So I bought this really clean 88 std hatch last year from CA.
It has a built b18a and msd box.

Recently it just shut off while driving on a couple of separate occasions.

At first, I thought it was just a coincidence or the tune since I've been dialing it in with Crome pro:

I was driving to work in rush hour traffic and when coming to a stoplight, I coasted up and the rpm's went from 3k straight to zero.
I tried to crank it again and threw on the hazards and it seriously took like 10 minutes of turning over before it cranked.

I went back to my old saved tune and no issues for a few days.

Then it did it again yesterday.

This time, it shut off three different times while I was driving home from work in rushhour traffic, and the third time I noticed it spiked lean when it stumbled and shut off. Each time it took several minutes of cranking before it would start and I would have to hold the rpm's at 2500 or higher or it would try to die.

Also, the starter wouldn't even turn over a couple of times - almost like it was wedged in between teeth on the flywheel or something. I pop started it and then limped home revving lik a stunna to keep it from cutting off on me.

Once I got in the neighborhood, it drove fine again. :/

I pulled the plugs (ngk 6) - and they were all gapped at .058-.064.

I put a new set of bkr7e11 at .042 and let it idle. No issues.

I checked the plug wires by grounding them to the valve cover nuts while the car was running and the #2 plug wire didn't seem to be firing consistently.

Then I started thinking about the fact that this car has an msd 6AL and external coil and msd wires.

I've heard of people having issues with msd stuff, so I'm wondering if this thing is the culprit.

Idk when the cap and rotor button were last replaced either.

I guess I need to decide whether to start replacing msd parts or find some oem stuff to put in.

Thoughts?

pics:

 

ignition switch?

 

I kinda ruled out ignition switch because it tries to crank every time I turn the key.
The times when the starter wouldn't turn over the motor, the lights were going dim so I knew it was sending power to the starter each time I turned the key.