INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS for

HI-7 AND HI-8 RACE IGNITION SYSTEMS

Part Numbers 7000-7220 and 8000-7800
CAUTION: READ INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE STARTING INSTALLATION

OVERVIEW
CAUTION: Damage may occur and energy output will be significantly reduced if you substitute a coil that is not matched to the HI-7 or HI-8.
Crane HI-7 and HI-8 are high energy ignition systems that are only suitable for professional drag racing use where the unit is not operated at high RPM for an extended period of time. Both units require matched coils: the HI7 requires the Crane LX-92 coil and the HI-8 requires the Crane LX-93 coil. The Crane HI-7 uses capacitive discharge technology to deliver an intense spark of moderate duration. The Crane HI-8 uses resonant converter technology that drives the coil with high voltage alternating current pulses resulting in a very intense spark with an extended duration.

BATTERY CONSIDERATIONS
CAUTION: 24 volt jump starts will cause damage.
Current draw at high RPM is up to 20 amps for the HI7 and 40 amps for the HI-8. If your vehicle does not have an alternator, the battery must be capable of powering the ignition. We recommend 12 volt deep cycle batteries with a minimum 40 amp-hour capacity. To calculate the required capacity for powering the ignition, multiply the hours running time x amps draw. Then select a battery with at least twice the calculated capacity to provide a safety factor. Always charge the battery fully before every event and replace the battery at the beginning of the season.

WIRING HINTS
Poor grounding can cause intermittent problems. The ignition should be grounded only via the heavy black ground wire. There should be no other ground connections to the ignition. On the vehicle itself, make sure that the negative (ground) battery wire is attached to the frame or engine block and that the wire end and mounting area are clean and free of paint. Always use a ground strap between the engine block and the frame. Do not depend on solid motor mounts to provide a proper ground connection. The ignition uses a clamping type terminal block for signal connections. This has been proven to be the most reliable means of making an electrical connection. 18 AWG stranded, tinned copper wire is recommended for all signal connections. Strip approximately 1/4 insulation from the wire end. Twist the strands together tightly and insert into the terminal block. Do not excessively tighten the terminal screw.

WARNING: The energy output of the HI-7 and HI-8 is extremely high. Do not allow any part of your body to come into contact with the coil primary wires, the coil high voltage wire, or the spark plug wires. Do not perform any work on or disconnect any part of the ignition system without first disconnecting the battery. Never crank engine with the coil high voltage wire or spark plug wires disconnected. This may damage the coil. Do not connect any test equipment directly to any coil terminal.

INSTALLATION PROCEDURE
The installation procedure consists of mounting the ignition, power supply filter capacitor, and coil. Power and

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Figure 1. Power and Coil Hookup

12 VOLT BATTERY MINIMUM 40 AMP-HR

COIL USAGE: HI-7 REQUIRES LX-92 COIL HI-8 REQUIRES LX-93 COIL

CHASSIS GND BLACK 10 AWG

ORANGE COIL+ BLACK COIL-

+
RED 10 AWG

RED COIL+ BLACK COIL-

+12V

FILTER CAPACITOR RED 10 AWG BAT+

COIL CABLE

BLACK 10 AWG 6 INCH MAX

CHASSIS GND Note: Capacitor is always required. Use minimum 38000 MFD 16V.

CRANE
BLACK 10 AWG GROUND

HI-7 or HI-8

STATUS LED (HI-8 ONLY)

coil connections are made as shown in Figure 1. The next step is to connect the trigger source. This can be a Crane Hall Effect crank trigger (Figure 2), conventional magnetic pickup crank trigger or distributor (Figure 3), or an engine control such as the DEC9500 (Figure 4). The last step is to connect the tachometer and any other accessories. Details are provided in the following sections.

with the supplied rubber vibration damping mounts and 1/4 hardware.

POWER AND COIL HOOKUP

1. Refer to Figure 1. Connect the BAT+ and BAT- wires direct to the capacitor. The supply filter capacitor shown in Figure 1 is required for all applications. Run a wire from the negative terminal of the capacitor to chassis ground. The length of this wire should be no more than 6 inches. Use 10 AWG stranded tinned copper wire for all power connections. If the battery is more than 6 feet away, double up the 10 AWG wire or use 8 AWG wire. 2. Connect the IGN+ terminal to your ignition switch using 18 AWG stranded tinned copper wire as shown in Figure 2. 2 9000-7000A REV A

COMPONENT MOUNTING
1. Mount the coil close to the distributor. Keep the coil high voltage lead 18 inches or less if possible. 2. The ignition and power supply filter capacitor should be mounted in the driver compartment or under the hood away from sources of heat and where water will not splash. Make sure the wires will reach. Tie excess wire out of the way with nylon wire ties. Mount the ignition 9/2000

