msd issues 6al and 8594 distributor

[Rick Parker]

Just a bit of my experience. I run resistor plugs at a gap of .045 no wider. I am also hard headed an continue to run solid core wires with no apparent detrimental effects other than creating havoc on the radio of the car next to me in traffic . I have no other electrical accessories other than a Msd Rpm limiter that plugs into the MSD 6T Box. I route the #7&8 wires in such a way they do not create any cross fire. I do see some "rust" created on the magnet core and attaching screws but I occasionally attempt to scrub it with a small stainless wire brush and blow out With compressed air. My crankcase is well vented an I don't have a lot of Blow By that can and would otherwise be forced to some extent past the seals within the distributor and contaminate the atmosphere within the cap. I have never had the center electrode disintegrate. My personal thoughts are that this is caused by the electrical loads imposed by the combination of resistor plugs, resistance type wires, high powered coils and wide plug gaps. I do see some "fluffy" deposits on the brass poles within the cap and on the end of the rotor but it poses no problems and is easily cleaned. In the 25 years I've had my car I have had the same MSD box on it. I once thought the box had failed but it turned out that when replacing the pickup assembly I had installed the magnet upside down and thus changed the phasing and polarity causing triggering problems between the distributor and the box.
The only item that has to be watched closely is the dimension between the reluctor (star wheel) and the field coil pole of the pickup assy. You DO NOT want the reluctor to become magnetized so it is suggested you use a brass feeler gauge when setting the gap. If you check with MSD you will get one of many different answers for the correct air gap dimension. I use .015 for a strong signal.
Personally I think MSD is a well designed product overall.