ok, so heres my issue. i have a 74 valiant originally a 318 w, electronic ign and a/c. i bought a ready to run msd distributor that removes the ballast and ignition box. i also am going to run a one wire alternator with internal regulator. just wondering how to wire this up. got a guy that can put together the harness, just gotta figure out what i do and dont need
engine wiring help
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pishta
I know I'm right....
Wow, your making it EZ! Wire the dizzy to the start/run (blue wire that went to the ballast resistor) and wire the alt to the positive bus.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
Not quite, but close. In addition to the "run" wire you also need the "coil bypass" wire, traditionally brown
Both these come out of the bulkhead and went to the old resistor.
thats it?? haha.. so just wire the blue (hot?) and brown (ground?) ballast wires to the dist. and the hot wire to the alt? and the rest associated to those things can be cut out? also, what is the small red box on the drivers fender? i already dissasembled the car including pulling the harness out. also im debating getting the the march a/c kit. any help on wiring that? sorry for all the questions, im just not good with wiring and i dont want to screw this up :angry7: not to mention having to pay for a second harnes if i screw it up
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
Nope----------- Let's just take the brown and dark blue, and "pretend" you have a 2 terminal resistor, like the old points system
The DARK BLUE comes from the KEY, through the BULKHEAD, to one side of the BALLAST and is HOT ONLY in "run." It is NOT fused.
The DARK BLUE IS NOT hot in "start," so if you only hook up the blue, the car won't fire during "crank."
Mopar uses the "brown" to BYPASS the resistor during cranking so you get a good hot spark. IT NORMALLY comes from the KEY, through the BULKHEAD to the COIL+ side of the resistor. It is HOT in "start" and provides power to the ignition during cranking.
NOW that you are NOT using a resistor, you need to tie together at least FIVE wires:
The DARK BLUE "run" wire out of the bulkhead
BROWN bypass wire out of the bulkhead
Whatever (BLUE) feeds the REGULATOR IGN terminal
The BLUE going to one of the alternator FIELD terminals
AND the new wire feeding power to your new igniton.
Usable diagrams of the old system:
http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1974/74ValiantA.jpg
http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1974/74ValiantB.jpg
The DARK BLUE comes from the KEY, through the BULKHEAD, to one side of the BALLAST and is HOT ONLY in "run." It is NOT fused.
The DARK BLUE IS NOT hot in "start," so if you only hook up the blue, the car won't fire during "crank."
Mopar uses the "brown" to BYPASS the resistor during cranking so you get a good hot spark. IT NORMALLY comes from the KEY, through the BULKHEAD to the COIL+ side of the resistor. It is HOT in "start" and provides power to the ignition during cranking.
NOW that you are NOT using a resistor, you need to tie together at least FIVE wires:
The DARK BLUE "run" wire out of the bulkhead
BROWN bypass wire out of the bulkhead
Whatever (BLUE) feeds the REGULATOR IGN terminal
The BLUE going to one of the alternator FIELD terminals
AND the new wire feeding power to your new igniton.
Usable diagrams of the old system:
http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1974/74ValiantA.jpg
http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1974/74ValiantB.jpg
ok so i think im getting this. connect the brown and blue together and run it from bulkhead and run it to the +coil? or to the dist? now for the alt the regulator wire and the other wire besides the hot needs to be connected together??? or all 3? thanks for the help and a big thanks for the diagrams...although i cant read em to good haha... and lastly since i do have a 4 wire ballast (which i forgot) what do i do with the other 2 wires? i wish you could just explain this to my harness guy because im obviously a newb to wiring... haha
and another last, last thing. my alternator is a 200amp for the stereo ill be running. im thinking i should go bigger wire for the alt for that reason
once again thanks
and another last, last thing. my alternator is a 200amp for the stereo ill be running. im thinking i should go bigger wire for the alt for that reason
once again thanks
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
Connect the brown/ blue and connect TO WHEREVER the power wire to your new ignition goes. I'm not familiar with what you are using, so you are on your own. DO NOT connect to the coil +
I spaced out you are using a "one wire" so ignore what I posted about the regulator/ field hookup.
IF you still have the original wiring for the alternator, there is only one large no10 wire with a 1/4" ring end that goes to the alternator output stud.
IF you want to bypass the ammeter, or have an aftermarket wiring harness, add a wire from the alternator output stud to the big stud on the starter relay.
It would help if you can post a link to destructions for your "ready to run" outfit, if they are online.
READ THIS for more info on ammeter troubles:
http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/amp-gauges.shtml
When you get this hooked up and running, there's a couple more tests I'd like you to make, but we'll save that for later.
so i can cut the extra wires besides the hot for the alt. and then run an extra to the starter? i do have the wiring diagram for the dist. and can post it when i get home. also edited the previous post with a few more q's. i will also most likely be running aftermarket gauges and will be getting rid of the amp meter so thats another ball of wax. fun fun fun
Rob Eppler
My Dart Charger...home made!
