How do I put MSD on stock HEI?

I just bought a '78 type LT Camaro with a 350, stock except for a very mild cam and an Edelbrock intake. An MSD 6TN came with it and since the stock HEI setup is sloppy at best, I want to put in the MSD box. I have never wired one up before, so i was wandering if someone would give me a walkthrough on it?

Reply to
iamabraindeadmonkey
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IMCA Modfied stock car racers run alcohol engines with 14/1 compression well over 7k rpm with the stock HEI all the time. About all you have to do is use a high performance module and coil and make sure the distributor is in good mechanical shape. MSD boxes are grossly overrated. They wear out plugs rapidly with the multiple spark feature at low rpms. At high rpm they revert to a single spark in any case.

Don

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Reply to
Don

One hundred percent dead nuts on target!

Reply to
Neil Nelson

wrote

"The new 6ALN and 6TN Ignitions were designed with circle track racing in mind and are approved for use by NASCAR. Both ignitions feature MSD's race winning capacitive discharge ignition design and are combined with heavy duty vibration protection."

Blah, blah, blah. Here's where that came from:

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And here's the manual (2MB) from that page:

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Reply to
MasterBlaster

On 28 Feb 2006 21:08:34 -0800, " snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com" wrote:

A stock HEI in good condition is as much as your engine will ever need and is more relaible than it would be with the MSD box in the system. The aspect of this that most people overlook is getting the advance curve matched to the engine with it's non-stock cam and intake. That will gain you far more performance than any high output boxes. The reason for this is that the system will not develop or deliver more voltage to the plug than is required to bridge the plug gap. You could have a system capable of millions of volts but, if the system only needs 15 kv, that is all that will be produced. As for the multiple spark, it has it's use in racing applications where very high compression is used and the fuel mixtures are optimized for power instead of efficiency which sometimes makes it harder to ignite. Nitrous injection is an instance where an MSD may provide some benefit. The second or multiple spark is of benefit only in applications where mixtures may be difficult to ignite. You can only ignite the charge once unless you have multiple spark plugs. For performance purposes, even those fancey platinum plugs are not needed as the platinum only serves to extend the life of a plug by reducing electrode erosion in use - not increase its ability to produce a hot spark. A good standard plug with a properly setup HEI is all your warmed over 350 will ever need unless you just like bragging rights. If your HEI is not in good condition with a proper advance curve for the engine, it won't matter how many MSD or other gadgets you install.

Lugnut

Reply to
lugnut

A sort of related question; I have the chance to buy a MSD 6AL box for $50; I would be using it on a "warm" '63 Studebaker 289 that has had the distributor converted to a MoPar electronic pickup. Would buying the MSD to replace my "orange box" be worth it, or would it just be spending $50 to have a cool looking piece of red painted aluminum under my hood?

Engine mods would be (for now) limited to a modified Avanti cam, stiffer valve springs, and possibly some bigger valves and head porting work along with an aluminum intake and AFB carburetor. Max engine RPM would likely be in the 6000 range. As the car is right now I can't really take it over 5000 (have not installed the cam yet) and I don't notice any ignition difficulties. I wouldn't bother except the box was offered to me for what sounds like a good price.

thanks,

nate

Reply to
N8N

Just thought of another question - I have a 60's vintage Sun Super Tach (not II) in this car, would a MSD cause problems with the operation of the tach?

nate

Reply to
N8N

Me three. HEI is an excellent system, and I don't say that about most GM components.

Reply to
Steve

Me four.

Reply to
Daniel J. Stern

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