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MSD 6A INSTRUCTIONS UNCLEAR TO SAY THE LEAST. Anyone got a pic?

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Old Aug 13, 2001 | 08:59 PM
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MSD 6A INSTRUCTIONS UNCLEAR TO SAY THE LEAST. Anyone got a pic?

I have an 88IROC TBI with all stock ignition. I am going by the "WIRING A DUAL CONNECTOR COIL" instructions. It's clear where the battery wires and orange and black wires go. Where do the red and white wires go? In the diagram, they just go innocently off the page. They make great ignition parts, but they need to take some lessons on giving instructions. Maybe someone out there has a picture to post.
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Old Aug 13, 2001 | 09:22 PM
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From: E.B.F. TN
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http://www.msdignition.com/

Go here and download the 'instructions', all it is, is a big pic for you.

------------------
"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."

-Thomas Jefferson
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Old Aug 13, 2001 | 10:02 PM
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Thanks, but I've already seen that 'pic'. It doesnt say where to but the red and white wires any more than a betty crocker cook book. I mean specifics.
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Old Aug 13, 2001 | 10:16 PM
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no sh it msd instuctions suck. tried to wire mine up and nothing happened dont know where the red and white come from or where they go to, and I think there is even a brown wire in there somewhere, well at least I got the box and coil mounted in less than 12 hours.
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Old Aug 13, 2001 | 10:26 PM
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Ben, sorry to hear you are going through the same s h i t. There are people out there who can give us specifics because they own 3rdgens too. I've searched the archives for clear instructions on where exactly to hook those 2 bitchy wires to no avail. If all else fails, I'll use my RS as a guinea pig. I'm not driving it now and am fixing to sell it. It won't hurt if I screw up on it. I'll post what worked.
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Old Aug 13, 2001 | 10:58 PM
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From: Mercedes Norte, Heredia, Costa Rica
Car: 1984 Z28 Hardtop
Engine: 383 Carb
Transmission: 4L60
Axle/Gears: 3.54 Dana 44
I don't have this arrangement, but from the diagram it looks like this:

Cut the factory white and pink wires going from the distributor to the coil. Take the harness ends of these wires you just cut, connect the red wire on the MSD to the pink one, and the white one on the MSD to the white one.

[This message has been edited by Apeiron (edited August 13, 2001).]
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Old Aug 13, 2001 | 11:47 PM
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From: Upland Pa
Car: Camaro Vert
Engine: 355 HSR
Transmission: A4
Axle/Gears: 3.73 S60
Spend the 25 bucks and get yourself the MSD to GM wire harness connector and save yourself a few headaches

I put a MSD 6AL in a 95 Z in a half hour just because of that harness.. No cutting wires or anything. Just plug this here and plug that there and bam you're done

Kat

[This message has been edited by Kat (edited August 13, 2001).]
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Old Aug 13, 2001 | 11:50 PM
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From: 51°N 114°W, 3500'
Car: 87 IROC L98
Engine: 588 Alcohol BBC
Transmission: Powerglide
Axle/Gears: Ford 9"/31 spline spool/4.86
Darn! You beat me too it. I also was going to say to just buy the adaptor harness and make it a simple plug in job. I did that for my truck.

------------------
Follow my racing progress on Stephen's racing page
and check out the race car

87 IROC-Z SuperPro ET Bracket Race Car
461 naturally aspirated Big Block

Best ET on a time slip: 11.242 altitude corrected to 10.89
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Old Aug 14, 2001 | 06:50 AM
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Thanks to you all for the replies. When I called Jegs to order the box, the guy told me I needed the 8861 harness to bypass the ignition module, so from the get go I was going in the wrong direction - took the cap off, searched for where to plug the harness in and all that lovely brown smelly stuff. It wasted time and the 8861 harness I didn't need cost $8 while the box came with one already so beware if they try to sell you one.

Now that I know I don't bypass the module, the only thing left is to splice the cut coil wire with the red and white wires. I know I'm stubborn as Hell, but I'm not going to take the easier way and buy the harness to directly hook it up. $30 bucks for a wire is a rip off. No offense to those who bought it. I think the instructions are vague so they can sell these harnesses. Now there are people who have been messing around with cars for years who have no trouble looking at the directions and putting it in in a snap. If the directions were more clear, it could help make up for the lack of knowledge of those less experienced with cars.
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Old Aug 14, 2001 | 09:04 AM
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From: 51°N 114°W, 3500'
Car: 87 IROC L98
Engine: 588 Alcohol BBC
Transmission: Powerglide
Axle/Gears: Ford 9"/31 spline spool/4.86
Don't think the harness is a rip off until you see it. You need to unplug one of the harnesses from the coil and the other from the distributor. The new harness plugs into the coil then the old harness plugs into the new one. The MSD box is then simply plugged into the new harness.
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Old Aug 14, 2001 | 11:34 AM
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The harness also makes it very easy to swap back to stock ignition in case you're having problems. Removes the "MSD" variable.

Steve

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Steve's Trans Am Temple
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Old Aug 14, 2001 | 12:07 PM
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From: Upland Pa
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Axle/Gears: 3.73 S60
scauffiel I totally agree with you..

speedlvr you are going to curse yourself if the MSD box ever breaks man.. Just because you'll be under that hood ripping off electric tape hooking back up the stock coil.

Oh and the instructions were easy to follow all ya gotta do ist just look at the wire colors

Kat
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Old Aug 14, 2001 | 01:46 PM
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<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Kat:
scauffiel I totally agree with you..

speedlvr you are going to curse yourself if the MSD box ever breaks man.. Just because you'll be under that hood ripping off electric tape hooking back up the stock coil.

