Question on hooking up an MSD 6al ignition box

[DodgeGuy]

As I'm installing my new OEM engine harness, I have to connect the MSD 6al Ignition Box that is already there back into it, as this was the setup on the car as I started to change out the engine harness.

I have the 6al ignition box, the Blaster 2 Ignition Coil, and an MSD distributor.

So, all of that basically wires together, so no issues there.

However, as I understand it, I can bypass the ballast resistor (the previous owner did not do this exactly) by wiring the small red wire that comes off the MSD ignition box (not the thicker one that is wired to the starter relay) directly to the blue wire and the brown wire in the engine harness that would normally plug into the ballast resistor.


I was going to run a splitter off that small red wire, creating 2 red wires, and then put male ends on each.  That would allow me to plug one wire into the plug with the blue wire (just to the blue wire), and the other into the plug with the brown wire (just the brown wire).

Just a note, the blue and brown wires are not in the same plug connector, the brown wire is in a plug with a black/green (I think those are the colors, I don't remember exactly right now) wire and that plug plugs into one side of the ballast resistor, and the blue wire just has another blue wire running from it's connector into the other connector in the same plug which plugs into the other side of the ballast resistor.\.  I don't know if that matters at all, I don't think it does...I just wanted to share that just in case.

Does this sound correct?

[dodj]

If it were me I would cut the ballast resistor plugs out completely and just connect the blue, brown and MSD red wire together in one junction. Much neater and cleaner looking.

[Chryco Psycho]

yes
The Black yellow wire would feed the coil , not nessisary with MSD
Blue is run & brown is start power connect them together to the small red wire & it will work

[DodgeGuy]

If it were me I would cut the ballast resistor plugs out completely and just connect the blue, brown and MSD red wire together in one junction. Much neater and cleaner looking.

Definitely thought about doing that.  However, the reason I'm leaning towards the way I described it above is in case I ever go back to "stock" with the car (either with this engine or with the 440 I'm hoping to drop in sometime in the next 5 years).

With the new engine wiring harness I just installed from M&H/YearOne, I have all the original connections for the stock distributor, the 5-pin connector for the ignition control module, the ballast resistor, etc.  I'm leaving it all on, but it's "clean" because it's brand new, and I'm going to use wire sleeve over it to hide it all further.  The nice thing about the aluminum high rise intake is that it creates a natural "hiding spot" behind the carb and in front of the distributor where you can't see any of it.

However, thanks for the suggestion, because I did consider that.

BTW, thanks Chryco Psycho, I had read some older posts from you elsewhere, but I just wanted to make sure on that hookup!

[Chryco Psycho]

 

[HP_Cuda]

Sound familiar Neil? I had the same problem whereas I returned the M&H electronic wiring harness for the standard harness which just plugged directly into the MSD with no mods. Saved me a ton of time cutting, soldering and shrink wrapping, it just looks better.

Alas, this was back in CC.com days.

[DodgeGuy]

Sound familiar Neil? I had the same problem whereas I returned the M&H electronic wiring harness for the standard harness which just plugged directly into the MSD with no mods. Saved me a ton of time cutting, soldering and shrink wrapping, it just looks better.

Alas, this was back in CC.com days.

HP, what is this "standard harness" that you speak of?  Where do you get one?

[Chryco Psycho]

I believe he is referring to the points / non electronic ign harness

[DodgeGuy]

I believe he is referring to the points / non electronic ign harness

Ahhh...got it.  I was wondering if I missed something because I searched a ton looking for different setups.

I was wondering what he meant by "all the cutting and soldering, etc.". lol  Because with my setup it's basically just putting two male end connectors on a couple of wires and then plugging them into their female counterparts. 

Thanks again though, I think that message board he's referencing is where I found your old posts explaining all of this.  I just wanted to make sure nothing changed in the meantime.

[Chryco Psycho]

the points harness would be easier as there is on 2 connectors tot he ballast so you just need a Y pigtal connecting the brown & blue tot he MSD small red wire , if you decide to use Moper EFI later you still only need the single ballast as all of the newer ECUs have only 4 pins & have the extra resister built inside the ECU . so I would order the points type harness