MSD Users - What brand of tachometer do you have?
 

I called MSD and they said I need 2 buy their special tachometer to accurately tune my car. It looks like my old one reads 2X than normal.

1. What brand do you guys have?
2. Cost?
3. Do you just use the tach on the dash?

Thanks.

Had the same problem with my 69. I replaced the conventional ignition with an MSD ignition and a blaster coil. My tach would read double, but would read near accurate only above 4000 RPM. I sought much advice, and had recommendations to send my original tach down to Cali for updating. MSD tech wasn't much help.

I tried using the MSD tach adapter, installing it as they recommended. I was going to give up and finally got some good advice on how to wire it from other Pelicans. This was contrary to the instructions given by MSD, but it made more sense and worked perfectly.

The tach now works as it should. The problem is with the multiple spark signal being sent through the tach from the MSD unit. The tach adapter smooths it out and regulates it to a signal the tach can read.

You may want to try the adapter route. I can assist you with wiring if you need it. It's pretty easy.

Jim

Jim,

Thanks for the offer. However, I think I was not clear....

I have installed MSD on 2 SC's and the 'dash tachs' were OK. I did not need the adapters.

However, when tuning the car, in tandem with a timing gun, I have 2 tach units (an Actron and an expensive Fluke) that used to give me accurate digital RPM readouts (at least before the MSDs). Now they read double.

I am not just comfortable reading the dash tach!

I still using the stock VDO tachometer. My car is a '72 911. I have a MSD 6A and no tach adapter. I notice that the tachometer reads 200 rpm more than the reality, compare to the rpm's that my digital timing light reads.

The stock tach will work just fine after a certain point in the early 1970s - where that point is, is not entirely clear... tho you can search on old threads to narrow the range - it appears to be 1970 or '71.

cab,

What you need to do to make the Actron or Fluke meters read correctly is break out the 'TD' signal [Black/Violet wire to tach] to a test point terminal on the engine electrical panel ... along with a ground terminal. Then all you have to do is clip the meter's test leads to the two terminals, and read the signal without multiple transitions ... just like the dash tach!

83 Cab with a MSD 6a, stock VDO Tach, and no tach adapter.
You don't say year car your installing it on but here's the wiring info I used for my 83 with a 6 pin CDI

Large red is 12v power and large black is chassis ground.
Brown wire to coil neg is 31-1 and connects to MSD thin black wire
White wire to coil pos is A and connects to MSD orange wire
Red switched power wire is 15 and connects to MSD thin red
Green wire from distributor is 7 and connects to MSD magnetic pick-up green wire
Shield wire around distributor green wire is 31D and connects to MSD voilet wire
That leaves is the MSD white wire (used if your have points) and a black wire (with violet stripe?) that connects to the MSD Tach output connector
If you have points, you use the white wire and leave the magnetic pick-up wires disconnected.

msd magnetic pick up
 

I have been reading on the MSD magnetic pick up questions and am confused by this last post:

Green wire from distributor is 7 and connects to MSD magnetic pick-up green wire
Shield wire around distributor green wire is 31D and connects to MSD voilet wire

In looking at the MSD instructions they list the
MSD mag pick up green as (-) negative
and violet as (+)positive.

Maybe it works the way it has been suggested but I think the green center dist (7)wire is positive and the shield wire 31d would be neg.

If you go by MSD instructions it would be
Green 7 to Violet msd mag
Green shield 31d to Green msd mag

Anyone please help clairify
Thanks
Greg