Figure 2. Hall Effect Crank Trigger Hookup

CRANK TRIGGER ARM CRANK TRIGGER WHEEL WITH CRANE CAMS LOGO (Front View) MARKINGS INDICATE LOCATION OF MAGNET RECESSED SURFACE ON BACKSIDE OF WHEEL TO +12V CRANE SENSOR SENSOR EXTENSION HARNESS BLACK WHITE POINTS RED IGNITION +12V
RPMX100

IGNITION SWITCH

RED 18 AWG

SENSOR BRACKET

TACHOMETER

3 PIN WEATHER PACK CONNECTOR

SHIELD MAG MAG + POINTS AUX IN STATUS TACH IGN + NOT USED

Note: Ignition will not function unless MAG+ is jumpered to IGN+ as shown. Power and coil connections not shown.

CRANE
HI-7 or HI-8

JUMPER WHEN USING POINTS INPUT

3. Connect the supplied coil cable to the coil. A plug is provided to allow easy removal. Note: When you connect the high voltage lead from the distributor to the coil tower, use silicone grease to prevent arcing. Make sure the rubber boot on the high voltage lead is tight fitting.

To connect the Crane Hall Effect crank trigger to the ignition, follow the wiring diagram shown in Figure 2. Pay particular attention to the following items: 1. Use the cable supplied with the crank trigger. If you need a longer cable, use 2 conductor shielded cable. Connect the shield only to the SHIELD terminal on the ignition. Do not connect the shield to chassis ground. 2. Route the cable next to the frame or the engine to help eliminate false triggering due to noise. Keep it away from plug wires or coil wiring. 3. Note that the Crane Hall Effect crank trigger connects to the POINTS terminal and that the MAG+ terminal must be jumpered to IGN+. The ignition will not run unless this jumper wire is installed.

HALL EFFECT CRANK TRIGGER HOOKUP

If you are using an engine control such as the DEC9500, skip ahead. The crank trigger is connected to the engine control, which in turn triggers the ignition as shown in Figure 4.

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Figure 3. Magnetic Trigger Hookup

COMMON MAGNETIC PICK-UP COLOR CODES
CRANK TRIGGER WHEEL Signal MAG+ MAGSignal MAG+ MAGChrysler Orange Black GM White Green Ford Orange Purple Moroso Black White MSD Distributor Orange Purple MSD Crank Trigger Violet or Orange Green or Black

IGNITION SWITCH MAGNETIC PICKUP

RPMX100

RED MAG+

TACHOMETER SHIELDED MAGNETIC PICKUP CABLE RED 18 AWG

TO +12V

BLACK MAG-

SHIELD MAG MAG + POINTS AUX IN STATUS TACH IGN + NOT USED

Note: Connect magnetic pickup cable shield at HI-7 or HI-8 only.

CRANE
HI-7 or HI-8

JUMPER WHEN USING POINTS INPUT

MAGNETIC TRIGGER HOOKUP

If you are using an engine control, skip past this section. The crank trigger is connected to the engine control, which in turn triggers the ignition as shown in Figure 4. To connect a magnetic trigger to the ignition, follow the wiring diagram shown in Figure 3. Pay particular attention to the following items: 1. Use the supplied magnetic trigger cable. If you need a longer cable, use 2 conductor shielded cable. Connect the shield only to the SHIELD terminal on the ignition. Do not connect the shield to chassis ground at the pickup end. 2. Refer to the chart on Figure 3 for common magnetic pickup color codes. If your pickup is not listed, check

the timing and distributor phasing with the wires hooked up both possible ways. With crank triggers, the magnet or lug should be centered on the pickup when the spark fires. When using the MAG+ and MAGinputs, you must not have anything connected to the POINTS input. 3. Route the cable next to the frame or the engine to help eliminate false triggering due to noise. Keep it away from plug wires or coil wiring.

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DEC9500 ENGINE CONTROL HOOKUP

Refer to Figure 4. The POINTS input on the ignition is provided to allow triggering from electronic engine controls such as the DEC9500 that provide what is referred to as a points or module trigger output (12 volt square wave). For late model vehicles with OE electronic ignition, the POINTS input on the Crane ignition can also be triggered from the output of the OE ignition module (the wire that went to COIL- on the OE system) using the same type of hookup as shown in Figure 4. 1. Connect the POINTS output from the engine control to the POINTS input on the ignition. The MAG+ terminal must be jumpered to IGN+ when using the POINTS input. The ignition will not run unless this jumper wire is installed. 2. Crane engine controls only. Connect the AUX output from the engine control to the AUX input on the ignition.

