It seems my brand new 6AL from Summit is a dud. I am running a Microsquirt going into an EEC adapter harness which has a TFI dizzy connected to it. I am connecting the MSD to the TFI module using the white wire method.
When I hook up the MSD it runs OK for a couple of seconds then I get buckets of misfire. At first I thought it was noise so I have tried the big MSD cap on the power feeds and I just tried connecting a big noise suppressor to the Microsquirt power wire. I have also tried multiple TFI modules and separating the wires in the engine bay. Nothing changes.
A Tunerstudio log shows accurate RPM readings and no sync loss.
Does anyone in Brisbane have a MSD unit I can try just to prove it is faulty or not?
Brand new MSD 6AL may be a dud.
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Re: Brand new MSD 6AL may be a dud.
Luke,
Is it Analog or digital version?
I am about to head out to play with my mustang and if your around you can come over and we can try it on my car (assuming the same model).
An important point to consider with the MSD CDI boxes being driven by the Megasquirt using the points wire is that it needs to ground the line correctly. The digital is far more sensitive than the analog as such if running a digital CDI box it need to go to ground - this can be an issue if the megasquirt is driving it through a transistor (such as the coil driver circuit) as there can be very small power leak across the transistor which means instead of ground on the bottom of the square wave it does not quite get there. I modified my megasquirt (and gbx78's) to by pass this circuit and drive the ignition output pin affectively directly - same sort of mod you make for digital coils etc. Having said all of this it is not always necessary as Hybrid does not use a modified circuit and his works successfully. I personally believe some of the boxes are more sensitive than others.
I am happy to test your MSD CDI box.
Is it Analog or digital version?
I am about to head out to play with my mustang and if your around you can come over and we can try it on my car (assuming the same model).
An important point to consider with the MSD CDI boxes being driven by the Megasquirt using the points wire is that it needs to ground the line correctly. The digital is far more sensitive than the analog as such if running a digital CDI box it need to go to ground - this can be an issue if the megasquirt is driving it through a transistor (such as the coil driver circuit) as there can be very small power leak across the transistor which means instead of ground on the bottom of the square wave it does not quite get there. I modified my megasquirt (and gbx78's) to by pass this circuit and drive the ignition output pin affectively directly - same sort of mod you make for digital coils etc. Having said all of this it is not always necessary as Hybrid does not use a modified circuit and his works successfully. I personally believe some of the boxes are more sensitive than others.
I am happy to test your MSD CDI box.
I will someday think of something clever to say.
Re: Brand new MSD 6AL may be a dud.
Mine is an older box. Its not digital.
Re: Brand new MSD 6AL may be a dud.
OK - that explains it - thanks Hybrid. The Analog boxes are happy just to see the falling edge while digit are very sensitive to the actual grounding of the signal.
I will someday think of something clever to say.
Re: Brand new MSD 6AL may be a dud.
Yep mine is an Analog.
Re: Brand new MSD 6AL may be a dud.
Just for shits and giggles, run it at night.
We put one in my mates torana and sparks were coming from the metal plate on the base of the 6AL to the chassis.
We put one in my mates torana and sparks were coming from the metal plate on the base of the 6AL to the chassis.
Re: Brand new MSD 6AL may be a dud.
Hybrid - OK I will try look at night to see if there is any discharge. I would not be happy if there was though.
Luke - Analog version should be working fine with the microsquirt ign out circuit so it might just be a dud. I know the plugs are different Analog to Digital so unless a newer Analog use the same plug as the digital version then I cannot put it into my harness. You might be able to drive it from a test circuit or using a test mode on the msextra firmware.
I guess you should just leave it out and set the tacho to the coil. Your car runs quite well as it is - does not really need the CDI box.
Luke - Analog version should be working fine with the microsquirt ign out circuit so it might just be a dud. I know the plugs are different Analog to Digital so unless a newer Analog use the same plug as the digital version then I cannot put it into my harness. You might be able to drive it from a test circuit or using a test mode on the msextra firmware.
I guess you should just leave it out and set the tacho to the coil. Your car runs quite well as it is - does not really need the CDI box.
I will someday think of something clever to say.
Re: Brand new MSD 6AL may be a dud.
Boofhead does your have some sort of plug on the body of the MSD? Mine came from the factory with just a bunch of wires with spade connectors on them.
Send me a close up of the connector and I will cable mine up the same way for ease of connecting.
Send me a close up of the connector and I will cable mine up the same way for ease of connecting.
Re: Brand new MSD 6AL may be a dud.
That was more a comment for Luke, but you can do it tooboofhead wrote:Hybrid - OK I will try look at night to see if there is any discharge. I would not be happy if there was though.
Luke, mine came with a black connector out the side of it.
Yours came with spade connectors? Surely that's not a new unit!
Re: Brand new MSD 6AL may be a dud.
I suspect it may have been NOS from MSD. It was sold as new from Summit MSD-6420 for $160US. MMM checking for discharge!!!
Re: Brand new MSD 6AL may be a dud.
The old Analog I had many years ago has simply wires into the unit. My current digital has a plug on the side.
I will someday think of something clever to say.
Re: Brand new MSD 6AL may be a dud.
Hmm mine looks like the one on the left. I'm now pretty sure it was NOS.
Re: Brand new MSD 6AL may be a dud.
That connector looks pretty specific. I don't think I can adapt into that. What connectors do you have on the other end of the harness?
Re: Brand new MSD 6AL may be a dud.
Sorry but I have mostly soldered it into my loom when I was rewiring for the EFI. I have search for the connectors and had no success. I do not think a decent adaptor can be built without the female plug. The MSD needs solid connections to work correctly. During the search there is a tester that can be purchased though I did not chase it up. Bench test it with a drill and an old distributor otherwise maybe consider send it in for repair to MSD though might not be worth the cost and hassle. Any way, luckily your running fine without the it. Sorry there is not much more help I can offer.
I will someday think of something clever to say.
Re: Brand new MSD 6AL may be a dud.
Thanks. I'm just wondering if I am getting a spark crossover issue in my dizzy. I'm going to try setting the advance at idle and see if that changes anything.