Thread: Ballast Resistor? or Not?

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SBC, running HEI type dist with external coil. Manufacture of dist said no ballast resistor required. I know, or think, voltage was dropped on point type dist to extend point life. I am using an Accel stock configuration coil, 35,000 volt, with no ballast resistor. Now after about 1 year I believe it is going out. After running awhile, engine quits. Will only refire after about 5 mins to cool off. Yesterday I managed to catch this at the shop, and found spark very weak. After cooling spark was much better, still not as hot as should be. My Question is without ballast resistor is this going to shorten life of coil. 12 volts contstantly or I believe about 9.6 with resistor.

you need 12 volts with a HEI no resistor just make sure your coil is ok for a HEI accel makes many coils or did .many will not work for HEI use

Chuck the Accel coil and IMHO anything else Accel. A stock coil will give you just as good service and longer life. IMHO. high voltage coils are only as good as the spark plug wires they're feeding.

Originally Posted by NTFDAY

Chuck the Accel coil and IMHO anything else Accel. A stock coil will give you just as good service and longer life. IMHO. high voltage coils are only as good as the spark plug wires they're feeding.

yup last accel coil i use got some air .i do not know if it was a world record or not they had some of there stuff on E bAy and i talk to a customer to get the old points out of his car has his kids left the key on all the time and smoke the points out . so the accel stuff was not so hot. after i put more of my money in it to get it to work was the last time i will use accel stuff .way back when i use the stuff it work was thinking it would be ok for him WRONG WRONG it costed me way more money then it was worth . if i added up my time and parts i needed to get the new blem stuff to work i should of just pick up a MSD and put it in for free OH well live and learn

I went through a couple of Super Coils and a couple of spark plug wire sets before I realized that Accel's inexpensive stuff is pure junk and much worse than OEM. I wouldn't waste money on anything that says Accel.

I bought 2 OEM distributors and gutted them. I added the petronix HEI adaptors along with the petronix 7mm wires and coil...all for the stock look. I am extremely happy with the performance and quality. I use them for drag racing and they are good to 6500 rpms. Maybe more but never shifted more than that.

Modern (HEI) ignitions do not need a ballast resistor; they can handle cranking and running voltage AOK.

Kitz

i've only worked on small block chevys so the only ballast resistor i've ever heard of cost me $300 to replace in my big screen lol

Originally Posted by kitz

Modern (HEI) ignitions do not need a ballast resistor; they can handle cranking and running voltage AOK.

Kitz

Question might be more acurately be, will running coils, external, that were designed for use with points, and ballast resistor on full 12 volts lead to coil failure? I know the dist doesnt need voltage drop. I am using aftermarket high voltage coil, in std round package. Don't really want to use the high voltage race type, as I was after the vintage points and coil look. With the firepower and reliability of hei. LOL. Although after 3 days of f.....ing with this thing I don't believe it's the coil. It was weak, but I have other, as yet undetirmined problem.

i think the chrysler coil for a hei but did use a ballast on hei? but a ford coil may work ?.i do not think a points coil will not work with a hei or buy a msd coil if your looking for a round can coil that will work with out a ballast i know accel.msd will as well as mallory used many of them. . i do think any stock points coil could be used for hei use ? i never had a coil go bad till the last accel.. i did . i used the gutted GM HEI with a laser box .accel dist with a MSD box. merc boat stuff thurnder bolt as well with mallory coil. i used the most all them.i all ways use the coil they told me or what coil they said would work on the coil listed buy maker and part number

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

i think the chrysler coil for a hei but did use a ballast on hei? but a ford coil may work ?.i do not think a points coil will not work with a hei or buy a msd coil if your looking for a round can coil that will work with out a ballast i know accel.msd will as well as mallory used many of them. . i do think any stock points coil could be used for hei use ? i never had a coil go bad till the last accel.. i did . i used the gutted GM HEI with a laser box .accel dist with a MSD box. merc boat stuff thurnder bolt as well with mallory coil. i used the most all them.i all ways use the coil they told me or what coil they said would work on the coil listed buy maker and part number

Yeah, I figured stock coil would burn out, so I went with accel. I hadn't bought anything from them except some plug wires since mid 70's. Did not like the made in china. Have you had ocassion to buy a round can coil, such as msd or pertronics recently? Made in usa? I don't know that it makes much of a difference, because everyone is trimming production cost. And thanks for the info.

yep i used about 4 of the MSD s in the last year there made in MEX icano

weather you need a ballast or not depends on the coil requirements.
In required cases it is so you don't over heat the coil.

Originally Posted by 1wild&crazyguy

weather you need a ballast or not depends on the coil requirements.
In required cases it is so you don't over heat the coil.

That was my thinking. I guess that's were mfg tech support might be helpful. Although sometimes those people don't know the correct answer. Best bet is run ballast resistor to coil and full 12v to dist. If spark is good, that worry is over. Other than 1 more ferrin part to fail.

Originally Posted by dlotraf33

That was my thinking. I guess that's were mfg tech support might be helpful. Although sometimes those people don't know the correct answer. Best bet is run ballast resistor to coil and full 12v to dist. If spark is good, that worry is over. Other than 1 more ferrin part to fail.

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.