MSD mess

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lil elephant

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OK guys, HELP!!! After having my MSD system on the shelf for about a year I decided to be ambitious and install it into my 1975 DART SPORT today. After wiring the thing in per the instructions, I have zip!!!! Car turns over but no start... Anyone have any ideas as to what the problem might be???
 
my brother in law had a digital six msd box and we were getting no spark. Found the pick up in the billett msd distributor to be junk. replaced, pick up working, still no spark. no power to the coil! Had a bad digital six box.
First check for voltage to the coil. Then possible distributor problem, next msd box. Look on msd website, they have trouble shooting routes you can take to see if box is bad! Could be as simple as a power up(lack of) to the box or lack of a good ground!
 
I had a Mallory did that.Everything was done right and zip for spark.Disconnected the main power wire and hooked her back up.Bang,she fired!Must have rebooted it or something...lol
 
HAve you tested anything, of just connected wires? You need 12 volts (minimum 11 when cranking) at the large red, 12 volts while ignition key is in "start" or "run" positions a tthe small red wire, the coil + is IIRC orange, and black is coil -. Then the pickup or the white trigger wire. Now, to quick test, if you use the magnetic pickup (small black connector on MSD box), connect the two pins at the box's connector witha jumper wire. with the key on. When you break that connection, the unit should spark. If you use the white wire, ground the white wire, then remove it from ground. When you break the connection, the unit should spark. I take the coil wire off the cap for this and lay it near a solid ground for that test. No spark means either bad unit, or wiring issue.
 
There is a trouble shooting guide in the MSD instructions. It will let you know if the box is working or if you need to look else where. If it looks like the box you need to make sure you have power and ground next before concluding it's the box.
 
i put my ign 1 and ign 2(start and run) spliced into the small red wire so spark happens in both. i eliminated the ballast since the box now signals the coil. definitely do the tests above to check for a bad box. my performance shop has an msd tester on the counter.
 
You guys rock!!! thanks for all the ideas. With all the input I found my prooblem. It seems the MSD box needs a constant 12 volt switched power supply (small red wire), I had attached it directly to the fuse box and when the car was cranked the voltage would drop and thus not supply power to the box. As soon as I found a new source BINGO she fired right up!!!!! Again; thanks to all who took the time to respond.:nike:
 
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