MSD Disappointment ??

Sorry for the long post!

Well I’ve always used stock Electronic Ignitions with my Darts. My problem started with my 440 bored 30 over with 440 Source 500 stroker kit. Stealth heads Comp Cam Hydraulic XE295HL-10 . I don’t have all specs. In front of me right now but had figured if I am right to have 10:5 – 10:8 CR. I did not assemble this and do not know my deck measurement. Have 175PSI cold cranking comp. Problem was when warm cranks real hard killing the battery. So I switch to MSD-6AL With the Timing controller MSD-8680. Blaster coil and Stock Distributer (Was already using with stock ignition) Wired this all in correctly. Did a nice neat job soldered and shrink wrapped. Thought backing timing may solve this issue but did not. Been driving last fall. Drove this past week and when I drove home from work it felt like I had a miss. I pulled 1 wire at a time while idling from dizzy to see if all cylinders were firing and when I pulled #7 wire the car shut down like it was switched off. Now it won’t start. No power at coil when cranking...MSD light comes on when I 1st turn on key, timing controller goes to rev set point on tach. Which means its working correctly. Popped dist. cap and inspected. All looks good. Did not re-gap pick up but looked good. I still have to do the MSD troubleshoot test and get my teater to check Ignition key wires. Both brown and blue connected together to smaller Red wire. No Ballast resister.

Still need to try this and try spare coil.

CHECKING FOR SPARK If triggering the ignition with the White wire: 1. Make sure the ignition switch is in the “Off” position. 2. Remove the coil wire from the distributor cap and set the terminal approximately 1/2" from ground. 3. Disconnect the MSD White trigger wire from the distributor. 4. Turn the ignition to the On position. Do not crank the engine. 5. Tap the White wire to ground several times. Each time you pull the wire from ground, a spark should jump from the coil wire to ground. If spark is present, the ignition is working properly. If there is no spark skip to step 6. If triggering with the Magnetic Pickup: 1. Make sure the ignition switch is in the “Off” position. 2. Remove the coil wire from the distributor cap and set the terminal approximately 1/2" from ground. 3. Disconnect the MSD magnetic pickup wires from the distributor. 4. Turn the ignition to the On position. Do not crank the engine. 5. With a small jumper wire, short the MSD’s Green and Violet magnetic pickup wires together several times. Each time you break this short, a spark should jump from the coil wire to ground. If spark is present, the ignition is working properly. If there is no spark skip to step 6. 6. If there is no spark: A. Inspect all of the wiring. B. Substitute another coil and repeat the test. If there is now spark, the coil is at fault. C. If there is still no spark, check to make sure there are 12 volts on the small Red wire from the MSD when the key is in the On position. If 12 volts are not present, find another switched 12 volt source and repeat the test. D. If, after following the test procedures and inspecting all of the wiring, there is still no spark, the MSD Ignition is in need of repair. See the Warranty and Service section for information.


Just putting this out there in case someone been there.

One other thing. Car always fired right up with stock ignition. MSD the motor cranks a while before firing when it was working.