Something weird going on

Author Topic: Something weird going on  (Read 46644 times)

Offline cudabob496

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Re: Something weird going on
« Reply #150 on: December 05, 2016 - 02:19:17 PM »
Ok, got MSD box back.
Said "Bad customer crimp on negative battery cable"
In other words, where I connected the ground cable to the
negative wire on the MSD box, they say was bad.
Well, we shall see. Since it worked fine for 4 yrs, and maybe
when I packaged everything up to ship, it got lose.
But, lets hope this is the solution.
So, big story, at this point, looks like MSD box
became improperly grounded. But the weird thing is the problem
slowly got worse over time, until engine would not run. So can a ground
get slowly worse? I don't know! Will try to get things running in a day or two,
and report back.
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000




Offline cudabob496

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Re: Something weird going on
« Reply #151 on: December 07, 2016 - 05:38:05 PM »
by the way, the reason my tach was bouncing around 200 rpm all this time,
is most likely explained by the fact that the MSD box supplies the tach, or
at least has a grey wire going to tach input!
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000

Offline 73440

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Re: Something weird going on
« Reply #152 on: December 07, 2016 - 06:14:51 PM »
Did they say if yours should work?
Mine is still available to try with if needed.
67 440
72 413 / 727
73 Barracuda w/ 68 440
65 Plymouth Fury III , I sold ,was my Nana's car till 92 yo.
51 Ford F1 239 Flathead, flipped , new cab , stolen
59 BelAir 283 4 door original patina
01 Chevy van 420, 520 miles
06 Crown Vic Police Interceptor
75 HD Ironhead converted to RH shift
73 HD Ironhead
82 HD Ironhead
74 Norton 850
80 HD Shovelhead
80 Husqvarna WR 390

Offline cudabob496

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Re: Something weird going on
« Reply #153 on: December 07, 2016 - 06:24:02 PM »
Did they say if yours should work?
Mine is still available to try with if needed.

thanks, they respliced the ground wire. Something I could have easily done.
Installing box now, but going slow, as it is placed under passenger side dash.
Should try startup in day or two. Also cold out right now.
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000

Offline cudabob496

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Re: Something weird going on
« Reply #154 on: December 10, 2016 - 04:17:29 PM »
6AL box in and wired up.
Cranks but won't fire.
Gonna have to retrace all my electrical.
Maybe the Timing control unit is messing things up.
Don't know.
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000

Offline 70chall440

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Re: Something weird going on
« Reply #155 on: December 10, 2016 - 04:43:35 PM »
Well that sucks! I am going through some electrical issues myself at the moment so I know all about the "works doesn't work" scenario.
Current Mopar
70 Challenger RT 440-6 EFI, 73 Cuda 416-6 EFI
05 Hemi Durango, 01 Ram 4x4, 14 Ram 2500 4X4, 10 PCP Challenger 6 spd RT, 01 Viper GTS ACR, 52 B3B w/330 Desoto Hemi, 70 Hemi RR (under const)
Past Mopars
9 x Challengers. AAR Cuda, 4 RR, 2 GTX, 4 Chargers, etc... (too many to list)

Offline cudabob496

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Re: Something weird going on
« Reply #156 on: December 10, 2016 - 06:02:26 PM »
Well that sucks! I am going through some electrical issues myself at the moment so I know all about the "works doesn't work" scenario.

Well, gonna ground MSD box to neg batt terminal, which they recommend, but has worked
for 15 yrs without doing that.
Gonna verify 12v on all wires that are supposed to have it.
Gonna verify my MSD timing control is working.
Open up distributor again, etc etc.
Like I said, if Trans Am was not running, I would check myself
into the looney hospital!
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000

Offline 70chall440

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Re: Something weird going on
« Reply #157 on: December 10, 2016 - 08:01:30 PM »
The beauty of electrical systems, an exercise in patience for sure. I cant comment as to why it worked for 15 years and now has decided to not work suffice to say that perhaps some connection somewhere perhaps finally corroded to the point the MSD wont work right. I am doing my EFI system (as I think you have commented on) and am currently going though issues with the switched/on power connection. It worked fine for awhile, then all a sudden didn't. When I went to test it, no power however after cranking it a few times and cycling the key; it decided to work as it is supposed to. I attribute this to corrosion over the last 36 years. The one thing I have come to understand about the MSD and the EFI system is their dependency on clean, solid repeatable power/connections.

