# goats eat everything even msd coils



## tyler t (Aug 15, 2010)

so. i have a msd 6A ignition box, a msd pro billet distributor,msd plugwires, and im using a blaster 2 coil. my gto has now officially gone threw 3 coils... i know for a fact that i have everything hooked up right. ive checked my wiring several times and so has my dad. i tried the blaster 3 and it ate that too. after about 2 months they all crap out. 

my question is, why are my coils being ruined ?... is it the 6A box? how can i test the box to see if its working correctly? what would you do if this was your goat? 

:willy::shutme


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

I would swap out the 6A box at the same time I put the new coil in......IMHO


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## tyler t (Aug 15, 2010)

would you stay with msd ? or switch to malory? i only have msd dcause my grandpa bought the distributor and box before he gave me the car like 8 years ago. i think im gonna save up for an hei distributor...


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

tyler t said:


> i think im gonna save up for an hei distributor...


I know people that run MSD on everything and have never had an issue. I haven't ran them, don't know much about them and I stick with HEI's, because if they break, they are easy to fix and all parts stores have parts for them. Even the high end HEI's can use stock modules to get you home.. But, if they are converted to use the MSD 6a box, then the Module is already removed and I don't know how to switch back to a stock module.


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## tyler t (Aug 15, 2010)

bing bing bing!!! so the distributor instructions say to hook the ignition wire to the positive coil post before going to the msd box. the msd box instructions say to go straight to the box with the ignition wire.. im going to go get another free autozone coil and try the other wiring method. hope i didnt already ruin the box.. if i did, back to the hei idea ..


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

Good luck. I don't know the MSD box wants a full 10 gauge wire from the battery of voltage.
Just watched your video, nasty sounding 455. If all you guys get your cars runing this spring, Bad Ass Pontiacs are going to rule the streets!!


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## tyler t (Aug 15, 2010)

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! problem not solved... i hate msd... im growin gray hairs from them :willy: im gonna try to hook it up how it was before and see if it starts... its either the box or the distributor...


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## tyler t (Aug 15, 2010)

jetstang said:


> Good luck. I don't know the MSD box wants a full 10 gauge wire from the battery of voltage.
> Just watched your video, nasty sounding 455. If all you guys get your cars runing this spring, Bad Ass Pontiacs are going to rule the streets!!


 thanks.. its not open headers any more


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

+1 Jet....i came home and started mine at lunch.....LOL, just to hear it run and get a smile. Buddy jumped when it fired with a little bump, love those HT starters. have the pipes on with two different mufflers, like the summit ones that are quieter at idle, thrush have too much POP for my taste. 

Tyler, grab a GM HEI from the junk yard and re-build it, be cheaper than a new MSD box reliable and parts are available at every corner. I have MSD and ext coil on the shelf, wanted to keep it simple for start up so i just used HEI. and will see how it runs before adding anything to the mix. I always adhere to K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) when i am in doubt. Trouble shooting is eliminating what is working right until you find out whats working wrong so the less parts the better....great sounding 455, man i could just hear a line of us ****** running the power cruise....what a symphony....:cheers


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## tyler t (Aug 15, 2010)

Instg8ter said:


> Tyler, grab a GM HEI from the junk yard and re-build it, be cheaper than a new MSD box reliable and parts are available at every corner. I have MSD and ext coil on the shelf, wanted to keep it simple for start up so i just used HEI. and will see how it runs before adding anything to the mix. I always adhere to K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) when i am in doubt. Trouble shooting is eliminating what is working right until you find out whats working wrong so the less parts the better....great sounding 455, man i could just hear a line of us ****** running the power cruise....what a symphony....:cheers


:agree
thanks for the advice man... ill try to find one


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

here ya go bud.....

Ignition 2 HEI


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

I would just buy one of ebay, or at the parts store. You can get a new HEI for a poncho for $60. I've heard issues with the ultra cheap ones, but I have2 pontiacs and 1 Chevy HEI's in my cars and none have gave me an issue. The higher end ones have the better curve and corrected advance. But, for $60 you get a brand new billet HEI. Then if you want upgrade the ignition module and coil, or not if it runs good. I replaced the module and all the stuff in my 454, but I was racing it and trying to figure out why it was falling off at 4500, ended up being the cam. So, now I have all the good junk, just need a better cam..:cheers
Here's a link to the most, um, best pair of dizzys'.. Not the best one, but you get the idea of price..
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Pont...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

is there a distributor in the photo?...... yep, i have similar one, like jet said my machinist replaced the harness clip between module and coil as he said they break the first time you un-clip them and work loose but other than that he said it threw 60,000 volts up to 5800 rpm and curved it for the 455 which will have a hard redline of 5,400, also he said that you need to shim the shaft and gear to .010 thrust as clearance of .060 can cause up to 5* of timing variation (shown in link also). I was quick to blame the dist. when the motor was getting weak and no spark at first, but it ended up being the lead i was using, it was falling of to near 0 at starter engage....jumped it to the battery and it fired right up, and even did not have the cap on all the way on one clip and it did'nt miss a beat, so now i have a spare module that i bought thinking mine was junk....getting a good emergency kit ready for the trunk....LOL, bulbs, fuses, modules...feel free to add to my list, i am at the parts store at least 3 times a week...


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## tyler t (Aug 15, 2010)

i believe they call photos like that a "gay " test lol i didnt see the distributor for a minute. and for 70 bucks i think ill just buy a new one.. i tested the coil and it was out of spec and then with the new coil i tested the 6a box and it is bad too... i hate to sound like a broken record, but i hate msd...


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

Like I said, my buddy runs MSDs and has for years and knows what he's doing with them. I don't.. So I run HEI's. MSD is expensive and I never had the budget for them, HEI is simple and good, and are repairable on the side of the road. You can always go back to MSD later. The Hei needs 1 hot wire from the battery or wherever to run if it works. If it doesn't, then it's the module or the rotor, as long as it ran good before, simple stuff.. Good luck.


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Which item in the pic is the "dizzy" ?:rofl:


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