I took the 2.2 icm apart, scraped all the gel out, now I looked at misnblu's write-up but want to make sure I have the right spots to solder wire to.
I have marked the 4 spots with a blue marker, Please someone verify these for me that has done this swap. Thanks!
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Bobby(Blown&Pullied) wrote:I took the 2.2 icm apart, scraped all the gel out, now I looked at misnblu's write-up but want to make sure I have the right spots to solder wire to.
I have marked the 4 spots with a blue marker, Please someone verify these for me that has done this swap. Thanks!
I never remember using the smaller hole it was always wired in the bigger hole.
Use a multimeter to find which ones to use.
why aren't you just matching wire color from the 2.4 plugs to the 2.2 plugs??? much easier that way....
Yea I could do that, but I already tore apart the 2.2 icm
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Honestly, I would say try looking for another unit. It really would be much easier for you to just splice into the wires.
Give me a couple of minutes as I'll be uploading more information on this coil setup.
I've been meaning to do this but been working quite a bit on doing these and selling them too.
So give me a little time and I'll have that information up shortly.
Misnblu.com
Newbie member since 1999
Thank you Dave and JBO! 
Ok, at the request of my secrets to this DIS setup, here it is.
But first, I must add a few things in making these.
First, there are two versions of these in which one of the ICM's is partitioned while the other is not.
That shouldn't really be a problem because internally, they're all pretty much wired the same.
So the schematics below should be good to go with both setups.
Second, when you do get ready to solder the wires onto the terminals in the gutted ICM, you need to scrape the metal that you're soldering to so that the solder, and wire actually stick to the metal.
The metal is coated and can give you a cold solder connection or come off completely if not checked or scraped.
Also, where I marked the wires red, white, and black, this is the type of wire I use which is a shielded cable using this color code.
Shielded cable prevents any stray electrical signal from coming into the wires in the sheath of the harness. It also keeps the signals in the cable with the shielding too.
Here is the schematic breakdown of the insides of the gutted ICM.
It will show what metal strips go where and what they're hooked to.
Here's a closer view of the actual plug setup that I use. You'll see what wire goes where once you've modified the internals and can use you're own color codes to do your wiring.
Here's the three prong coil plug that is under the IDI cover of most quad engines and twin cam engines.
It's pretty straightforward in what it says to this should help also with the wiring of your DIS setups.
A much closer view of the internal wiring of the gutted ICM.
This should be pretty much the same with either of the two ICMs that GM used for their 2.2 liter engines.
I hope this clears up some things with the wiring and maybe get more people to do this particular mod.
I've sold three of these in the last two weeks with prospects of one or two more in the next week.
So good luck to all that do this and post here if you've got any questions.
Misnblu.com
Newbie member since 1999
Thank you Dave and JBO!
any information on how much these are selling for? there was mention of just spicing into the wires outside of the icm. is this ok? i am looking into this, and i saw a post about the neon swap as well. per that post. there was just some splicing of wires. i am just trying to get a bearing on where i am going with all this, and the best plan. definitely looking to go with msd.
They are both very good mods, the 2.2 coils have the "possibility" of more peak spark power, and if one side goes out its cheaper and easier to replace, the neon coils are cheaper to begin with and easier to wire but become more expensive when time to replace and have less "possible" peak power. Best of luck man.
2.4_LS_4Door (Dayton86) wrote:They are both very good mods, the 2.2 coils have the "possibility" of more peak spark power, and if one side goes out its cheaper and easier to replace, the neon coils are cheaper to begin with and easier to wire but become more expensive when time to replace and have less "possible" peak power. Best of luck man.
less possible peak? are you serious? peak is like peak on your amp for your car, you aren't ever going to see it. I think I will sacrifice the 2-3K PEAK and save the 80+_ dollars it costs. Matter a fact you aren't going to be able to take full advantage of this mod unless you are using a DIS2 or similar so you won't ever even get close.
i found the msd neon coil for like 80 dollars....
^^^ right and all you gotta get now is the plug wires and an msd box. With the GM setup you need two coil packs, the adapter plates they sit on and the plug wires and msd box... get my point?
hahaha gotcha. when you say msd box, your talking dis 2 right?
RaGiN Z (the fake 05) wrote:2.4_LS_4Door (Dayton86) wrote:They are both very good mods, the 2.2 coils have the "possibility" of more peak spark power, and if one side goes out its cheaper and easier to replace, the neon coils are cheaper to begin with and easier to wire but become more expensive when time to replace and have less "possible" peak power. Best of luck man.
less possible peak? are you serious? peak is like peak on your amp for your car, you aren't ever going to see it. I think I will sacrifice the 2-3K PEAK and save the 80+_ dollars it costs. Matter a fact you aren't going to be able to take full advantage of this mod unless you are using a DIS2 or similar so you won't ever even get close.
Agreed your not going to see peak spark power unless you are able to use a DIS2 or similar, but to my understanding spark plugs don't produce a spark long enough to have much effect from higher sustained power, if you don't have enough power to jump the gap to start with, it won't no matter how much power you can sustain. Though in all reality you can run it without a DIS2 but just have some potential left on the table. Again just the way I understand it.
The 2.2 coils have more voltage peak than the stock 2.4 coils in the IDI cover, that's why I chose this modification.
More windings per coil with similar primary and secondary resistances in the 2.2 coils will give you more spark.
