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MSD - 6A QC #1380017
02/02/13 12:19 AM
02/02/13 12:19 AM
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Houston, Tx
hemi68charger Offline OP
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hemi68charger  Offline OP
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Houston, Tx
Hey ya'll....
Curious on something.. Just finished priming the engine. Before we give it the initial heave-ho, I want to make sure the ignition is ready to go. The ignition is a MSD-6A and the wiring was pretty straight forward and I believe I have that fine. What are the normal testing steps to make sure things are squared away before we attempt to fire up the motor for the 1st time. It is in a '71 E-body, 440........

Thanks in advance..
Troy


Troy
Houston 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: MSD - 6A QC [Re: hemi68charger] #1380018
02/02/13 01:49 AM
02/02/13 01:49 AM
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Lincoln Nebraska
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RapidRobert Offline
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Plug a spare dist into the eng harness. Have the coil wire (dist end) held 1/4" from a ground. Key on (ign1). spin the dist shaft with your free hand & see if the coil wire sparks. Pull the yellow "ign" wire from the starter relay to disable the starter & repeat the test in "start" to see if it's getting fire in ign2 (crank). I'd set your initial to 10( mild cam) & 15 (wild cam) & set the magnet dead even with the reluctor. On an unrelated note read "breakin secrets" at www.mototuneusa.com


live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
Re: MSD - 6A QC [Re: RapidRobert] #1380019
02/02/13 12:35 PM
02/02/13 12:35 PM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,828
Houston, Tx
hemi68charger Offline OP
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hemi68charger  Offline OP
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Houston, Tx
Thanks.
But I don't have a spare distributor. The harness for the distributor is unique to the MSD-6A system.


Troy
Houston 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: MSD - 6A QC [Re: hemi68charger] #1380020
02/02/13 01:08 PM
02/02/13 01:08 PM
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Philadelphia
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radar Offline
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Philadelphia
One wire, unused with a magnetic pickup distributor setup, is the points trigger wire. If you energize the system and hold the high tension lead near the block like he said, then tap the trigger wire to ground to simulate points opening and closing. As you pull it off the ground you should see spark or even a crackling multiple spark.

I unplug the distributor 2-wire lead before I do this, not sure if it matters.

Re: MSD - 6A QC [Re: hemi68charger] #1380021
02/02/13 07:55 PM
02/02/13 07:55 PM
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Posts: 8,828
Houston, Tx
hemi68charger Offline OP
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No go.. I have voltage to the ballast resistor ( which really isn't one, I took out the coil and replaced it with a 14/gauge wire, 12 v in, 12v out ). I have voltage to the + side of the coil as well with ignition 1 on. Try to crank it, no juice out the coil wire to the distributor. The coil was warm to the touch when I replaced it with a known good coil. Sooooooo, I'm at a lose with the dang thing. I spoke to a friend who has put many in Mopars and my wiring is correct.

1. Big red > positive battery
2. Big black > negative battery
3. small red > ignition 1 ( ballast resistor )
4. white wire > no where, not needed
5. orange wire > positive coil
6. small black > negative coil

The distributor lead (magnetic pickup) goes from the control box to the distributor with supplied harness in box.


Troy
Houston 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: MSD - 6A QC [Re: hemi68charger] #1380022
02/02/13 08:00 PM
02/02/13 08:00 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 18,427
UPPER MICHIGAN, MARQUETTE COUN...
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Make sure you have 12 volts/voltage on the small red when cranking.

Re: MSD - 6A QC [Re: hemi68charger] #1380023
02/02/13 08:05 PM
02/02/13 08:05 PM
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bethlehem pa
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mikemee1331 Offline
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if you wired everything per the instructions then you're overstressing. crank it up!

Re: MSD - 6A QC [Re: hemi68charger] #1380024
02/02/13 10:08 PM
02/02/13 10:08 PM
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Posts: 36,041
Lincoln Nebraska
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RapidRobert Offline
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Quote:

I have voltage to the + side of the coil as well with ignition 1 on. Try to crank it, no juice out the coil wire to the distributor. The coil was warm to the touch when I replaced it with a known good coil.


See if the coil positive primary terminal has fire in ign2 "crank". If good there with the key turned to crank, hold it there & first take off any/all wires from the coil negative primary terminal & make/break the negative primary terminal (not the wire you removed from the terminal) to ground with a jumper wire with alligator clips & see if this makes the coil secondary wire (dist end) held 1/4" from ground spark & if it does then the coil is good (A coil can test good when cold then weak out when hot but for now we'll k.i.s.s.). Since the coil is hot then current is passing in/thru/out the primary circuit of it (it's grounded). If all the above checks out I'd say the MSD ain't opening the coil neg primary circuit & it's permanently grounded which as you know when it opens is what makes the coil secondary side of the coil fire. Can take off the yellow "ign" wire from the starter relay during this as to not run the batt down & we know the starter circuit is good. MSD is shot. EDIT unless the dist ain't triggering the MSD.

Last edited by RapidRobert; 02/02/13 10:37 PM.

live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
Re: MSD - 6A QC [Re: mikemee1331] #1380025
02/02/13 11:45 PM
02/02/13 11:45 PM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,828
Houston, Tx
hemi68charger Offline OP
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hemi68charger  Offline OP
master

Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,828
Houston, Tx
Quote:

if you wired everything per the instructions then you're overstressing. crank it up!




That's what I tried to do....... That's what lead to the discovery of no spark....


Troy
Houston 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: MSD - 6A QC [Re: hemi68charger] #1380026
02/03/13 01:17 AM
02/03/13 01:17 AM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,828
Houston, Tx
hemi68charger Offline OP
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hemi68charger  Offline OP
master

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Posts: 8,828
Houston, Tx
Figured it out....
Well, with the combination of the MSD installation pdf file I found online (reflecting the Chrysler electronic ignition system, not the points which this car started life with). Well, I didn't know I needed to remove the brown 12v feed at the +-side of the coil, I thought I would keep that there and place the orange + wire of the MSD harness there. Well, apparently leaving the brown OEM wire grounds the MSD system. I removed the brown + wire and sure enough, LOTS of spark coming out of the coil lead to the distributor. So, I'll wait till my buddy arrives tomorrow before the game and we'll attempt to fire her up. Don't wanna do it without him...... So ends the night with one less thing to stress out over since I was able to solve it...

Thanks all in guiding me to my process of elimination and discovery.


Troy
Houston 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)






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