales guy won't help get a manager they want you to be happy and the stock I have in MSD to go up ,mo-power says I have LMAO :D :D :D

You do have to run the proper coils and wires as on most boxes
or your going to have problems :D :D :D

Yeah Bobby,
My buddy with the engine shop who sends a number of MSDs to Nelson Specialties for upgrades , bought a three of them outright from Nelson and two of the three came in the GM aluminum case. My bud didn't care because he knew what was inside( coming from Nelson).
That was the first time I made the connection between the two;)

thats cool the GM boxes are hard to find and becoming very valuable in this part of the country .
Yes Nelson does some great work on MSD and alot of neat upgrades