Re: MSD coil & resistor questions....

[jlandry@domain.elided (John A. Landry)]

In a brilliant stroke of genius, Allen Swan <aswan@domain.elided> blurted out:

>So I've got an MSD Blaster2 coil to put on in place of the stock one and
>the instructions say to use a 0.9 Ohm ballast resistor for a
>points-ignition...I've got the Holley distributor & the gold box stock
>set-up.  Would I need the resister?  

No!  You only need a ballast resistor to reduce the voltage passing through
breaker-points.  Since you have no breaker-points with the Holley gold box,
you do not need to add a ballast resistor.

>If I replace the pickup in the distributor with a Pertronix Ignitor, I
>still need the gold box hooked up or could I replace it with a ballast
>resistor and thereby have a more reliable system?  The reason I was

Again, the ballast resistor has nothing to do with your current system.
You could remove the sensor from your current distributor and install a
Pertronix Ignitor, but it would be debatable as to whether the Pertronix or
the Holley is more reliable.  I don;t think anyone has any hard data to
prove one way or the other.  You do have a fully functional electronic
ignition now, and you really don't *need* an Ignitor.  That being said (and
if you still feel like spending money), you could install a Pertronix
Ignitor in place of the Holley sensor and run entirely off the Pertronix
system.  You could save the sensor and leave the gold box in place so that
if the Pertronix module failed, you could re-install the sensor and run off
the gold box once again.  That would give you essentially a back-up
ignition system.  Or, you could just buy a spare gold box (for about the
price of the Pertronix Ignitor) and keep it in your glove box.  This also
gives you a back-up ignition system.

>thinking that was the Ignitor is meant to replace points, so since there
>is no gold box with the points distributor...

This is true.  Introduced to IH vehicles in 1975, the gold box (like any
electronic ignition system) took over the function of the breaker-points.

>back to the coil, the Pertronix literature says to test your coil for a
>minimum resistance of 1.5 Ohms otherwise use the recommended ballast
>resistor.
>so do I put in the Pertronix, resister, MSD coil and take out the gold
>box?

I think I've probably answered this already, but no... the Pertronix is
optional and not required, the resistor is not needed in either case, and
you need the gold box if you keep your system the way it is.

Regards,

John
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