Do NOT buy and MSD distributor!!!

[BlooDReigN]

Well, some of you may have read about the problem I was having with my car. Basicly, it completely died on me while I was driving it. I was clueless as to what the problem was. I was getting spark, fuel, compression...it seemed everything was all good, but the car wouldn't fart, pop or anything.

Turns out the pin that holds the distributor gear in place on the shaft shear completely off and the gear itself rotate around the shaft throwing my timing completely out.

I have no idea WHY this pin would shear off. The shaft turns nice and easily in the distributor and there are no hang ups anywhere that would cause any undue resistance on this thing.

I'm completely unimpressed with the quality of this part so far. When I first got my car running, I couldn't drive it more than a couple kilometers before the PIP that came with the distributor would die. I would have to wait for the engine to cool down completely before it would fire back up again. I had to try 4 different brands of PIP before I found one that worked properly....what the hell is up with that??? First it was the MSD one, then I tried a used ford one, then a niehoff one and I can't even remember the brand name of the one I'm using right now, but I had to get it from NAPA...it works great.

Anyway....the moral of the story. Stay the HELL AWAY from the MSD Pro-Billet distributor.

 

[RsStanG1987]

Did you buy it new or used?? I had one and it woked great.

 

[ryan218]

Did you buy it new or used?? I had one and it woked great.

you should update your sig...*word*

 

[BlooDReigN]

I bought it brand new. 400 km's on this distributor now and it's had 2 very serious issues. The only advantage it has over the ford piece as far as I can see is that it looks a little bit nicer. I'm happy with the other MSD parts in my car (6AL and TFI blaster coil), but this thing has just been junk so far.

 

[Ozz]

Join the club, bro. Bought a brand new one and it worked no longer than 5 minutes at a time and gave me the worst possible luck at the worst possible time: on my way to a tuning appointment in the pouring rain, and finally stuck on a hill. LOL

Bottlfed had a bad experience too, along with a few others here. They seem to be real iffy of a part.

 

[89five.o]

Mine has been good so far....knock on wood. Seems like a lot of MSD stuff is going to crap. Good thing they're only like 45 min from home in New Mexico. I still need to see about exchanging my unopened 6A for a 6AL sometime.

 

[Rick 91GT]

If the pin sheared off then something jammed or bound it up, the steel roll pin should not just break. One thing that is nearly impossible to check with the timing cover on is the depth of the dist, the MSD tends to be shallow and depending what oil pump shaft you use it binds it up, usually breaking the shaft. I wonder if this is what happened on yours but luckily it broke the roll pin and not the shaft....

I have had to grind on EVERY MSD dist to make them work on customers motors... EVERY SINGLE ONE to get the proper clearance.

 

[Mr Grim]

Add me to the list of failed PIP's on a brand new MSD-Pro...

 

[Deleted member 87397]

I have the pro billet in my stock block and it has worked like a champ from day one. I wonder why so many people are getting junky ones lately.

 

[joeyd0730]

Rick is correct, he told me to check the length of mine, it turnes out the end of the shaft was almost 1/4 longer than stock... had to grind it down.

 

[Busted07]

Oh crap

I already have my entire motor together save for stabbing the dizzy. Im screwed if i need to trim my shaft arent i?

A knowledgeable friend of mine put the oil pump and shaft in while i was at the parts store grabbing something or other, and didnt say anything about clearance issues.

 

[Rick 91GT]

You do not trim the PUMP SHAFT, you trim the bottom of the Dist shaft if needed.

Most of the aftermarket dist shafts, ARP, Ford Racing, only have so much relief area so the dist actually bottoms out in that relief. By trimming the dist you gain the needed clearance.

You can a very thin layer of grease in the bottom of the dist then insert it and see if you can get a reading of how far the shaft is going into the dist. I have also use rear gear marking compound. It is much easier to do with the front cover off when your building the motor and setting the clearances...

