Msd cap is junk

MEXJOE · 07-04-2013, 11:34 PM

I put a new MSD cap & rotor on less than 50 runs ago and now it is junk!
The carbon button is gone. and the terminals in the cap are all corroded.
My old stuff never did this? ( not this fast anyway )
Anyone on here have this trouble?
Maybe it's just this combo?
Any good quality replacements or Ideas?
Or just keep shoveling money to msd for new parts?

Adger Smith · 07-05-2013, 12:07 AM

You have a PM

Bill Grubbs · 07-05-2013, 09:44 AM

Any cap/rotor will do this or worse (melt) if the tang on the rotor does not touch the carbon button on the cap. Bend the tang up to touch the button.

MEXJOE · 07-05-2013, 10:42 AM

I did check that when we put the new cap & rotor on. I used a dab of grease and checked it and cleaned it thoroughly before re assembly.
We have a through firewall coil wire adapter do you think this could be causing a resistance and overloading the MSD?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Grubbs

Any cap/rotor will do this or worse (melt) if the tang on the rotor does not touch the carbon button on the cap. Bend the tang up to touch the button.

Greg Reimer 7376 · 07-06-2013, 06:55 PM

"Dab of grease"? Where did you put that? Grease sounds like an insulator to me, if it got on the tab and the button,it could have done that. I don't think some kind of semiconductor needs to be there where a high resistance contact could be the result. I bought an MSD cap and rotor before the 2011 Winternationals, installed it, and am still using that cap and rotor, no problems.

Tom Goldman · 07-06-2013, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MEXJOE

I did check that when we put the new cap & rotor on. I used a dab of grease and checked it and cleaned it thoroughly before re assembly.
We have a through firewall coil wire adapter do you think this could be causing a resistance and overloading the MSD?

Had the same problem 2 years ago.
Took the firewall adapter off after finding it had burned up on the coil side.
Ran the coil wire thru a grommet on the firewall and have not had a problem with it in over 300 passes !

MEXJOE · 07-06-2013, 07:08 PM

I cleaned it off after checking the clearance, if you read the rest of the story. And YES I used electrical contact cleaner.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg Reimer 7376

"Dab of grease"? Where did you put that? Grease sounds like an insulator to me, if it got on the tab and the button,it could have done that. I don't think some kind of semiconductor needs to be there where a high resistance contact could be the result. I bought an MSD cap and rotor before the 2011 Winternationals, installed it, and am still using that cap and rotor, no problems.

MEXJOE · 07-06-2013, 07:10 PM

Thanks Tom I'm gona' take that out of the car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Goldman

Had the same problem 2 years ago.
Took the firewall adapter off after finding it had burned up on the coil side.
Ran the coil wire thru a grommet on the firewall and have not had a problem with it in over 300 passes !

07-04-2013, 11:34 PM	#1
MEXJOE Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: nhranumbers.com Posts: 875 Likes: 137 Liked 165 Times in 51 Posts	Msd cap is junk I put a new MSD cap & rotor on less than 50 runs ago and now it is junk! The carbon button is gone. and the terminals in the cap are all corroded. My old stuff never did this? ( not this fast anyway ) Anyone on here have this trouble? Maybe it's just this combo? Any good quality replacements or Ideas? Or just keep shoveling money to msd for new parts?

07-05-2013, 12:07 AM	#2
Adger Smith VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Texarkana Ark/TX Posts: 2,446 Likes: 575 Liked 880 Times in 311 Posts	Re: Msd cap is junk You have a PM __________________ Adger Smith (Former SS)

07-05-2013, 09:44 AM	#3
Bill Grubbs Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Magnolia, Texas Posts: 416 Likes: 3 Liked 564 Times in 66 Posts	Re: Msd cap is junk Any cap/rotor will do this or worse (melt) if the tang on the rotor does not touch the carbon button on the cap. Bend the tang up to touch the button.

07-06-2013, 06:55 PM	#5
Greg Reimer 7376 VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Glendora,Calif. Posts: 1,136 Likes: 172 Liked 705 Times in 219 Posts	Re: Msd cap is junk "Dab of grease"? Where did you put that? Grease sounds like an insulator to me, if it got on the tab and the button,it could have done that. I don't think some kind of semiconductor needs to be there where a high resistance contact could be the result. I bought an MSD cap and rotor before the 2011 Winternationals, installed it, and am still using that cap and rotor, no problems.