Why don't you also purchase an MSD 6AL ignition system. This will make the wiring easier yet. No wires from the original harness to the coil. No wires from the original harness leading to/from the distributor. Just a hot [crank & run] to the small red wire of the MSD box. Wire the MSD large red to a battery hot terminal [full time hot] and a ground to good metal/battery negative. The other leads [wires] are supplied by MSD to the necessary components. [coil/distributor]
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
200A? I would DEFINATELY bypass the ammeter. If you do a search, there are some threads about installing a voltmeter in place of the factory ammeter. Of course if you are going to run a custom dash, that's irrelevant.
HERE is what I'd do with the factory IGNITION harness. Carefully untape the harness so you remove
1 the original coil wires, going back to the ballast and the ECU
2 the original ballast wires, until you have disconnected and isolated ONLY the brown and the blue which goes to the BULKHEAD
3 Cut what you have to to isolate the above, and in your hand, you should have a handful of harness with the ECU connector, the distributor wires (ring terminals) and the ballast connectors.
You should now have "hanging loose" the original blue to the regulator, and the blue going down to the alternator field. BOTH the blue and green "push on" terminals going to the alternator are not needed. I would NOT necessarily remove them, just neatly tape them back. You may later decide not to run a "one wire" alternator. Later, you can remove them if you are happy.
So on the alternator, you need to connect the original alternator ring terminal to the output stud, and run a second wire TO THE STUD ON THE STARTER RELAY, NOT the starter
Once you get that done, you also need to disconnect the bulkhead connector (READ the article I posted above from MAD) and inspect, clean, repair the bulkhead connector.
TAKE POWER for your big stereo stuff off the big stud on the starter relay, and not inside the car somewhere.
HERE is what I'd do with the factory IGNITION harness. Carefully untape the harness so you remove
1 the original coil wires, going back to the ballast and the ECU
2 the original ballast wires, until you have disconnected and isolated ONLY the brown and the blue which goes to the BULKHEAD
3 Cut what you have to to isolate the above, and in your hand, you should have a handful of harness with the ECU connector, the distributor wires (ring terminals) and the ballast connectors.
You should now have "hanging loose" the original blue to the regulator, and the blue going down to the alternator field. BOTH the blue and green "push on" terminals going to the alternator are not needed. I would NOT necessarily remove them, just neatly tape them back. You may later decide not to run a "one wire" alternator. Later, you can remove them if you are happy.
So on the alternator, you need to connect the original alternator ring terminal to the output stud, and run a second wire TO THE STUD ON THE STARTER RELAY, NOT the starter
Once you get that done, you also need to disconnect the bulkhead connector (READ the article I posted above from MAD) and inspect, clean, repair the bulkhead connector.
TAKE POWER for your big stereo stuff off the big stud on the starter relay, and not inside the car somewhere.
well that is an option, but i want the engine bay clean. id have to put the box under the dash and wire it from there. also not sure if that would be ok to run with the ready to run dist.. they had another dist. setup for use with the msd box, but i got the other that runs solo. and to complicate thing even more, im putting the battery in the trunk.
wow!! that makes things ALLOT easier to understand. so its cool to run all that power for the stereo through the sta relay? as far as the connectors, the guy i have making it says he has all new plugs and terminals so thats not an issue. to be honest i wanted to run the stock gauges if i could, but have been putting off the wiring. also as mentioned in the previous post im putting the battery in the trunk and was debating doing the start em up relay so the + from the battery isnt powered all the time considering its going through the interior. what do think about this will all the stuff i got going on?
I think you need to have a much clearer understanding of automotive wiring, or find someone that does before you burn up the car.
That aside, one needs to diagram out the modifications to the electrical system, make a few calculations, properly size conductors, make provisions for over current protection (fuses), and then install it.
Keep in mind the bulkhead connector when new could not handle much amperage for any length of time; perhaps around 25 amps continuous. Any continuous high amp loads have to bypass the bulkhead connector, and be feed from a secondary power distribution point added to the factory electrical system. Also a charging circuit bypass, along with a higher capacity alternator will need to be installed to handle the increased load of a 200 amp sound system.
that is the objective of this thread. the problem is that the car is very close to getting painted and i dont really have the time to become an expert about wiring. i do have a professional to assemble the harness although hes in another state. ive tried to find someone local to help, but havent been able to. i read the article. it looks like its eliminating the gauge all together??, im pretty sure im going to have to go bigger gauge on all the wires including under the dash also.
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