MSD "ready to run" system

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Big jet mechanic

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Anyone installed this using an existing engine wiring harness with ECU? I've been tolds its much easier and simplier to run a new harness with the ol ignition point system, connecting the 2 ballast wires together using this as your 12V switched power to the coil.
Any help out there is much appreciated.
 
i have one in our dart. i pulled the ballast out, connected all the wires that went to the ballast and added a wire from that connection that rins to the dist.
 
My MSD left me stranded. Only a few months old. I am going to rewire it so I can run the MSD but Have the older wiring so I can plug in the stock system if left stranded again.
 
I have a pair of the MSD knock offs. They’re exactly the same thing minus a better bushing inside of them. Not anything different.

I just ran the 3 wires as the directions said and haven’t had an issue yet. The one thing I do not like about the MSD or the knock offs is the lack of adjustment with the bushings. There’s to much timing that the biggest/fattest black bushing is not able to remove. It’s 18*’s IIRC. Plus the initial (14*) for 32*’s. While this enough for most engines, I like more initial timing on my bitter street rides. The above combo works good on the other two street rides there in.

The MAD VI-A. Ox has failed me many many many times over and I refuse to use that POS ever again. There repairs sucked just as bad with them constantly failing faster than when the box was new. Never had but only one last. Most boxes died within a few weeks.
 
Big jet mechanic said:
Anyone installed this using an existing engine wiring harness with ECU? I've been tolds its much easier and simplier to run a new harness with the ol ignition point system, connecting the 2 ballast wires together using this as your 12V switched power to the coil.
Any help out there is much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Points and electronic ignition systems are the same up to the ballast resistor, no difference in how you'd wire the "ready to run" distributor.
As you said, with a dual ballast you connect the 2 feeds together. With a single ballast, you connect the feed and the bypass together. Either way it renders the wiring after the ballast useless, and can be discarded. Or, as Kendog said, left in place so the factory ECU or points can be quickly reinstalled if and when the MSD (Ready to Not Run) fails you. (I have had some issues with them, too; especially the knockoffs- not a fan.)
 
rumblefish360 said:
I have a pair of the MSD knock offs. They’re exactly the same thing minus a better bushing inside of them. Not anything different.

I just ran the 3 wires as the directions said and haven’t had an issue yet. The one thing I do not like about the MSD or the knock offs is the lack of adjustment with the bushings. There’s to much timing that the biggest/fattest black bushing is not able to remove. It’s 18*’s IIRC. Plus the initial (14*) for 32*’s. While this enough for most engines, I like more initial timing on my bitter street rides. The above combo works good on the other two street rides there in.

The MAD VI-A. Ox has failed me many many many times over and I refuse to use that POS ever again. There repairs sucked just as bad with them constantly failing faster than when the box was new. Never had but only one last. Most boxes died within a few weeks.
Click to expand...
4secondsflat has 10 and 14 degree bushings for the MSD distributors
Performance Tuning MSD Distributors with the FBO Advance Limiter Bushing Kit. Cure Your Rich Idle Condition
 
Big jet mechanic said:
Anyone installed this using an existing engine wiring harness with ECU? I've been tolds its much easier and simplier to run a new harness with the ol ignition point system, connecting the 2 ballast wires together using this as your 12V switched power to the coil.
Any help out there is much appreciated.
Click to expand...
You didn't tell us what you are working on. But you did mention points. So just connect the two ballast wires together, and use the old coil + wire to feed power to the new system. No need to run new harness.
 
67Dart273 said:
You didn't tell us what you are working on. But you did mention points. So just connect the two ballast wires together, and use the old coil + wire to feed power to the new system. No need to run new harness.
Click to expand...
Sorry, should have given more info! 72 340 presently with a new ECU equipped engine harness. Original car came with a 318 with ignition points. I discarded to old brittle harness. Not knowing at the time I was going to upgrade to MSD system. Was hoping to rewire the new harness vs buying another points equipped one.
 
