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Where do you guys mount your MSD/CDI boxes?
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Lingwendil
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:09 am    Post subject: Where do you guys mount your MSD/CDI boxes? Reply with quote

Just to lay the foundation of this post, I know these cars will run fine without all this stuff. I just want to use them for mine Very Happy

Getting ready to mount my MSD 7AL, Daytona TCS-1, and a few relays in my 73 super beetle. This is not a full blown race car, it's a typical crusty driver, with a somewhat spicy 1776, functional heat, and some suspension work. I live in California, specifically the east San Francisco Bay area, and muh roads are terrible. Pot holes feel like land mines. Speed bumps everywhere missing chunks. Your tax dollars at work Wink

I've found in the last ten years of driving older vehicles, that there will come a time when nothing will stay put unless it's nailed down, after hitting a particularly nasty pothole that makes you clench your ass so tight you think it'll squeak, you find yourself apologising to your car. I plan to mount everything to a panel of some sort, and then mount that with some anti-vibration rubber studs. Should hold it all down nicely and give a bit better support than simply screwing it to the body with sheetmetal screws.

So far I see lots of folks put MSD/CDI boxes under the back seat on the driver side, but I feel like it would be a bit warm under there, as I will have functional heat that I will be using fairly often. I've pulled the seat bottom out to grab tools after a long drive in the past and found even with the insulating blanket/sound silencer on the heater horns under there it stays fairly toasty.

I think behind the back seat, on the driver's side package tray may be a better option, and that will get it up where accessing it will be as easy as flipping the seat forward and the (vented) speaker shelf out of the way. This will make running and routing the wiring simpler/shorter, as well. I could make a small aluminum tray of some sort, add a row of barrier strips, a couple relays, my MSD box, Daytona box, and still leave me with room for expansion of additional modules later on. Has anybody done similar? I'm thinking drilling a small hole in the corner that allows me to route the wiring under the car and up into the engine bay from the floor of the package tray would be best, and then adding a grommet with some protective silicone would seal it up nicely.
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67rustavenger Premium Member
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:34 am    Post subject: Re: Where do you guys mount your MSD/CDI boxes? Reply with quote

Very Happy
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Works for me. When I use it. Nice and dry in this location.
Crane Hi6N CDI and LX92 coil. The HT lead from the coil is connected to a bulkhead connector.
YMMV!
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jpaull
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:44 am    Post subject: Re: Where do you guys mount your MSD/CDI boxes? Reply with quote

Nice Job 67rusty!
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67rustavenger Premium Member
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 9:13 am    Post subject: Re: Where do you guys mount your MSD/CDI boxes? Reply with quote

jpaull wrote:
Nice Job 67rusty!

Thx!
The mounting plate has rubber bushings under it. To cushion any vibrations while driving.
https://www.amazon.com/a16032800ux0992-20x15mm-Abs...mp;sr=8-37
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Lingwendil
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 9:39 am    Post subject: Re: Where do you guys mount your MSD/CDI boxes? Reply with quote

That looks about like what I was thinking, thanks!

What type of grommet/seal did you use for the wiring passthrough?
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67rustavenger Premium Member
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 10:02 am    Post subject: Re: Where do you guys mount your MSD/CDI boxes? Reply with quote

Lingwendil wrote:
That looks about like what I was thinking, thanks!

What type of grommet/seal did you use for the wiring passthrough?

Some shitty grommet from Ace Hardware. It was solid and needed to have a hole drilled through it.
I made as small a penetration as possible. Pulled the wires through and terminated them in the engine compartment.
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APPLEGREENVW
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 5:30 pm    Post subject: Re: Where do you guys mount your MSD/CDI boxes? Reply with quote

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Quick Release Mounting Panel Kit for MSD boxes.
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Lingwendil
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 5:13 pm    Post subject: Re: Where do you guys mount your MSD/CDI boxes? Reply with quote

Spent a few hours working on the CDI wiring today, between the actual work, and running around to grab connectors and wire, as well as stopping to run errands in between.

Not mounted yet, but I drilled a hole and ran wiring for the box today. Since I'll also be running an amplifier/sub off of this wiring, I used 6AWG wire straight to the battery for both 12 volt and ground- and ran this straight to a 6 position barrier/terminal strip in order to have some secure tie down points. I dedicated two positions each to battery hot,, ignition hot, and ground.. Gave myself a small green and white wire for points trigger and tachometer connection, and a pair of Silicone jacketed wire for the coil, since it's high voltage rated just to be safe, since I had some already. I was able to run the bundle of wiring high up in the engine bay a few inches diagonal from the diagnostic port stamping, and ran it through a grommet very tightly. Up in this part of the engine bay it should be up out of any possible rain nicely.

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The 7AL however, failed to provide any sort of spark whatsoever, both with a MSD blaster 2 canister coil, and the very old and worn Bosch blue I have. I reverted back to the original wiring I have with the Ford TFI module, and it fired up as soon as I touched the key.
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Looks like I need to bench test it and find out if the box somehow died since I picked it up from J Paul. Its been in storage sent he sent it to me, and I just now got around to trying it out.
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73 super beetle thread http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=649622 Back on the Road!

Modify your Kadrons for SVDA http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8115884#8115884

Cast iron VJU4BR8 SVDA reference thread- https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

Need replacement filters for original Kadron aircleaners? WIX #42087 is a perfect fit, as is Napa Gold #2087!
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nextgen
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 5:54 pm    Post subject: Re: Where do you guys mount your MSD/CDI boxes? Reply with quote

I have it on my fire wall behind in the luggage compartment. Work with very high voltage for elevators, you do not want any high voltage electronic near moisture

The link is to the actual photo in the luggage compartment .

https://hosting.photobucket.com/albums/qq238/nextg...;crop=fill


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PostPosted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 5:56 pm    Post subject: Re: Where do you guys mount your MSD/CDI boxes? Reply with quote

You can see the ignition wire coming out of the firewall. The Blue Coil is only the Trigger.
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Floating VW
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 20, 2021 3:02 pm    Post subject: Re: Where do you guys mount your MSD/CDI boxes? Reply with quote

I got mine on the firewall, as well; just above the inlet to the fan. The mighty Winterburn has a selector switch to shut off the CDI, or go back to Kettering if needed, so I wanted to mount it somewhere easily accessible.

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