SPORT 6 ELECTRONIC IGNITION CONTROL

FORM 1662M 09/06

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

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GENERAL INFORMATIONSome SPORT 6 models include a singlestage RPM limiter. You can set various settings using the switches that are locatedin the end bracket. See Figure 1 of thisinstruction form for more information aboutthe rev limiting and ignition retard features.

BatteryThe SPORT 6 Ignition Control operates onany negative ground, 12 volt electrical system with a distributor. It will also workwith 16 volt batteries and can withstand amomentary spike of 24 volts in case of jumpstarts. This system delivers full voltage witha supply of 10-18 volts, and operates with asupply voltage as low as 8 volts. If yourapplication does not use an alternator, allowat least 15 amp/hours for every half hour ofoperation. If you crank the engine with thesame battery or other accessories, such asan electric fuel or water pump, increase theamp/hour rating.

CoilsFor optimum performance with your SPORT 6Ignition Control, we recommend a MalloryPROMASTER® Coil P/N 29440 or 30440 or30441 Mallory PROMASTER® E. For continuous high rpm use, coil part numbers29625, 30625 or 30626 can also be used.You may also use most stock coils designedfor use with OEM electronic ignitions.NOTE: Do not use Mallory’s PROMASTER®Coil P/N 28880.

TachometersThe yellow wire on the SPORT 6 IgnitionControl provides a trigger signal fortachometers, shift lights, or other add-onRPM activated devices. This wire producesa 12 volts square wave signal with a 20%duty cycle.

Some vehicles with factory tachometers mayrequire a tach adapter to work with theSPORT 6 Ignition Control. If your GM vehicleuses an inline filter, it may cause the tach todrop to zero on acceleration. If this occurs,bypass the filter. For more information ontachometers, see page 5.

Spark PlugsUsing the correct spark plug and heat rangeis important for optimum performance.Because there are so many variables to consider, we suggest startingwith your engine manufacturer’s spark plugrecommendation. From there, you canexperiment with small changes in plug gapand heat range to obtain the best performancefrom your engine. We also recommend non-resistor spark plugs.

Foreign VehiclesBecause of modern fuel injection systems,some foreign vehicles may require atachometer/fuel injection adapter to workwith the SPORT 6 Ignition Control.NOTE: Do not install the SPORT 6 IgnitionControl in any vehicle that is originallyequipped with a CD ignition control.

Spark Plug WiresHigh quality, spiral wound wire and properrouting are essential to the operation of theSPORT 6 Ignition Control. This type of wireprovides a good path for the spark to followwhile minimizing electromagneticinterference (EMI).NOTE: Do not use solid core spark plugwires with the SPORT 6 Ignition Control.

RoutingWires should be routed away from sharpedges, moving objects, and heat sources.Wires that are next to each other in theengine’s firing order should be separated.For example, in a Chevy V8 with a firing orderof 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2, the #5 and #7 cylindersare positioned next to each other on theengine as well as in the firing order. Voltagefrom the #5 wire could jump to the #7 wire.This could cause detonation and enginedamage. For added protection against cross-fire, Mallory offers PRO SHIELD insulated sleeving. Pro Shield is a glasswoven, silicone coated protective sleeve that slides over your plug wires. It also helps reduce damage from heat and sharp objects.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATIONSealingDo not attempt to seal the SPORT 6 IgnitionControl. All of the circuits of a SPORT 6receive a conformal coating of sealant thatprotects the electronics from moisture. Sealingthe SPORT 6 will not allow any moisture thatseeps in through the grommets to drain andmay result in corrosion.

WeldingTo avoid any damage to the SPORT 6Ignition Control when welding on the vehicle,disconnect the positive (red) and negative(black) power cables of the SPORT 6 IgnitionControl. It is also a good idea to disconnectthe tachometer ground wire as well.

Distributor Cap and RotorWe recommend installing a new distributorcap and rotor when installing the SPORT 6Ignition Control. Be sure the cap is cleaninside and out, especially the terminals androtor tip. On vehicles with smaller caps, it ispossible for the air inside the cap to becomeelectrically charged causing crossfire whichcan result in misfire. You can prevent this bydrilling a couple of vent holes in the cap.Drill the holes between terminals at rotorheight, facing away from the intake. If needed,place a small piece of screen over the holesto act as a filter.

