installing MSD street fire box 5520
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,766
Likes: 62
From: Trumbull CT
Car: 87 TA clone
Engine: 70/70 Turbo 5.3 LS
Transmission: bullet proof 2004R
Axle/Gears: ford 8.8, 3.55 gears
installing MSD street fire box 5520
got the wiring all done on the box. going into a duraspark ford 521 stroker in my bird.
got a few questions tho...
mounting it on the strut tower wheel well (distributer is in the front of the engine) do i really need the rubber vibration box mounts? is it really that much of an issue? the street fire box didnt come with one so idk if its neccessary.
MSD also states that i have to bypass the inline filter for the tach? where is the tach filter? car was originally a 350TPI with remote mount coil, swapped in a race ready 383 HSR and it was stolen 3 months later. Im planning to run the stock tach ( 8,000 rpm) which has a white wire sending unit. the MSD instructions say to use the grey wire for the tach.
are there any issues running the MSD box with the stock tach? where is the inline tach filter? and what about the rubber vibration mounts? thanks guys
got a few questions tho...
mounting it on the strut tower wheel well (distributer is in the front of the engine) do i really need the rubber vibration box mounts? is it really that much of an issue? the street fire box didnt come with one so idk if its neccessary.
MSD also states that i have to bypass the inline filter for the tach? where is the tach filter? car was originally a 350TPI with remote mount coil, swapped in a race ready 383 HSR and it was stolen 3 months later. Im planning to run the stock tach ( 8,000 rpm) which has a white wire sending unit. the MSD instructions say to use the grey wire for the tach.
are there any issues running the MSD box with the stock tach? where is the inline tach filter? and what about the rubber vibration mounts? thanks guys
Supreme Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,341
Likes: 10
From: Mooresville NC
Car: LOWERED ♦ CRIMSON METALFLAKE
Engine: ► 400 KUBES ◄
Transmission: 765R4
Axle/Gears: EATON POSI 4.56
A Vibration Mount Is Like A Safer Barrier For Electronics
The tach filter should be in line with the white wire from the tach terminal of the coil going to the firewall.
A vibration mount can only benefit the MSD due to the fact most wave solder PCB’s are cheap with the amount of solder left on the board.
This is not limited to MSD, most factories are guilty of the above.
The stock tach should work with the MSD tach output wire.
Jump the stock tach filter.
◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙
Happy Racing!
◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙
Make Noise, Turn Left, Repeat
.
A vibration mount can only benefit the MSD due to the fact most wave solder PCB’s are cheap with the amount of solder left on the board.
This is not limited to MSD, most factories are guilty of the above.
The stock tach should work with the MSD tach output wire.
Jump the stock tach filter.
◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙
Happy Racing!
◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙
Make Noise, Turn Left, Repeat
.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,766
Likes: 62
From: Trumbull CT
Car: 87 TA clone
Engine: 70/70 Turbo 5.3 LS
Transmission: bullet proof 2004R
Axle/Gears: ford 8.8, 3.55 gears
Re: A Vibration Mount Is Like A Safer Barrier For Electronics
The tach filter should be in line with the white wire from the tach terminal of the coil going to the firewall.
A vibration mount can only benefit the MSD due to the fact most wave solder PCB’s are cheap with the amount of solder left on the board.
This is not limited to MSD, most factories are guilty of the above.
The stock tach should work with the MSD tach output wire.
Jump the stock tach filter.
◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙
Happy Racing!
◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙
Make Noise, Turn Left, Repeat
.
A vibration mount can only benefit the MSD due to the fact most wave solder PCB’s are cheap with the amount of solder left on the board.
This is not limited to MSD, most factories are guilty of the above.
The stock tach should work with the MSD tach output wire.
Jump the stock tach filter.
◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙
Happy Racing!
◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙
Make Noise, Turn Left, Repeat
.
do you have any idea what the tach filter looks like? i followed the white wire back from the coil (well from the grey tach connector) to the firewall and theres no filter or anything. is the filter inside the cabin area?
Supreme Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,341
Likes: 10
From: Mooresville NC
Car: LOWERED ♦ CRIMSON METALFLAKE
Engine: ► 400 KUBES ◄
Transmission: 765R4
Axle/Gears: EATON POSI 4.56
A Vibration Mount Is Like A Safer Barrier For Electronics
The filter looks like a 1” x ½” cylinder in many cases.
It might be on the firewall, in the dash, or removed by the PO.
If the tach works correctly with the MSD outright, you won’t even have to worry about it.
◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙
Happy Racing!
◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙
Engines Run Best Right Before They Blow Up
.
It might be on the firewall, in the dash, or removed by the PO.
If the tach works correctly with the MSD outright, you won’t even have to worry about it.
◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙
Happy Racing!
◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙
Engines Run Best Right Before They Blow Up
.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,766
Likes: 62
From: Trumbull CT
Car: 87 TA clone
Engine: 70/70 Turbo 5.3 LS
Transmission: bullet proof 2004R
Axle/Gears: ford 8.8, 3.55 gears
Re: A Vibration Mount Is Like A Safer Barrier For Electronics
hmmm... i have yet to find the tach filter. Ive gutted the cars engine harness and found nothing... i will try to look under the dash to see if i find it. The Previous owner did not remove the filter (if it even had one). I cant actually test if the tach is working until i fire the engine up which would be for a while but I need everything to work correctly bc i have to break in the flat tappet cam upon initial startup, so i need the tach to be somewhat accurate.
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 20,981
Likes: 11
From: Mercedes Norte, Heredia, Costa Rica
Car: 1984 Z28 Hardtop
Engine: 383 Carb
Transmission: 4L60
Axle/Gears: 3.54 Dana 44
Re: A Vibration Mount Is Like A Safer Barrier For Electronics
Is the 5520 still through-hole? The 6 series still are, but I would have thought they'd use cheaper manufacturing on newer product lines.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,766
Likes: 62
From: Trumbull CT
Car: 87 TA clone
Engine: 70/70 Turbo 5.3 LS
Transmission: bullet proof 2004R
Axle/Gears: ford 8.8, 3.55 gears
Re: A Vibration Mount Is Like A Safer Barrier For Electronics
through hole? u mean through hole mounting? in that case yes. Idk if the box is cheaper but it has some features the older style boxes dont. Like a digital rev limiter! NO PILLS! The street fire box is a brand of MSD and is made in USA so it should be decent. most of MSD stuff is made in china... aka distributers/coils/wires/caps/rotors.
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Moderator
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 20,981
Likes: 11
From: Mercedes Norte, Heredia, Costa Rica
Car: 1984 Z28 Hardtop
Engine: 383 Carb
Transmission: 4L60
Axle/Gears: 3.54 Dana 44
Re: installing MSD street fire box 5520
Through-hole as in through-hole mounted, wave-soldered components instead of surface-mounted reflow-soldered.
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5520, box, car, carb, fire, ford, formsd, installing, instructions, mounting, msd, street, streetfire, tachometer, thirdgen, wiring