You will get it, they are machines and if things are correct they will work. I always has this "feeling" that vehicles had minds of their own and chose when to work and not to work. The realty of course is this isn't true and if the connections and equipment are good, they will work. As weird or funny as it sounds, this idea kind of hampered me for a long time, perhaps still does to a degree but I find now that I go as far as needed to find the problem and correct it correctly..
Current Mopar
70 Challenger RT 440-6 EFI, 73 Cuda 416-6 EFI
05 Hemi Durango, 01 Ram 4x4, 14 Ram 2500 4X4, 10 PCP Challenger 6 spd RT, 01 Viper GTS ACR, 52 B3B w/330 Desoto Hemi, 70 Hemi RR (under const)
Past Mopars
9 x Challengers. AAR Cuda, 4 RR, 2 GTX, 4 Chargers, etc... (too many to list)

Offline cudabob496

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Re: Something weird going on
« Reply #158 on: December 10, 2016 - 10:20:15 PM »
hmmm, wonder if my ignition switch has something to do with this.
But when I turn to ignition on, the MSD box lites up.
There is a switch in the line. Will try bypassing that.
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000

Offline HP_Cuda

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Re: Something weird going on
« Reply #159 on: December 10, 2016 - 10:21:38 PM »

Funny I was just going to suggest that.

Since it's a part that gets used over and over versus a wiring harness which really doesn't change much.

YMMV
1970 Cuda Clone 440 4 speed - sublime green
1970 Cuda 383 4 speed - yellow - SOLD

Offline cudabob496

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Re: Something weird going on
« Reply #160 on: December 10, 2016 - 11:53:03 PM »
but the switch, when closed, and powered up, has 12 v on both terminals.
so, that should be ok.
Grounded 6AL to battery post, no different.
MSD test failing, which means the box is bad, or the coil is bad.
But coil is new.
Maybe wires from box to dist, the green and purple, are bad, or the black
connector on the end of them is bad. I did get continuity ok on the green ground, but not
on the purple positive. Will keep experimenting.
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000

Offline cudabob496

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Re: Something weird going on
« Reply #161 on: December 11, 2016 - 12:05:49 AM »
Hey, look what I found from 2011!!

"We have seen way to many SS coils go south over the past three years. Usually attached to a Digital 6, just a bad pattern that we have chosen to avoid. With the testing we have done using our in house racer group the HVC coil is a Much Better Choice! Am I understanding it right MSD has asked for your Digital 6 box? If so outstanding!!!"
__________________
Pat Collins

MSD ® Ignition Repair & Upgrade
TechWest Racing Services: Technical Support
8904 Sutherland Drive
Huntersville.NC. 28078
Ph: 704-995-4286
E-mail: techwest@techwestracing.com
Website: www.techwestracing.com
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000

Offline HP_Cuda

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Re: Something weird going on
« Reply #162 on: December 11, 2016 - 03:47:50 PM »

I'm running an HVC II coil mounted to the fender wall with absolutely no problems.

Oh and you don't want to touch wires when she is running.  :22yikes:
1970 Cuda Clone 440 4 speed - sublime green
1970 Cuda 383 4 speed - yellow - SOLD

Offline cudabob496

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Re: Something weird going on
« Reply #163 on: December 11, 2016 - 07:36:58 PM »
Ya, I'll be having a heart to heart talk with MSD on Monday.
Did they know about this problem and not tell anyone.
And all the times I was describing my problem, did they even
mention the coil!! At this point, after 3 months of tearing my hair out,
this might be the solution, no thanks to them.
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000

Offline cudabob496

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Re: Something weird going on
« Reply #164 on: December 12, 2016 - 05:09:16 PM »
OK, talked with MSD.
They say the info that only an HVC coil will work best with
a digital 6AL box is bogus.
They are thinking my small 12v red wire to the box is not wired
properly. So will crawl under the dash and trace that down. Ugh!
72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

2011 Kawasaki Z1000