MSD IGNITION

Road-race engines and ancillaries - general discussion
Post Reply
Guy Croft
Site Admin
Posts: 5039
Joined: June 18th, 2006, 9:31 am
Location: Bedford, UK
Contact:

Re: MSD IGNITION now available on a 131

Post by Guy Croft »

NITROUS!

New topic please - as advised in Protocol 13:

"Put a clearly defined title that leads the reader to the subject. You will see that I have been editing titles so that the 'search facility' is more use. Please don't over-post with new topics if adding on to your last one will do. Otherwise it will become impossible to find a particular subject and everything will get repeated..."

Gracias

GC
Guy Croft, owner
Brit01
Posts: 825
Joined: June 28th, 2011, 4:54 pm
Location: Uruguay

Re: MSD IGNITION now available on a 131

Post by Brit01 »

I have recently acquired a NOS MSD 6A to try on my Alfa. It's in mint condition and has never been mounted. An older version 6200.

A very old blaster coil with HT cable is being supplied with it but MSD have already informed me that if I send this back they will send me a new blaster coil free of charge! Very good service indeed.
They will send a MSD Blaster SS Coil free of charge!

Once I have the unit in my possession I will update you with more details/specs.
It was a deal I couldn't resist.

Let me know if you want me to keep this on another thread of my own as it is Perry's topic here.

Regards

Chris
Guy Croft
Site Admin
Posts: 5039
Joined: June 18th, 2006, 9:31 am
Location: Bedford, UK
Contact:

Re: MSD IGNITION now available on a 131

Post by Guy Croft »

Nice to hear you were well-treated by MSD, maybe you mentioned Perry's name?!

Or maybe they are just really nice guys.

G
Guy Croft, owner
csi2000s
Posts: 18
Joined: September 10th, 2008, 9:58 am

Re: MSD IGNITION now available on a 131

Post by csi2000s »

I've been reading this thread with great interest. I'm building a new head with twin DCOE 40mm Webers for the 2 litre engine in my 1974 spider. I have 130TC cams ready to go and I'll be doing the port gasflow/mod and cc pre-prep, sizes & shapes according to GC spec along with fitting GC adjustable cam wheels.
The ignition is a Bosch electronic block mounted unit from a Lancia Beta. I've been offered a used MSD 6A with SS blaster coil complete with instructions for $150 Australian dollars. The fellow selling it is upgrading to a newer version for his Nissan GTR. What is the difference between a 6A and 6AL?
Is this a good deal and suitable for my application? Is there anything I should be careful about buying used or should I just save a bit longer and get a new one ?
Brit01
Posts: 825
Joined: June 28th, 2011, 4:54 pm
Location: Uruguay

Re: MSD IGNITION now available on a 131

Post by Brit01 »

6AL has the rev limiter. 6A is the same just without the rev limiter.

Also I believe the newer models have a slightly stronger spark output and slimmer design.
But not sure if you'd notice much difference on a stock engine like mine between the older 6A's and newer 6A's. But as always a test a dyno would need to be done to prove that.

Maybe Perry can jump in as he is using it on a modified 131 engine I believe.

MSD advised me to change the coil as mine was old.
But if the actual module works it works if you know what I mean.
csi2000s
Posts: 18
Joined: September 10th, 2008, 9:58 am

Re: MSD IGNITION now available on a 131

Post by csi2000s »

I ended up buying the MSD 6A and SS Blaster coil today. Shall I just leave the original Bosch coil in place and fit the only the 6A or would it be better to hook up the new coil as well? It uses a ballast resistor so would the SS Blaster need one as well? The Bosch coil is NOS and I only fitted it last week.

So it's been a great week for the Spider. The Facet Interrupter fuel pump I ordered last week turned up from the UK, MSD just got involved and some great advice from Guy and Perry has made the last few days very fruitful!

It's so good to be able to logon, ask questions and get the answers I need. That's why I'm here. All those years getting so much conflicting advice and opinions is a thing of the past.
Brit01
Posts: 825
Joined: June 28th, 2011, 4:54 pm
Location: Uruguay

Re: MSD IGNITION now available on a 131

Post by Brit01 »

Exactly the same as I did.

Just a month ago I bought a new original Bosch coil (non-ballasted though - primary 1.5 ohms).

I am planning to leave my Bosch coil in place as a spare just in case. Hook it up easily if you get stranded somewhere, not saying that I will though. But anything can fail as we know and it's good to have some spares if you use your car as daily drive like I do.
You can try the 6A with the MSD coil and Bosch to see the difference but I would prefer to use the MSD coil as it was designed to work with the 6A in mind. Although they state stock coils will work also.

I don't believe the SS Blaster will need a ballast resistor but just check with MSD. There is a forum or contact them directly. They responded to me within a couple of hours.

Let us know your results with the system and what difference you feel.

Mine won't arrive for some weeks yet. It's coming from USA.

