Duraspark Distributor and MSD Ignition

[Anonymous]

Has any one used the Duraspark Distributor with a MSD 6AL Ignition box? I have done this with my GM HEI products, and it basically just uses the magnetic pick up as the triggering device. The Duraspark Distributor looks similar to the GM HEI. And the MSD is simple to hook up, wouldn't have to deal with all of the tracing down a true 12-volt wire. The MSD gets it power straight from the battery and you can use any ignition hot wire to trigger the MSD, even the ballest resisted coil wire.

Any thoughts, unforeseen problems?

Thanks,
Tim

 

[wsa111]

Tim, use the MSD cable adapter 8869.

This plugs into the duraspark harness right to the MSD box, you do not have to use the white trigger wire on the MSD.

If I remember you have to remove the alignment ears on the male plug of the MSD harness to let you plug in the adapter into the duraspark harness..

Then hook up the harness to your coil from the MSD per your instruction manual.

If you have any problems check the polarity of the MSD harness.

I had a harness where the wire terminations were reveresed.

Even MSD is not perfect.

If you have problems pull up www.msdignition.com

Mine works great.

You need a full 12 volts to the MSD unit for it to function properly. William

 

[Anonymous]

You need a full 12 volts to the MSD unit for it to function properly.

Yeah, but the "small" red wire is the "trigger" wire (turns box on and off, box does not get main power from this) and yes, the resistance wire is fine for the "trigger" wire.

Chrysler, Ford, and GM all use basicly the same priciples for magnetic trigger pick-ups in their distributors...hence you will notice in the instructions THAT COME WITH the MSD that connecting the box to a factory distributor is a VERY common thing folks do.

 

[Anonymous]

http://home.cfl.rr.com/mustangsix/Engine/duraspark.htm

 

[jamyers]

By trigger wire, you both are referring to the red "power on" wire, which will turn on the box with very little voltage (which is why some dash lights will keep it running with the switch off), but MSD still indicates that the box needs a full 12 volts to this wire. May well be splitting hairs, but I feed my MSD 12 volts, it's easy enough to do.

Anyway, I'm doing just what you're asking about - using an MSD 6A box with a Duraspark distributor. I love it, the engine fires right off even when cold, and once it's been warmed up I only have to bump the starter and it starts right up. I haven't gotten my carb jetted right yet, but on my Buick 350 I was able to lean out the primary side settings after installing an MSD box, and the performance is up (according to my butt-dyno)

On the Ranchero, I've got an underhood fuseblock mounted beside the radiator on the driver's side, so the MSD main power leads are nice and short, and fused. I used the MSD-to-DuraSpark distributor adapter, confirming the wire polarity (it was ok), and ran the distributor trigger wires back along the block to the coil, then over to the body, and up/over the shock tower to the MSD box. The wires from the MSD box to the coil run back alongside the trigger wires to the coil, along with the "power on" red wire, which hooks to the Ford wire from the ignition switch. I replaced the old coil / ignition feed resistor wire under the dash so I've got full voltage to the "power on" wire.

Here's the wiring on the engine: Blue arrow point to the distributor trigger wires, The MSD adapter is a short piece from behind the fuel pump to right behind the coil, where I connected it to an MSD extension harness that the rear blue arros is point at. The Yellow arrow points to the MSD-to-coil wires, and the Green arrow points to the "power on" connection.

Here's the wiring on the fender: the red MSD box (which I want to camouflage), the Red arrow points to the underhood fusebox, and the Blue arrows point to the trigger and coil wire bundles going over the shock tower.

Since I took these photos, I've hidden the distributor wires under the motor mount and tidied up the wire routing so that they're hardly noticeable. If there wasn't a big red box on the fender, you wouldn't know it wasn't a points ignition!

Hope this helps!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all of the input. I'm glad this will work out easily!

Tim

 

[wsa111]

Linc, you are right, I was so focused on 12 volts that the trigger wire just needs an ignition on signal.

I would still check your voltage at your trigger wire to be sure.

You could check with MSD & see if there is a minimum voltage requirement, but you should be fine.

I wonder if the MSD box would help one of the coming DUI HEI distributors soon to be offered by FSPP made by performance distributors.???William

 

[jamyers]

Looking back at the Duraspark and MSD wiring diagrams, I take back what I said about the "power on" wire wanting 12 volts. A car wired for Duraspark has a voltage-reducing resistor on the "feed" wire, which MSD says to use for the "power on" trigger. So apparently MSD does NOT feel a need for full 12 volts.

Learn something new every day...

 

[Anonymous]

You could check with MSD & see if there is a minimum voltage requirement, but you should be fine.

So apparently MSD does NOT feel a need for full 12 volts.

I've bump-started cars equipped with MSD that had the battery so run down that the headlights barely looked like a cigarette lighter coils when turned on, and it still lit right off..........so the MSD will function with some pretty dang low voltages.