Installing an MSD 6AL on a 4AC engine
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 4:26 pm
This is for those w/ a 4AC engine and wanting to upgrade their ignition system with an MSD 6AL.
The confusing thing for some (even for MSD technicians) is that it not only has an internal coil but it also has an internal igniter or is it an amplifier or both??? Well, we'll settle questions when we actually get to it and finish.
- pull the factory distributor...
...and get to removing the cap.
- what you'll find inside:
*note: the vr sensor (magnetic pick-up) leads connect to the "igniter/amplifier" respective of their polarity.
-go ahead and remove the "igniter" by unscrewing the vr sensor leads from it first...
...then unscrewing the lock nuts that hold the leads from the "igniter" to the coil...
...finally removing the screws from the outside of the dist. body that holds the igniter in place...
...and removing the igniter from the distributor completely along w/ the external connectors, etc...:
- depending on whether or not your 6AL came brand new or used with connectors, crimp a pair of shielded female spade connectors (or males, or alternate male & female...what ever your preference) to the VR sensor leads as shown:
- if you have them, attach male spade connectors to the COIL + & - leads (highlighted in the following picture red & green for the positive & negative leads respectively):
We're already just about set to put the distributor back in.
- here, we created our own leads for the 6AL's magnetic trigger leads (you can purchase MSD's mag lead extension p/n: 8862) using similar wire color to that of the VR sensor leads (red to purlpe / white to green) & crimping the ends with the appropriate spade connectors.
- next, we connected the MSD's black wire (not to be confused with the thicker black lead from the 6AL which is your battery negative lead!!!) to the COIL negative (-) and the orange wire to the COIL positive (+).
we then notched the cap at the appropriate spots making sure that none of the wires find themselves in the path of any of the spinning internals. since we had a spare igniter and connectors, we sacrificed one of them to the snips and kept the black plug to fill the cavity that the now un-employed connectors once occupied. placed the rotor on, restabbed the dist the way we found it. re-installed the cap and gasket and bolted everything in place. then finished her up w/ the plug wires.
- completed the install by connecting the 6AL's smaller gauge red wire to an appropriate +12v ignition "ON" source and...VOILA!
she fired right up!
we noticed there was no longer a permeating residual fuel smell lingering and the idle was smoother.
install guide by erickz300 & dr.occa: July 7, 2009
The confusing thing for some (even for MSD technicians) is that it not only has an internal coil but it also has an internal igniter or is it an amplifier or both??? Well, we'll settle questions when we actually get to it and finish.
- pull the factory distributor...
...and get to removing the cap.
- what you'll find inside:
*note: the vr sensor (magnetic pick-up) leads connect to the "igniter/amplifier" respective of their polarity.
-go ahead and remove the "igniter" by unscrewing the vr sensor leads from it first...
...then unscrewing the lock nuts that hold the leads from the "igniter" to the coil...
...finally removing the screws from the outside of the dist. body that holds the igniter in place...
...and removing the igniter from the distributor completely along w/ the external connectors, etc...:
- depending on whether or not your 6AL came brand new or used with connectors, crimp a pair of shielded female spade connectors (or males, or alternate male & female...what ever your preference) to the VR sensor leads as shown:
- if you have them, attach male spade connectors to the COIL + & - leads (highlighted in the following picture red & green for the positive & negative leads respectively):
We're already just about set to put the distributor back in.
- here, we created our own leads for the 6AL's magnetic trigger leads (you can purchase MSD's mag lead extension p/n: 8862) using similar wire color to that of the VR sensor leads (red to purlpe / white to green) & crimping the ends with the appropriate spade connectors.
- next, we connected the MSD's black wire (not to be confused with the thicker black lead from the 6AL which is your battery negative lead!!!) to the COIL negative (-) and the orange wire to the COIL positive (+).
we then notched the cap at the appropriate spots making sure that none of the wires find themselves in the path of any of the spinning internals. since we had a spare igniter and connectors, we sacrificed one of them to the snips and kept the black plug to fill the cavity that the now un-employed connectors once occupied. placed the rotor on, restabbed the dist the way we found it. re-installed the cap and gasket and bolted everything in place. then finished her up w/ the plug wires.
- completed the install by connecting the 6AL's smaller gauge red wire to an appropriate +12v ignition "ON" source and...VOILA!
she fired right up!
we noticed there was no longer a permeating residual fuel smell lingering and the idle was smoother.
install guide by erickz300 & dr.occa: July 7, 2009
womp womp I know I'm a downer debbie.
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