Skip Navigation Links
Setup
New Post
Search
Forum Home
Home
Decoder

Original Message
You've got the wrong ballast resistor.
By Dave Shoe - 07/31/2001 6:26:13 PM; IP 12.2.11.131
For one, when you put a souped-up coil on your engine, you've either gotta drive it with a true ignition amplifier like the MSD which bypasses the ballast (not a stock Ford unit because it uses the ballast), or you've got to upgrade the ballast so it can handle the extra load the hot coil is gonna provide.

Right now, your spark is much weaker than it was when the stock coil was installed. You gotta match the ballast to the coil!

The stock ballast resistor (or ballast wire) will not pump enough current - It'll give you the low-voltage symptoms you see. Increase the voltage using the ballast resistor which is recommended with that coil (and REMOVE the original ballast wire from the circuit! - It's OK to keep the old ballast in it's original location, just don't let it drive the hot coil, that's what the new ballast is for). Then you'll have the expected spark energy, though if you run gasoline on the street, a stock coil is often the only thing you need.

The points are being eaten by an insufficient condenser, and the coil is being underdriven due to an insufficient ballast resistor, so you've got two separate problems causing different symptoms.

JMO,
Shoe.
This thread, so far...
Skip Navigation Links.
Collapse <a href=../ForumFE/reply.aspx?ID=7410&Reply=7410><img src=../images/reply.png width=30 height=10></a>&nbsp;<a href="#" id="anchor7410" onclick="return false;">Frying points</a>&nbsp;-- <font color=#0000ff>Joshua Carroll, <i>07/30/2001</i></font><script type="text/javascript"> new HelpBalloon({ dataURL: 'replyb.aspx?ID=7410', contentMargin: 60, icon: $('anchor7410') }); </script>  Frying points -- Joshua Carroll, 07/30/2001
 The condenser is what saves points. -- Dave Shoe, 07/30/2001
 RE: Frying points -- Ross, 07/31/2001
 RE: Frying points -- John, 07/31/2001
Collapse <a href=../ForumFE/reply.aspx?ID=7414&Reply=7410><img src=../images/reply.png width=30 height=10></a>&nbsp;<a href="#" id="anchor7414" onclick="return false;">Starting to figure out the problem</a>&nbsp;-- <font color=#0000ff>Joshua Carroll, <i>07/31/2001</i></font><script type="text/javascript"> new HelpBalloon({ dataURL: 'replyb.aspx?ID=7414', contentMargin: 60, icon: $('anchor7414') }); </script>  Starting to figure out the problem -- Joshua Carroll, 07/31/2001
 RE: Starting to figure out the problem -- John, 07/31/2001
Collapse <b>You've got the wrong ballast resistor.</b>&nbsp;-- <font color=#0000ff>Dave Shoe, <i>07/31/2001</i></font>You've got the wrong ballast resistor. -- Dave Shoe, 07/31/2001
 RE: You've got the wrong ballast resistor. -- Barry B, 07/31/2001
 RE: You've got the wrong ballast resistor. -- John, 07/31/2001
 Ditch the points! -- Royce Peterson, 07/31/2001
 Agree with everything and appreciate the help! -- Joshua Carroll, 07/31/2001
Post A Response
Name:
Email Address:
Subject:
Post:
Upload Image:
Human Check:   Enter the code 202575338 in the box