MSD Digital 6 plus - longevity
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,302
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From: PA
MSD Digital 6 plus - longevity
I have sitting in a box for the last few years an MSD Digital 6 Plus. It is either new or at least factory rebuilt. Short version of how I came to have it:
- About yr 2000 I installed an Accel capacitive discharge multi-spark ignition unit which had a lifetime warranty
- I stopped driving the vette about 2004
- Some 10 years later, I got around to getting it running in some manner
- Soon thereafter the Accel unit quit
- I called the number on the warranty and got MSD which had bought them
- After some whining on both my and MSD's part, they finally agreed to honor the warranty
- As the Accel unit was long since out of manufacture, they sent me an MSD digital 6 plus - I suspect since it was a warranty replacement it is likely a rebuild
Dr. Detroit
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 10,091
Likes: 4,016
From: New Braunfels Texas
I have sitting in a box for the last few years an MSD Digital 6 Plus. It is either new or at least factory rebuilt. Short version of how I came to have it:
- About yr 2000 I installed an Accel capacitive discharge multi-spark ignition unit which had a lifetime warranty
- I stopped driving the vette about 2004
- Some 10 years later, I got around to getting it running in some manner
- Soon thereafter the Accel unit quit
- I called the number on the warranty and got MSD which had bought them
- After some whining on both my and MSD's part, they finally agreed to honor the warranty
- As the Accel unit was long since out of manufacture, they sent me an MSD digital 6 plus - I suspect since it was a warranty replacement it is likely a rebuild
As far as frequency? Are you running EFI?
Jebby
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2017
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From: PA
Had a 1976 L-82, 4-sp
Joined: Mar 2011
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From: Some days your the dog and some days your the hydrant.
Royal Canadian Navy
Don't mount it where it can get wet or upside down as recommended by MSD. Mine is mounted on the left side firewall. No issues so far.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 4,724
Likes: 1,628
From: Fairfax Virginia
Mine has lived on the inside of the fender area on the right side of my engine compartment for decades and it still works. I wouldn't expose it to water spray or anything but it works great and there is no EMI coming from the Box as it has not had any problems interacting with my EFI system.
I have always mounted them on the Vibration Isolaters that MSD sells and use them. I have used them since day one and never had any issues with any of my MSD Boxes I have installed.
Where you mount the MSD 6AL on your engine compartment is up to you. I was not showing it off so I hid it out of sight unless you looked for it. My 1968 Corvette came non-drilled for the cooling system's Expansion Tank and I mounted it there first but it was exposed to a LOT of heat so I moved it behind the fender and more out of the way of the heat. You don't want to cook it so I have it mounted with other equipment near the right side gill outlet
I have always mounted them on the Vibration Isolaters that MSD sells and use them. I have used them since day one and never had any issues with any of my MSD Boxes I have installed.
Where you mount the MSD 6AL on your engine compartment is up to you. I was not showing it off so I hid it out of sight unless you looked for it. My 1968 Corvette came non-drilled for the cooling system's Expansion Tank and I mounted it there first but it was exposed to a LOT of heat so I moved it behind the fender and more out of the way of the heat. You don't want to cook it so I have it mounted with other equipment near the right side gill outlet
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Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2017
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From: PA
Thanks all for the input. Just to be clear, it is the 6 plus, not the AL, and thus is essentially open. My guess would be they needed the air circulation. The question to me is whether it provides any noticeable benefit on a carbureted 400 gross hp class engine. When I had the Accel unit on there was a little uptick in mileage, but that that was about it as far as I could tell.
Is my vette stock?? HAHA
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From: Im not allowed to tell you
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If you have room ...I mpunted mine inside the car behind the passenger dash pad. If it gets wet I think I have more serious issues to deal with
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,302
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From: PA
As I've said many times to friends, if I'm driving that car in the rain it's only because the weather forecast was wrong.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,438
Likes: 1,464
From: Little Rock AR
HEI would work fine. The MSD could be sold for cash. There will not be much reason to use it if you can get a good curve on the HEI.
I have a Hays Stinger magnetic trigger conversion firing a Crane HI-6 in my Camaro. It fires up immediately and idles better than the original points setup. The ignition still works great but unfortunately, I can't get a new one. Pickups are still available but the Crane spark boxes are long gone. FAST seems to have carried on with the box design (or something close). The guy that used to build these boxes for track cars passed away. I have the box mounted inside the interior under the dash. No worries there.
I have a Hays Stinger magnetic trigger conversion firing a Crane HI-6 in my Camaro. It fires up immediately and idles better than the original points setup. The ignition still works great but unfortunately, I can't get a new one. Pickups are still available but the Crane spark boxes are long gone. FAST seems to have carried on with the box design (or something close). The guy that used to build these boxes for track cars passed away. I have the box mounted inside the interior under the dash. No worries there.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,302
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From: PA
I'm kind of leaning in that direction. The HEI works acceptably. And if you keep a spare module, a tube of heat sink grease, a spare coil, and a screw driver in the car you can pretty much fix any ignition problem on the side of the road. Can't say the same for the module. Well, actually, you could if you use connectors for all the wiring and keep a manual in the car so you can figure out how to rewire back to stock. Whatever.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2010
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From: Bellmore NY
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
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From: Was New Orleans but swam to Baton Rouge LA
Cruise-In IX Veteran
My digital 6 plus was flooded in 2005 and has been sitting since then. I zip tied it to the frame and it had no issues running my engine. Guess I’m lucky for longevity and water with it.
https://m.youtube.com/shorts/_7HgD1X0hVE
https://m.youtube.com/shorts/_7HgD1X0hVE
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,221
Likes: 1,004
From: Watkinsville, GA and Glen Cove, NY
I know you have the MSD already, but the aforementioned Daytona Sensors box is a really quality box. I have one and was turned onto it from the two engine builders with dyno facilities I have used. They both use one on their Dyno’s. They have a picture on their site, comparing the internals to an MSD and Crane box, and looking at the picture, you can see why it would be more durable than the others.
Dr. Detroit
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 10,091
Likes: 4,016
From: New Braunfels Texas
I know you have the MSD already, but the aforementioned Daytona Sensors box is a really quality box. I have one and was turned onto it from the two engine builders with dyno facilities I have used. They both use one on their Dyno’s. They have a picture on their site, comparing the internals to an MSD and Crane box, and looking at the picture, you can see why it would be more durable than the others.
Daytona CD-1
MSD Digital 6
Crane HI-6
Jebby
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2017
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From: PA
As an engineer who has spent the last nearly 4 decades in the product reliability field specifically for electrical devices, what I see here is an example of not modernizing a design to keep up with current technology. It's typical of companies which focus on maximizing short term profit. To do this, rather than investing in new, better, more reliable technologies, they instead buy well known companies with good brands and then cut their product development budgets. They then just milk the existing cash cows until until they die and leave their creditors and workers to deal with the mess left behind.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,221
Likes: 1,004
From: Watkinsville, GA and Glen Cove, NY
It (picture) really is amazing Jebby. I love the box. I am using a distributor with no advance mechanism and setting my timing curve with it. Has a lot of really neat features as well.