HI-8 STATUS LED AND OUTPUT

CAUTION: The HI-8 will not fire until status LED is on. Cranking the engine before the LED lights up could lead to excessive fuel loading and possible backfire.
Note: applicable to HI-8 only. When the ignition switch is turned on, the HI-8 runs internal diagnostics and the power supply starts charging up. This process takes about 2 seconds. After the power supply has stabilized and diagnostics are completed, the status LED lights up and the unit is ready to run. A STATUS output is provided on the terminal strip. A dash mounted 12 volt indicator light (such as Radio-Shack 272-336) can be connected between the STATUS output and switched +12V. Maximum current draw must not exceed 1/2 amp.

CAUTION: The HI-7 and HI-8 generate multiple sparks below 3,000 RPM. The multiple spark feature must be disabled during RPM limiting. Otherwise the unit will generate multiple sparks because the engine RPM appears low. This could cause engine damage from crossfiring. When an HI-7 or HI-8 is used with Crane engine controls such as the DEC9500 , the multiple spark feature is automatically disabled via the AUX signal connection. If nonCrane engine controls with a built-in RPM limit are used, the AUX IN terminal on the HI-7 or HI-8 must be permanently grounded.

COIL SECONDARY CONSIDERATIONS

The HI-7 and HI-8 deliver a very high current. This places special requirements on the ignition system secondary. Any excessive resistance in the secondary will cause losses and potential failure from overheating. 1. Use only low resistance spiral core spark plug and coil wires, such as Crane FireWire. If you are not sure, measure your wires with an ohm meter. Acceptable spiral core wires should read less than 600 ohms per foot. Do not use solid core wires; these may cause harmful interference and false triggering. Do not use resistance wires; the high current level will cause them to immediately burn out. 2. The use of resistor or booster gap spark plugs is not recommended for racing applications. If you are not sure, measure the resistance from the terminal to the center electrode. You should get a reading of less than 10 ohms. 3. Rotors and distributor caps (such as GM HEI units) sometimes have graphite based contact buttons or other resistive elements. Check with an ohm meter. Replace with solid brass if the resistance is over 100 ohms.

TACHOMETER HOOKUP
If you are using an electronic engine control such as the DEC9500, you must connect your tachometer to the TACH output on the DEC9500 (refer to the DEC9500 instructions). If you are directly triggering the ignition as shown in Figures 2 or 3, then connect the tachometer to the TACH terminal on the ignition as shown in the figures. The HI-7 and HI-8 generate a 12 volt tach signal that is compatible with most electronic tachometers. Some older tachometers require a high voltage pulse and may not be compatible. Electronic fuel injection systems and RPM activated accessories that require a tach signal can also be connected to the TACH terminal on the ignition.

OPERATION
Before starting the engine for the first time, double check all electrical connections. The coil may be damaged by internal arcing if any connection is missing or loose on the high voltage (secondary) side. This includes the coil wire, spark plug wires, spark plugs, rotor, or cap.

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Figure 4. DEC9500 Engine Control Hookup

NOTE: MAG+ must be jumpered to IGN+ when using points input on Crane HI-7 or HI-8 systems. Power and coil connections not shown. IGNITION SWITCH TO +12V

SHIELD MAG MAG + POINTS AUX IN STATUS TACH IGN + NOT USED

CRANE
HI-7 or HI-8

JUMPER WHEN USING POINTS INPUT

CRANK TRIGGER ARM

ENGINE CONTROL SETTINGS

PROGRAM LOCK POINTS AUX POINTS MSD AUX MSD TACH RPM 1 RPM 2 RPM 3 TIMER 1 TIMER 2 12V PWR GROUND

INPUTS

ADJUST SETTINGS
VALUE UP

RETARD 3 TIMER 1 TIMER 2/SYNC CURSOR UP CURSOR DOWN CURSOR LEFT CURSOR RIGHT
CURSOR LEFT

CURSOR RIGHT

DIGITAL ENGINE CONTROL

PRO DEC9500

POWER TRIGGER

VALUE DOWN

WHITE POINTS BLACK GROUND RED +12V SENSOR BRACKET CRANE SENSOR 3 PIN WEATHER PACK CONNECTOR SENSOR EXTENSION HARNESS

OUTPUTS

CRANK TRIGGER WHEEL WITH CRANE CAMS LOGO (Front View)

MAG + MAG POINTS LIMIT 1 LIMIT 2 LIMIT 3 RETARD 1 RETARD 2

CHASSIS GROUND NEAR IGNITION

NOTE: MAG- terminal on DEC9500 used as ground connection point for crank trigger sensor.

Start your engine and check the ignition timing. You may need to reset the ignition timing. However, if the ignition timing changes significantly with the new ignition installed, you may have accidentally reversed the MAGand MAG+ connections.

your plug gaps. We recommend .045 inch for most engines.