SPORT 6 Diagnostic LEDOn the end panel of your SPORT 6 ignitionthere is a small hole. Behind this hole is ared LED indicator. This serves two purposes:when you first turn on the ignition switch,the LED will flash rapidly 3 times. This indicates that the ignition system has power,and that the microprocessor is running properly.In addition, the LED will flash when receivinga proper trigger signal from the vehicle. If,after a normal power-up, the LED doesn’tflash when cranking the engine, you shouldcheck your triggering circuit for problems. Ifthe LED flashes when the engine is cranked,but there is still no spark, the problem liessomewhere else.

MOUNTINGThe SPORT 6 Ignition Control can bemounted in any position. If you mount it inthe engine compartment, keep it away frommoisture, moving objects and heat sources.Do not mount the unit in an enclosed area,such as the glove box. When you find a suitable location to mount the unit, makesure all wires of the ignition reach their connections. Hold the ignition in place andmark the location of the mounting holes.Use a 1/8" drill bit to drill the holes. Use thesupplied self-tapping screws to mount thebox. Mounting it horizontally or with thewiring down is preferred.

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WIRINGWire LengthAll of the wires of the SPORT 6 IgnitionControl may be shortened as long as qualityconnectors are used or soldered in place. To lengthen the wires, use one size largergauge wire (12 gauge for power leads, 16gauge for all others). Use the proper connectors to terminate all wires. All connections must be soldered and sealed.

GroundsA poor ground connection can cause manyfrustrating problems. When a wire is specified to go to ground, connect it to thechassis. Always connect a ground strapbetween the engine and chassis. Connectany ground wires to a clean, paint-free metal surface.

Ballast ResistorIf your vehicle has a ballast resistor in linewith the coil wiring, it is not necessary tobypass it. This is because the SPORT 6Ignition Control receives its main powerdirectly from the battery.

WIRE FUNCTIONSPower Leads – 2 Pin WeatherproofConnectorThe two heavy gauge wires (14 gauge) thatdeliver battery voltage to the ignition:

Heavy Red Connects directly to the battery positive (+) terminal or to a positivebattery junction. It could also be connected to the positive side of thestarter solenoid. NOTE: Never connect this wire to the alternator.

Heavy Black Connects to frame or chassis ground.

Trigger and Coil Leads – 4 PinWeatherproof Connector

Red Connects to a switched 12 volt source,such as the ignition key.

Yellow Connects to the positive (+) terminal of thecoil. NOTE: This is the only wire that makeselectrical contact with the coil positive(+) terminal.

Black Connects to the negative (–) terminal of thecoil. NOTE: This is the only wire that makeselectrical contact with the coil negative(–) terminal.

Green Connects to points, electronic ignitionamplifier output or to the green wire of aMallory timing accessory. When this wire isused, the magnetic pickup connector is notused.

Additional Individual Wires:Yellow Connects to the tachometer.

Trigger WiresEither of two circuits will trigger the SPORT6 Ignition Control: a points circuit (greenwire) or a magnetic pickup circuit (violet andgreen wires).NOTE: The two circuits must never beused together.

Violet/Green These wires are routed together inone harness to form the magneticpickup connector. The connectorplugs directly into a Mallory distributoror crank trigger. It will also connect tofactory magnetic pickups or otheraftermarket pickups. The violet wire ispositive (+) and the green is negative(–). When these wires are used, thewhite wire is not used. Consult thechart that shows the polarity of othercommon magnetic pickups.

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Rotary Switch Position Examples:

Switch #1 Switch #2 RPM Limit1 0 1,0002 4 2,4002 5 2,5006 0 6,0007 8 7,8009 9 9,900

ROUTING WIRESRoute all wires away from heat sources,sharp edges, and moving objects. Route thetrigger wires separate from the other wiresand spark plug wires. If possible, route themalong a ground plane, such as the block orfirewall, which creates an electrical shield.The magnetic pickup wires should be routedseparately and twisted together to helpreduce extraneous interference.WARNING: The SPORT 6 Ignition Control is a capacitive discharge ignition. High voltage is present at the coil primary terminals. Do not touch these terminalsor connect test equipment to them.

PRESTART CHECKLISTSPORT 6 Cylinder SelectionYour SPORT 6 Ignition comes from the factory set up for 8 cylinder operation. If youwant to use this ignition with a 4 or 6 cylinderengine, rotate the center rotary switch,accessible through the end plate, to theproper number of cylinders. To select the 4 cylinder mode, turn the switch to the “4” position. See Figure 1.

