MSD question

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Demonracer

Demonracer

71 Demon 00 Ram 16 Chrysler 300S 05 Caravan
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I'm in the process of changing over the ignition system in my Demon. I have had an MSD 8534 distributor on the shelf for about 10 years and I want to install it and hook it to my 7AL 2, which has been in the car since it was built many years ago. I ordered an interface cable and need information on hooking it up. The distributor has a black wire and a black wire with a red trace, the interface cable has a dark blue wire and a gray wire. If I plug it up, which wire (blue or gray) goes where on the 7AL 2? Any information is greatly appreciated.
 
I don't know offhand other than to direct you back to the MSD website. They do, or did, have a lot of documentation there
 
Usually the mag pickup has a violet wire and a green wire. Just make sure you preserve the mag + and mag - . I assume the mag - on your distributor is the wire with a black tracer.

Screenshot_20231126-214848_Samsung Notes.jpg
 
I have the instruction sheet, I've been to the website, I've called MSD, to no avail. The cable I received from them is gray and dark blue, my distributor has a black with a red trace and a black.
 
Demonracer said:
I have the instruction sheet, I've been to the website, I've called MSD, to no avail. The cable I received from them is gray and dark blue, my distributor has a black with a red trace and a black.
Click to expand...

The green wire is mag negative on the box and it has a detent on that side of the connector housing. The negative hookup on your dist will be the black wire. Pic from my GTS.

20231127_064748.jpg
 
This particular dist has a black wire with orange tracer and a black wire with purple tracer. MSD is sloppy in that respect.
 
This particular dist has a black wire with orange tracer and a black wire with purple tracer. MSD is sloppy in that respect.
 
But that still doesn't answer the question as to which wire goes to the M+ and the M- on the 7AL 2.
 
EB2B84D9-1D47-4240-AC87-76413D0513B0.png


This should be all you need. MSD 8534 distributor to 7 series box. What jumper harness do you have?
 
I have an 8860 harness, it has a GRAY wire and a BLUE wire. There is no VIOLET or GREEN!
 
Weird. I would think the black with red trace from the distributor pick up needs to go to M+. The black needs to go to M-. Regardless of jumper wire colors.
 
I just do not want to take a chance and fry anything in the distributor of mt 7AL 2, I have enough problems as it is. LOL
 
Demonracer said:
I just do not want to take a chance and fry anything in the distributor of mt 7AL 2, I have enough problems as it is. LOL
Click to expand...
I wouldn’t either. But it’s just a pickup coil that produces AC voltage. Reversing them only has a phasing effect on the rotor alignment. It won’t burn anything up, just makes setting the timing a nightmare.
 
Demonracer said:
I'm in the process of changing over the ignition system in my Demon. I have had an MSD 8534 distributor on the shelf for about 10 years and I want to install it and hook it to my 7AL 2, which has been in the car since it was built many years ago. I ordered an interface cable and need information on hooking it up. The distributor has a black wire and a black wire with a red trace, the interface cable has a dark blue wire and a gray wire. If I plug it up, which wire (blue or gray) goes where on the 7AL 2? Any information is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
call M S D ......
 
Ah, I had to deal with a similar situation on mine as well. If you don't get it sorted out by the time I get home from work, I'll check mine and get back to you.
 
0947A820-82D5-4E18-9C46-EB776A48D8A1.png


Found this. Might help @Demonracer read the paragraph below the chart. MSD suggests trying it one way, then switching the wires and trying it the other way while observing timing. Erratic=bad, steady=good. It won’t burn up anything
 
There you go! That's what I used to finger mine out.... lol

The connector will only plug in one way. Plug into the distributor and which wire corresponds to the black with orange stripe will go to the M+ on the 7AL
 
TT5.9, that helped immensely. It's too bad that a large ignition manufacturer such as MSD can't get their stuff in one sock when you call them. Thanks
 
Demonracer said:
I just do not want to take a chance and fry anything in the distributor of mt 7AL 2, I have enough problems as it is. LOL
Click to expand...
You won't it is a simple unpowered magnetic pickup just exactly like the Mopar breakerless. The only thing that can go wrong if you reverse the wires is that you will have "rotor phasing" problems. This causes the spark to happen when the rotor is not aligned with a cap tower terminal, and will cause rough running. Google search "rotor phasing" for more info

If it is a MSD cable with proper connectors, it is most likely correct.

I admit, it is silly and poor QC to make a cable without matching wire colors
 
TT5.9 sent me a diagram he found and I was able to figure out which wires went to M + and M- on the 7AL 2 box.
 
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