Searched here and at the other forum, and msd's site, not satisfied. I have an 80' traveler, with prestolite distributor, currently the msd blaster 2 coil. Bought a used msd digital 6 plus control, hvc coil off of craigslist. Finally getting around to installing it, but have a question: my understanding from msd's instructions and others' posts from my searches is that the white wire on the msd controller should be connected to the current wire that is connected from the distributor to the negative side of the coil. Sounds great, but what do you do with the other one coming off of the distributor to the positive side of the coil? If someone could shed some light on this that would be fabulous! Maybe I'm missing something, been known to happen. Thanks y'all.
MSD Digital 6 plus Wiring
- Thread starter cbmind
- Start date
Okay, read, read, and reread, the existing wire from distributor to existing negative side of coil goes to white wire on module, existing wire from dist. To existing positive side coil goes to red wire on module. No go.
http://www.msdignition.com/uploadedfiles/msdignitioncom/products/ignitions/6520_instructions.pdf Is the link for the instructions. Not working out for me. Any ideas? Also, there's a green wire "looped" from and back in to the module. The instructions say might have to be cut, but from the description it givesas to wehter or not it needs to is not real clear.
http://www.msdignition.com/uploadedfiles/msdignitioncom/products/ignitions/6520_instructions.pdf Is the link for the instructions. Not working out for me. Any ideas? Also, there's a green wire "looped" from and back in to the module. The instructions say might have to be cut, but from the description it givesas to wehter or not it needs to is not real clear.
Fyi, be warned, the digital 6 plus will not work with the prestolite electronic distributor, says msd. The unit does not work with hall effect distributors and ones with no magnetic pick up. Did not know this. Could be a problem. Potential solution might be to install the pertronix conversion inside of the prestolite distributor, thus giving me a magnetic pickup to trigger it. Ideally would be to find a prestolite points or Holley, etc and convert to duraspark for later fuel injection.
Michael Mayben
IHPA Tech Moderator - Retired & No Longer Online
The problem is the "digital 6 plus" box.
A "regular" six series msd (or mallory, or accel, or crane) cd box will trigger from a hall effect trigger (or mag trigger, or points, or optical trigger). See this thread:
http://www.forums.IHPartsAmerica.com/ignition-tech/644-ignition-system-performance-upgrades.html
A pertronix I or pertronix II conversion trigger unit is a hall effect system. But the "new to pertronix" pertronix iii will not trigger any of the boxes. That unit was acquired from crane when they padlocked the doors and now has been rebranded as a pertronix system. It won't trigger any add-on cd spark box, it is used only with a conventional coil/inductive ignition system, and incorporates a "lobe sensor" in it's design which precludes the need to use a rotating magnet component.
Both mallory and msd have an extensive library of wiring schematics and installation instructions on their respective websites that discuss the nuances of this stuff. The smokeblow found in dealing with jegs, summit, etc. Just confuses the issue with marketing superlatives and does not go into the "rules" of what will and will not work together. That is why when dealing with these ignition upgrades ya have to look at the systems approach and not just pick parts based upon catalog quapo.
A "regular" six series msd (or mallory, or accel, or crane) cd box will trigger from a hall effect trigger (or mag trigger, or points, or optical trigger). See this thread:
http://www.forums.IHPartsAmerica.com/ignition-tech/644-ignition-system-performance-upgrades.html
A pertronix I or pertronix II conversion trigger unit is a hall effect system. But the "new to pertronix" pertronix iii will not trigger any of the boxes. That unit was acquired from crane when they padlocked the doors and now has been rebranded as a pertronix system. It won't trigger any add-on cd spark box, it is used only with a conventional coil/inductive ignition system, and incorporates a "lobe sensor" in it's design which precludes the need to use a rotating magnet component.
Both mallory and msd have an extensive library of wiring schematics and installation instructions on their respective websites that discuss the nuances of this stuff. The smokeblow found in dealing with jegs, summit, etc. Just confuses the issue with marketing superlatives and does not go into the "rules" of what will and will not work together. That is why when dealing with these ignition upgrades ya have to look at the systems approach and not just pick parts based upon catalog quapo.
Yeah, kind of jumped the gun a little bit when I bought it, but the price was right at the time. Anyhow, if I don't use it on my 79 f250 w/460 and get something different later down the road, I think I can convert the prestolite distributor to a pertronix and use the box. Or use a different distributor that has been converted. More $$$. I'm a firm believer, but not follower, apparently, of the five p's: prior planning prevents poor performance. Oh well.