RPM Limiter Settings - 6863M onlyMain RPM LimiterThe main RPM Limiter is adjusted by usingthe pair of switches on the left side of theend plate. The left switch of the pair is for1,000’s and right is for 100’s. To eliminatethe RPM Limiter, simply rotate the switchesto a setting above the engine’s maximumRPM. See Figure 1.

COMMON COLORS FOR MAG PICKUP WIRESDistributor Mag + Mag –Mallory Crank Trigger Purple GreenMallory Billet Competition Distributor,Series Nos. 81 and 84 Orange PurpleMallory COMP® 9000 Series Nos. 96-99 Orange PurpleMallory Harness P/N 29040 Red BlackMSD Orange/Black Violet/BlackMSD Crank Trigger Orange/Black Violet/BlackFord Orange PurpleChrysler Orange/White Black

FIGURE 1

MAINRPM

LIMITER

CYLINDERSELECT

LED

1

2 3

45

678

90

1

2 3

45

678

90

1

2 3

45

678

90

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No-Run on Foreign VehiclesSome foreign vehicles with fuel injectionsystems may require a tachometer/fuelinjection adapter to run with the SPORT 6Ignition Control. Often, the same triggersource is used to operate an ignition,tachometer, and fuel injection. This results ina voltage signal that is too low to trigger thefuel injection. A tach/fuel injection adapterwill usually solve this problem.

Inoperative TachometersIf your tachometer fails to operate with theSPORT 6 installed, you may need a Mallorytach adapter. Before purchasing a tachadapter, try connecting your tachometer trigger wire to the yellow wire of the SPORT6 Ignition Control. This output produces a 12volt, square wave. If the tach still does notoperate, you will need a tach adapter. Twodifferent tach adapters are available:

PN 29078 - If you are using the magnetic pickup connector (green and violet wires) totrigger the SPORT 6, you will need thisadapter.

PN 29074 - If your tach was triggered from the coilnegative terminal (voltage trigger) andyou are using the green wire to triggerthe SPORT 6, you will need this adapter.

THEFT DETERRENTThe SPORT 6 Ignition Control provides aneasy way to install a theft deterrent killswitch. See Figure 2.

Green Wire TriggerWhen using the green wire to trigger theSPORT 6 Ignition Control, install a switch tothe green wire and the other side to ground.When the green wire is grounded, the vehicle will crank but will not start.

Magnetic Pickup TriggerWhen using the mag pickup to trigger theSPORT 6 Ignition Control, install a switchacross the magnetic pickup violet wire toground. When the violet wire is grounded,the vehicle will crank but will not start.

TROUBLESHOOTINGThis section offers several tests and checksyou can perform to ensure proper installationand operation of the SPORT 6 IgnitionControl. If you experience a problem withyour SPORT 6, first check for proper installation and poor connections. You caneliminate many problems by checking theseitems. If you have any questions concerningyour SPORT 6 Ignition Control contact theMallory Technical Service Department at216-688-8300, option 5.

Tach/Fuel AdaptersIf your tachometer does not operate correctly,you probably need a Mallory tach adapter.Consult the Tachometer Compatibility List at right for common tachometers and compatible tach adapters.

TACHOMETER COMPATIBILITY LISTAftermarket Green Wire Magnetic TriggerTachometer Trigger ConnectorAutogage 29074 29078Autometer — —Ford Motorsport — —Moroso — —Stewart 29074 29078S.W. & Bi Torx — —Sun 29074 29078VDO 8910 29078AMC (Jeep) 29074 29078Chrysler 29074 29078Ford (Before 1976) 29074 29078Ford (After 1976) 29074 29078GM Bypass in-line Bypass in-line

filter filterImports 29074 29078

GREEN GROUND

USING THE MAGNETIC PICKUP WIRE TO TRIGGER THE SPORT 6

USING THE GREEN WIRE TO TRIGGER THE SPORT 6

CONNECTS TO VIOLET GROUND

MAGNETIC PICKUP

VIOLET

GREEN

FIGURE 2

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Ford: Install the diode inline to the wiregoing to the #1 terminal.

GM: Install the diode inline to the wiregoing to the #4 terminal.

GM 1973-83 with Delcotron AlternatorsGM Delcotron alternators use an internalvoltage regulator. Install the diode inline onthe smallest wire exiting the alternator (seeFigure 5). It is usually a brown wire.

