I tried the Borg Warner aftermarket cap, and with more research found multiple instances where people are indicating the problems occur with these MSD caps for two primary reasons.
1. Tab on rotor not bent up and not aligned properly; arching. Degrading center carbon terminal (as confirmed here on CC too)
2. Corrosion, dampness, rust, and evidence of deterioration inside of cap (ion gas, etc.)
One issue I have with using one of the stock Chevy replacement caps from Kragen or Parts America or other places is the springs don't seem to have quite the same amount of tension as the MSD cap does. They work, but seems like they should be a tad more snug on the disributor. Since I use the older style male wire setup, not the HEI terminal type, so if my cap goes bad I can use a standard Chevy cap in a crunch from any local parts store. So, I'll keep my BW cap as a spare and try the new MSD one.
So, just for the heck of it I just ordered one of the NEW "
MSD Extra Duty Distributor Caps" with (reportedly) improved terminals and lots of obvious vent holes in it. Look at the picture, there are large 1/4" diameter holes in the top of the cap and all they way around the cap. That's quite a bit of venting, i'll give it a shot and compare use/corrosion over time to see if it's any better or not.
Distributor Cap, Alkyd, MSD Chevy V8 Distributor Vented (8438)
Footnote: Quote: "MSD Extra Duty Distributor Caps are designed with performance in mind and are molded from high quality, voltage insulating material and use low resistance terminals", unquote. For Ford FE 332-428.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Link:
http://www.shopatron.com/product/pro...=MSD8438/424.0
You can get it for less at Summit, but this link was right off of the MSD website for information reference.
