I have a factory mopar electronic distributor, MSD 6AL box and MSD blaster coil. I am having no issues at the moment, but just looking for a little info. It seems like I read somewhere that the ballast resistor should be disconnected when running an MSD ignition. I hooked it up just like the MSD book said and there was no mention of disconnecting the ballast. Should I leave it as is or could there be issues down the road leaving it hooked up?
Should I disconnect ballast resistor when using MSD ignition?????????????????????
- Thread starter duster360
- Start date
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abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
in the past i never unhooked it. but do have friends that unhooked it and it was fine either way.
Southernman
Well-Known Member
Duster360, don't have to run the ballast. However, if you want to keep it for nostalgic reasons you can disassemble the ballast and solder in a wire to bridge the connection and re-install it. It's how my buddies and I run our units.
Southernman
Southernman
How is it nostalgic with a big MSD box on the inner fender? lol
Ballast Resistor: If your vehicle has a ballast resistor in line with the coil wiring, it is recommended to bypass it.
Page 5 here: [ame]http://www.msdignition.com/uploadedFiles/MSDIgnitioncom/Products/Ignitions/6420_instructions.pdf[/ame]
It is my understanding that the MSD needs a full 12v to operate, with the ballast you do not have it.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
MSD makes one simple statement in their destructions:
Ballast Resistor: If your vehicle has a ballast resistor in-line with the coil wiring, it is recommended
to bypass it
There is NO reason to run a ballast with an MSD. The actual power to the box is battery (the "big red") and the small red is simply a switching trigger wire.
The way that the MSD provides spark is to apply a large (actually several) pulses to the coil. You do NOT want a ballast in the coil primary circuit.
Ballast Resistor: If your vehicle has a ballast resistor in-line with the coil wiring, it is recommended
to bypass it
There is NO reason to run a ballast with an MSD. The actual power to the box is battery (the "big red") and the small red is simply a switching trigger wire.
The way that the MSD provides spark is to apply a large (actually several) pulses to the coil. You do NOT want a ballast in the coil primary circuit.
I guess I do need to unhook the ballast. I bought the MSD box used and had no instructions with it. I bought an MSD wiring book and it had no mention of it that I saw. I will get that unhooked. Thanks.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
You can download the destructions from the MSD site. You need the 4 digit? "part number" of your box to make looking it up easier.
Here's the one I have:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...gKWKCQ&usg=AFQjCNEL1z3R4p379CdKXF41E9hJ9yVG-w
Here's the one I have:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...gKWKCQ&usg=AFQjCNEL1z3R4p379CdKXF41E9hJ9yVG-w
OwdKasd
Well-Known Member
nevermind.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
The thing is, the ballast on a conventional ignition, that is, Mopar ECU, or even GM HEI limits coil current
Coil current is not an issue with MSD because it operates on a completely different principle. MSD operates more like a camera flash, that is, the "box" charges up a great big capacitor and discharges it through the coil, IE a "pulse." There is no battery current actually going through the coil as there is in other systems. In addition, MSD has figured out how to produce MULTIPLE capacitve discharge cycles at each plug firing event.
Coil current is not an issue with MSD because it operates on a completely different principle. MSD operates more like a camera flash, that is, the "box" charges up a great big capacitor and discharges it through the coil, IE a "pulse." There is no battery current actually going through the coil as there is in other systems. In addition, MSD has figured out how to produce MULTIPLE capacitve discharge cycles at each plug firing event.
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