Thread: MSD Rookie Question

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I'm a guy who's pretty comfortable with wiring but no knowledge expert with MSD. Getting ready to give our 383 its first go at a fire up, break cam in, etc within a few days. This car has an MSD 6AL box. We ran some preliminary checks today and found no power at the blaster 2 coil using a test light when we flipped the IGN toggle switch. Did a little reading on MSD and found this:

Quote: One common question in regards to MSD Ignition controls is “Why isn’t 12V power on the orange (COIL +) wire?”
The main reason 12V won’t be present at coil + is because your MSD ignition is a Capacitive Discharge Ignition. Like all CD ignitions they use a large capacitor to discharge 420-480 Volts to coil + and coil – will normally be connected to ground. (That’s why you wont see +12V on coil +)
Most all stock ignitions are Inductive Ignitions, these will normally be connected to the + 12V ignition switch to coil + and coil – is connected to Points or the Factory Electronic Module. (That’s why you’ll see +12V on coil +)

So does that sound right? I should not be showing hot at the coil with test light, due to running MSD? Thanks

i`ll check my stang tomorrow ..its battery is in my truck and BAMA is about to play ...

checked mine just now .. it's only hot at the + coil when i trip ( fire) the dizzy by hand ..makes sense .. the coil should only fire when the dizzy tells it to ...

Hey Hoss and Denny--Thanks for chiming in and checking into things! Much appreciated

you will love the MSD .. for the first 20 years of my hot rodding life i depended on mostly stock ignitions or the occasional dual point stuff and fouled out a set of plugs every two months . but a friend put me on a simple blaster 2 coil upgrade on my over cammed and over carbed 460 Tbird and i rarely had to change out fouled plugs .. i went with the MSD 6A box and have never fouled a plug since ..