[chopper]

Terry:

I offered this on a previous thread, in response to a similar problem experienced by another member:


"I have had similar experience to Rick Lake with MSD service. I replaced a Mallory Unilite distributor with the MSD billet unit. Less than a year after installation, I began to experience all sorts of difficult/backfire-through-the-carb-during-starting problems. After tearing down the carbs and cursing Holley and all his offspring numerous times, I discovered that the real problem was that the advance weights on the distributor had rusted and stuck in the full advance position. I talked with MSD and they explained that they had briefly tried a "new and improved" anti-corrosion treatment which, apparently, didn't anti-corrode. I returned the unit to MSD and they essentially replaced all of the guts for free (minus shipping, of course). No more problem since then. They seem to really stand behind their products."


Some of MSD's distributors had the internals coated with an anti-corrosive which, apparently, didn't wear well. The centrifugal force generated at the higher RPM was enough to move the advance weights out, but the friction caused by the corrosion was also enough to prevent them from retracting as the RPM dropped.

As Mr Parker points out, the springs affect how quickly the advance comes in, while the nylon bushings determine how much advance is allowed.

Joe LaPille (sp?) was the technician I dealt with; I assume this is the same Joe you with which you dealt. He was very helpful and MSD took care of the problem with no difficulties whatsoever. They seem to understand the concept of "customer service."