Ballast Resistor ?

[NashBronco]

I am putting in a painless system and have done everything but the coil and dizzy. Currently, I have an original dizzy and coil so it calls for the ballast resistor. However, I have ordered an MSD ready to run dizzy and coil from WH that eliminates the need for the resistor. Should be here in a week or so.

I would like to go ahead and test the system. Can I hook up the coil without the resistor? Just don’t want to hurt anything. It won’t be running long. I just want to troubleshoot for the next couple of days before the new MSD comes.

 

[gr8scott]

The only thing you'll hurt is the coil, as they don't like full 12V for very long. Doesn't take much to wire in a ballast resistor.

 

[Linedork]

The coil will get extremely hot. Also it will run but the more input = more output. I would use the resistor or wait.

 

[NashBronco]

Just for my own knowledge... I didn’t run a ballast resistor before the painless but it’s suggested as part of the install for my coil. What about the painless makes the ballast resistor necessary?

 

[gr8scott]

Your stock harness would have had a resistor wire. The Painless wire isn't a resistor wire so they give you a ceramic ballast resistor instead.