Regards

Chris
Last edited by Brit01 on July 13th, 2012, 1:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
n2oxide
Posts: 57
Joined: March 1st, 2011, 7:58 pm
Location: London, UK
Contact:

Re: MSD IGNITION now available on a 131

Post by n2oxide »

You have the coil so use it. Forget the Ballast Resistor, unless you have points.

BE CLEAR, with an MSD, the only thing that's wired to the coil (your existing or your new MSD one) are the MSD orange and black. If you have anything else, you have wired it wrong and destroy what you have connected to it.

Perry
GC_86
Brit01
Posts: 825
Joined: June 28th, 2011, 4:54 pm
Location: Uruguay

Re: MSD IGNITION now available on a 131

Post by Brit01 »

Perry,

I have an electronic Bosch distributor with a thick green cable connected to the side of it.
I assume this contains the 2 wires from the magnetic pick up inside the distributor so I connect these to the green and violet wires?

I will check my distributor set up further this weekend.


Thanks

Chris
Last edited by Brit01 on July 13th, 2012, 2:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Guy Croft
Site Admin
Posts: 5039
Joined: June 18th, 2006, 9:31 am
Location: Bedford, UK
Contact:

Re: MSD IGNITION now available on a 131

Post by Guy Croft »

Surely?

Are there not comprehensive instructions on fitting these units in the package?

I am not entirely comfortable with the load being imposed on Perry in respect of wiring up.

If Perry is good with it fair enough. No offence intended TO ANYONE! I just think it's MSD's job.

RSVP me here all on this and nothing else for now please

GC
Guy Croft, owner
Brit01
Posts: 825
Joined: June 28th, 2011, 4:54 pm
Location: Uruguay

Re: MSD IGNITION now available on a 131

Post by Brit01 »

Sorry Guy no problem.

There is 20 page or so pdf document you can download from the MSD site with all the instructions.
n2oxide
Posts: 57
Joined: March 1st, 2011, 7:58 pm
Location: London, UK
Contact:

Re: MSD IGNITION now available on a 131

Post by n2oxide »

There are instructions but they are in fact based on experts being able to decide which page to follow. I guarantee my simple instructions are best on the basis that they are correct for our European 4 cylinder electronic ignition based cars.

......take out the distributor from your ignition setup and what do you lose ? The rev counter signal. Yes it's sound like you take it from the distributor pickup, but that's wrong.

Big fat red to battery positive
Big fat black to a nice earth, preferably new one or good clean one on the chassis, not on the engine. (that's another long story)
The existing positive to the coil is removed and connected to the MSD small red
The existing negative to the coil is removed and connected to the MSD small white
The orange from MSD to the coil positive
The black from the MSD on the same loom as the orange to the coil negative
SNIP the loop wires that change the MSD from 8 to 6 to 4 cylinder

Fire it up

Doing it this way also means you can reverse it with just two wires if you think it has failed or your car start to develop a fault and want a second opinion........neither of these I have ever known.

There is no point going down any other complex route. Whatever you think the instructions are telling you. They are only as good as the educated experience you may or may not have.

Save yourself the reading and deciding. I assure you it's as easy as above.

Perry
GC_86
Brit01
Posts: 825
Joined: June 28th, 2011, 4:54 pm
Location: Uruguay

Re: MSD IGNITION now available on a 131

Post by Brit01 »

There are instructions but they are in fact based on experts being able to decide which page to follow.
That's reassuring thanks. I was reading it and wasn't too sure.
......take out the distributor from your ignition setup and what do you lose ? The rev counter signal. Yes it's sound like you take it from the distributor pickup, but that's wrong.
This was the confusing part. So this white (or green and violet) just sends the signal to the rev counter? I learn something new everyday.

So I just leave this rev counter wire (whether it's the points or magnetic pick up) in place on the distributor? I thought there was a connection from the 6A box to the rev counter.
MSD say to connect the grey wire to your tachometer. This is my doubt. So I ignore this part Perry?

Kind regards

Chris
nabihelosta
Posts: 94
Joined: December 14th, 2010, 5:37 pm
Location: Lebanon

Re: MSD IGNITION now available on a 131

Post by nabihelosta »

Chris

Please once for all, and to spare Perry some time and posts, do as I did previously on this thread: Draw a schematic of your ignition circuitry with a clear legend and post it here. Perry will answer very clearly then I can assure you. That's exactly what he did to me and I was more than pleased and thankful.

Nabih
HORSEPOWERunlimited
Brit01
Posts: 825
Joined: June 28th, 2011, 4:54 pm
Location: Uruguay

Re: MSD IGNITION now available on a 131

Post by Brit01 »

Perry's instructions are very clear and I'm sure we all appreciate his help with this MSD system. Just had one doubt about the tachometer signal and grey wire from the 6A unit that's all.
Will try and find time to draw out a schematic if necessary unless Perry is quite happy to answer my question with verbiage.

Kind regards

Chris
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 30 guests