Like Dayton mentioned, as long as you break the airgap resistance with the spark of whatever voltage you present, it's going to fire.
The only difference with the MSD box is that you get multiple sparks whereas the stock coils won't.
Maybe this will clarify some of the misconceptions of what's happening.
Misnblu.com
Newbie member since 1999
Thank you Dave and JBO!
If you want to do this right and get the most out of it... couldnt you just get a DIS-2 box, 2 MSD coils for the 2.2 and a set of 8.5mm MSD wires, and just wire it all up directly? and not have to worry about finding junk yard parts and modifying all this older stuff to work.
(I know alot of it is about saving money and getting cheap performance upgrades, but you need to account for your time and gas and frustration and research in the big picture.)
I know the DIS box is a tad pricey for most... but even without this... couldnt it be simplified a good bit?
First of all.... I am a little confused as to all the fuss over connectors and modifications and all this to reuse stock parts. people going to great lengths to find old ICM's just to hollow them out to use them as mounts and connectors. And people bending over backwards to find stock harnesses and wires to do the connections.... Or i have even seen some people going out and spending $30x2 for aftermarket coil mouts (msd or what not)
I am planning this conversion real soon. and just keep asking myself why this is so complicated?
If you look at the ICU the coils mount to.... the only "connection" to the coil are 2 spade connectors... just like any old coil from the old cap and rotor days... it is just ground and power i imagine. 1 for each coil. and then 2 bolts to mount it.
So instead of trying to find and convert the old ICM into a "handy connector and mount for the coils" and then using your old ICM wired into this hollowed ICM...
Why couldnt you just use 2 spade style disconnects for the coils, and then just get a piece of plate and drill some holes in it to mount them to?
and then just wire them right to the stock ICM for our 2.4L. Basically just replacing the big white hunk, with 2 coils wired directly in to the ICM.
I was planning to use the MSD coils for this anyway.... so i dont need/want to go to a yard for those... and i would prefer to use my 2.4 ICM anyway. So dont really need or want to have to get a 2.2 ICM just to mount my coils.
And then, very soon i hope to be getting a DIS-2 box. If i go this route, do i even use the stock ICM at all? doesnt the DIS-2 completely take over?
So maybe i am missing something.... but i just read PAGES and PAGES of discussion on here about trying to make this all work, and i guess i dont get why it is so complicated.
My 91 2.2 has the 3 plug ICM.
Ken, That's exaclty what I was trying to do 2 days ago when I took my 2.2 icm of the TBI engine.
I wired mine with the 2.3 wire that came from underneat the coil cover but it's ghetto and I don't like it really. Plug I don't have enough wire to mount it anywhere.
Gilles
2.3 Ho
Mfk-223 wrote:My 91 2.2 has the 3 plug ICM.
Ken, That's exaclty what I was trying to do 2 days ago when I took my 2.2 icm of the TBI engine.
I wired mine with the 2.3 wire that came from underneat the coil cover but it's ghetto and I don't like it really. Plug I don't have enough wire to mount it anywhere.
strange... now i'm even more intrigued. my 89 had two, as does my 96.
JBO Stickers! Get yours today!
Mine was auto and is from a beretta.
Gilles
2.3 Ho
If you've ever seen the MSD mounting plates, you'll see why GM made their mounts better, and I use the oem for my DIS systems.
Plus, the configuration is to keep a stock appearance with the factory units gutted.
Three years ago when I made my first DIS system, this was something that was not popular or even thought about.
So it was unique, different, and very custom at the time.
Now that MSD has the parts, you could go without the factory 2.2 DIS setup if chosen.
The quality of the plates that I've seen haven't been that good from MSD.
I also like the capability of quick disconnect of the DIS setup (using factory plugs which are sealed) in case I'm doing engine work. It makes it easy to do this and with the all MSD system, you won't have that capability.
Either way, it's an upgrade that is worth looking into no matter how you do the modification.
Good luck all.
Misnblu.com
Newbie member since 1999
Thank you Dave and JBO!
whats the advantage of tearing the ICM apart over matching the wire colors?
Ronnie (SpeedLabMotorsports) wrote:whats the advantage of tearing the ICM apart over matching the wire colors?
Because you have to gut the actual ICM from the compartment that it's contained in.
If you don't, you'll have to go through the ICM, and that could affect the whole setup of the DIS system.
So removing the ICM from the compartment will give you the wires you need to make the setup work.
Plus, I do like the GM mounting plate as it's solid as a rock. It's very well made and has proven itself in years worth of use.
On the MSD plates, you'll still have to find a way to mount the plates to a plate for you to mount somewhere in the engine compartment.
WIth the GM unit, it already has a mounting plate or you could do like me, and custom mount an L-bracket for even more mounting options.
Misnblu.com
Newbie member since 1999
Thank you Dave and JBO!
Woohoo! just got my MSD coils, and MSD 8.5mm wires (damn good stuff sure aint cheap)
I am hoping to get my DIS-2 box tomorrow.
Now i just need a GM "ICM" to gut and mount them to.
Anyone got spares?
Just curious.... the coil only has 2 contacts... but the MSD wiring instructions show 4 wires going to the coils... (or at least 4 going in to the msd mounting piece...)
why are there 4 wires going into a coil with only 2 contacts?
and does anyone know exaclty what the contacts on the coils are? i assume just + and - right? does it matter which is which?
