Having trouble getting spark out of my ignition. I have an MSD a high voltage coil and a stock electronic distributor. I rewired it the ignition according the MSD instructions, which eliminates the ballast. A first it ran great. I drove it for while then it no spark. I checked the wiring, and couldn't find any issues. I had another coil so I desided to try it and the car fired right up drove the car a bunch for the next couple of days with no issues. Came out today and again no spark! Tried a different coil still no spark? Wiring still looks good, what I'm I missing here?
Throwing my hands up on this ignition!
- Thread starter Valkman
- Start date
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doug 371
Well-Known Member
make sure the white wire from the msd isnt grounding on something...
Professor Fate
Push the button, Max...
People will hate me for this, but...
Ditch the MSD. Get a nice older chrome box, and new coil. And throw a spare ballast in your glove box.
Ditch the MSD. Get a nice older chrome box, and new coil. And throw a spare ballast in your glove box.
Congtact MSD they are having a ton of problems with the newer boxes.
Isn't there some other brand of multispark ignition without all the MSD issues?
Nothing I woud recommend.
There used to be transistorized ignitions back in the day buy they weren't multispark I bet.
CDI is a wholle different animal. In theory more amperage stored up to send to the coil. Prob have most of them around just cool to show peope. Dont get why people want it on thier street cars might gain .2 of a second with it.
I can see the benefit of CDI especialy with high compression. The multispark seems to work at lower rpm and a street application could benefit. I see Summit has a multispark set up. Who knows who makes it for them though.
China I am sure.
Thats why they used it on the SS cars, another oh my car has CDI gimmick.
thesiren74
Well-Known Member
Fbo and move on with your life
My car wouldn't run right with with chrome box? Believe me I tried. It ran great with MSD that is when it ran. I should add this a built motor, 410 roller cam Eddy ported heads. The box I'm using isn't an actual MSD it's Summits version and I think it's working fine. I think it's something else that's the problem.
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I did isolate that wire.
Professor Fate
Push the button, Max...
Note that I said an "older chrome box". Chrome boxes work fine with much more radical combos than this. The new Chinesium knock offs have their own set of issues. Or, as stated above, FBO.
Guys the ignition box is fine, there something else going on here. People have been using MSDs for ever, and yes maybe there not as reliable as they once were but for most part they still work. Otherwise they wouldn't sell. How about a little less option and maybe some constructive help please.
Thanks
Thanks
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Professor Fate
Push the button, Max...
You asked. If you've got the answers, then we're not needed. I'm done- gonna go for a drive in my *running* car.
Good luck.
pishta
I know I'm right....
Old Mallory. Rock solid. If you got an MSD like control box, you can listen closely to the box when the distributor triggers it, or drag the white wire off a ground and you should hear a high pitched squeak out of the control box, that's the transistor triggering ~6 times and you can hear it. That would tell you if the control box is actually sending the coil the CD signals. Whats the resistance of the coil? I know it doesnt like race type coils with their extreme resistance values.
No hate from me. I cannot STAND anything MSD. The stock ignition can be much better through distributor mods and upgraded modules.
...yet, so far the one person who disagreed with you is the one person who could benefit from your advice. lol
Want simple hot spark?
Mopar HEI conversion with the high voltage E-Core Coil.
'95 Ford F-150 have a nice 2 post high voltage E-Core coil if you are ordering parts. They run cool and run straight full 12 volts, no ballast resistors bringing down the voltage.
2 wires in, 2 wires out, done deal.
@318willrun has a good youtube video out how to simply do this.
Run nice, quick starts, burns the spark plugs clean. Enjoy !!!
☆☆☆☆☆
Mopar HEI conversion with the high voltage E-Core Coil.
'95 Ford F-150 have a nice 2 post high voltage E-Core coil if you are ordering parts. They run cool and run straight full 12 volts, no ballast resistors bringing down the voltage.
2 wires in, 2 wires out, done deal.
@318willrun has a good youtube video out how to simply do this.
Run nice, quick starts, burns the spark plugs clean. Enjoy !!!
☆☆☆☆☆
We took Vixen to the Dairy Queen today to meet a somewhat local member to give him an extra sway bar I had. Her points ignition sure burns it up! She's a real hottie!
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Thank You pishta for giving me some input I can use.
Ok I'm sorry for rubbing some of you the wrong way, but if I just go ahead swap out a the ignition system because some doesn't like what I have and I still have the problem, then I've just wasted a lot of time and money. I'd like to make sure it's not some else first.
Let me give you all some context of what got me where I'm at now, so maybe you can understand better what I'm dealing with:
I did and engine swap from a warmed over 340 to a 400+ hp 410 while using the same ignition (a Chrome box stock distributor and a Accel coil ) I figure if it worked fine the 340 it should be ok with the 410. Well it didn't! After trying 4 different carbs (2 AFB's a brand new Street Demon and a new Double pumper) it still wouldn't idle and ran like crap. I even swap out the ECU Distributor and coil, with no improvement. My friend had a Mallory High Fire so I tried it and "like that" it ran great! I set out to find one these High Fires and they were not available, so I did a little research and come find out that it appears the Summit unit is made by the same people. It have seen good reviews for it so I bought one, and built a new engine harness and it ran great till it didn't. I swapped out the coil to a Petrolix and ran great again till it didn't. I can tell it's not getting spark because there's' an LED on the summit box that flashes when it does.
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