MSD Distributor "GRAY CABLE "

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Offline brasil

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MSD Distributor "GRAY CABLE "
« on: July 19, 2016 - 04:32:27 PM »
Hello guys...

I bought a MSD Ready to RUN distributor ...so far so good. But I have a question...   there is a gray cable comming out of the distributor...   This cable is for the TACH   and  for the activation of the rev limiter.
So do I need to connect my IN DASH OEM Tachometer to this cable ??  I don´t want to make something wrong ..

Greetings Juergen




Offline burdar

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Re: MSD Distributor "GRAY CABLE "
« Reply #1 on: July 19, 2016 - 04:52:14 PM »
What do the instructions say?  Does MSD have a tech line?

Offline brasil

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Re: MSD Distributor "GRAY CABLE "
« Reply #2 on: July 19, 2016 - 05:33:20 PM »
The instructions only say...  GRAY CABLE is the tach trigger

but meanwhile I made a search in the www   looks like I need a special adapter.. MSD-8920     80 something bucks..

Most of the OEM tachometers will not work with a MSD Distributor..   as far as I now know.....

Hmm...

Greetings Juergen

Offline Katfish

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Re: MSD Distributor "GRAY CABLE "
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2016 - 10:20:40 PM »
If you have factory tach, hook it up to coil and skip MSD wire.

Offline Chryco Psycho

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Re: MSD Distributor "GRAY CABLE "
« Reply #4 on: July 20, 2016 - 01:05:08 AM »
in theory the MSD will fire the coil multiple times for each cylinder which is why they have the grey tack feed wire but I have yet to see the MSD feed work with a factory tach

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Offline brasil

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Re: MSD Distributor "GRAY CABLE "
« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2016 - 03:36:42 AM »
Good morning ...

I will first hook up the distributor...  looks pretty simple.  brown and blue ( on the BR )  going to feed the Coil and of course the distributor.( Will use a relais to get full 12 V for the set up. )

Then I will first try the gray cable...   if this doesn´t work I will go over to the coil...

Keep my fingers crossed... :)

Thank you
Greetings Juergen

Offline Chryco Psycho

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Re: MSD Distributor "GRAY CABLE "
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2016 - 08:09:08 AM »
I would contact MSD first

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Offline HP_Cuda

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Re: MSD Distributor "GRAY CABLE "
« Reply #7 on: July 20, 2016 - 12:11:30 PM »

I used the grey wire to my tach but of course it wasn't factory.

Worked a charm!
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Offline brasil

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Re: MSD Distributor "GRAY CABLE "
« Reply #8 on: July 20, 2016 - 02:44:18 PM »
News...


Installed the MSD today...  including a relais.    The Gray cable doesn´t  feed the OEM tach...     

BUT the OEM cable works...   on the negative side of the coil.

Now I will make some test drives ...to find a good timing curve...  started with 15 deg @ idle and 19 deg advance
with the two silver ( heavy and light ) springs...  but I think  the engine wants a faster curve...

Greetings Juergen


Offline YellowThumper

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Re: MSD Distributor "GRAY CABLE "
« Reply #9 on: July 21, 2016 - 10:17:19 AM »
 :2thumbs:
Removing the warning labels one at a time.
Nature will take care of the rest.

Offline brasil

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Re: MSD Distributor "GRAY CABLE "
« Reply #10 on: July 31, 2016 - 02:50:26 PM »
FRUSTRATING FRUSTRATING...

since I installed the RTR Dizzy from MSD  my Voltage is jumping from 14 to 15 V..  up and down...  the lights also
are getting brighter and darker...  while the engine is running !

BUT ...  when I go back to the former set up..  BR  Chrome Box and Acccel Distributor....  everything is fine  14.5 V   STABLE  the needle from the Voltmeter shows it also..
The lights don´t  go bright and dark..

I wireed the MSD RTR  as shown in the manual...  MSD RTR  Black to  GROUND   Red to positive side of the coil  orange to the negative side.... I used  relais   to bring full 12 V+  to the coil / the Distributor..
The "Old blue and brown cable " sitting at the BR are connected together..

The alternator / the voltage regulator are o.k ..the were checked by a BOSCH  shop ..

Did I miss something ?

Greetings Juergen

Offline 734406pk

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Re: MSD Distributor "GRAY CABLE "
« Reply #11 on: July 31, 2016 - 07:49:23 PM »
FRUSTRATING FRUSTRATING...

since I installed the RTR Dizzy from MSD  my Voltage is jumping from 14 to 15 V..  up and down...  the lights also
are getting brighter and darker...  while the engine is running !

BUT ...  when I go back to the former set up..  BR  Chrome Box and Acccel Distributor....  everything is fine  14.5 V   STABLE  the needle from the Voltmeter shows it also..
The lights don´t  go bright and dark..

I wireed the MSD RTR  as shown in the manual...  MSD RTR  Black to  GROUND   Red to positive side of the coil  orange to the negative side.... I used  relais   to bring full 12 V+  to the coil / the Distributor..
The "Old blue and brown cable " sitting at the BR are connected together..

The alternator / the voltage regulator are o.k ..the were checked by a BOSCH  shop ..

Did I miss something ?

Greetings Juergen

Try connecting the blue wire that feed the regulator to the ignition coil positive terminal. This should be a clean battery voltage reference since you have installed an ignition relay and have battery voltage there. (Ignition Relay-Good idea by the way!)
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Offline brasil

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Re: MSD Distributor "GRAY CABLE "
« Reply #12 on: August 01, 2016 - 04:28:00 AM »
Did a search in the www....   MSD voltage flicker      seems to be a very common problem....  they are talking about a diode that should be installed within  the "small"" red wire from the distributor....

the blue cable that sits on the regulator....  is the same that comes out from the alternator..isn´t it ?  so probably I can make a jumper wire from the alternator...to the positive side of the coil ??

Sorry for those "stupid " questions...but I am no electrician... I am a mechanic :working:

Thanks for helping

Juergen

Offline brasil

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Re: MSD Distributor "GRAY CABLE "
« Reply #13 on: August 02, 2016 - 04:54:16 PM »
 :working: :working: :working:.....

and the result  :    Problem solved !!  YEAH

So what did I do ?  I installed a 30 amp relais  ....  between the Alternator and the Voltage regulator...  this relais works like a diode... I cut the blue wire.. put one end to  Number  87  the other end to number 86  number 85 goes to GROUND  and number 30 goes to the battery.   the Alternator charges now with stable  13.9 Volts...  the lights are bright...  and not even a
sign of flickering  ..

Greetings Juergen

Offline dodj

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Re: MSD Distributor "GRAY CABLE "
« Reply #14 on: August 02, 2016 - 08:24:29 PM »
So when you turn the ign sw,  you energize the relay and connect the blue wire (that is connected to 87) directly to the battery?
« Last Edit: August 05, 2016 - 08:31:23 AM by dodj »
Scott
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