PN85001 Datasheet, PDF (2/12 Pages) Mallory performance club – MSD Super HEI Kit

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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
LED INDICATOR
There is an LED that monitors the status of the Ignition. The LED turns on when the engine is not
running and the key is in the On position. When running, the LED will flash with each trigger signal
which will make it appear to be on steady as rpm increases.
REV LIMITER
The Digital 6AL features a built-in Soft Touch Rev Control that provides a smooth and accurate rev limit
by dropping the spark to individual cylinders. The Soft Touch produces a load-free rev limit that is within
1% of the selected rpm.The rpm limit is adjusted in 100 rpm increments with the sealed rotary switches
under the black cover on top of the 6AL.
CYLINDER SELECT
The MSD is programmed at the factory for use on 8-cylinder engines. If you are installing it to a different
engine you will have to program the Ignition. This is easily achieved through the cylinder select wire loops
on the side of the ignition. Page 5 outlines setting the cylinder select.
GENERAL INFORMATION
BATTERY
The Digital 6A and 6AL will operate on any negative ground, 12 volt electrical system with a distributor.
The MSD can be used with 16 volt batteries and can withstand a momentary 24 volts in case of jump
starts. The Ignition will deliver full voltage with a supply of 9 - 18 volts.
If your application does not use an alternator, allow at least 15 amp/hour for every half hour of operation.
The MSD uses about .9 Amps for every 1,000 rpm. If the engine is cranked with the same battery or
other accessories such as an electric fuel or water pump are used, the amp/hour rating should be higher.
COILS
The Digital 6A and 6AL Ignition can be used with most stock coils and aftermarket coils designed to replace
the stock coils. The line of MSD Blaster Coils are great for street and mild racing. For extended high rpm
operation the Blaster HVC, PN 8252 or HVC II, PN 8253, are recommended. For more information on
recommended coils, check with our Customer Service Department at [phone].
TACHOMETERS
The MSD Ignition features a Gray Tach Output wire that provides a trigger signal for tachometers, a shift
light or other add-on rpm activated devices. The Tach Output wire produces a 12 volt square wave signal
with a 22.5° duty cycle.
Some vehicles with factory tachometers may require a Tach Adapter to operate with the MSD. For more
information on Tachometers and MSD Tach Adapters, see the Tachometer Section on page 6.
If your GM vehicle has an in-line filter it may cause the tach to drop to zero on acceleration. If this occurs,
bypass the filter.
SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES
Spark plug wires are very important to the operation of your ignition system. A good quality, helically
wound wire and proper routing are required to get the best performance from your ignition, such as the
MSD 8.5mm Super Conductor Wire. Helically wound wires provide a good path for the spark to follow while
keeping Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) to a minimum. Excessive EMI, such as the amount that solid
core wires produce, will interfere with the operation of the MSD. Solid Core spark plug wires cannot be
used with an MSD Ignition.
Routing: Correct routing of the plug wires is also important to performance. Wires should be routed
away from sharp edges and engine heat sources. If there are two wires that are next to each other in the
engine’s firing order, the wires should be routed away from each other to avoid inducing a spark into the
other wire. For example, in a Chevy V8, the firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. The #5 and #7 cylinders are
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