MSD 6AL Wiring

[TripleBlackGator]

I am thinking of installing an MSD 6AL box. I checked the wiring diagram for the MSD box and it shows a connection to the electronic ignition distributor wiring as MSD green to Dist. black and MSD violet to Dist. orange.  Can you just butt splice these 4 wires and remove the male/female connector that leads to the orange box and the orange box as well?

[mikepmcs]

TBG
Check out this thread when I installed my MSD & box. Hope it helps.

The orange box is removed and the ballast.

Also, you'll be wanting a new coil, I went with the msd 8251, i imagine you could  get away with a blaster II

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,15845.0.html

v/r
Mike

[TripleBlackGator]

Mike,
I read that post after I posted mine. I already have a Blaster 2 coil. Why is the ballast removed? What takes its place if anything? Also, can the 6AL unit be compared to your the 7 unit wiring wise?

[mikepmcs]

I just checked the install instructions and both the 6 and the 7 box both have a statement that it is not necessary to bypass it(the ballast).  This confuses me now. so here are both instructions on both boxes, which i'm sure you have already seen but just in case, i'm posting them.
Hopefully someone with a little more savvy can jump in here and educate us both a little more.  Sorry I'm not more help.
For the record, my ballast is gone and I remember something telling me to remove it as it is not used.  I imagine the 6 box should be the exact same wiring due to just the cd output voltage to the coil, spark output, timing retard feature on the 7,  being the main difference IMO.

I believe the box itself takes the place of the ballast as it gets it's power directly from the battery.  something like that anyway and I remember splicing some wire together.  I will go and take a look close up in a few.

http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/instructions/msd-6420.pdf

http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/instructions/msd-7222_frm27103.pdf



v/r
Mike

[John_Kunkel]

The reason the ballast is unimportant in the MSD is because that circuit is merely used to turn the box off and on, the main power for the box comes from the large red wire that hooks directly to the battery.

If you leave the ballast in the circuit, the reduced voltage is plenty enough to turn the box on. If you choose to remove the ballast, it's important to jumper the two terminals together so that there will be power in both the Start and Run switch positions.

[myk]

So, leaving the ballast installed reduces voltage to the system?  It's been 12 years since I installed my MSD 6 and coil so I don't remember the process of installation, but I can recall instructions that included the ballasts as well.  Also, I don't remember how or why but I've actually got "2" ballasts running in the system.  I don't get it...