MSD 6560 6M-2L Marine Certified Ignition with Rev Limit Installation - Manual (Page 2)

2 INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
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GENERAL INFORMATION
BATTERY
The 6M-2 Series Ignition Control will operate on any negative ground, 12 volt electrical system with a
distributor. The MSD can be used with 16 volt batteries and can withstand a momentary 24 volts in case
of jump starts. The Ignitions will deliver full voltage with a supply of 10 - 18 volts and will operate with a
supply voltage as low as five volts.
COILS
The MSD 6M-2 Ignition can be used with most stock coils and aftermarket coils designed to replace
the stock coils. There are some "race only" coils such as the MSD
Pro Power Coil, PN 8201, that cannot be used with a 6 Series MSD
Ignition Control. For more information on recommended coils, consult
the supplied Coil Application Chart or check with the manufacturer
of your coil. If you have any questions concerning coils, contact our
Customer Service Department at (915) 855-7123.
TACHOMETERS
The MSD Ignition features a Tach Output Terminal on the side of the
unit. This terminal provides a trigger signal for tachometers, a shift
light or other add-on rpm activated devices. The Tach Output Terminal produces a 12 volt square
wave signal with a 20% duty cycle.
Some boats with factory tachometers may require a Tach Adapter to operate with the MSD. For more
information on Tachometers and MSD Tach Adapters, see the Tachometer Section on page 6.
If your distributor/coil has an inline filter it may cause the tach to drop to zero on acceleration. If this
occurs, bypass the filter.
SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES
Spark plug wires are very important to the operation of your ignition system. A good quality, helically
wound wire and proper routing are required to get the best performance from your ignition, such as
the MSD Heli-Core or 8.5mm Super Conductor Wire.
Note: Solid Core spark plug wires cannot be used with an MSD Ignition.
A helically, or spiral wound wire must be used. This style wire provides a good path for the spark to
follow while keeping Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) to a minimum. Excessive EMI, such as the
amount that solid core wires produce, will interfere with the operation of the MSD.
Routing: Correct routing of the plug wires is also important to performance. Wires should be routed
away from sharp edges and engine heat sources. If there are two wires that are next to each other in
the engine's firing order, the wires should be routed away from each other to avoid inducing a spark
into the other wire. For example, in a Chevy V8, the firing order is 1-8-4-3-6- 5-7-2. The #5 and #7
cylinders are next to each other in the engine and in the firing order. If the voltage from the #5 wire
is induced into #7 detonation could occur and cause engine damage.
To add more heat protection to your plug wires, MSD offers Pro-Heat Guard, PN 3411. This is a glass
woven and silicone coated protective sleeve that you slide over your plug wires. For extra protection
of the spark plug boots, MSD offers Pro-Heat Boot Guard, PN 3412.
Figure 1 Tach Terminal