i must be getting old. my race car 505 engine loves timing.
hard starting sometimes. especially when it gets hot. so i just installed
a the msd 8987 retard box. my dist. is a firecore. its fully locked out.
its set at 35 degrees, on the box what setting do you use to get started?
for 8cyl. has 0-20 setting and other 0-15. car wont start but spins much easier. anybody?

I think the wiring is kinda weird...something like the white wire on the box doesn't go to the white wire on the module....but maybe to the yellow....if you connect all like colors it is not correct

I have my distributor locked out, and set for 36* on the crank Trigger, verified with a timing light. If you are using start-retard as I am, and at 20*, then it is VERY important to phase your rotor to the cap, so as to make sure that at 16* (20* start retard) that the rotor is very close to the #1 copper conductor in the cap.

The more start retard, the more it is important to phase the rotor, or you will have "kick back" from conducting the spark to the adjacent conductor.

Anyway, that is how I have always done it.

Mark

if you have a firecore dist and no crank trigger why do you lock out your timming?just curious.

the directions say on a points dist. to use white wire. and yellow to white wire to MSD. then all it has is the 7al series where white wire off step box NOT used and yellow to PT. Whats PT? but im using a 6AL box and it says NEVER use white with a mag pickup? i'm really confused!

When I ran a 6AL years ago I'm sure it was wired just
like the 7AL... no white wire

I lock mine out.. its a adjustable dist.. works great
that way..set at 36*... as soon as I put a crank trigger
on I will let the injection computer run the timing... till
then its locked

Whats PT?

PT is the 7AL points distributor connection.
This may help.