Ever been shocked by your distributor!!
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,392
Likes: 0
From: Wabash,IN
CI 7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '08
Well i have today !! lol i was messing with my plenium vacuum hose and boy i got shocked.
Is this not right or what !! I didnt think this would ever happen but it did. Can you tell me what i should check or do to fix this or is it normal. I have a delco dist with msd 8mm wires. HELP jay (sparky)
Is this not right or what !! I didnt think this would ever happen but it did. Can you tell me what i should check or do to fix this or is it normal. I have a delco dist with msd 8mm wires. HELP jay (sparky)
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 90,675
Likes: 304
From: SE NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
Ouch, glad that hasn't happened to me with my HyperTech 53kV dist! I've grabbed it by it's cap to rotate it when setting timing at the strip.
If you were near a wire it needs replacement, if near the cap you need a new cap/rotor.
If you were near a wire it needs replacement, if near the cap you need a new cap/rotor.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,722
Likes: 0
From: Big D Tx
Cruise-In II Veteran
i grabbed a plug wire that had a crack in it, and i didnt know it was cracked. i quickly found out though. it was one hell of a jolt. well it was really like a couple of quick jolts. i bet you have a broken wire somewhere.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
From: S.F./Bay Area ,CA.
Ah- nothing like a good-ol-cup of HEI Zap in the morning to get ya started. Done it plenty of times, just don't do it in the rain!
BiZ you sick little monkey! Although you may find self-administered electroshock therapy beneficial
, if done in excess you will eventually suffer from nerve damage in your hands! 
Chris
BiZ you sick little monkey! Although you may find self-administered electroshock therapy beneficial
, if done in excess you will eventually suffer from nerve damage in your hands! Chris
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,636
Likes: 3
From: Lafayette IN
Yeah, many a time. Now I always unplug the Bat terminal on the cap whenever I mess with the timing.
BTW, my father thought it would be interesting to zap me with a Megger when we were messing around with the ignition module one time. For those of you who know what they are...
-Matt-
BTW, my father thought it would be interesting to zap me with a Megger when we were messing around with the ignition module one time. For those of you who know what they are...
-Matt-
Racer
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 434
Likes: 0
From: Plaistow NH
hahahahahaha
Thats funny this topic should come up..
a week ago I was setting the timing on my 85.. The coil wire was not propperly crimped and there was a little metal sticking out of the boot...
I have a MSD6AL
and a 85551 Distributor
and to make matters worse, I have a HVC Coil
Sigh....
I don't have to say what happened next... I have BOTH hands on the distributor, my friend is running the timing light... I don't clearly remember what happend next.. I do remember seeing a big flash of white light, all I could see was white for a split second, everything was silent for a split second also... then I felt my arms and hands glued to the distributor I couldnt pull them off!! Somehow I pulled them off and went flying back and then let out a very loud yell..
Oh yes.. my friends thought it was the funniest thing in the world! It didnt even hurt that much, but damn it woke me up!
Bill
Thats funny this topic should come up..
a week ago I was setting the timing on my 85.. The coil wire was not propperly crimped and there was a little metal sticking out of the boot...
I have a MSD6AL
and a 85551 Distributor
and to make matters worse, I have a HVC Coil
Sigh....
I don't have to say what happened next... I have BOTH hands on the distributor, my friend is running the timing light... I don't clearly remember what happend next.. I do remember seeing a big flash of white light, all I could see was white for a split second, everything was silent for a split second also... then I felt my arms and hands glued to the distributor I couldnt pull them off!! Somehow I pulled them off and went flying back and then let out a very loud yell..
Oh yes.. my friends thought it was the funniest thing in the world! It didnt even hurt that much, but damn it woke me up!
Bill
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,107
Likes: 0
From: Austin TX
My advice is to use only one hand when working with high voltage. Keep your other hand in your pocket or in the case of the vette - the windshield. You don't want the charge going through your heart, doesn't take much to defib. and flatline....
Pro
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 681
Likes: 2
From: Newton (Wichita Area) Kansas
Hey BillRed85: Since you have the mechanical advance MSD 85551 distributor, do you miss having the knock sensor / timing retard fuction of the stock ECM? I've always wanted a smaller diameter cap to work with back there but I was reluctant to let go of the knock sensor.
