Summit Capacitive discharge ignition box problems

I purchased a summit capacitive discharge ignition when they first hit the market. Their output was equal to the mallory high fire box but about $50 less.While this thing was on my car (73 Challenger) it fried a fusable link, about 12 in line fuses and burned up my tachometer.I dont know if it had anything to do with it but im on my 3rd alternator. Finally it flamed out and I am installing an MSD-6A. I talked to tech support at Summit and they said they had several problems and complaints about the ignition boxes and stopped production on them and he reccomended the MSD box as a replacement. He also told me Summit changed to another manufacurer and the new Summit boxes were better. Im not going to risk it.I had no electrical problems before I installed that box. Hopefully the MSD will be trouble free.The old saying you get what you pay for is so true!  

i am curious about this...

did you install the unit so it was powered by the factory ignition power wires???   or did you install a load dropping relay.. that is controlled by the ignition system with a supply wire from the battery side of the amp meter.. and its own fusible link.???    i would like its own circuit from the battery side...  or the big post on the starter... to a insulated post on the firewall..

my thinking.. the amount of current it takes to recharge the caps 4 times per crank revolution is far more than a conventional ignition system..    there may have been terrific current surges.. and stray high voltage kickbacks through the system...    

the reason i want it on it on the battery side of the amp meter...  there is more current there .. and the battery can dampen the stray voltages..


what happened to the alternator...   diodes in the alternator are usually rated at 25 amps  100 volts PIV....  (what the heck is PIV..  it is peak inverse volts..)   diodes can only handle up to that voltage without shorting out.. more voltage than that.. and they are cooked..    some replacement diodes are available.. from some alternator parts manufacturer with 50 amp 200 PIV diodes...  these are far superior.. and cost about 5 to 8 bucks more  at the wholesale level..

the voltage kick back from some relays and circuits can be over 100 volts..    


ever gotten shocked from a metal horn ring when your hands were wet.. and you had a hand on a good ground as you bumped it..  this is why cars with computers use relays and solenoids with diodes in them...  to absorb or stop the collapsing magnetic fields from creating a high voltage spike from cooking the control circuits...

if i wanted more current for ignition systems... i think i would build a box with some larger caps in it..  like one would have right before their stereo amp... as caps can store and release electrons instantly... where batteries are chemical producers have a slight delay...   perhaps this is what a CD ignition is??  i am not sure as i have never opened one or studied the electronics in one..

this is just my theory..  i am not an electronic engineer... just a mechanic with forward thinking..  

"I talked to tech support at Summit and they said they had several problems and complaints about the ignition boxes......"  

That statement right there tells me that Summit should bear some responsibility here. Damned if I wouldn't try to get them to do it.  
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