MSD questions
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MSD questions
I am going to be doing a FULL MSD set on my truck in the next week, aside from the dizzy, I do not have the $$$ for that at this time, but at a later time will invest in the dizzy from MSD.
But until I get the MSD dizzy, will my stock set run it ok?
To Clarify:
Replace my stock ICM with an MSD 6A ICM
Replace my stock coil with an MSD Coil
Replace my stock cap and rotor with an MSD cap n rotor
Replace my stock Wires with MSD 8.5mm wires and
Replace my plugs with Accel "U"-Groove plugs
All of this is already bought aside from the 6A, I am purchasing that from bendog this Friday, seeing my refund comes in.
will my pickup in my dizzy handle the MSD?
will the rest of my system handle the MSD?
But until I get the MSD dizzy, will my stock set run it ok?
To Clarify:
Replace my stock ICM with an MSD 6A ICM
Replace my stock coil with an MSD Coil
Replace my stock cap and rotor with an MSD cap n rotor
Replace my stock Wires with MSD 8.5mm wires and
Replace my plugs with Accel "U"-Groove plugs
All of this is already bought aside from the 6A, I am purchasing that from bendog this Friday, seeing my refund comes in.
will my pickup in my dizzy handle the MSD?
will the rest of my system handle the MSD?
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 250
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From: Redvers, SK
Yes, your MSD box will work fine with the Ford Duraspark distributor. Do you have 3 wires on your plug? If you do, I believe you will only need to use two wires from the distributor and leave one disconected. We installed a 6AL box on our 77 and used the stock distributor for a while. The 6AL box came with a plug we soldered into the wires from the distributor and plugged into the MSD wire harness. The book told us which wires to use. Believe it or not, but MSD uses the factory Ford pickups in their distributors! We put a MSD distributor in ours, then later on when the pickup went in it, I talked to a MSD rep on the phone, and he told me to get a replacement pickup from Ford and it will bolt right in! So we actually just took one out of a used distributor we had and low and behold it worked no problem!
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I'm running MSD 6A & High Vibration coil, MSD cap with stock distributor. Ignition install was pretty easy.
If you're planning to use the stock coil bracket you should double-check that the coil you're planning to use can be mounted horizontally (I dunno, maybe they all can; the high vibration coil advertised it).
Never heard of those plugs, sure someone else will chime in. Obviously if the wires fit they're fine, just be aware that MSD makes both male & female caps for our distributors.
Also read the instructions carefully, you're going to be bypassing a bunch of stock wires, not just plugging things in where the old ones were. It's actually pretty gratifying when you get to pull out a big ol' chunk of your old engine bay wiring.
If you're planning to use the stock coil bracket you should double-check that the coil you're planning to use can be mounted horizontally (I dunno, maybe they all can; the high vibration coil advertised it).
Never heard of those plugs, sure someone else will chime in. Obviously if the wires fit they're fine, just be aware that MSD makes both male & female caps for our distributors.
Also read the instructions carefully, you're going to be bypassing a bunch of stock wires, not just plugging things in where the old ones were. It's actually pretty gratifying when you get to pull out a big ol' chunk of your old engine bay wiring.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,305
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From: Montgomery, IL
sorry you have problems with MSD hickfied. I run them in 3 different trucks and have yet to have a problem. It cleaned up all that wiring from the factory and some electrical gremlins I was having.
I run a stock duraspark dizzy in my '76 with a MSD coil and 6A box.
I run a stock duraspark dizzy in my '86 mud bogger with a MSD coil and a 6AL box.
I run a stock chevy dizzy in my '89 mud bogger with a MSD coil and a 6AL box.
The boggers also run with MSD plug wires but my '76 just uses stock wires.
Mark
I run a stock duraspark dizzy in my '76 with a MSD coil and 6A box.
I run a stock duraspark dizzy in my '86 mud bogger with a MSD coil and a 6AL box.
I run a stock chevy dizzy in my '89 mud bogger with a MSD coil and a 6AL box.
The boggers also run with MSD plug wires but my '76 just uses stock wires.
Mark
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Silverstreak, I never knew they used the ford pickups in the dizzy, and I'm glad to see it's workable.
Brooklyn, It's smart to check if they can mount horizontal and/or vertical, i've watched plenty a person relocate their coil, to vertical and they would wonder why it's not firing right.
and about the "U"-Grooves, I've never had a problem with them, they fire great and they are used by a lot of the redneck racers here in town at the track.
heres a link to them Accel Spark Plugs 276S Accel U-Groove Spark Plugs
Hickfied, I actually had nothing BUT problems with Mallory, had it professionally installed, that was the only way they would honor my warranty, 4 months after it was installed the box fried, just on a start-up, call Mallory, and they accused me of installing it myself, I faxed them my paperwork proving professional installation, and then all they could tell me was it was bought by you and the installer isn't on our list of "Qualified" shops, yet the shop I went to was not only an arm and a leg for a simple install, but I was also SENT there BY Mallory. I'll never buy Mallory again.
MSD is my choice, it's like Chevy and Ford lovers, it's all about preference, yet, we stick to what we love.
Brooklyn, It's smart to check if they can mount horizontal and/or vertical, i've watched plenty a person relocate their coil, to vertical and they would wonder why it's not firing right.
and about the "U"-Grooves, I've never had a problem with them, they fire great and they are used by a lot of the redneck racers here in town at the track.
heres a link to them Accel Spark Plugs 276S Accel U-Groove Spark Plugs
Hickfied, I actually had nothing BUT problems with Mallory, had it professionally installed, that was the only way they would honor my warranty, 4 months after it was installed the box fried, just on a start-up, call Mallory, and they accused me of installing it myself, I faxed them my paperwork proving professional installation, and then all they could tell me was it was bought by you and the installer isn't on our list of "Qualified" shops, yet the shop I went to was not only an arm and a leg for a simple install, but I was also SENT there BY Mallory. I'll never buy Mallory again.
MSD is my choice, it's like Chevy and Ford lovers, it's all about preference, yet, we stick to what we love.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 6,629
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From: Albuquerque
Personally I gave up on Accel and Mallory some time ago. I wont even buy the "U" grove plugs anymore as they tend to be misshappen.
MSD works for me.
MSD works for me.
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Or, what would you suggest for a set of plugs?
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Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Redvers, SK
Far as plugs go, good old Motocrafts or Autolites work fine. We are using Champion plugs in our engine. We have aluminum heads on it, and those were the plugs recomended by the manufacturer of the heads. Far as mounting the coil, make sure the coil is mounted horizontally and contacts at the bottom to keep the connections inside always submersed in oil for cooling. If the coil was not filled fully with oil and there is air trapped in it, the air would be at the top and if the contacts are positioned up there they could burn out from not being submeresed in the cooling oil. We had one coil fail on us when we had the connections at the top. Changed coils and moved the connections to the bottom and the coil is still working fine.
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lol, j/k you CAN run just an MSD coil, but you would see no beneficial result without the control box.