New Vs. Older MSD 6 boxes

How many times has your new MSD box failed?


  • Total voters
    34
-

halifaxhops

It's going to get stupid around here!
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2014
Messages
87,272
Reaction score
67,749
Location
Hoppyworld, PA
Just curious on the new vs. old MSD boxes. The good, bad and ugly.
 
Had mine fail on the 58 once. replaced it with an older one my brother had laying around
 
The MSD6AL failed one and I sent it back to be repaired but it wasn’t cheap. While it was out beeing repaired I replaced it with a MSD6AL Digital and the original one is a spare.

I also had a 6AL in my ‘440 ‘cuda for years with out any issues.
 
I had one 6A box last me decades. 28 years and it was sold with the vehicle. Not one box since has lasted more than 6 weeks. Sent boxes back to MSD, all “FIXED” boxes failed within a week. MSD has called me up and I have had chats with MSD tech during this time on the phone and have gone through everything. They have zero clue on why there product was failing.

MSD is a company I will never trust again.
 
never had a 6al fail. i marked it at the top. have seen newer than mine fail and a lot of the 7al's. from what i have seen around the drag strips is a lot of other issues of parts that connect to the 6al. mostly on mopar cars.
 
I jumped to the 7AL3’s years ago and have never had a problem. I know this is about the MSD6’s and I have a guys name from yellowbullet on who to send them to in my many saved articles. I’ll try to find it later.
 
I had one 6A box last me decades. 28 years and it was sold with the vehicle. Not one box since has lasted more than 6 weeks. Sent boxes back to MSD, all “FIXED” boxes failed within a week. MSD has called me up and I have had chats with MSD tech during this time on the phone and have gone through everything. They have zero clue on why there product was failing.

MSD is a company I will never trust again.
Original owner sold company years ago / my buddies brother has been working there over 25 years !
All Chinese parts now of course theirs the problem.
 
I have several used old style analog MSD 6 boxes. They all work. I have one MSD 7 analog that I bought new about 1976. Had to be ordered special for the 6 cyl. It failed sometime in around 2005. I called MSD about getting it repaired and was told they didn't have and couldn't get parts to repair it. A member on one of the web sites I go to offered to take a look at it. He was able to replace one transistor and it has been fine since then. Cost me $25.00 including shipping. Not a fan of MSD. They didn't even want to look at it.
 
I had one 6A box last me decades. 28 years and it was sold with the vehicle. Not one box since has lasted more than 6 weeks. Sent boxes back to MSD, all “FIXED” boxes failed within a week. MSD has called me up and I have had chats with MSD tech during this time on the phone and have gone through everything. They have zero clue on why there product was failing.

MSD is a company I will never trust again.
Add to the poll
 
Thanks this is exactly what I am looking for. Please add to the poll so I can crunch te numbers.
 
I have a Digital 6 in the Dart. How do I tell the difference between old and new?
 
Not really sure. Think the older ones have a serial number on the top and do not say digital. Any one know for sure? Just looking into this myself.
 
My son runs them, has two mounted, and has never had to switch one out in 7 years , we (2 sons and I) bought them new from Speedy's dirt works just 8 miles away. I myself have never used anything more then a good mopar ecu and don't ever want to change.
 
20+ year old 6A on my big block never gave me an issue. Ended up converting to EFI and am using that to control the timing, so I don't use the 6A anymore.
 
20+ year old 6A on my big block never gave me an issue. Ended up converting to EFI and am using that to control the timing, so I don't use the 6A anymore.

I have run M S D 6`s on four diff. hot rods , 67 hemi belvedere , 72 406 vega , 92 406 gmc pick up , and now a 505'' 68 fastback , and never had one fail !!
None digital tho...the one on the fastback has been on there for 12ish yrs ...
 
Hey if the old ones never failed hit I run a older one please.
 
Do they still offer the 6C model for Mopars. I had one of those back in the 1970’s early 1980’s.
 
Have two analog 6AL in use, no problems so far. I would not buy a digital 6, thanks.
By the way, the pictured one still works too. So old, no model number, just a hand engraved serial number

20210613_090616.jpg
 
Hey if you guys/gals can post serial numbers I am trying to figure out when they went sketchy!
 
I found this on Facebook early this morning. I’m just sharing it and know nothing about this service.

940EC84C-FA9E-4BB2-9AC1-9D4DA8DB0ECC.jpeg


0D6744FF-38F4-497A-BF1A-812F4DB63847.jpeg


D16CFBDD-CB30-468B-9D4D-FA5D24E5EC93.jpeg
 
What TechWest Racing can do for your MSD ®Ignition!

TechWest Racing Services understands MSD®Ignition systems and that your looking for the best possible repair solution for your MSD®Ignition. We have spent the past 35 years involved with some form of stock, street, strip, or road course competition all using some version of the MSD®Ignition 6A,MSD®Ignition 6AL, etc. In addition TechWest Racing Services has been involved with a racing ignition manufacturer on a R/D project for the past 13 years to test all possible combinations of racing ignition systems available today. Ie.MSD®Ignition, etc.

With this kind of background TechWest Racing Services has a question for you, Why do you go through the trouble of balancing and blueprinting your engine. OK, now why haven't you taken that same process and applied it to your MSD®Ignition system the performance gains are there. When your ready to take this next step with your MSD ®Ignition system TechWest Racing Services is ready to help.

Here at TechWest Racing Services we have identified seven failures that are commonly occuring in the MSD®6a Ignitions,MSD®6al Ignitions, MSD®6aln Ignitions, and the MSD®6t Ignitions, etc... This information has come to our attention over the last thirty five years of competition. These MSD®Ignition box failures have been reported in all forms of racing. The MSD®Ignition box failures are sudden and without warning to the driver. The normal senerio is as follows; the vehicle is doing just fine, then without warning the engine is limited to 3500rpm to maybe 5600rpm. The throttle response is sluggish at best, and the engine acts as if it has just lost all of its performance.

Understand this is not the end of the world, we can help put your racing program back on track where it belongs. Any MSD®Ignition box we have looked at, and that has shown the type of failure mentioned above. TechWest Racing Services hasbeen able to repair any MSD®Ignition sent in and return it full operation. We also test every MSD ®Ignition box we work on before it is returned to the customer. This is to ensure your racing program getting back into full swing again as soon as possible.

If you have a failed MSD ®6a,MSD ®6al,MSD ®6t,MSD ®6aln or any of the 7al series boxes you have only to pack up the failed MSD®Ignition box and ship it to us. We do ask that you drop us a quick note to give us a heads up so we can be looking for your MSD®Ignition box. Once your MSD®Ignition box arrives here at TechWest Racing Services we will troubleshoot your MSD®Ignition so we can provide you with options to repair your failed MSD®Ignition.
 
-
Back
Top