Dave below is Sidecar's modified DM8 Distributor with MSD trigger as fitted to my 4.6.
The SD1 tach worked up to around 4.5k then goes to zero! Paul.
As a matter if interest, did you first try the VR sensor fitted to the Lucas DLM dizzy? You can get at the connections to it by removing the amp. They are standard small spade connectors.
Dave, Pete (sidecar) got me on to the MSD after he fitted the system to his Cobra and experienced the gains in performance coupled with the ease of mapping the mechanical and vacuum advance (vac uses a map sensor). He built the distributor for me with the MSD pick up. Perhaps he could answer whether or not he tried the lucas VR sensor and why he used the MSD.
As a matter if interest, did you first try the VR sensor fitted to the Lucas DLM dizzy? You can get at the connections to it by removing the amp. They are standard small spade connectors.
Dave, Pete (sidecar) got me on to the MSD after he fitted the system to his Cobra and experienced the gains in performance coupled with the ease of mapping the mechanical and vacuum advance (vac uses a map sensor). He built the distributor for me with the MSD pick up. Perhaps he could answer whether or not he tried the lucas VR sensor and why he used the MSD.
Over to you Pete.......!
Dude, I already did anwser that question! Basically I did not want to get into working out which way the Lucas pickup would need to be wired to the MSD system. If it is wired up the wrong way around it could cause issues due to incorrect triggering of the MSD unit. Having said all that I could probably rig the whole system up in my lathe in conjuction with a strobe in order to check that it is firing correctly. In the end because the dizzy was going to be locked out I just thought that it would be easier to fit an MSD pickup. The issue with fitting the MSD pickup was working out where in needs to be fitted on the base plate so that it is triggered at the right time so that the rotor arm is pointing at the right HT post. The 5 sparks over 20 degrees crank rotation also need to be added to the mix as well as the programmable advance curve....it was a real headache! Basically rotor arm mis-alignment needed to be minimized, it turned out OK in the end, the width of the rotor arm and HT posts helps in this respect.
Yes - sorry for not remembering you'd covered it. However as with all VR sensors there are only two wires, so swapping them not really a problem if it doesn't work correctly. Glad you got the phasing of the sensor relative to the rotor arm correct - that can be a real problem, since the advance mechanism no longer compensates.
Dave
London SW
Rover SD1 VDP EFI
MegaSquirt2 V3
EDIS8
Tech Edge 2Y
Do not use the MSD tach adaptor output to drive a Smith's tacho when installing an MSD6A, or you'll have a wildly swinging tacho needle over 3,000rpm. Pull the wire from the tach output terminal on the msd adaptor and connect it to the other 3 wires. ie msd white,dizzy wire and adaptor wire.The tach output on an msd 6 box is only used with aftermarket tachs. Just connect your tach wire to the msd white - splice both to the signal wire from the dizzy and white wire of adapter. Red adapter wire goes to ign 12v.
Do not use the MSD tach adaptor output to drive a Smith's tacho when installing an MSD6A, or you'll have a wildly swinging tacho needle over 3,000rpm. Pull the wire from the tach output terminal on the msd adaptor and connect it to the other 3 wires. ie msd white,dizzy wire and adaptor wire.The tach output on an msd 6 box is only used with aftermarket tachs. Just connect your tach wire to the msd white - splice both to the signal wire from the dizzy and white wire of adapter. Red adapter wire goes to ign 12v.
Thanks for the post but I'm not sure what you mean by by the 'MSD adaptor'....I guess this is an adpator that you can buy from MSD?