MSD Pro Billet Distributor Failure

 

 

Well, what can I say. The pretty MSD distributor failed miserablly. Not close to home but while I was on a run up the coast. The 37 ran great all the way up. We booked into a park and went shopping. Marg went into the supermarket while I stayed with the rod. When she returned, we went to go. I hit the starter and it would not fire. Looong story short. I worked out there was no spark. It was getting late and I wasn't very well, so I called for a tilt tray. He took us back to the park. I was to ill to do anything at that time and went to bed. Next day, with the help of a couple of rodder mates, we swapped the dead dizzy out. I must have not trusted the MSD because I carried a spare stock points dizzy and coil under the rear seat. We fitted it and the 37 started first try. I drove it that way for quite a few months while I investigated the MSD. Read on and I will tell the story. Hopefully, giving others some insight into these dizzies.
Now, most associate MSD with performance distributors, and I believed this was no exception...but, this is not a performance model. It is really a electronic distributor ( breakerless if you like) It has a stator spinning around past a magnet with a coil wrapped around it. As the stator passes the magnet, it will induce a small pluse into the coil of wire. This pulse is then fed into a module that amplifies this signal to a level large enough to drive a coil. The pics below show the inductor (coil with magnet) and stator on the right ( the thing that looks like a fan)
MSD, in their wisdom, hard wired the inductor into the main circuitry, which is located in the bowels of the case. Now to make it harder, they used odd sized hex screws. I have a good range of Allen keys, but none fitted these. I had to modify one ( read grind) to fit. What is shown below is the modifications I done to make it easier to fix next time (yeah, I have no faith). The original inductor did not have any connectors. Also, MSD chose to use hex screws and nuts to hold the inductor. That required complete dis assembly to get at them. You can see on the pic below, I used epoxy glue to make them fixed ( why MSD did not use stud posts beats me)  
Below, is the new,  modified inductor. I crimped on push lugs so the whole unit can be removed without taking the whole dizzy apart. Now the retaing screws are captive, it just requires a small open ended spanner and unclipping the lugs. I drilled 2 holes on the side of the case so I could cable tie the wires and lugs to prevent them for fouling with the spinning stator.
 




OK, now it's going again. What have I learnt. Firstly, this is a very expensive "pretty" distributor. It's construction makes it very difficult for us to fix. I think MSD would prefer us to send them back so they can charge a lot of money to fix them. The next question, is why did this fail?. The inductor is very simple. Similar in operation to an electric guitar pickup. There is no high voltages or current. I have never had a guitar pickup fail mid song. So this is just poor quality control and manufacturing. MSD showed little concern when I contacted them.  Here are a few tips for anyone with these distibutors.

1. Carry a spare stock dizzy, you might need it.
2. To test whether the inductor is at fault, you just need a simple multimeter set to Ohms x 2. It should show conductance when you go accross both leads. Of course, you will not be able to get at them in the stock form MSD created.
3. To test if the main board is at fault. Remove the coil lead and hold it close to a ground source. Turn the ignition on and off a few times. You should see a spark jump each time. If there is no spark, and you are certain there is power getting to it, then the main module is dead. You can still use the inductor to trigger an external module if you have made the same modifications I have. You just need to poke the leads through the 2 holes where the cable tie is and push lugs onto the splade connectors. You could use a real MSD unit that actually is Multi Spark if you like, but you can trigger any other electronic unit as well.
4. If you replace the inductor and the car starts buts not rev, reverse the connections.
5. I now carry a spare inductor with the splade connectors crimped onto the leads, but I also will carry a spare stock dizzy and multimeter as well. No, I don't trust it.
6. Would I recommend the MSD Pro Billet Ready to Run distributor?. No, they are very expensive and unreliable IMHO. Of course, if you are all for show and performance and reliability is of no concern, then they are great.

                                                                             

 

 

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