MSD Wiring

[thinksound_mike]

Hello.

 

I'm installing an MSD Street Fire box in my car wanted to double-check with the FAQ collective before finalizing it and making a mistake. I'm running the IE dizzy and my question is around the red wire from the dizzy and the red wire I have running direct from my fuse box to my coil now for switched power. Looking at the directions, it seems like I should join the line from the fuse box to the red wire from the dizzy and connect both to the red wire coming from the MSD. Is this correct?

 

I have the rest of it wired up, just didn't want to fry the thing if my assumption was wrong.

 

Thanks!

 

Mike

 

[TobyB]

If I remember how MSD does things internally, you don't want to connect anything other than the MSD to the coil primary.

 

So you'd want solid power at the heavy red lug,

(it doesn't matter if it's switched or not, but it will draw 30-50a spikes on an MSD6AL)

 

but switched power at the small red MSD and Pertronix wires.  So yes, combine those two.

 

The Pertronix grounds (and lifts) the white MSD trigger wire via its BLACK wire,

providing  spark triggering.  The Pertronix ground is actually made inside the distributor,

so that black is a bit of a mislabel, as it's SWITCHED ground.

 

Clear as mud?

 

t

 

[thinksound_mike]

Hey Toby!

 

Yes, clear as mud.

 

So basically, I can connect those two red wires (one from my fuse box and one from the dizzy) and then connect that to the small red wire on the msd box. Heavy red and heavy black go to battery already.

 

21 minutes ago, TobyB said:

you don't want to connect anything other than the MSD to the coil primary

You brought up another curve ball then. I have an electric choke weber 38/38 that runs to the coil. Is that ok to leave connected to the coil? Or better to power elsewhere or disconnect altogether?

 

Thanks for the help!

 

Mike

 

 

[Dudeland]

You will need the tach adapter.  And BTW in order to get the best out of the system, get the proper wires,  and oh yeah a non resistor rotor for those wires.  

 

Wires need to be 0 (i.e low)  resistance wires, and a 0 resistance rotor (from I.E)   You can use resistance wires and resistance rotors or bad things happen (see below)    This is a resistor rotor with 0 resistance wires.   

 

You kinda have to commit to the entire MSD program, including wires and coil, or you can get caught out. 

 

This is the tach adapter.   Be careful there are two styles that are identical looking. 

 

If you still have a ballast resistor,  bin it.   if you have a car with a resistor wire in it,  cut it out. 

 

MSD blaster II coil works for me. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest_anonymous]

[TobyB]

Yeah, the MSD 6AL does odd things to both coil + and -

 

I'm guessing that the streetfire version might do, too.

 

So power that choke off the switched positive you're powering the 

Pertronix and MSD 'enable' wire with.

 

t

bridged, anyone?

[thinksound_mike]

12 hours ago, Dudeland said:

You will need the tach adapter.  And BTW in order to get the best out of the system, get the proper wires,  and oh yeah a non resistor rotor for those wires.  

 

Wires need to be 0 (i.e low)  resistance wires, and a 0 resistance rotor (from I.E)   You can use resistance wires and resistance rotors or bad things happen (see below)    This is a resistor rotor with 0 resistance wires.   

 

You kinda have to commit to the entire MSD program, including wires and coil, or you can get caught out. 

 

This is the tach adapter.   Be careful there are two styles that are identical looking. 

 

If you still have a ballast resistor,  bin it.   if you have a car with a resistor wire in it,  cut it out. 

 

MSD blaster II coil works for me. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ouch. My car has an internally regulated coil, which I swapped out for an MSD Flame Thrower coil.  have the IE Mech Dizzy and IE wires. Do those need to be swapped out as well?

 

[thinksound_mike]

9 hours ago, TobyB said:

Yeah, the MSD 6AL does odd things to both coil + and -

 

I'm guessing that the streetfire version might do, too.

 

So power that choke off the switched positive you're powering the 

Pertronix and MSD 'enable' wire with.

 

t

bridged, anyone?

got it. thanks!

['76mintgrün'02]

13 hours ago, Dudeland said:

oh yeah a non resistor rotor

 

IE sells one

 

https://www.iemotorsport.com/product/distributor-rotor-zero-resistance-bosch-style/

 

 

 

[thinksound_mike]

7 minutes ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

 

IE sells one

 

https://www.iemotorsport.com/product/distributor-rotor-zero-resistance-bosch-style/

 

 

 

Hi.  

 

I'm using the earlier version of this dizzy with Bosch cap:

https://www.iemotorsport.com/product/tii-mechanical-advance-distributor-with-electronic-ignitor/

 

Not sure I need a zero resistance rotor. I think the one I have should be fine. I'll email IE to be sure.

 

 

['76mintgrün'02]

The stock Bosch rotors for our cars have 5,000 Ohms of resistance built in.  Bosch also offers 1,000 Ohm versions.  (R5 or R1 marked on the underside)  I don't know what comes with the IE unit.

 

Here is a thread a Porsche forum showing photos like Dude's.

 

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/493184-anyone-ever-see-distributor-rotor-do.html

 

 

[thinksound_mike]

I emailed IE to ask. I'm going to double-check my wiring for the resistance wire as well; which I'm pretty sure hit the garbage can when I removed all of the smog stuff. I tossed a lot of wiring when it was all done. 

[Dudeland]

I hacked one by simply soldering a narrow strip of copper from the center conductor to the tip of the rotor.  I have it in my spares along with my spare guibilo. 

[thinksound_mike]

Jeff got back to me. He said I should be fine for a street car, but higher revs will build heat and possibly do damage. For $20, I just ordered the zero resistance rotor. It's better than a $200 mistake. Thanks for all your help!

[Dudeland]

53 minutes ago, thinksound_mike said:

Jeff got back to me. He said I should be fine for a street car, but higher revs will build heat and possibly do damage. For $20, I just ordered the zero resistance rotor. It's better than a $200 mistake. Thanks for all your help!

If it isn't too late order two, just in case. You can't really find them anywhere else (ask me how I know). 

 

Regards

 

Edited June 22, 2020 by Dudeland