You don't need to rewire. As someone above said, the coil part of the resistor is same as points or electronic. I am assuming? you have a 4 pin resistor?

Here is what that is.

The resistor is keyed (look at the "U" at one end) so it only connects one way, as the two resistors are different values. One supplies the coil, the other supplies part of the circuit in the ECU. The 2nd resistor was eliminated in later ECU's. That is, a later 4 pin box can use either a 2 or 4 pin resistor, but a 5 pin box MUST have a 4 pin resistor, if it is truely (electrically) a 5 pin box

So the power from the key to the resistor goes to two terminals with a short jumper in between. This is the "run" voltage.

One of the others goes back to the ECU and you can leave that out

The 4th goes to the coil. So jumper the key / ignition switch power to that 4th wire, and this will also hook in the wire with the bypass, and then just run the old coil + wire to the new system

In other words you are eliminating one wire, from the 4 pin resistor to the ECU, and of course leaving the old distributor connector unconnected.
 
By the way if you don't have, you can download factory service manuals at MyMopar.com
 
Gotta love this guy ^^^^^^^^

The MSD RTR is a simple thing to do and doesn’t require major surgery on the wiring to install. Out the factory parts you replace into a small box and put it in the trunk of the car for that just incase moment.

Most. Hey sled guys carry a spare ballast resistor and maybe even a regulator for just this reason. Barely takes up any space next the tool pouch/box of basic tools to have on the road.
 
rumblefish360 said:
I have a pair of the MSD knock offs. They’re exactly the same thing minus a better bushing inside of them. Not anything different.

I just ran the 3 wires as the directions said and haven’t had an issue yet. The one thing I do not like about the MSD or the knock offs is the lack of adjustment with the bushings. There’s to much timing that the biggest/fattest black bushing is not able to remove. It’s 18*’s IIRC. Plus the initial (14*) for 32*’s. While this enough for most engines, I like more initial timing on my bitter street rides. The above combo works good on the other two street rides there in.

The MAD VI-A. Ox has failed me many many many times over and I refuse to use that POS ever again. There repairs sucked just as bad with them constantly failing faster than when the box was new. Never had but only one last. Most boxes died within a few weeks.
Click to expand...

What RTR knock off kit do you run?
 
1 MSD, 1 Pace Performance. The Pace Performance unit doesn’t have a tach hook up and uses a steel part over the MSD plastic part inside the distributor. They both perform equally and one reason is they’re both made at the same plant in China. There basically identical unit and even more sonic I got the tach unit from Pace.
 
My "ready to run" summit/msd just left me stranded after 800 miles... At the Mopar nationals I was the guy going home on a flatbed...
I believe it was the heat that killed it...
I switched to my tried and true msd 6al (mounted inside out of the heat..) msd distributor and coil... runs better and idle quality much better...
I wanted to keep it simple and it was right till the ride home on the flatbed....
 
rumblefish360 said:
1 MSD, 1 Pace Performance. The Pace Performance unit doesn’t have a tach hook up and uses a steel part over the MSD plastic part inside the distributor. They both perform equally and one reason is they’re both made at the same plant in China. There basically identical unit and even more sonic I got the tach unit from Pace.
Click to expand...

One like this?

I’ve been thinking of grabbing the Speedmaster RTR kit, which is why I asked originally

IMG_4009.png
 
j par said:
My "ready to run" summit/msd just left me stranded after 800 miles... At the Mopar nationals I was the guy going home on a flatbed...
I believe it was the heat that killed it...
I switched to my tried and true msd 6al (mounted inside out of the heat..) msd distributor and coil... runs better and idle quality much better...
I wanted to keep it simple and it was right till the ride home on the flatbed....
Click to expand...

That’s rough.
 
DentalDart said:
That’s rough.
Click to expand...
The flat bed was there in 20 minutes. And I just talked to friends till it showed up... If I cared what people thought it might have been worse... It was a nice air conditioning ride home in the cab of the flat bed. And I had the truck running within an hour of getting home.
 
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