Mounting the MSD Ignition System
 

Well yesterday my new MSD 6AL arrived in the mail.

Tonight I studied the 101 Projects and the MSD instructions to mount the unit. First off in the MSD instructions it talks about the anti vibration mounting hardware (missing from my kit) but no big deal I have lots of rubber pad around so I can make that.

The 101 Projects book says to mount it where the current Control Unit is mounted on the left side in the engine bay.

I removed the current control unit and tried every which way to fit the MSD into that area. I don't see how it is going to fit and allow access to changing the fuel filter in the future.

Does anyone have photos of how they mounted their MSD unit. I need so help here. I am at a loss. Manual say 4 hours to install. I guess a mechanic could do that but I spent 2 hours tonight removing the control unit, trying to fit the MSD and then re-installing the control unit. At least next try won't take so long on the removal. I know what tools to use.


Photos of you mounting location would be very helpful.

Thanks,

RS,

Do a search for MSD or MSD Install. Lots of info.

Cole

you can go from a simple install to a great one for not much more than time invested.

depending on circumstances MSD generated heat may become an issue imho

when ambient is over 80F the box is hot enough to limit the length of time you can hold it



this is overkill

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1244181880.jpg



these also make sense to me
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1244182415.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1244182440.jpg

This is how I mounted mine. Tight fit but all good... Also don't forget the MSD Rotor mod.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1244186410.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1244186443.jpg

I used the "standard" MSD coil so I couldn't install it up side down. (The oil inside coil will leak out if you mount it up side down)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1244186476.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1244186487.jpg

Thanks for the photos. From these photos I can see that our cars are different.
On my let side on top of the aluminum box/fuse/relay holder there is the relay for the rear window defrost. This unit is in the rear position and makes it very tight. I'm thinking if I can move that to the rear I will have plenty of room.

Thanks again, I can see some modification is in order.

Msd
 

Rob, don't forget to clip the wire to calibrate the rev limiter for a 6 cyl.(in the instruction sheet) Your wires are on the way they left thurs.

Mike Bruns JBRacing.com

i mounted mine like the green car. take the big relay and mount it laying down. very easy to do. mine is below the MSD now.

I noticed in some pictures the relay laying on its side. I think that is how I will go.

Getting a 1/8" aluminum plate today. Mount the plate to stock location and mount MSD to plate.

I think I have it figure out now.

Thanks.

Okay, the MSD box is installed (very nicely if I might add) in the stock control unit location.

The 101 Projects book says to connect the red wire to the positive side of the starter solenoid. Problem is, I can't see any way to get the wire over to that point and even if I do I don't think it is long enough. Do I need to go buy some 12 gauge wire to extend this, and how do you get it to the solenoid?

Help.

Thanks,

Found a way. Just slid it between the rubber on top of the engine to body area and it fits. Just long enough.

Ask for your parts
 

MSD has a good reputation of making things right. If your parts list included the anti-vibe stuff and it was a new kit, I bet they'll send them to you.

I had to buy 2 kits

1 for box
1 for coil

My MSD 6AL is installed, Tach Adapter Installed, High Vibration Coil Installed, New Cap and Rotor installed. New Plug wires Installed.

Car starts way better than before but when I hit 3200 RPM it lurches and acts like it is cutting out.

I figure it could be a couple things.
1. Fuel Pressure
2. Mixture
3. Rev limiter in the MSD.

Haven't had time to check the limiter in the unit because I will have to remove the unit to access the plug in module.

Will running to lean cause it to lurch at a certain RPM.

Thought?

does it continue cutting out above 3,200 rpm

dont forget advance.
also plug wires

carbs or CIS?

is 3200 where it changes from multi spark to single spark?

Did you read the instructions and remember to cut one of the little wires in the MSD window?

Miss
 

Rob, also check to be sure you dont have the 3000 test chip in the limiter, the single spark happens around 4500, looking thru a windowed cap on the dyno with the lights off you can see the width of the spark at the pin/rotor tip shrink when it changes.

