Engine '88 GT Carb'd, want to hook up MSD Box

[pindude80]

I recently bought an '88 Mustang GT that has been converted to carburetor. It has the stock TFI distributor in it. I bought a MSD Digital 6AL and would like to hook it up in the car. Below are the things I would like to accomplish-

1.) rev limiter
2.) adjustable timing that isn't locked out like it currently is
3.) have the factory tach be functional


I don't know if all of those are possible using the MSD Digital 6AL box with the factory distributor or not. I did some searching on the internet and I read where people are saying to get a distributor out of an '85, not sure if that would help accomplish what I want to do or not.

I also found the harness below on American Muscle's site to hook up a MSD box to the factory igntion system. I'm thinking the harness wouldn't do me any good since I don't have a computer anymore but I don't know for sure.

MSD Mustang Box To Factory Ignition Harness 8874 (86-95 5.0L Mustang) - Free Shipping

FREE SHIPPING! Simplifies Installation. This MSD wiring harness simplifies the installation of a MSD 6-series box on your 5.0L Mustang. The wiring harness plugs

www.americanmuscle.com

 

[AeroCoupe]

Good thread on the Corral on how to wire up a TFI distributor for a carbureted car with an MSD box:

https://www.corral.net/threads/heres-how-to-wire-tfi-distributor-to-msd-for-carburated-car.948670/

Other option is to get an MSD distributor (holy crap they have gone up in price) like this:

MSD 8582 MSD Billet Distributor - Ford - Small Block - Iron Gear

For Ford enthusiasts that are serious about performance! Just under the brass terminals of the MSD cap and rotor is an easy-to-adjust mechanical advance assembly. The assembly is fine blanked from Chromoly Steel, TIG-welded for strength plus receives a QPQ coating. The precision weights glide on...

www.holley.com

 

[pindude80]

Good thread on the Corral on how to wire up a TFI distributor for a carbureted car with an MSD box:

https://www.corral.net/threads/heres-how-to-wire-tfi-distributor-to-msd-for-carburated-car.948670/

Other option is to get an MSD distributor (holy crap they have gone up in price) like this:

MSD 8582 MSD Billet Distributor - Ford - Small Block - Iron Gear

For Ford enthusiasts that are serious about performance! Just under the brass terminals of the MSD cap and rotor is an easy-to-adjust mechanical advance assembly. The assembly is fine blanked from Chromoly Steel, TIG-welded for strength plus receives a QPQ coating. The precision weights glide on...

www.holley.com

Thanks for the link!

If I followed that post I would be able to hookup the MSD box which would give me a rev limiter and I could hook up the factory tach to the MSD box. If I wanted rpm advanced timing I'm guessing I would probably have to buy the distributor and you are right, they are expensive!

 

[AeroCoupe]

Or you can buy a timing retard box so you can set the advance at whatever locked position and trigger the timing retard when starting the car.

 

[pindude80]

Wanted to update the thread.

We got the car running last weekend with a junkyard gt40p engine. To my surprise, the factory tachometer worked. I thought the factory tach wouldn't work when switching to carb and getting rid of the computer but I guess I'm wrong.

My plan at this point is to get a distributor for an '85 Mustang 5.0 that way I can have vacuum and centifugal advance timing. I also plan on hooking up the MSD box so I have a rev limiter.

If anyone knows of a potential issue with that plan, please let me know.