The CDI Electronics 134-6456 is a clear-potted trigger for Mercury V6 two-stroke outboards covering the 2.0 L, 2.4 L, and 2.5 L families from 1976 through 1999. It is a direct substitute for the Mercury 96455 series and is manufactured by CDI Electronics in Huntsville, Alabama, USA.
In Mercury’s ADI/CDI ignition architecture, the trigger works off a magnetic center hub pickup in the flywheel. As the flywheel’s hub magnets pass the pickups, the assembly generates phase-indexed AC pulses that provide the crankshaft-position reference.
Stable trigger output determines cylinder-to-cylinder phasing accuracy. Electrical noise, drift, or intermittent signal can show up as misfire, timing scatter, or reduced detonation margin—effects that are more apparent at elevated RPM and in performance calibrations.
The 134-6456 preserves the original Mercury mechanical interface and advance linkage path, maintaining the stock relationship between pickup geometry and the flywheel magnet segments.
Harness length, wire color logic, and connector indexing follow OE conventions so the unit is plug-compatible with existing switch boxes/ECU with no splices or re-pinning. Clear potting and encapsulation protect the pickup windings and terminations from moisture, vibration, and thermal cycling, helping maintain a clean rising-edge signal from idle to peak RPM.
Materials and strain-relief are chosen to resist corrosion, fretting, and conductor fatigue—common failure modes in marine ignition sensors.
In practice, this trigger supports both recreational and competition engines across the covered V6 lineup, including XR2, XR4, XR6, 2.5 L EFI, Bridgeport, 220 Laser EFI, XRi, 245 Carb, 260 EFI, 300 Drag, SST-120, S3000, Pro Max, and Super Mag. It cross-references to Mercury and aftermarket numbers 68162A1, 68162A5, 68162A8, 96455A6, 96455A9, 96455A10, 96455A11, and CDI 134-6456.
INSTALLATION / SERVICE NOTES:
Install on the timer base with the original hardware, route the harness on factory clips to maintain bend radius and clearance, and verify the flywheel magnet ring is clean and undamaged.
After fitment, perform Mercury’s link-and-sync and set idle/WOT timing per the service manual for the specific ignition configuration. For diagnostics, check trigger output with a peak-reading (DVA) adapter during cranking and at elevated RPM, and confirm continuity/insulation of the pickup circuits to separate trigger-side faults from stator or switch-box issues.
For technical support, contact Mike Hill at +1-714-697-1716 or mike@buckshotracing77.com