Mike Bruns JBRacing.com

You guys are awesome.
Last night after my last post I got thinking "What rev Limit chip is installed?"


Oh yeah NONE because there were none in my box. I called Summit they are sending me a new one. So when I get home from my Rally with my Sunbeam Alpine it will be here waiting for me to put it in.

I will post a follow up a week from tomorrow when I get home.

Thanks again.

You need to check your new rotor. Does it have a resistor built in?

If it does search on here for "MSD rotor mod"...

Don't want to hi-jack this thread, so just a simple question:

I have bought a MSD 6600 pro unit with matching MSD 8250 coil and am going to install this into a 84 Carrera Motronic injection. Has anyone installed MSD boxes into the 84-89 Carrera cars?

Thanks.

My problem is definately a Rev Limiter.

When I hit exactly 3500 rpm wham it cuts out.

When I get back next week I will put the 6000 rpm limiter in and see what we have then.

Thanks for all the advice and help.

I do have to say that I did a great wiring job. The only wire you can see is a small black ground wire. Everything else is hidden. When I get it all cleaned up next week I will post some photos.

Thanks again.

Okay, I mounted the MSD Unit, New Vibration Coil and Tach adapter.

Could not get over 3500 RPM. Realized that I did not have any of the Rev Limit chips. Called Summit, they were shipped right out. Installed the 6000 RPM chip.

Go for a drive, cuts out at 3500 RPM. Installed 7000 RPM Chip, Cuts out at 3500 RPM.

Took car to local Porsche shop and they messed with it for a week and could not get it to work any better.

Removed the MSD system and re installed the CD. Car runs fine. Drove home all is good. Sending unit back to Summit.

No I just need to get it adjusted to meet emissions.

so far it sounds like a bad MSD box

if so it's the first new-ng one I've heard about.

And I don't trust any mfg CD box. I always carry a spare.

I think you might be right about a bad MSD box. When I got the box it was missing the rubber dampers for installation. Then I realized it was missing all of the Rev Limit chips.

So I am wondering if it was a return and they mistakenly re-sold it.

Oh well it is going back.

Rob

I'm not sure I understand why you think "a rev limiter" is the problem. (I have two MSD 6ALs, twin ignition, and my rev limiters are set at 7,300 and 7,500 rpm, for what it's worth--big-bore short-stroke engine.)

Anyway, I don't think the MSD boxes _require_ a rev limiter of any sort to work--it's an add-on. If you don't add the rev limiters, the thing will just let you rev to infinity...well, probably somewhat sooner. Doubtless you have a bad box, but I don't think whether or not it has a rev-limiter chip is the problem.

Steve,

I am the new owner of a twin-plug setup with dual 6AL's as well, and I was curious about the rationale and results from the two different rev limiters versus setting both the same?

Cheers,

It's what Steve Weiner advised me to do, and I believe his thinking is that it'll give a "soft" limit with one bank of plugs dying at 7,300 and the rest cutting out just 200 rpm later, rather than a "bang" shutoff all at once.

Counter-thinking, for what it's worth, is that you don't want the engine running single-plug momentarily, especially under high rpm and load. But then I've never hit the rev limiter anyway; Rick Deman took it up to 7,000 several times when he dynoed the car, but that's the most it's ever done.

RSWiser-
Possible that the green and purple wires were swapped? The car will run with them like this, but it will have far too much advance. This could cause symptoms similar to what you describe.

I want the dude that cleaned up the green ride to do mine. Nice work. The Grand Canyon, Rachel Welch, your firstborn child, but few other things in life are as attractive as a cleaned up engine compartment.

A nugget to add here:

Having just replaced my MSD box, and wiring it backwards, here are the symptoms I had with reversed purple/grn wires: very high idle (around 2k), runs with a huge miss, like the timing is way off (sort of is). (Removing the oil cap will still cause the car to run worse, and removing the O2 relay causes the car to die.)

Did you ever resolve this?