Prostreeter1

I sold my 68 last December. 408CI engine. The new owner only drove it twice since then. He went to start it earlier this week and it wouldn't start. He took the cap off and found this. He says it looks like mud. looks like coffee grounds to me.

Anyone ever seen anything like this and what the hell could that substance be?

Stormin_Normin

Piles of rust, probably high humidity.

theandies

MSD rust.

Redvette2

Looks like rust to me as well....is this a HEI distributor with the coil in the cap which is corroding perhaps?

Prostreeter1

No...coil is not in the cap

Redvette2

Might be able to check with a magnet to see if it is iron oxide.

lars

Typical MSD rust.

DWAVette

Did ants build a nest in that thing?!??

carriljc

Prostreeter1
Typical MSD. It's ridiculous. Clean it off, and the coat it with POR-15. Need to look at it every couple of years. Mine has never failed to start though. Take a look:
(I should inspect mine again...been a couple of years.....) It isn't high humidity or anything else. It's crappy quality steel. My old Mallory has been sitting around in the same garage and has not rusted at all. POR-15 seems to do a fair job of mitigating the corrosion development.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1594175835

you can follow the thread and you'll see this:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1597095082

and here is the update from 2020..... I really should go look again...
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1601398103

SEVNT6

For kicks, I just googled MSD distributer rust.

Every forum known to man pops up on this & it goes back to at least '06...

Prostreeter1

Yup, I saw that too when I googled MSD Rust. Common problem which I've never seen in the many years of using MSD products. Thanks guys I never would have thought about it being rust

carriljc

Goes back to at least 1996. I installed mine in February 1996.