Thread: Ballast Resistor? or Not?

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Originally Posted by 1wild&crazyguy

I agree.

It's usually better run one when it's not needed than it is to not run one when it is needed.

with a ballast, when the rpm's go up... so does the voltage anyhow.

if you set it down under 12 volts its never going to 12 or past that . if that was the case your points would burn up ??????????????? IF hei coil is made for NO ballast then it should not need one

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

if you set it down under 12 volts its never going to 12 or past that . if that was the case your points would burn up ??????????????? IF hei coil is made for NO ballast then it should not need one

Very true, but are any of the coils in the round can made specifically for hei and thus 12v contantly. I don't know..... Just a question. Hmmmmmmmmm time for some research.

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

if you set it down under 12 volts its never going to 12 or past that . if that was the case your points would burn up ??????????????? IF hei coil is made for NO ballast then it should not need one

wow ha ha uhhh....
No, it's not gonna kill the coil running less than required voltage.
btw my ballast lowers/limits the voltage and DOES increase with rpm to a point.
What can burn a coil is too much current.
like I said 1st off...run what the coil manufacture recommends.

btw don't take general statement and spread it to cover every coil under the sun...We know HEI's take a straight 12 volt lead.

Good luck, i'm out of this from now on.

Well, I am by far no expert on any of this, but I have run MSD Dist
with their box and a Blaster 2 coil since 1997 on both small and big
block chev and I have never had a problem. I thru the resister away
long ago..Did not know Msd made in Mexico, guess I should read more,
but then if it works for me, I'm happy.

Originally Posted by rdobbs

Well, I am by far no expert on any of this, but I have run MSD Dist
with their box and a Blaster 2 coil since 1997 on both small and big
block chev and I have never had a problem. I thru the resister away
long ago..Did not know Msd made in Mexico, guess I should read more,
but then if it works for me, I'm happy.

not sure on the box but the blaster coil is made in mexico

well i know i had a setup like yours? on my 50 many years ago stock GM HEI with a ex coil that was a jacobs kit and i used the box mallory hei coil. msd has nothing that will work in a round can coil?

well you may need to go in the way back machine to 1979? i was sure that last msd coil was from mexco? if there all made in china then the stickers are made in the usa ?????

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

well you may need to go in the way back machine to 1979? i was sure that last msd coil was from mexco? if there all made in china then the stickers are made in the usa ?????

It probably was Pat, they may have just recently gone to china, also possible they have more than one source. I just hate that label now. But funny you should say that about the sticker, I have installed stuff that said, (in small print) box made in USA or printed in USA, contents made in china. Can you say N.O.S. I quit buying rebuilt starters, they have turned into junk, so I go to junk yard and get one, of course pretty soon those will all be junk rebuilts in junk yard. Catch 22 I guess. Not picking on MSD or anyone else I have bought certain parts or items that were good in the past but now don't hold up or don't work at all, and some stuff doesn't have a country of orign, may say assembled in mexico, parts could come from china or bulgaria for all I know. I replaced a watervalve that didn't work properly from day 1 for a customer, we laughed because we thought we might have gotten a higher quality replacement part (made in Mexico)

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

well you may need to go in the way back machine to 1979? i was sure that last msd coil was from mexco? if there all made in china then the stickers are made in the usa ?????

Oh just thought of somthing else, might try to scroung up some of those older parts, ya know like that MSD coil, even made in Mexico. It might not be that far into the future those items NOT made in CHINA will bring some good bucks on E-Bay................Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm