Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

I don't know how many times I've taken something apart to find a problem, don't find anything, and then put it back together and it works perfectly.............

GARY C wrote: ↑Thu Nov 09, 2017 12:12 am

The thought was that they were fixing them but not admitting a problem in case someone wanted to sue for a damaged engine.

More than likely just swapping them for another.

Hasn't MSD been sold recently? No longer owned by Autronics? Maybe just a shop front company now, with the actual parts made by a third party company...who are not interested or set up for repairs...

MSD is no longer a "family owned" type of company.
Got sold twice not to many years ago and the corporate bean counters took over.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSD_Ignition

MSD is now owned by Holley, along with everything else that isn't Edelbrock.

GARY C wrote: ↑Thu Nov 09, 2017 12:12 am Early 2000 I had several friends with their boxs and retards, after sending them in MSD claimed their was nothing wrong with them but strangely they worked perfect once returned.

I have had the same thing happen three times with them. Pay for their inspection service (or what ever they called it back then) and get it back and the issues went away. It was not the vehicle wiring as harnesses were built right up to the box, and those stayed the same. (We had checked and double checked the wiring in the vehicles).

Paul

Schurkey wrote: ↑Thu Nov 09, 2017 11:58 am MSD is now owned by Holley, along with everything else that isn't Edelbrock.

Yep, I learned this the other day when researching my Accel 300+ ignition, which they discontinued as they already own MSD. Shame since I'm an old grump and will never purchase an MSD labeled product.

I believe the MSD 7AL-3 has potted internals.
This makes the part a non-repairable item.
Have you ever tried to repair a potted circuit board?

Was the MSD part past warranty period?


Cheers

FC-Pilot wrote: ↑Thu Nov 09, 2017 12:06 pm

GARY C wrote: ↑Thu Nov 09, 2017 12:12 am Early 2000 I had several friends with their boxs and retards, after sending them in MSD claimed their was nothing wrong with them but strangely they worked perfect once returned.

I have had the same thing happen three times with them. Pay for their inspection service (or what ever they called it back then) and get it back and the issues went away. It was not the vehicle wiring as harnesses were built right up to the box, and those stayed the same. (We had checked and double checked the wiring in the vehicles).

Paul

Yes that was the same with these guys, ran all the in car test to confirm it wasn't working, then got it back plugged it in and it worked.

Just did a 357c with brand new out of box 8580 msd dist. On dyno timing jumping all over then hit 4000 and quit altogether. Hmm. Check everything out only to find out that cleveland distributor had Windsor gear installed. They did replace dist. but sorry about cam gear, lifters and cleaning fragments out of engine. Another thing to double check. Grr

before buying another MSD box you might not like, take a look at Daytona Sensors

I liked Jacob,s stuff a lot but they bought out as well as Mallory and disappeared for the most part.

autogear wrote: ↑Thu Nov 09, 2017 4:20 pm before buying another MSD box you might not like, take a look at Daytona Sensors

Yes they seem to be a fairly small dedicated company, their progressive nitrous timers with data acquisition have gotten good reports and don't suffer interference like others, they make them for Wilson manifolds and a cpl of other compnys as well.

Bought a offset dist from these guys. Very good to deal with and excellent product!!http://swartzracingmanifolds.com/

emsvitil wrote: ↑Thu Nov 09, 2017 12:22 am I don't know how many times I've taken something apart to find a problem, don't find anything, and then put it back together and it works perfectly.............

Makes ya really believe in quantum mechanics. Observation alters the outcome. You observe that there's nothing wrong, and the outcome changes.