E-body engine wiring and MSD
#1265649
07/11/12 10:17 AM
07/11/12 10:17 AM
|
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,828
Houston, Tx
hemi68charger
OP
master
|
OP
master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,828
Houston, Tx
|
Hey gang..
Question:
Putting together my friend's '71 Challenger R/T. He has bought all new harnesses.. He purchased the engine harness that incorporates the Chrysler-electronic ignition. But, he's planning to install MSD on it. Soooo, should he have a regular harness or will I be able to used the Electronic-version and just go ahead and install?
TroyHouston Mopar Connection Club'69 Charger Daytona 440 - auto - 4.10 Dana (now with 426 hemi) '69 Charger 500 440 - 4speed - 3.54 Dana '70 Road Runner 383 - 4speed - a/c (now with 440)
|
|
|
Re: E-body engine wiring and MSD
[Re: JohnRR]
#1265651
07/11/12 11:05 AM
07/11/12 11:05 AM
|
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,828
Houston, Tx
hemi68charger
OP
master
|
OP
master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,828
Houston, Tx
|
Quote:
Regular harness would be better or you could gut the Chrysler box and wire a hidden MSD unit thru it leaving a stock appearance under the hood , should the owner want a stock appearance ...
What distributor is he using? If stock electronic I do the hidden thing myself .
John, he's using the MSD unit, he purchased the complete kit.. I will attempt to make things as OEM as possible. I'm pretty good with creating OEM-looking harnesses if I have to. And yeap, that ballast resistor has to go (put back into an original place and version).. 
Last edited by hemi68charger; 07/11/12 11:07 AM.
TroyHouston Mopar Connection Club'69 Charger Daytona 440 - auto - 4.10 Dana (now with 426 hemi) '69 Charger 500 440 - 4speed - 3.54 Dana '70 Road Runner 383 - 4speed - a/c (now with 440)
|
|
|
Re: E-body engine wiring and MSD
[Re: gtx6970]
#1265653
07/11/12 12:11 PM
07/11/12 12:11 PM
|
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,828
Houston, Tx
hemi68charger
OP
master
|
OP
master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,828
Houston, Tx
|
Quote:
I mean no offense, but if thats the engine compartment in question.
why bother hiding anything ?
Yes, that's Hoss' car. If we can hide the huge red MSD box, we will try. Right now it is mounted under the battery tray. If I have to create a harness for the MSD ignition, I'll make it as OEM-looking as possible (proper wrap and terminal connectors).
TroyHouston Mopar Connection Club'69 Charger Daytona 440 - auto - 4.10 Dana (now with 426 hemi) '69 Charger 500 440 - 4speed - 3.54 Dana '70 Road Runner 383 - 4speed - a/c (now with 440)
|
|
|
Re: E-body engine wiring and MSD
[Re: hemi68charger]
#1265654
07/11/12 01:51 PM
07/11/12 01:51 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 75,005
U.S.S.A.
JohnRR
I Win
|
I Win
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 75,005
U.S.S.A.
|
Quote:
Quote:
I mean no offense, but if thats the engine compartment in question.
why bother hiding anything ?
Yes, that's Hoss' car. If we can hide the huge red MSD box, we will try. Right now it is mounted under the battery tray. If I have to create a harness for the MSD ignition, I'll make it as OEM-looking as possible (proper wrap and terminal connectors).
Absolute waste of effort but that's your choice, a stock looking harness is going to be lost in that engine bay. Trade in the electronic harness for a points harness or put that on the shelf and buy another.
Since it was you that was asking the question ... in the restoration section no less ... I just ASSuMEd a stock engine bay.
|
|
|
Re: E-body engine wiring and MSD
[Re: Morty426]
#1265656
07/11/12 03:30 PM
07/11/12 03:30 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 75,005
U.S.S.A.
JohnRR
I Win
|
I Win
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 75,005
U.S.S.A.
|
Quote:
I thought they made an MSD box that used the stock Chrysler electronic connector.
Or did someone tell me a fib?
