MSD Distributors - Here's Another Thing I Don't Like

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Originally Posted by patrickt

All the rust that forms on the inside, regarless of whether you drive it in the rain or not. No, I never bothered to drill the cap. And no, I forgot to do it again this time. No, I don't put a light coating of dielectric grease on the tip of the rotor and on each electrode. No, I didn't even bother cleaning the rust off -- even though the MSD tech support says the rust over the magnetic pickup can shorten its life. Mostly, I just took a snapshot of it so I could post it here and complain.

Yep, mine has looked axactly like that at one time, I took it all apart and cleaned everything I could get to with a wire brush and gave it a light coating of grease before re-assembly, PITA for a supposedly top-of-the-line product..........

Next time, I'll probably go with a good old junkyard Duraspark dist.

David

[Ronbo]

Good Lord! That second one looks like it's off a boat. (even the aluminum is ate up)

Still curious if this is more a problem with the cap being vented.

Either that or the coolant overflow was mistakenly plumbed to the distributor base... Seriously, that second one is not something you can pin on MSD. (Unless, of course, you live in the state of denial.)

People's F-up's shouldn't be used as evidence of a product defect.

[Pete Munroe]

I have had exactly the same problem.

Magnetic pickup and reluctor(?) ring are so rusted the magnet laminations on the pickup are pulling apart...the first MSD cap had aluminum terminals, severely corroded!, and finally the carbon button disintegrated. Replaced with another MSD cap...now, the REPLACEMENT has BRASS terminals! Why weren't the terminals on the original cap brass to begin with? cheap, cheap.

Is this an example of "Sell the sizzle, not the steak" ?

I have since read that NAPA, and probably other sources, have a cap that is cheaper with brass terminals. Would any Ford cap would fit? Don't see why not.

My old 78' Ford van had the Duraspark ignition and no corrosion to speak of, what gives ?

GOOD NEWS...the MSD 6AL box has worked fine for 14,500 miles, 7+ years.

MSD distributor internals and original cap are incredibly prone to destructive rust.

Pete

Originally Posted by DAVID GAGNARD

Yep, mine has looked axactly like that at one time, I took it all apart and cleaned everything I could get to with a wire brush and gave it a light coating of grease before re-assembly, PITA for a supposedly top-of-the-line product..........

Next time, I'll probably go with a good old junkyard Duraspark dist.

David