? for you guys who had MSD problems

[cave]

I was out on the lake this past Sunday and got rained on pretty good. My MSD Box is covered and mounted on the back of my rear seat. Its up high and didnt appear to get wet.
Symptoms, First the engine started to backfire just a bit while running @ 4k. Then it popped and the motor shut down. I couldn't get it to start. So I paddled for 1 million miles, OK it was like 300 yards but not 1 wake boat offered to help. Any-how once I got back to Dock 2 I checked the ground which is on the head and is tight. All my fuses are good and Positive cable is snug. I checked the wires to the tach and all were tight. Then after an hour of wiggling every wire in the boat & tinkering with the carb I pushed the boat out & the engine fired.
After a few minutes it would just die. So I tighten all the connections then tried again to start the motor and it started. I putted around the no wake zone and it was running fine. So I headed past the no wake, got the boat on plane then it sputtered then died. It started right up but would shut down a few minutes later.
So here is the question. Any one who's had an MSD 6AL box fail have any of these signs before your MSD box failed?
I replaced the coil today. I dont want to buy a new box if the old one is good and it was just the coil going bad. I've had this box since 1999 so if its the box I figure its prolly time;)

[CampbellCarl]

'75 Howard Day Cruiser, 454, Berkley etc. Winter project last year, ran good on trailer, to the lake for test and tune. Ran out of no wake zone, up to 3500 rpm, all good, went to 4000 and engine just quit like turning off the key. Tested with another coil and decided that the MSD must have 'shit-the-bed'. Before you throw yours away, call MSD, they'll give you a return #, ship it to them, then they'll repair and return. I think the repair on mine was $65.00 or so, and all runs good since then (fingers crossed). They were great to deal with and repaired the long out of warranty item with pleasure. Try it!
CC

[RCB19]

Sounds to me like you have water in your gas. Pull the fuel bowls to see if you have any traces of it.

[bruleracer]

sounds to me like we aint got a life on friday night problem!

[RCB19]

Headed to the river in the morning. I think there is life there??? You going to be up in Bako in a couple weeks?

[OverKill]

Yep no life here :D . Jimmy I would 86 the MSD all together, thats just my opinion. I don't like the rep of the MSD box. In all honesty talk with Phil Bergeron, he can hook you up with a better system that won't send you paddleing. Oh are you going to Barttlet on Oct. 6th? if so I will see you then.
OverKill

[squirt'nmyload]

Yep no life here :D . Jimmy I would 86 the MSD all together, thats just my opinion. I don't like the rep of the MSD box. In all honesty talk with Phil Bergeron, he can hook you up with a better system that won't send you paddleing. Oh are you going to Barttlet on Oct. 6th? if so I will see you then.
OverKill
classic :D :D

[Jetaholic]

Yep no life here :D . Jimmy I would 86 the MSD all together, thats just my opinion. I don't like the rep of the MSD box. In all honesty talk with Phil Bergeron, he can hook you up with a better system that won't send you paddleing. Oh are you going to Barttlet on Oct. 6th? if so I will see you then.
OverKill
This coming from a guy who's been on the 'funny gas' lately...:D

[cave]

I got 7 years out of the MSD box so I really cant bitch about it. for those 7 years I ran my boat most of the day rain or shine. Jumping from wake to wake the last few years. I know MSD has a hit & miss with most on here. I have the same box in my 66 Mustang 2+2 and its been in there since 1997.
Sounds to me like you have water in your gas. Pull the fuel bowls to see if you have any traces of it.
I got a water separator and it was dry. I drain it every trip back for gas just in case. I did pull the bowls and they both were clean & no trace of water. I bought this system because I had water in my fuel from the git go.
Thanks for the tip RCB19
Overkill I know Phil could set me up proper but this is something he would just shake his head and think, "Keep It Simple Stupid". In Phils voice "just put all the old stuff back on and drive it". Problem fixed.:D
Bartlett? I may sit this one out now. I need a new stroker crank for the Alky Banshee and dune season may just start earlier for me this year. The crank is gunna cost me around the same as a new MSD box and if I sent it to MSD I wouldn't have it for a couple of weeks.
The boat ran great this summer and I really put some gas though it. All in all I got all year to run it if I break the Shee again. We ain't got no winter here. we got hot, Hotter, Hottest then back down to hotter then Hot:D Just need a jacket & beanie in the morning.
Thanks for the help.

