I can use some advice. I bought an MSD distributor with the blaster II coil and the MSD 6AL ignition box. I had an hei system before and I recall a long time ago removing a wire from the old coil to the starter I think it was yellow.(before I went to HEI so I can get the HEI to work.) I also recall replacing a resistor insulated type wire that went from the wiring harness to the + side of the coil with a regular wire. OK so the HEI worked.

Now I want to get the MSD system to work and I have an all new wiring harness that is factory correct meaning it has two wires to the starter and the insulated coil wire again.

My question is when I go to install the MSD do I need to replace the insulated + coil wire again with a regular one? Can I again cut the yellow wire to the starter out? I see diagrams and instructions with the stuff I bought but no mention of these wires it just says hook your old positive wire to here with no mention of the type of wire used.

Is this insulated/resistor looking wire any different then a regular one? My guess is it is a resistor wire.

Thanks

If it is a original replacement harness it should be a resistor wire.

My Msd is hooked up just as Hei no resistor or starter wire.:yes:

I don't have an MSD but I thought the 6AL also had a connection direct to a constant 12v source for power. The old coil positive wire is just used as a signal to the 6AL to turn on or off, in which case the resistance wire in your new harness is ok. You need to check your instructions to be sure, I may be thinking of a different ignition.

I don't have an MSD but I thought the 6AL also had a connection direct to a constant 12v source for power. The old coil positive wire is just used as a signal to the 6AL to turn on or off, in which case the resistance wire in your new harness is ok. You need to check your instructions to be sure, I may be thinking of a different ignition.

True, but you want to make sure you have 12 Volts (not 9) to the coil as well. Hank is right, the MSD has a mongo wire driving it from the battery and the switched wire can be almost anything. Make sure the coil isn't run off the resistor wire though. It's been a while since I put my MSD in and I just don't remember (part of getting old, i guess).

Chuck

MSD 6AL box drives the coil from two wires from the 6AL BOX, NOT the ignition switch/battery.

If the coil is a RED MSD BLASTER II, what does the sticker on the bottom of it say? Made in Mexico is not a good coil to use, Made in USA is OK to use. To test the coil correctly, take it to any store that has a run tester, as resistance tests are not a good way to determine coil health. Made in Mexico red Blaster II coils can also cause the power transistors inside the 6AL to fail, when the coil goes defective from layer shorting.

As far as the small red input feed wire to run the MSD box, any voltage from 6 to 16 is fine, and that includes the resistor wire. But as stated previously, you MUST have voltage for that small red MSD feed wire in both run and start positions on the ignition switch, or the system won't get powered up. All the small red wire does is turn the 6AL box on and off.

The two large gage wires from the MSD, red and black, should be connected to the positive for red, negative for black terminals of the BATTERY, not anywhere else.

An easy way to test the magnetic pickup is to connect a voltmeter to the two pickup coil wires, and spin the distributor. You should get an output voltage if the pickup is working.

When you hang out at Dave Ray's (IgnitionMan) place, some of this stuff gets learned.

Regards,

Milton.