Technical You can’t make this crap up! Did I get hit with an EMP?

Don’t know anything about MSD, but could not help wondering if the original was USA made and now is manufactured ‘off shore’ ?

 

Now there's a thought. I have some old tube radios and a Model T coil, make a HAMB friendly MSD??? Of course you'd have to turn the ignition on 5 minutes before you went anywhere to let the tubes warm up.

 

That is why I have stuck with the helper from the sixties, a CD ignition system and points. There is a switch on the box so that when the system fails, (normally the SCR), all I have to do is select the switch and I am restored to my regular point system.
You can think of a CD system like an amplifier that you can switch in or out of the ignition system. When it is in the system, all it does is to step up the available voltage and reduce the operating current. The big advantage, is reduced point wear, and keeps plugs from fouling.
I ran an MSD 6 for awhile, but pulled it in favour of the CD system.
Bob

 

There is a lot of circuitry in those tiny little 16 pin DIPs. It would take a lot of tubes to replicate the circuitry in some of those LSI (large scale integration) chips. Lots of tubes, require lots of power. A person would need to put the system in a large truck just haul it around. (Exaggerating for effect).
Bob

 

I was only joking! It amazes me how Ford almost nailed it with Model T ignition. Crank trigger, individual coils for each cylinder, multiple spark. Just like a lot of modern engines.

 

I knew you were, and I was just making the exaggeration in an attempt at humour. However, we have come to take these modern developments for granted, and it isn't until they fail, and we find that we have no fix or no alternate system to limp home on, how much we depend on having these systems work reliably. When they break, we are stranded.

Bob

 

I have been told, the reason British don't make TV sets, they haven't figured how to make them leak oil !

 

I won't defend the British cars, I have suffered too much from them to do that, but it is important to remember they developed the Spitfire, the Mosquito, the Lancaster, the first jet, the worlds firs semi programmable multitasking computer (Colossus 1943), and the Merlin engine.
Bob

 

Sort of an analogy to the old ‘hit and miss’ engines of turn of the 20th century and after.

 

I'vr been thru this several times, go buy a rebuilt or new GM 1970 Chevy points dist. shove it in and fire it up, keep an extra set of points and condenser in the glove box and you'll be set. JW

 

I’m with you brother!!
But these ain’t my cars so they aren’t my distributors.

When I told the guy about his MSD taking a shit he wasn’t happy.
He says “That fncking thing is brand fnucking new!!! “. I said “yep and it’s fnucking dead and it cost me a whole fnucking day of fnucking around and it’s your fnucking dead distributor and your fnucking truck that won’t run blocking up my fnucking driveway. Here’s MSD’s number you fnucking wait on hold then fnucking yell at them!! I didn’t buy this thing or build it so as far as I’m concerned it ain’t my problem - however if you’re convinced now that I have just as proficient use of the F word as you do then you can tell me how you’d like me to fix your problem.”
We had a pretty good chuckle all good fun

 

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/what’s-wrong-with-points-and-other-“upgrades”.1146072/

 

Send him to get the Dist with points for his car, throw it in and he'll be happy driving around.

 

Just because I really don't know, what is the prime reason for sticking the MSD box and ignition in a street driven car or truck that isn't packing a lot of horse power and a tenth of a second on the drag strip is a big thing? Why the extra expense and trouble on a street driven rig? Outside of 50 extra Bubba points at the local show and shine that is.

 

^Multiple Spark Discharge (more efficient up to 3000 rpm)

 

My Spark Died.