[tx-19]

I got 7 years out of the MSD box so I really cant bitch about it. for those 7 years I ran my boat most of the day rain or shine. Jumping from wake to wake the last few years. I know MSD has a hit & miss with most on here. I have the same box in my 66 Mustang 2+2 and its been in there since 1997.
I got a water separator and it was dry. I drain it every trip back for gas just in case. I did pull the bowls and they both were clean & no trace of water. I bought this system because I had water in my fuel from the git go.
Thanks for the tip RCB19
Overkill I know Phil could set me up proper but this is something he would just shake his head and think, "Keep It Simple Stupid". In Phils voice "just put all the old stuff back on and drive it". Problem fixed.:D
Bartlett? I may sit this one out now. I need a new stroker crank for the Alky Banshee and dune season may just start earlier for me this year. The crank is gunna cost me around the same as a new MSD box and if I sent it to MSD I wouldn't have it for a couple of weeks.
The boat ran great this summer and I really put some gas though it. All in all I got all year to run it if I break the Shee again. We ain't got no winter here. we got hot, Hotter, Hottest then back down to hotter then Hot:D Just need a jacket & beanie in the morning.
Thanks for the help.
take ur msd box to lopers and they will check it to see if that is ur problem

[Outlaw]

Hey cave,
I carry one of these HEI modules with us when we go to the lake
for emergency use. on the 4th of July trip one of the boats running MSD
just poped and quit, No Spark, so we pulled out the HEI module with alligator
clips on the leads, unplugged the msd module cliped on the HEI to the MSD dist. and coil. fired it up set the timing and he ran it the rest of the weekend.
he actually thinks it ran better. I just mounted the HEI module to a small
piece of aluminum as a heat sink. here is a link to show you how to pin out the module. I think I have about $30 bucks in it.
http://www.megamanual.com/ms2/GM_7pinHEI.htm
Just use the 4 pin module and hook up the P. N. C. and + pins.

[bp]

I got a water separator and it was dry. I drain it every trip back for gas just in case. I did pull the bowls and they both were clean & no trace of water. I bought this system because I had water in my fuel from the git go.
Thanks for the tip RCB19
what do you mean by dry? i understand "no water", but the drainable seperator i had would drain water, then gas until the drain was closed. were the bowls full when it started dying?
which dist do you have? the only problem i've had in 11 years of running msd was the result of loose ground connector, so no personal experience with the type of failure you're talking about. i've been -told- they either run or don't, but the loose connection resulted in goofy performance before i found it. i have did have the same type of symptoms you describe back when i ran an hei. didn't paddle, just waited 20-30 minutes and then it would run. real pita trying to figure out which part was bad - it wouldn't fail bench testing, only after running at speed for awhile. parts guy said "but it bench tested ok".. i said "gimme, it's the only thing i haven't replaced". parts guy; "well, let me know if it worked so i know my bench tester isn't accurate".. i say; "if you never see me again, you know it worked"... he never saw me again... good 'ol napa in weaverville 18 years ago.

[earlbrown]

I have the same box in my 66 Mustang 2+2 and its been in there since 1997.
Swap boxes with the Mustang and see which machine starts acting up.

[Bajajet]

http://www.***boat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96684
My pick up coil died kinda like that.

[cave]

Thanks for all the info. I'm better off just buying a new box and sending this one back. I'll have a spare. Heck I already have one If I use the Mustangs. Thanks JC. like BP mentioned, If it works occasionally it will pass the bench test. WTF its only money.

[maxwedge]

Why don't you take the box of the Mustang and run it in the boat for a while to see if it still has the same symptoms.

[cave]

earlbrown & maxwedge, Yeeup thats what I'll do. Looks like I will be at BArtlett Saturday maybe even Friday evening. Totally forgot about the stangs 6AL... Overkill you got the steaks right??? I'll send the other one from the boat back to MSD.