MSD ignition - easy?

[Stanley]

Planning MSD 6A (from amazon)with stock points distributor. Will also get a coil and Tach adapter. Anything else I need to go with it? Do I still need a ballast resistor? One comes with the coil. Anything to watch out for? The box will go near the other electrical stuff by the passenger footwell, I guess. Not very experienced with electrical stuff so hope it's easy. Wanted the shop to install it but not enough money after tax day.

Is it worth extra $40 for 6AL? Never redline it anyway.

[Zed Head]

I don't think that you want a coil with a ballast resistor. With the MSD you can use one of their high performance coils, with no ballast. The points are only used to trigger the MSD so the ballast isn't needed anymore, if you get a better coil.

Many people have problems with getting the tach to work. I looked at the instructions though and see something I haven't seen before that might explain why some get it to work and some don't. Copied it below, from Page 7 of the 6201 PDF file. I think that the original ballast should work, I don't know why you'd need the Chrysler dual ballast. If I understand what they're trying to say, that reducing current through the points will keep the tach working. As I read the instructions I realized that they're not very well-written, and give poor explanations of why the wires are connected where they are. Good luck.

BALLAST RESISTOR

If you have a current trigger tach (originally coil positive)

and use the White wire of the MSD, you can purchase a

Chrysler Dual Ballast Resistor (used from 1973 - 1976)

and wire it as shown in Figure 5.

[Stanley]

Guess whether it's easy or not depends on if you've successfully done it on a stock 240Z before. Just spent an hour downloading and reading the instructions. Seems like a diode might be required if there's a separate voltage regulator (there is). And the possible need for a "dual ballast resistor". Looks like the Tach adapter I planned to get won't work. So not easy.

Some photos would help figure out which wire goes where. Remember reading somewhere that electrical stuff runs on smoke. If the smoke leaks out there's a problem.

Time for a beer.

[beermanpete]

Guess whether it's easy or not depends on if you've successfully done it on a stock 240Z before. Just spent an hour downloading and reading the instructions. Seems like a diode might be required if there's a separate voltage regulator (there is). And the possible need for a "dual ballast resistor". Looks like the Tach adapter I planned to get won't work. So not easy.

Some photos would help figure out which wire goes where. Remember reading somewhere that electrical stuff runs on smoke. If the smoke leaks out there's a problem.

Time for a beer.

That's magic smoke, just to be clear.

[71Nissan240Z]

I've got a blaster coil pertronix ignition and msd 6al. I had to use a tach adapter for my 1971 240z. My tach is out of a 280z