No they DID , it's not available NEW anymore that I have seen.
|
|
|
Re: E-body engine wiring and MSD
[Re: Morty426]
#1265657
07/11/12 03:34 PM
07/11/12 03:34 PM
|
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 4,920
new berlin wisconsin
Mr T2U
master
|
master
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 4,920
new berlin wisconsin
|
hide the mad box under the battry tray.
connect the blue wire and the black wire lading to the ballast resistor. then use those connected wires for your keyed power lead for the msd.
then hide the 2 wires for the coil wires in the original harness back into the harness.
then hide the coil leads from the msd into the original harness.
install all of the original ignition components on the firewall.
your msd now works the ignition system without sticking out like a sore thumb.
if your msd ever fails you re connect the black and blue wires to the ballast. then attach the original coil wires to the correct terminals and now your original electronic ignition system will now work.
here is what it will look like.
unless someone looks under the battry tray and sees the red msd box, they will never know you are using a msd ignition system.
Last edited by Mr T2U; 07/11/12 03:36 PM.
perception is 90% of reality
|
|
|
Re: E-body engine wiring and MSD
[Re: Mr T2U]
#1265658
07/11/12 04:48 PM
07/11/12 04:48 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 75,005
U.S.S.A.
JohnRR
I Win
|
I Win
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 75,005
U.S.S.A.
|
Quote:
hide the mad box under the battry tray.
connect the blue wire and the black wire lading to the ballast resistor. then use those connected wires for your keyed power lead for the msd.
then hide the 2 wires for the coil wires in the original harness back into the harness.
then hide the coil leads from the msd into the original harness.
install all of the original ignition components on the firewall.
your msd now works the ignition system without sticking out like a sore thumb.
if your msd ever fails you re connect the black and blue wires to the ballast. then attach the original coil wires to the correct terminals and now your original electronic ignition system will now work.
here is what it will look like.
unless someone looks under the battry tray and sees the red msd box, they will never know you are using a msd ignition system.
That would work if he had a MP distributor very nicely.
|
|
|
Re: E-body engine wiring and MSD
[Re: Mr T2U]
#1265659
07/11/12 05:22 PM
07/11/12 05:22 PM
|
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6,446
NJ-USA
HPMike
master
|
master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6,446
NJ-USA
|
An MSD system should not share any of the vehicles OEM harnesses. I make my own dedicated MSD harness that shares nothing with the original wiring and mount the box under the back seat which is much cooler than the motor compartment. If you want to access the box, just lift the seat up-no tools needed. Clean and never any problems. This is an example of a car I did that has the hidden componentry. Yes, the coil is an MSD coil  ...The radio suppressor is just for show. MB
|
|
|
Re: E-body engine wiring and MSD
[Re: gtx6970]
#1265664
07/11/12 09:22 PM
07/11/12 09:22 PM
|
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,828
Houston, Tx
hemi68charger
OP
master
|
OP
master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,828
Houston, Tx
|
Quote:
Absolute waste of effort but that's your choice, a stock looking harness is going to be lost in that engine bay. Trade in the electronic harness for a points harness or put that on the shelf and buy another.
Since it was you that was asking the question ... in the restoration section no less ... I just ASSuMEd a stock engine bay.
??? Don't get that comment John? Restorations don't have to have 100% OEM correct parts. I'm asking a simple question of whether or not I can utlize the new harness he has (with electronic adaption) and intergrate MSD into... For the record, he's going to have an aftermarket radio in the glove box...... 
Whatever I do, I going to make it look as good as possible. Where ever I can get away with making it look as factory as possible, I will. I did suggest to him running a Pertronix Ignitor II in it, we'll see.
Thanks everyone for your suggestions on time management. And Roy I'll read over your input a little more............
I'll have it look nice and the way he wants..
Cheers,
T
Last edited by hemi68charger; 07/11/12 11:04 PM.
TroyHouston Mopar Connection Club'69 Charger Daytona 440 - auto - 4.10 Dana (now with 426 hemi) '69 Charger 500 440 - 4speed - 3.54 Dana '70 Road Runner 383 - 4speed - a/c (now with 440)
|
|
|
|
|
