[DeTomaso] Resurrection

Sun Apr 14 10:27:44 EDT 2013

Your suggestion is easier than that, as when my old MSD 6al failed, I bought
another one and sent it to be repaired (I just looked at the repair bill -
it was $19.95! Although it was 2002 or so.)

So I don't have to buy another one I could just swap it out and see if it
fixes the problem. I had always assumed that these things either work or
don't - I didn't know that they could fail slowly or sporadically.

FWIW mine is located behind the passenger seat in the inside of the car. I'm
not completely satisfied with the location, but it works because my wife is
short. It keeps it protected from engine bay heat, water, vibration, etc,

I have to confess that I haven't looked at it that closely - is this a 5
minute job if the box is just flopping around loose in the passenger area,
or is this an engine-cover-out job because the wires coming from the MSD box
go into the engine bay?  

Charles McCall
Raising Pantera Awareness Across Europe
1985 DeTomaso Pantera #9375
 <http://www.poca.com/index.php/gallery/?g2_itemId=2323>
http://www.poca.com/index.php/gallery/?g2_itemId=2323

From: michael at michaelshortt.com [mailto:michaelsavga at gmail.com] 
Sent: domingo, 14 de abril de 2013 16:18
To: Charles Engles
Cc: Jerry R Knotts; detomaso at poca.com; Charles McCall
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Resurrection

My two cents is buy another MSD AL 6 and have the old one repaired ( mine
was repaired for a $75 flat fee)
and keep it as a spare.
I relocated mine to the front trunk because water ( from washing the car )
ruined the first one. I used 3 and 4 pin trailer wiring connectors on both
units and the car, so a roadside R&R would take about 5 minutes max.

Michael Shortt

On Apr 14, 2013 10:10 AM, "Charles Engles" <cengles at cox.net> wrote:

Dear Charlie,

               How old is your MSD 6AL?   My box was twelve or thirteen
years old.  It quit last fall.  I sent it to MSD for repair and I was
surprised by their report of three different things wrong with it.  The
repair bill was modest.  In retrospect, I wonder if the darn thing had been
failing slowly and inexorably *before* it finally died.  If all the more
experienced and reasoned suggestions fail, then my remedial suggestion would
be to consider sending the unit back to MSD for repair. ( I *know* that
would be a headache given your geographical location and that it would put
the GT5S down for a good bit of time.)

                         Warmest regards,  Chuck Engles

PS: It might indeed be the carb and I think you have a Chuck Nuytten carb.
If ALL else fails, then send the carb off whilst the MSD is out and let
Chuck give it an overhaul......

-----Original Message-----
From: detomaso-bounces at poca.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at poca.com] On Behalf
Of Charles McCall
Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2013 8:53 AM
To: 'Jerry Knotts'; detomaso at poca.com
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Resurrection

Thanks Jerry. I have a battery tender, so I think  my battery is in good
condition...

Charles McCall
Raising Pantera Awareness Across Europe
1985 DeTomaso Pantera #9375
http://www.poca.com/index.php/gallery/?g2_itemId=2323

-----Original Message-----
From: detomaso-bounces at poca.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at poca.com] On Behalf
Of Jerry Knotts
Sent: domingo, 14 de abril de 2013 15:28
To: detomaso at poca.com
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Resurrection

Charles,

I have found MSD boxes to be very voltage dependent.  Anything less than
battery voltage gives unpredictable results.

jerry knotts

On 4/14/2013 8:16 AM, Charles McCall wrote:
> 1) ..and on the third day, they pushed the rock aside (opened the
> garage
> door) and found the cave empty with the exception of a loincloth
(California
> Car Cover). The Pantera has come back to life again, for the first
> time of the year!
>
>
>
> 2) Resurrection of a subject kicked around last year but without
> coming to conclusions.. My engine for the past couple of years has had
> an
intermittent
> problem where it feels like a couple of cylinders cut out. I'd like to
> resurrect the subject to see if we can come up with some new ideas.
>
>
>
> At first I suspected it was a fuel issue, and disassembled the carb. I
> did find a lot of very fine powder in the float bowls, which I cleaned
> out,
and
> installed a fuel filter.
>
>
>
> I changed the spark plugs to rule out a fouling or failing plug. I
> haven't changed the wires.
>
>
>
> Symptoms - car can run fine for hours or days or months. Then it feels
like
> a switch has been thrown and one or perhaps two cylinders stop firing.
> I have to put my foot into it to keep the engine running. Black smoke
> comes out the exhaust, and it I let the revs drop below 2000, the
> engine will
die.
> This may last for as little as 5 minutes, or as long as 20, although
> the rough running tends to be interrupted by arriving at my
> destination. But
as
> quickly as the problem arrives, it suddenly heals itself, the engine
> goes back to firing on all cylinders, idles happily at 1000rpm, and
> all is
well.
> Perhaps for a day, perhaps for a month, or perhaps for an hour.
>
>
>
> My engine - 351C, Compcamps 282S cam, Aussie 2v closed chamber heads,
Weiand
> Excelerator intake, Holley 700DP, MSD 6AL, MSD coil. Motorcraft AF42
plugs.
> MSD plug wires.
>
>
>
> We had just started talking about whether MSD boxes could act like
> this
when
> the thread dropped off last year. If this isn't fuel related and is
> spark related, what can I check?
>
>
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
> Charles McCall
> Raising Pantera Awareness Across Europe
> 1985 DeTomaso Pantera #9375
>   <http://www.poca.com/index.php/gallery/?g2_itemId=2323>
> http://www.poca.com/index.php/gallery/?g2_itemId=2323
>
>
>
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>
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