FWIW, I have made more HP with a stock dist then the MSD

 

[Busted07]

You do not trim the PUMP SHAFT, you trim the bottom of the Dist shaft if needed.

Most of the aftermarket dist shafts, ARP, Ford Racing, only have so much relief area so the dist actually bottoms out in that relief. By trimming the dist you gain the needed clearance.

You can a very thin layer of grease in the bottom of the dist then insert it and see if you can get a reading of how far the shaft is going into the dist. I have also use rear gear marking compound. It is much easier to do with the front cover off when your building the motor and setting the clearances...

FWIW, I have made more HP with a stock dist then the MSD

Ok, well then im only partially screwed lol. Thanks for the info.

 

[woodyy24]

I have the pro billet in my stock block and it has worked like a champ from day one. I wonder why so many people are getting junky ones lately.

same here.

 

[BlooDReigN]

If the pin sheared off then something jammed or bound it up, the steel roll pin should not just break. One thing that is nearly impossible to check with the timing cover on is the depth of the dist, the MSD tends to be shallow and depending what oil pump shaft you use it binds it up, usually breaking the shaft. I wonder if this is what happened on yours but luckily it broke the roll pin and not the shaft....

I have had to grind on EVERY MSD dist to make them work on customers motors... EVERY SINGLE ONE to get the proper clearance.

You would think something bound it up anyway...The distributor turns easy as can be though. I have no idea what could have held it up bad enough to shear the pin off.

Hopefully my MSD 6AL and coil don't start having issues soon

I'll have to take a look at the clearance for the distributor shaft though that you mentioned.

 

[Mr. Rustypwnz]

Well, some of you may have read about the problem I was having with my car. Basicly, it completely died on me while I was driving it. I was clueless as to what the problem was. I was getting spark, fuel, compression...it seemed everything was all good, but the car wouldn't fart, pop or anything.

Turns out the pin that holds the distributor gear in place on the shaft shear completely off and the gear itself rotate around the shaft throwing my timing completely out.

I have no idea WHY this pin would shear off. The shaft turns nice and easily in the distributor and there are no hang ups anywhere that would cause any undue resistance on this thing.

I'm completely unimpressed with the quality of this part so far. When I first got my car running, I couldn't drive it more than a couple kilometers before the PIP that came with the distributor would die. I would have to wait for the engine to cool down completely before it would fire back up again. I had to try 4 different brands of PIP before I found one that worked properly....what the hell is up with that??? First it was the MSD one, then I tried a used ford one, then a niehoff one and I can't even remember the brand name of the one I'm using right now, but I had to get it from NAPA...it works great.

Anyway....the moral of the story. Stay the HELL AWAY from the MSD Pro-Billet distributor.

yes I was right!!!

 

[bluevenom867]

You do not trim the PUMP SHAFT, you trim the bottom of the Dist shaft if needed.

Most of the aftermarket dist shafts, ARP, Ford Racing, only have so much relief area so the dist actually bottoms out in that relief. By trimming the dist you gain the needed clearance.

You can a very thin layer of grease in the bottom of the dist then insert it and see if you can get a reading of how far the shaft is going into the dist. I have also use rear gear marking compound. It is much easier to do with the front cover off when your building the motor and setting the clearances...

FWIW, I have made more HP with a stock dist then the MSD

http://www.titanspeed.com/content/pump/pump_partsacc01.html

They can sell you a tool steel shaft that is cut-to-length

Im runing one of their Sportsman wet-sump system in our 427,and its great.

 

[dderek]

i have a msd pro billet dist, love it.
never had a problem with my stock shortblock, b cam, etc.

now im building a new motor with aftermarket oil pump rod.
i guess ill take a look at how the 2 fit together

 

[juiced_94gt]

humm, i've had my pro billet for over 4 years with ZERO problems, i wonder if i was just lucky...by the way will the dist. gear on the MSD work with my new TFS stage 2 cam??

 

[Italian-LX]

I bought a used MSD Pro-billet for my 418w and have put 7,000 miles on it with zero problems.