Msd 6al Problems

badfender911

Member
Mar 4, 2015
4
2
13
Hey y'all, my 94 GT 5.0 has a complete MSD ignition wires dizzy an 6AL box with pill type rev limiter.... I'm pretty sure my ignition box broke or burned out can I replace just the box with a 6AL2 ? Or will I need new dizzy coil an plugs ?
I'm new and willing to learn always
 
  • Sponsors (?)


You can just replace the box. MSD quality has consistently dropped in quality. They are known as MIght Suddenly Die. They used to be the "go to" ign. You might want to swap out or carry spare parts with you when they fail.
 
I used a Mallory Hyfire for years and never had a failure.. still have one somewhere..
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Will your car start w out the box? Say you bypass it and the car starts if so it's the box. Without getting too technical (we're in the wrong section for such talk) What leads you to believe the ignition box is bad? Car won't start? It could be a number of things causing it not to start. What kind of engine mods do you have going on to justify the need of an aftermarket ignition?
 
Last edited:
Been running my MSD 6al and dizzy for 6 years no problems daily driven until I got my notch. The MSD dizzy has been known to corrode inside...pull the cap and look inside the distributor... I've seen the pick up reduced to powder.
 
Been running my MSD 6al and dizzy for 6 years no problems daily driven until I got my notch. The MSD dizzy has been known to corrode inside...pull the cap and look inside the distributor... I've seen the pick up reduced to powder.
Yeah as usual the usuals chime in w msd sucks yada yada but chances are its not an ignition problem at all.
 
I sold my 6al and have a 7al2 now....still MSD wires and Dizzy. Wouldn't trade my ignition system in for anything. 90 percent of the time its not the ignition box. Badfender911 never elaborated on his issue. 90lxwhite and I are on the same page.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Yeah as usual the usuals chime in w msd sucks yada yada but chances are its not an ignition problem at all.

A lot of people have either had great luck or horrible luck with MSD products and there's several people on this site that were stranded on the side of the road due to those MSD failures. What's your experience with MSD personally? Good? Bad?

Also with aftermarket ignition systems you can increase or decrease the spark plug gap outside of the stock .052"
 
image.jpg
I personally ran MSD on multiple Chevys in the past. I never had a problem but the last one I had was 10+ years ago. This particular nova I had ran low 13's on radial tires with a complete MSD ign.
 
image.jpg
I personally ran MSD on multiple Chevys in the past. I never had a problem but the last one I had was 10+ years ago. This particular nova I had ran low 13's on radial tires with a complete MSD ign.


I had a Nova like that. 72. Wish I'd kept it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
A lot of people have either had great luck or horrible luck with MSD products and there's several people on this site that were stranded on the side of the road due to those MSD failures. What's your experience with MSD personally? Good? Bad?

Also with aftermarket ignition systems you can increase or decrease the spark plug gap outside of the stock .052"
My experience w msd personally so far so good, I'll let u know when it craps out. The op was vague on why he suspected the box. As yes it turned out to be the box this time it could have been a number of things that was causing his car not to start. It could've been as simple as a disconnected wire and he could've ended up spending $ on a new box that he doesn't need. But Twas the box this time and now he's up and running and all is well.
*Edit* how long before "they suddenly die?" 2 months? 10 years? What's the ideal average life expectancy for an ignition box?
 
Last edited:
My experience w msd personally so far so good, I'll let u know when it craps out. The op was vague on why he suspected the box. As yes it turned out to be the box this time it could have been a number of things that was causing his car not to start. It could've been as simple as a disconnected wire and he could've ended up spending $ on a new box that he doesn't need. But Twas the box this time and now he's up and running and all is well.
*Edit* how long before "they suddenly die?" 2 months? 10 years? What's the ideal average life expectancy for an ignition box?

I've heard of them crapping after only 2 hours of drive time. Warranty covers the repairs but then it breaks again not too long after. Just never know if your going to be the unlucky person that gets a bad unit. I have the 6AL and MSD distributor on my car right now. I haven't fired up my car yet but I will soon. Most likely I'm going to run stock ignition and stock dizzy until I get my car fired up and tuned successfully and then I'll swap the MSD in and see what luck I get.

MSD sells a ton of ignition systems and there's always going to be a failure rate with any product line so who knows what the percentage of bad stuff is that's really out there. Maybe the failure rate of MSD is overhyped, I don't know but they'd be out of business if they were really that bad.
 
Mine was a 70 SS. I sold mine to keep the exwife happy at the time. :(:nonono:She wanted new furniture and a dining room set. At least I had some money left over for the divorce a year later. :O_o:

Ugh. I sold a vehicle I loved to buy an engagment ring 17 years ago. Really sweet leveled out shortbed C1500. 350 5 speed. The ring and the finger I put it on are still around, but the money is loooong gone.. Haha.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users