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MSD Box or Coil
Ok, drove the car around in 90 degrees..Stopped to get gas and got a no start. I was not getting spark. Cools off and started up. I did the MSD test today when it was hot and got no spark from the coil with the MSD distributor connection leads shorted as shown in MSD's video. I figured I would replace the coil and wondered if there was a way to check it before I did. I was hoping to not replace the coil only to find the MSD 6AL ignition box being bad.
Phil |
Most likely its your coil but if it's not now you have an extra to carry in your trunk like I do.
I lost spark on the side of the freeway all due to a bad coil, now I carry a spare. |
Phil, your symptom is the same as I had when my MSD box failed. I never tested the coil, but went straight to a new box and that solved my problem. BTW, both my coil and MSD box are located under the dash and not in the engine compartment.
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coil
FYI
oil filled coils need to be mount vertical MSD will check and or rebuild your old box for a max of $80 plus shipping Dwight |
Phil,
The trouble with a test like that is, if it has spark then the pickup is faulty, that's easy. BUT, if it has no spark like your situation, it could be the coil, the amplifier module (6AL etc), or a poor joint in the wiring somewhere. While it is still happening with no spark from the coil, you can measure for about 500 volts across the coil terminals with a DVM while you paperclip jump the harness. Be careful doing this, that 480 volts is LETHAL. If the large voltage is there, the coil is faulty, if not the module, or further testing. If you don't want to do that, measure the coil primary and secondary resistances. About 1 ohm primary, about 3k OHm secondary, model dependant. Gary |
Sorta deja vu.
I had posted this in another thread last week... My MSD 6AL (PN 6420) died a couple of months ago. Started failing on hot restarts a couple of times then nada. Shock mounts under the dash were intact and external heat not an issue. Age was though as it was 13 yrs old. Using a 30x Loupe I found Tin Whiskers in 3 areas of the PCB. http://nepp.nasa.gov/whisker/index.html |
I had this same problem and kept a spare cheap auto zone coil in the toolkit. It's two screws to put it in. If the car runs with the el-cheapo spare, then buy the good replacement. Else swap the MSD box. I went through two of them on my Cobra.
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New coil made no difference. Sparked onces and then nothing. Pulled the MSD Box and replacing it.
Phil |
Changed the MSD 6AL 6420 to the new 6AL 6425, relatively easy to install and she fired right up. Just have some wiring to do. The new connector wires are a little longer which helps with less splicing.
Phil |
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Is that double MSD boxes as in a backup or is it a box for 4 cylinders each?
Phil |
Hey Phil
That is an ex-Winston cup, fully redundant ignition system two boxes and two coils, wired to a selector switch on the dash. I've never needed it, but Its nice to have! JASON |
IMHO the cure is leave the msd box mounted so everyone can oh & ah about it and run a stock duraspark box and dizzy which are bulletproof...
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