Michael Mayben
IHPA Tech Moderator - Retired & No Longer Online
Not trying to make you a whippin' boy! But I hear from folks all day long that fall into this same trap! This shit is complicated!
What we're attempting is to convert an inductive ignition system to a much more "active" system involving the capacitive discharge design which is still state of the art in ignition systems today. And which cd box ya use is determined by which trigger ya wanna incorporate.
So...the big picture must be understood when determining what you want to achieve within a budget range. I have to study this schnizz constantly...and I constantly have to review what's going on in the marketplace regarding new products, compatibility and "need" vs. Cost. And the smokeblow regarding all this ignition stuff is enormous!!! If one simply reads through all the technical support forum stuff from mallory and msd you can quickly see how misunderstood (and mis-represented) all this juju is! And then factor in the jacobs stuff that has been defunct for a few years now and that really gets in the way of making a determination of where to go!
I have a few prestolite electronic distributors now that have failed modules. And converting to a pertronix I is an excellent fix for a very expensive part! And, it can work in stand-alone mode with a coil and be used with a cd box in the future.
I spent alotta time in discussion with navybill and navyjoe (the efi dudes here on the forum) this past week. I'll soon be putting together a distributor option using some of bill's techniques that can serve as both a major upgrade for an analog/inductive ignition system (with carburetor of course), then be used to trigger a cd box,...and then be used in an efi app if desired without having to change anything other than swappin' a few wires around as one progresses to efi.
We are dealing with engines which do not have anything approaching a severe ignition demand! Low rpm (comparatively speaking), low compression, very conservative horsepower/torque curves, and running on "regular" grade fuel. The most effective ignition upgrade that can be done on these motors is simply having a distributor that is within spec in all regards, most especially in endplay spec so that timing on all cylinders in the firing order is consistent.
And navybill spent hours this past week playing around with converted distributors here at ihon (and some aftermarket units), that were not phased correctly when assembled for efi application by so-called "pros"!
What we're attempting is to convert an inductive ignition system to a much more "active" system involving the capacitive discharge design which is still state of the art in ignition systems today. And which cd box ya use is determined by which trigger ya wanna incorporate.
So...the big picture must be understood when determining what you want to achieve within a budget range. I have to study this schnizz constantly...and I constantly have to review what's going on in the marketplace regarding new products, compatibility and "need" vs. Cost. And the smokeblow regarding all this ignition stuff is enormous!!! If one simply reads through all the technical support forum stuff from mallory and msd you can quickly see how misunderstood (and mis-represented) all this juju is! And then factor in the jacobs stuff that has been defunct for a few years now and that really gets in the way of making a determination of where to go!
I have a few prestolite electronic distributors now that have failed modules. And converting to a pertronix I is an excellent fix for a very expensive part! And, it can work in stand-alone mode with a coil and be used with a cd box in the future.
I spent alotta time in discussion with navybill and navyjoe (the efi dudes here on the forum) this past week. I'll soon be putting together a distributor option using some of bill's techniques that can serve as both a major upgrade for an analog/inductive ignition system (with carburetor of course), then be used to trigger a cd box,...and then be used in an efi app if desired without having to change anything other than swappin' a few wires around as one progresses to efi.
We are dealing with engines which do not have anything approaching a severe ignition demand! Low rpm (comparatively speaking), low compression, very conservative horsepower/torque curves, and running on "regular" grade fuel. The most effective ignition upgrade that can be done on these motors is simply having a distributor that is within spec in all regards, most especially in endplay spec so that timing on all cylinders in the firing order is consistent.
And navybill spent hours this past week playing around with converted distributors here at ihon (and some aftermarket units), that were not phased correctly when assembled for efi application by so-called "pros"!
Well, I wouldn't mind being the guinea pig then... What I want to accomplish is what you're speaking of. I have a prestolite currently, in operating condition (it works, is installed, run everyday, etc) that is also run with a msd blaster 2 coil. Want to run the digital 6 plus with the hvc coil that I picked up for dirt cheap almost new that has been verified in working order by msd's test procedures for point ignitions, with a carbureted (edelbrock 1406) 345, with room to grow in to an efi system, with full spark, timing control, no other changes to the distributor necessary. If y'all could build me a Holley w/ the duraspark or something along those lines that would be awesome.
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