MSD Issues

[Robbbyg]

I installed a basic MSD 6200 to my Euro 77 930
I STILL cant get tach working. its been 2 months thought i could work it out

I have the Tach Adapter 8910, now i read that a 8910eis or something may be needed,? wtf?!

Anyone know how to get my Tach working ive got all my wires in the open if i can do a short way please let me know ive gone over the instrucions from the site plus the new ones,

Now im looking for a unofficial fix to get it going?
Anyone have one?


Im thinking to run the black /purple straight to my rear axle so i picks up the rotaton of my tires im running out of ideas!

Im driving by my boost guage instead of tach because where i sit i cent see te speedo I have 1 Point l;eft on my licence before i lose it for good.

And Easter Bunny is not real!
So Im having a bad week!

[mreid]

If you're triggering with the green/purple harness, then you need the 8920 adapter, not the 8910.

[JFairman]

I installed the common non programmable MSD 6al around 6 years ago and never needed a tach adapter. Then added an MSD 8762 boost retard box to go with it and still don't need a tach adaptor.

I think I recall there is a single spade terminal on the opposite side of the MSD box from it's wire harness that's for the tach trigger signal. It's been a while now but I remember an easy to read wire diagram that came with the 8762 and has also been posted here that pictures how to wire it and yeah, no tach adapter needed. At least not on an '86/'87 tachometer

The skinny purple/black wire is the tach signal wire in the 6 pin plug to the original CD box and also behind the tach in the dash board and I have spliced into that one to trigger summit racing rpm switches for my shift light and my rpm switch vacuum solenoid boost signal delay to the control pressure regulator ..blah blah blah.

[Robbbyg]

Thanks both
Its a bit of hit and miss the 8910 supposed to be for older cars and the 8920 for newer, and like jf says sometime you dont need them,

Its a pain ill keep fiddling with it dont want to buy another part if i dont really need to,

Mine is a uro was using the 8 Pin CDI maybe the ignition is slightly different to US cars of the Era

Ill splice a few more hopefully ill get lucky .

[mreid]

You actually shouldn't need an adapter at all if you have a newer MSD box. Do you have the instructions?

[Crewchief]

I installed a msd 6al btm 12 years ago and hooked the small purple/black wire directly to the male spade terminal on the end of the box and the tach has worked perfect ever since.
no tach adapter was used.
Now having said that, today I'm installing a new msd 6al btm on another 930 the same way so will see if the tach works or needs the adapter. If it does i'll use the 8920 msd. I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

1976 carrera turbo
1979 930 3.3
1982 930 3.4

[quattrorunner]

I also use the purple black wire and don't use adapter.

[Robbbyg]

I bought a second hand MSD 6200 its still a 6 series so should be same as far as connecting goes as the later 6 series even though mines one of he first ones?

Crewchief i tried the blk purp in the cdi harness...
Ill have to check continuity somethings not right..

Quatro where did you use YOUR Purple Black? same place from the cdi harness as CC?
CC let us know maybe post a pic her?

Ive found the blk purple it in the rear harness nand i attached the 8910 adapter to it but no go with that, Ive also plugged the tach output from the MSD to the BLK purple and also to the NEG on the Coil, still nothing .

I have all the instructions,
By rights i think i should be able to use the WHite as the trigger but i cant it wont work tht way.. my ignition looks wierd inside i dont remember seeing any points in there, its a funny 5 or 6 shaped star wheel from what i remember, ill look at that i think different ignition types depends on how the msd works...

[Robbbyg]

Originally Posted by Crewchief

I installed a msd 6al btm 12 years ago and hooked the small purple/black wire directly to the male spade terminal on the end of the box and the tach has worked perfect ever since.
no tach adapter was used.
Now having said that, today I'm installing a new msd 6al btm on another 930 the same way so will see if the tach works or needs the adapter. If it does i'll use the 8920 msd. I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

1976 carrera turbo
1979 930 3.3
1982 930 3.4

Do you mean from the 6/8 pin CDI harness directly to the Tach output of the MSD?

[Crewchief]

Robbyg, today I fired up the 82 930 and the tach works without a tach adaptor. I ran a wire from the spade terminal on the end of the msd box { 6al btm } to the 6 pin factory cd plug and connected to the purple/black wire. I can't recall ever needing a tach adapter on a porsche but have used them on toyota's with electronic fuel injection and others with electronic fuel inj.

76 carrera turbo
79 930 3.3
82 930 3.4

[Robbbyg]

Originally Posted by Crewchief

Robbyg, today I fired up the 82 930 and the tach works without a tach adaptor. I ran a wire from the spade terminal on the end of the msd box { 6al btm } to the 6 pin factory cd plug and connected to the purple/black wire. I can't recall ever needing a tach adapter on a porsche but have used them on toyota's with electronic fuel injection and others with electronic fuel inj.

76 carrera turbo
79 930 3.3
82 930 3.4

Ths for the update,

Curious Ddd you use the white wire or the other two for the main switching i think its the orange and black ones? im wondering if that makes a difference


There may be a fault in my wiring or inconsistencies with euro (8pin) vs us ignition (6pin)
or my tacho needle is stuck which is also a possibility,

I can check two of those tonight

[T77911S]

i have put in 2 MSD's. one with points and one on the 930. i have never used a tach adapter.

make sure you have the ground braid from the dist going to the violet on the MSD. the MSD needs to be wired up "backwords" compared to the bosch unit.

[Crewchief]

The white wire is not used,just tape it up. The orange and black wires goe to ign. coil orange to positive and black to negative. The 930 cd plug has a key on power for the small red wire on the msd box. The green 930 dist wire is also in the 930 cd plug and as mentioned above connect the violet to the shield and the green to the center conductor of the dist. green wire.
now if the tach does'nt work it may be a faulty tach or purple/black signal wire going to it.

76 carrera turbo
79 930 3.3
82 930 3.4

[Robbbyg]

Ok im onto it, see how i go thanks peoples

[Robbbyg]

Finally sorted my Tach

Only way to get it going was to Get the Later Version Tach Adapter,

The earlier version did nothing, hmm

Perhaps the reason I had ptoblems with it was because my car was using Euro 8 pin cdi ignition?

In the end all good, will wire and solder it up for good now.