RonS

For those of you running MSD ignition, what issues if any as far as reliabilty have you had. Also has anyone had any issues with tach bounce when running these ignition systems?

rbtnt

No problem with tach bounce, but I carry a spare box, cap and rotor from past experience.

Pwrbt33

iTrader: (2)

No real problem with Tach bounce, but have had a helllllafa problem with the insides of the dist. rusting up on customers boats. Boy does that make for a blown motor, no advance, won't idle right and bad starting.

Now I like to use the Mercury dist. and a Crane ignition box. This set up has been great for a long time. Plus if you break a cap, rotor or dist while you are boating, most marine places carry Mercury ignition parts.

Pwrbt33
Offshore Performance
1-877-GOFAST1
410-827-0200

35/25

I had the complete MSD system (6m2 box, soft touch rev control, coil, wires and distributor). After one month, everything under the cap was rusty. Had to check it often and spray with WD 40 to keep the advance mechanism from sticking and the reluctor wheel from simply rusting away. Then you have to make sure the rust residue that washes off with the WD doesn't plug up the vent screens in the base of the housing. But the worst problem was the way it would go through distributor caps. The contacts would corrode quickly and if you didn't stay on top of it, the cap would eventually carbon track between contacts and cause severe crossfiring, obviously causing the engine to run horribly (popping, backfiring, shaking, etc to the point you shouldn't even attempt to run it even at idle). Once this happens the cap is junk. Worst thing about it is that it can happen without notice. More than once we were caught off guard. We would be out running most of the day and shut off for a few minutes to have a snack or whatever. Go to restart the motor and it will hardly run. Just like that!! Only solution at that point is a new cap. Learned to carry a spare.
On the plus side, it was easy to fine tune the advance curve, never fouled plugs and never had a problem with the ignition box after 300 hours.

Rich

Ratchet

In regards to tach bounce, I have a bit of that and so do a few other people I know.......we are all basically running the pro-billet msd (street) distributors, with 6al boxes.

The other day one of my engines wouldn't start, then after a few minutes it fired right up. Well, with 5 people getting into the boat, a 1/2 hour before a poker run, the thing dies and that was it. After a bit of surgery a new box was hooked up in about 20 minutes, and we were off. If you don't use a marine or a high vibration box, they are known to go. The ones on my boat were in there since 98 though.

robyw1

It is likely your tach bounce is coming from either the signal wire being too close to a plug wire, a poor quality connection or both. to avoid this I always run the tach signal wire into the side of the box. (I'm sure you have done this) Most importantly keep the signal well seperated from coil and plug wires. Othewise I have had good luck with the 6 and 7 series MSD ignition.

Roby

RonS

I'm actually asking the question because of converstion I had with Wildthingtaz, He mentioned that he is getting a lot of tack bounce with Msd and was unable to get rid of it. I'm also intrested in the reliablility of the MSD ign because I may build a couple of motors this fall. Not sure if I should go with Merc thunderbolt or MSD. It almost seems to me that the MSD is more problimatic than Merc's thunderbolt ign systems.

bpine

I have run MSD, Thunderbolt, and Davis Unified ignition! I have ran MSD On land and water! I have had only 1 MSD6m box go bad. I went to start the boat one day and there was nothing. MSD Replaced the box under warranty! I did have the problem with the marine distributer star wheel ( the item attached to the shaft that triggers the magnetic pickup, corroded on me causing a misfire, seemed to get alot of mositure under the cap. I called MSD and they gave me a part # for a wheel that was corrosion resistant. I bought it through Summit. I asked msd why they just didn't put that in the distributer to begin with. Never received a really good answer. As for DUI I am extremey pleased! theses guys are the best. they make a Dist. that you hook up one wire from the ign. switch to the Dist. and away you go. I hit a rock at 100mph on a river, barrel rolled it three times and it was under water for 24 hours, I pulled the boat up rebuilt everything in two days and finished the race! the distributer still worked fine! Also DUI makes the BEST WIRE SET YOU EVER SEEN! check these guys out. http://www.performancedistributors.com/marinedui.htm I cant recommend them enough! As for tach bounce. is your friend using all MSD stuff? Dist., coil, and Box? I have never had any bounce. I use an Autometer tach!

Bryan

Comanche3Six

10 seasons no problems. How many marine parts can say that.

RonS

Checked out the website of performance distributors, anyone else have any experience with them?