FINE TUNING
For race applications, you may want to experiment with ignition timing above 6000 RPM . Do not assume that the ignition timing used with your previous system will still be optimum, especially with a long duration system such as the HI-8. If you were using a magneto, you can increase

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TROUBLESHOOTING PROCEDURE
Did the engine run properly before installation of the new ignition? If not, remove the new ignition, install another known operating ignition system and then find and correct the original problem. Did the new ignition ever function correctly? If the answer is yes, did you change anything that may have affected operation? If you connected an external control, try running the ignition without the external control to help isolate the problem. If the engine will not start, or runs rough or intermittently, follow the procedure described below:

to prevent sources of electrical noise from causing possible problems. Noise problems may cause the DEC9500 to limit RPM below the set value, to introduce timing scatter, or to generate a high RPM misfire. Following the check list below will prevent most noise problems. While the steps below refer specifically to a HI7/HI-8 and DEC9500 combination, most of the recommendations apply equally well to other electronic black boxes such as data loggers and on-board computers.

NOISE SUPPRESSION CHECK LIST

1. Spark plug and distributor to coil wires. Maximum total length from the coil to the spark plug (coil wire length + longest plug wire length) should not exceed 60 inches. Spiral core wire must be used (solid core generates too much noise and resistor wire will burn out). Total resistance of the longest wire path (coil wire + plug wire) must not exceed 2400 ohms. Use a digital voltmeter (DVM) to verify this value. 2. Distributor rotor and contact button in distributor cap. The rotor element and contact button must be solid brass or low resistance carbon (button only). Using an OEM carbon button will cause problems, including melting of the distributor cap! Measure the resistance of carbon button with a DVM and verify that it is 100 ohms or less. 3. Non-resistor spark plugs must be used. Measure with a DVM and verify that the resistance from the plug wire terminal to the center electrode is less than 10 ohms. 4. HI-7/HI-8 and DEC9500 mounting. The housings of both units must be electrically isolated from the vehicle chassis. If you use the provided rubber shock mounts, the units will be properly isolated. Just to be sure, perform the following test after the units have been physically installed but before they are wired up. Use a DVM to verify that no continuity exists between the ground connections on the units and the chassis ground. The object is to make sure each unit is grounded only through its ground wire, not via metal to metal contact between the units housing and the vehicle chassis. 5. Physical spacing and shielding. If possible, locate the coil and any spark plug wires at least 3 feet away from the ignition unit and DEC9500. The DEC9500 should be located about 1 foot from the ignition unit. Shielded cable for the magnetic trigger connections and any other wires running to the DEC9500 should be kept as far away as possible from the coil, coil primary wire harness from the ignition unit, and any spark plug wires. Under no circumstances should these wires be run next to one another. If limited space dictates mounting units close together, shield the units from one another with a steel panel (18 gauge or thicker) which is grounded to the chassis of the vehicle. Aluminum material does not provide good shielding.

CHECK ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS AND BATTERY VOLTAGE

Refer to the Power Connections section in the installation instructions. Use a volt meter to verify +12 volts at the BAT+ and IGN+ terminals on the ignition when the ignition switch is turned on. The HI-7 and HI-8 units require a minimum voltage of about +9.5 volts when the ignition switch is first turned on. During cranking, the units will continue to operate down to about +5 volts. If you are using points triggering, remember that the MAG+ input must be connected to IGN+.

MISFIRE OR INTERMITTENT OPERATION

1. A weak battery may cause misfire or intermittent operation, especially at high RPM, if battery voltage drops below +10 volts. If in doubt, charge or replace the battery. 2. Field experience has shown that misfire at high RPM is usually not caused by a failure of the ignition unit. Improper distributor phasing and coil failure, including internal arcing or arcing at the high voltage terminal, are common causes. 3. Replace the spark plugs. Check that the spark plugs are the proper type (non-resistor for racing), heat range, and gap size. 4. Replace the distributor rotor and cap. 5. Replace the spark plug wires. 6. Check for loose or corroded connections and broken wires at the trigger, ignition unit, coil, and distributor cap. Also check the distributor for loose, missing, or jamming parts in the pickup or advance mechanism (if used).

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR USE WITH DEC9500 OR OTHER ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT

The very high output level of the HI-7 and HI-8 can cause electrical noise problems on vehicles that have not previously exhibited such problems with lower power ignitions. Any sophisticated electronic device may be susceptible to such noise. Care must be taken during installation

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6. HI-7/HI-8 power connections. Verify that connections are made exactly as shown in Figure 1. The capacitor must be used. Connections to the battery must use 8 or 10 AWG wire. There must be a short (6 maximum) ground wire from the capacitor to chassis ground. 7. DEC5000 connections. The DEC9500 ground connection should be near the location at which the HI-7/HI-8 capacitor is grounded by the short wire (see item 6 above). The same stud can be used or the two ground points must be within 2 inches. Do not ground the DEC9500 directly to capacitor minus (-) terminal.

8. Crank trigger. Shielded cable must be used. The cable shield is connected only to the SHIELD terminal on the DEC9500.

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