MSD coil installation

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philcollins

philcollins

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Just ordered an MSD 8222 coil. I'm a bit confused, do i need to keep the Ballast resistor or not? I will using that coil on my 1972 stock electronic ignition.

From MSD installation instruction:

This Blaster Coil Kit is intended to be used with an MSD Ignition. If installing on a stock, points style ignition system, a 0.8 ohm ballast resistor or resistor wiring MUST be installed


Primary resistance:
.7 OHMs

Secondary resistance:
4.5K OHMs


As it's a 45000v coil, do i need to widen the spark plug gap?
 
Yes, you need to keep a ballast with the Mopar ignition. The MSD ignition system has some control over the current in the coil; the Mopar system does not have that control and the ballast provides some control/limiting and improved cold starting.

And, unless you have a genuine OEM ballast, do yourself a favor and buy one of the MSD 0.8 ohm ballasts and use that. It is the closest to the stock that I have found; stock is 0.5-0.6 ohms cold. Higher ballast resistances are commonly installed in the mistaken idea that a ballast is a ballast (WRONG!), and a high ballast resistance will cost you some serious degradation in coil spark energy.

The plug gap can be set wider IF the spark system will support it. With your setup, all you can do is try at .040" and if it runs good through all conditions and all RPM's, then try at .045". Typically, it takes a high energy or longer spark system (like HEI) to properly fire a .045" gap under all conditions. If you don't want to mess with it, then stick with the standard .035" but there are very real running benefits to opening up the spark gap, in economy and combustion efficiency, consistency and smoothness in firing, etc. Read up on a topic called 'spark kernal' if you want to learn more.
 
Depends on what ignition you are using.

If you are using the whatever MSD calls their directly connected distributor, yes.

But if you are using a cap discharge such as a MSD 6A box then no ballast

If you are using CD system, connect exactly as box instructions. The only wires to a coil with a CD are the two wires from the box. No radio cap, no ballast, and no tach
 
The coil you have is a plain canister coil and needs a ballast with the Mopar ignition system, just like the original Mopar ignition coil. No foolin'....
 
Just put an MSD box on my 67 340 Dart after having it for 3 years. Put the blaster coil on with the ignition box. Beautiful. I run a 45 gap in my plugs. If you want exact info google the MSD help line for all correct answers. The resistor can be hooked up for certain things and even a kill switch can be put on the unit. Philcollins have the high rpm orange box. Just phone MSD 1-800..... with any questions. Here is an important tip! If you use an MSD Blaster coil make sure you mount it vertical and not horizontal. The fluid (oil) inside will not touch the wiring properly and will burn out the coil quicker.
 
I don't have the paperwork here but a ton more zap. I thought it was 50,000v I could be wrong. I was going to p/u the msd distributor but a race buddy told me about a better one with rubber wires coming with it. If anyone is interested let me know and I will put up the supplier. ir3333, all I know is my 340 is running so good now. My cam is a purple shaft that is 2 above stock and this extra zap seems to allow the cam to work sooner. Sounds funny but instead of waiting to hit 2,800 rpm for the cam to kick in it appears to engage sooner. Anyway, the blaster coil has me sold. The dragsters with rope sized wires, watch out. The zap from these coils can kill you.
 
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