Most other applications: To eliminate run-on,place a resistor in-line to the SPORT 6 smallred wire to keep voltage from leaking intothe SPORT 6 Ignition.

Ballast ResistorIf you have a current trigger tach (originallyconnected to coil (+) positive) and use thegreen wire of the SPORT 6 for triggering,you can purchase a Chrysler Dual BallastResistor (1973-76 applications).

Engine Run-OnIf your engine continues to run even whenthe ignition is turned off, you are experiencingengine run-on. Usually, older vehicles withan external voltage regulator are susceptibleto this condition. Because the SPORT 6Ignition Control receives power directly fromthe battery, it does not require much currentto keep the unit energized. If you are experiencing run-on, it is due to a smallamount of voltage going through the charging lamp indicator and feeding thesmall red wire (even if the key is turned off).

Early Ford and GM: To solve the run-onproblem, a diode is supplied with theSPORT 6 Ignition Control. By installing thisdiode in-line of the wire that goes to thecharging indicator, the voltage is blocked fromentering the SPORT 6 Ignition Control. Figure4 shows the proper diode installation forearly Ford and GM vehicles.NOTE: Diodes are used to allow voltageto flow only one way. Make sure the diodeis installed facing the proper direction, asshown in Figure 4.

SMALL RED

12 VOLTIGNITION SWITCH

CHRYSLER DUAL BALLAST RESISTOR

GREEN WIRE

FROM POINTS OR AMPLIFIER

FIGURE 3

FOR EARLY GM VEHICLESATTACH DIODE TO#4 TERMINAL

FOR FORD VEHICLESATTACH DIODE TO

#1 TERMINAL

1A-100V DIODE

TO CHARGING LIGHT

SPLICE HERE

FIGURE 4

DELCOTRONALTERNATOR

1A-100V DIODE

TO CHARGING LIGHT

SPLICE HERE FIGURE 5

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If everything checks positive, use the procedure below to test the ignition forspark. Mallory also offers an Ignition Tester(PN 28357) that allows you to check theentire ignition system while it is installed inthe vehicle. This tool also checks operationof RPM limits, activated switches, and shift lights.

Bypass connectorThe Bypass Connector (standard ignitionbypass) fits into the mating plug of theIgnition Control Harness to convert back tostandard ignition. This will allow the vehicleto run on the standard ignition and bypassesyour Sport 6 ignition. If you use the BypassConnector, use ignition ballast resistorsdesigned for the particular distributor andcoil in the wire from the ignition switch. Usethe Power Plug to convert back to standardignition. Also, if you are using a Mallory FuelInjection/Tachometer Adapter (Part No.29074), disconnect it (and its diode if used)as part of converting back to standard ignition. The Bypass Connector (standardignition bypass method to convert back tostandard ignition) does not work with magnetic pickup distributors or crank trigger ignition.

Misses and Intermittent ProblemsExperience has shown that if your engine ismisfiring or hesitating at higher RPM, it isusually not an ignition problem. Most common causes include a coil or plug wirefailure, arcing from the cap or boot plug toground or spark ionization inside the cap.Perform the following checks:• Inspect the plug wires at the cap and at

the spark plug for a tight connection.Visually inspect for cuts, abrasions, orburns.

• Inspect the primary coil wire connections.Because the SPORT 6 Ignition Controlreceives a direct 12 volt source from thebattery, there will not be any voltage at thecoil positive (+) terminal, even with the keyturned on. During cranking, or while theengine is running, very high voltage will bepresent and no test equipment should beconnected. WARNING: Do not touch thecoil terminals during cranking or whilethe engine is running.

• Make sure that the battery is fully chargedand the connections are clean and tight. Ifyou are not running an alternator, this is animperative check. If the battery voltagedrops below 10 volts during a race, theSPORT 6 Ignition Control output voltagewill drop.

• Is the engine running lean? Inspect thespark plugs and the entire fuel system.

• Check all wiring connections for corrosionor damage. Remember to use proper connections followed by soldering, thenseal the connections completely.

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MALLORY IS A DIVISION OF THE MR. GASKET PERFORMANCE GROUP10601 MEMPHIS AVE. #12, CLEVELAND, OH 44144216.688.8300 FAX 216.688.8306

FORM 1662M09/06

Made in U.S.A.Printed in U.S.A.

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