MSD 6AL Mounting and Wiring
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 611
Likes: 0
From: Minnesota
MSD 6AL Mounting and Wiring
I bought a MSD 6AL and need to know where and how to mount it. I have a '77 and do not see any place to mount it under the hood. Any help and or pictures would be appreciated.
Where are the wires on the car that need to connect to the coil wires on the MSD box?
Where are the wires on the car that need to connect to the coil wires on the MSD box?
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 205
Likes: 0
From: Northern Idaho
Hey Capt. Mine is mounted inside the car up under the dash,works great.I have done it that way to several cars and never had venilation problems.I just think it looks cleaner then having a big RED ing. box hanging off an inner fender,Darryl
Safety Car
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 4,176
Likes: 7
From: Jennings LA
on my 81 there is a bracket that holds the map sensor just left of the wiper motor (drivers side) mounted mine there and it looks factory, I have pictures if someone will tell me how to post them
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 611
Likes: 0
From: Minnesota
Originally Posted by gator79
on my 81 there is a bracket that holds the map sensor just left of the wiper motor (drivers side) mounted mine there and it looks factory, I have pictures if someone will tell me how to post them
Thanks
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 4,135
Likes: 1
my 73,s a a/c car , so i mounted it on the drivers side on the inner fender . drilled thru the fiber and sandwiched stainless steel washers on both sides of the fender for strength, with stainless nuts on either side of the washers,,, since the inner fenders curved i took a 6'' piece of running thread, and made a ''stand off'' to compensate for the fenders curve, its real strong,also talked to the m.s.d. rep when my 6a box fried because i had a oil filled blaster coil mounted on the intake on a angle, the angle allows a air bubble to rise to the top causing the windings to heat ,burn the coil and back fed the msd smoking it. put in a dry type coil after that and up graded to a 6 al box. the rep told me that there studies in the shop showed that the boxes work best in a hot area ,such as under the hood. thats what msd said.and its been there since. look at photo behind master cylinder-------------
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,146
Likes: 10
From: Scottsboro Alabama
I took out my glove box insert and mounted my Crane HI6 along with a small cooling fan in there. I can take out two screws and slide the whole contraption out if I need to adjust the rev limiter. 
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
From: Novato CA
Mounted mine on the passengers side inner fender as well. Works great, tried the drivers side, but was not very happy with the look of it.
Here is one of the things I learned on the dyno about the MSD Boxes. There are 2 wire harnesses -1 to coil and 1 to Distributor. When you rout these do not put them next to eachother. They must be run in different locations. If they are next to each other you will get "Spark Scatter" and lose about 8 to 10 HP.
Here is one of the things I learned on the dyno about the MSD Boxes. There are 2 wire harnesses -1 to coil and 1 to Distributor. When you rout these do not put them next to eachother. They must be run in different locations. If they are next to each other you will get "Spark Scatter" and lose about 8 to 10 HP.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 611
Likes: 0
From: Minnesota
MSD 6AL Wiring
I got the box mounted, now I am having a problem with the wiring.
I bought the distributor and the MSD box used from someone that had it working on there vette. So all I had to do is run the power and ground for the MSD ignition box and the smaller AWG wire fro the MSD box to the ignition switch. All the other wiring was done.
Is the ignition switch wire the wire that is connected to the distributor cap "BAT" connection?
Also do I need to run a wire from the center connection on the distrbutor cap "GRD" to a ground?
I bought the distributor and the MSD box used from someone that had it working on there vette. So all I had to do is run the power and ground for the MSD ignition box and the smaller AWG wire fro the MSD box to the ignition switch. All the other wiring was done.
Is the ignition switch wire the wire that is connected to the distributor cap "BAT" connection?
Also do I need to run a wire from the center connection on the distrbutor cap "GRD" to a ground?
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 182,997
Likes: 88
From: Lakeland, FL
Cruise-In IV-V-VI-VII-VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03, '06, '17
Originally Posted by captainmorgan
So in the above image, is the key connector the one that I removed from the distributor "BAT" location?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,435
Likes: 0
From: largo florida
Here is MSD's instructions
http://www.msdignition.com/pdf/6%20series/6series.pdf
http://www.msdignition.com/pdf/6%20series/6series.pdf
Last edited by lostpatrolman; Aug 27, 2005 at 09:57 PM.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 611
Likes: 0
From: Minnesota
Car Dies
I installed the 6AL box and now the car dies after about 6 miles and won't start for about a minute. I checked the resistance between the green and purple (Magnetic pickup) wires 0n the distributor when it dies and it read 880 ohms. The 6AL box is hot to the touch.
Is it over heating and causing this problem?
I have it mounted on the inside drivers side fender under the hood on my 1977 corvette. I have the red 12awg wire connected to the starter (battery cable) and the black 12awg wire connected to the alternator ground. the small red wire is connected to the connector that I removed from the distributor "BAT" terminal.
Is it over heating and causing this problem?
I have it mounted on the inside drivers side fender under the hood on my 1977 corvette. I have the red 12awg wire connected to the starter (battery cable) and the black 12awg wire connected to the alternator ground. the small red wire is connected to the connector that I removed from the distributor "BAT" terminal.
Last edited by captainmorgan; Aug 28, 2005 at 04:04 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 182,997
Likes: 88
From: Lakeland, FL
Cruise-In IV-V-VI-VII-VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03, '06, '17
The box usually gets hot, but it shouldn't be too hot to touch..
I actually had the thick red wire connected directly to the alternator + port.
Did you check if the wire that came off the BAT terminal is not permanently 12 Volt?
I actually had the thick red wire connected directly to the alternator + port.
Did you check if the wire that came off the BAT terminal is not permanently 12 Volt?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 611
Likes: 0
From: Minnesota
Originally Posted by GrandSportC3
The box usually gets hot, but it shouldn't be too hot to touch..
I actually had the thick red wire connected directly to the alternator + port.
Did you check if the wire that came off the BAT terminal is not permanently 12 Volt?
I actually had the thick red wire connected directly to the alternator + port.
Did you check if the wire that came off the BAT terminal is not permanently 12 Volt?
The box is not too hot that you can't touch it but it is hot.