Yesterday the ignition failed on my white 62 Valiant and for the second tine since 1986 I was unable to get home under my own power. I have been using an MSD-6 set up since 2006 so that I can use their accessories and it has never given me a problem. Power is getting to the box on both hot leads. Is there some way of checking if the box is shot? Before it quit running the voltmeter was pulled down to a low level like there was a short somewhere but I can't find any melted wires. There was also some smell that I associate with electrical failures.

I suppose it could also be the distributor or the coil. Is there some way to check those while still installed? Thanks, Seymour

_________________
If you didn't drive it there, it's not a street car.

I know there is a way to test the Primary winding / secondary winding of the coil with a Multimeter; However I cannot tell you how to do it ' cause I do not know exactly.


I might Suggest swapping the coil for a known good one, and If it's an electronic Ignition Pickup distributor, then You could always test it using a factory mopar box and ballast resistor. or YOu could rig up an HEI system too. Instructions on that Here!

I am guessing you have the MSD 6 Box in the car?

If that funny electrical smell gets more noticeable as you sniff the box that's where my Guess would be.

Greg

_________________
http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack

Get out your VOM, and look here.

_________________
67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

The stock coil resistances are around 1.5 ohms for the primary (coil + to coil -) and, if I recall right, 5000 to 7000 ohms for the secondary (coil - to coil spark tower). The coil secondary resistance check is just a basic test and not fully conclusive, since the secondary can have high voltage breakdown/arcing going on and that may not show up in a simple winding resistance test.

The OP does not say if he has the stock coil or what, however.

If your MSD 6 lasted 9 years you are doing better than most.....

_________________
Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

When did they start failing?


I've got a MSD 6A in my Toyota truck that's over 20 years old.....

_________________
Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

The older ones made before the early 2000's like the mopar EI modules tend to be good ones, the late 2000's a number of people have had them randomly crap out and the late ones made now have components made in china...which is sad since they have a good lineup of accessories that can be tailored to daily driving to full bore racing.

Thanks for the ideas. It sounds like it is most likely the MSD box but I will test the coil and make sure the distributor is turning before I do anything else. I still have the Chrysler box in the car and I was always going to wire it up so I could switch from one to the other in case I needed to. Looks like I need to follow through with that. I also have another MSD that I can put in. I really like the two step rev limiter and adjustable timing control that I have and they only work with MSD. It probably puts out way more secondary voltage than you really need on a street car though. I have fried a couple of coil wires in the past.

_________________
If you didn't drive it there, it's not a street car.