Oh and the instructions were easy to follow all ya gotta do ist just look at the wire colors

Kat
</font>
That's so god damn funny.
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Old Aug 14, 2001 | 06:31 PM
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From: Upland Pa
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Engine: 355 HSR
Transmission: A4
Axle/Gears: 3.73 S60
Thank you I aim to please

Kat
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Old Aug 14, 2001 | 09:10 PM
  #15  
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Also gotta unhook the msd to set timing. My inductive timing light goes nuts with those multiple discharges...
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Old Aug 14, 2001 | 09:46 PM
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From: E.B.F. TN
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Engine: Do Not
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Geez.. to help out:

https://www.thirdgen.org/messgboard/...ML/001332.html

https://www.thirdgen.org/messgboard/...ML/004090.html

And finally the pic you requested:

EDIT: Ok Geocities sucks and I can't remember how to bypass it so cut and paste this into your browser:
http://www.geocities.com/red_devil_boston/msd.jpg

which I pulled from the MSD site. Hope it helps.


------------------
"Question with boldness even the existence of a *** ; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."

-Thomas Jefferson

[This message has been edited by Red Devil (edited August 14, 2001).]



[This message has been edited by Red Devil (edited August 22, 2001).]
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Old Aug 14, 2001 | 10:28 PM
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I got it done tonight. And it really was not a headache at all. The thing that got me pissed off in the first place yesterday was wasting my time trying to find a way to bypass the module like the guy at Jeg's said I could do. He's only human and it IS my car so I should have been more prepared for it. It's hard to think collectively when you are anxious to get something working right and you keep running into walls. I'm really not a fulltime ***** , just human and I apologize for being a ***** temporarily in some of my posts when I'm pissed off. Anyway, it took 1 1/2 hours to do and saved the harness money. All the connections are still connected with electronic hardware so it won't be a major thing to undo when necessary. Thanks again to all you fine people for your valuable opinions. By the way, the red wire goes to the fat pink wire (to the ignition key) and the pink wire from the distributor. The white wire goes to the wire wire from the distributor and the tach wire.

[This message has been edited by speedlvr (edited August 14, 2001).]
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Old Aug 15, 2001 | 02:43 PM
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From: Central, NJ
Car: 1989 IROC-Z
Engine: 350 Vortech Supercharged ZZ4 TPI
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.73
I just ordered an MSd 6A for my 89 L98 IROC. Where can I get this harness to hook it up properly?

Also, where is a good place to mount the box? People have told me somewhere inside the car under the dash so that it can't get wet. Where exactly is a good place to mount it???

------------------
1989 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
L98 - 350c.i. TPI, rebuilt 700R4 auto w/shift kit, Dual catalyst Monza PaceSetter Cat-Back, SLP 1 5/8 Coated Headers, 3.23 Posi rear, Hypertech chip with 160stat, Under-Drive pulleys, AFPR, K&N's, !Air Box w/ Ram Air, moddified MAF, throttle body coolant bypass, Spohn SFC's on order, Alarm, Keyless entry, remote starter, 92 Z28 AeroWing, Brand New Paint (6/21/01)

Future: ZZ4 TPI w/EGR, T56, 3.42 or 3.73, Spohn strut tower brace and LCA's

1989 Chevrolet Celebrity Eurosport
2.8 MPFI, no mods
225,000 miles and still ticking!

More info and pics on my webpage:http://go.to/iroc-z

AOL IMer: GPA 0point0

[This message has been edited by L98IROCZ89 (edited August 15, 2001).]
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Old Aug 15, 2001 | 03:55 PM
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Ok, I have been at MSD for a number of years and the diagrams have generally always been understandable. To me the instructions are clear but I have only done a couple zillion of these so that does no good. If I could fax someone the new diagram we have so you could post it, let me know if it is any better or not. If there are any changes you suggest let me know and I can try and get them changed. We have already updated the internal coil HEI harness because of a suggestion from this board. By the way the 8861 is not the correct harness, the harness for the external dual connector coil is 8876, the single connector coil is 8877 and the internal coil harness is 8875.

Thanks,

Joe
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Old Aug 15, 2001 | 10:49 PM
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L98IROCZ89: This is the best link I found for mounting options>>
https://www.thirdgen.org/messgboard/...ML/000996.html

MSD, The updated diagram on the MSD website is much clearer than the one that comes with the box. Like I said, my sorry attitude was the main problem here, not MSD. I am sure enough people know how good MSD products are to where my bitching won't do any harm. It just makes me look like a jerk. I have seen several posts here where people could'nt understand the directions either, but if you've never done something before it most likely is that fact that is the cause for misunderstanding. I would suggest that the website diagram for the dual connector coil be shipped with the box because it's more thorough. My apologies to MSD also, for not thinking before I 'speak'.
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Old Aug 16, 2001 | 01:07 PM
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The units are now shipping with the updated instructions. No need for apologizes, I did not take it in a negitive way at all. If you or anyone has a suggestion for something, product, instructions etc., drop me a line. That's how things get done and improved you know. If you have any questions etc., let me know.

Thanks,

Joe
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Old Aug 16, 2001 | 02:35 PM
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wow, great customer support from msd...i applaud you mr tech man!

http://people.ne.mediaone.net/gdm/

------------------
87 z28 bowtie aluminum 420small block dry sump crower lt. wt. knife edged crank oliver lt wt rods brodix track 1's super ram intake slp 1 3/4 headers accel dfi art carr 700 r4 3.42 gears ssm sub frame/ladder bars.....other parts on the way ,soon to be finished!! couple more weeks!!!
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