Kill switch on ignition- '71
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 265
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Kill switch on ignition- '71
Since I just put in a MSD HEI dizzy on my '71, the kill switch I had on the black coil wire is no good now. Just one red wire from the fuse box to the new dizzy. Trying to figure out a good way to redo a kill switch- not sure if splicing into the red wire and running it back and forth to the hidden console switch is a good idea on that high power wire. Do I need to use a relay and where and what kind? Thanks.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 315
Likes: 46
From: Chicago Illinois
kill switch
I just recently installed a MSD ignition system, Distributor and a MSD
6-AL ignition box and ran a kill switch to and from the power wire (orange) and back to the box. This works well but make sure your switch is at least capable of handling 30 amps..
6-AL ignition box and ran a kill switch to and from the power wire (orange) and back to the box. This works well but make sure your switch is at least capable of handling 30 amps..
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 265
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Thanks guys.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 542
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From: Bloomfield Hills MI
If you're using the 6-AL and mag distributor then MSD already provide instructions to install a kill switch, page 6, bottom of page. Easy and does not require installing an 'interrupt' switch in line with any power source...
http://www.msdignition.com/uploadedF...uctions(1).pdf
http://www.msdignition.com/uploadedF...uctions(1).pdf
Last edited by spinadog; Aug 2, 2009 at 11:08 PM. Reason: Should have read OP - not sure re: HEI.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 265
Likes: 0
If you're using the 6-AL and mag distributor then MSD already provide instructions to install a kill switch, page 6, bottom of page. Easy and does not require installing an 'interrupt' switch in line with any power source...
http://www.msdignition.com/uploadedF...uctions(1).pdf
http://www.msdignition.com/uploadedF...uctions(1).pdf
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 265
Likes: 0
The switch I was using as the kill switch says 16A @ 125VAC and 10A @ 250VAC. It's for household use. I'm no electrical engineeer, but that equals 2000 and 2500 watts. 30A @ 12 V on my car is only 360 watts, plus the fuse that's already wired into the wire I'll be hacking has a 15 A fuse inline. That should be OK, right?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 7,739
Likes: 630
From: Unreconstructed, South Carolina
Been around a few real race cars w/ cd boxes ... and some had only hei ... I realize kunkle has an HEI not cd.
racers had two switches ... one toggle interupts lite gage red + power wire to box or hei coil BAT + .... there's another hi-amp rotary that interupts + power to dash.
kunkle probably has OE ignition switch that interupts + power to hei coil BAT + .
seems to me kunkle does not need a "kill switch" ... but if you must, why not open the hei coil cover & tap into -NEG coil wire w/ a ground "kill" switch? ... seems that's essentially what you were doing prior to hei.
racers had two switches ... one toggle interupts lite gage red + power wire to box or hei coil BAT + .... there's another hi-amp rotary that interupts + power to dash.
kunkle probably has OE ignition switch that interupts + power to hei coil BAT + .
seems to me kunkle does not need a "kill switch" ... but if you must, why not open the hei coil cover & tap into -NEG coil wire w/ a ground "kill" switch? ... seems that's essentially what you were doing prior to hei.
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Tech Contributor
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From: I tend to be leery of any guy who doesn't own a chainsaw or a handgun.
The switch I was using as the kill switch says 16A @ 125VAC and 10A @ 250VAC. It's for household use. I'm no electrical engineeer, but that equals 2000 and 2500 watts. 30A @ 12 V on my car is only 360 watts, plus the fuse that's already wired into the wire I'll be hacking has a 15 A fuse inline. That should be OK, right?
Your fine on the open circuit voltage, and I assume, with a 15 amp fuse, your steady state current is well below the max rating of the fuse and switch.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 265
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[QUOTE=jackson;1571013409]
kunkle probably has OE ignition switch that interupts + power to hei coil BAT + .
Yeah, OE ignition.
seems to me kunkle does not need a "kill switch" ...
It's only for security- nothing to do with racing or safety.
but if you must, why not open the hei coil cover & tap into -NEG coil wire w/ a ground "kill" switch?
Didn't realize there are ground wires I could get to in there.
... seems that's essentially what you were doing prior to hei.
True- It's just been repackaged neatly now in the new HEI. Thanks.
kunkle probably has OE ignition switch that interupts + power to hei coil BAT + .
Yeah, OE ignition.
seems to me kunkle does not need a "kill switch" ...
It's only for security- nothing to do with racing or safety.
but if you must, why not open the hei coil cover & tap into -NEG coil wire w/ a ground "kill" switch?
Didn't realize there are ground wires I could get to in there.
... seems that's essentially what you were doing prior to hei.
True- It's just been repackaged neatly now in the new HEI. Thanks.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 7,739
Likes: 630
From: Unreconstructed, South Carolina
OK ... security ... guess you use a small hidden switch. Open&lift square lid atop hei dist cap ... that's how you get to hei coil & its primary wires.
You could ground coil -NEG as above but I can't suggest grounding an energized coil for more than a few minutes as it will heat up ... or ...
Look underneath hei rotor ... you find 2 very short & very lite gage wires connecting pickup/reluctor to module ... on OE GM hei they're usually green & white & they carry very low volt & amp ... you can interrupt either of those with a switch ... when it's "open" the motor won't run ... fyi the hei pickup creates a small "trigger" signal which is both amplified by the hei module and switched "on-off" by that hei module and then routed to primary side of hei coil, then amplified much more. There are several ways to accomplish what you're after ... above are only suggestions.
You could ground coil -NEG as above but I can't suggest grounding an energized coil for more than a few minutes as it will heat up ... or ...
Look underneath hei rotor ... you find 2 very short & very lite gage wires connecting pickup/reluctor to module ... on OE GM hei they're usually green & white & they carry very low volt & amp ... you can interrupt either of those with a switch ... when it's "open" the motor won't run ... fyi the hei pickup creates a small "trigger" signal which is both amplified by the hei module and switched "on-off" by that hei module and then routed to primary side of hei coil, then amplified much more. There are several ways to accomplish what you're after ... above are only suggestions.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 265
Likes: 0
OK ... security ... guess you use a small hidden switch. Open&lift square lid atop hei dist cap ... that's how you get to hei coil & its primary wires.
You could ground coil -NEG as above but I can't suggest grounding an energized coil for more than a few minutes as it will heat up ... or ...
Look underneath hei rotor ... you find 2 very short & very lite gage wires connecting pickup/reluctor to module ... on OE GM hei they're usually green & white & they carry very low volt & amp ... you can interrupt either of those with a switch ... when it's "open" the motor won't run ... fyi the hei pickup creates a small "trigger" signal which is both amplified by the hei module and switched "on-off" by that hei module and then routed to primary side of hei coil, then amplified much more. There are several ways to accomplish what you're after ... above are only suggestions.
You could ground coil -NEG as above but I can't suggest grounding an energized coil for more than a few minutes as it will heat up ... or ...
Look underneath hei rotor ... you find 2 very short & very lite gage wires connecting pickup/reluctor to module ... on OE GM hei they're usually green & white & they carry very low volt & amp ... you can interrupt either of those with a switch ... when it's "open" the motor won't run ... fyi the hei pickup creates a small "trigger" signal which is both amplified by the hei module and switched "on-off" by that hei module and then routed to primary side of hei coil, then amplified much more. There are several ways to accomplish what you're after ... above are only suggestions.
