LOL I send the bad ones to a member, he is playing with putting GM HEI in them and still look stock, not one or two a lot of them in all different mopar cases with different RPM values. Wish I had the time to do that.
Correct ballast resistor for standard to electronic conversion
- Thread starter MoparGuy68
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I have a "vintage" orange box on the GTX now and have for a while.
I have a spare orange one that looks newer, inherited it with the car a decade ago, too.
It says "Made in USA" but you can tell it's a lot newer than the one on the car - and also
a NAPA whatever replacement unit, too.
They've all been on the car at one time or another and all work, but I just trust the older
orange unit more.
Of course, running the Mopar supplied conversion electronic distributor, all part of the "kit".
My issue is with using what I thought was a better coil - the MSD Blaster 2.
Instructions vary from them on a ballast requirement - in one place on their site, it says no
ballast required, but in their actual install instructions it seems they require a 0.8 Ohm ballast?
Whatever ballast I wound up with on the car can't be more than a 0.4 IIRC....
and I noticed the other day that there appears to be some oil on the top rim of the coil now.
That can't be good, right?
I have a spare orange one that looks newer, inherited it with the car a decade ago, too.
It says "Made in USA" but you can tell it's a lot newer than the one on the car - and also
a NAPA whatever replacement unit, too.
They've all been on the car at one time or another and all work, but I just trust the older
orange unit more.
Of course, running the Mopar supplied conversion electronic distributor, all part of the "kit".
My issue is with using what I thought was a better coil - the MSD Blaster 2.
Instructions vary from them on a ballast requirement - in one place on their site, it says no
ballast required, but in their actual install instructions it seems they require a 0.8 Ohm ballast?
Whatever ballast I wound up with on the car can't be more than a 0.4 IIRC....
and I noticed the other day that there appears to be some oil on the top rim of the coil now.
That can't be good, right?
No its leaking, time to swap it out. The petronix conversions are screwy also some instructions say no ballast, some say yes. I have never used one with them. Who knows?
Another thing since we are going there some coils mount vertically, usually oil filled, some horizontally. Usually in the instructions, makes a difference.
I actually just found a source for 50KV coils, bought one want to test it out before I sell them. Pretty cool the flame thrower are 40K. And they are black and look stock!
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Stephen Hotz
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I have the same tester as @HALIFAXHOPS
I am hoping to finish some of the HEI conversion boxes.
On several of the modules that have been dissassembed by myself as well as others you can tell each one is done different. Some you can actually tell are designed to survive as they have good heat shed abilities, where as some arnt.
I dont have any of my photos on my phone but will try and dig some off my laptop to post.
I can see where no resistor would generate less heat on the internals as long as they can take the higher voltage. That may not sound right but some of the gutted boxes had higher levels of silicate in the potting material to the point that it retained instead of shed the heat.
I am hoping to finish some of the HEI conversion boxes.
On several of the modules that have been dissassembed by myself as well as others you can tell each one is done different. Some you can actually tell are designed to survive as they have good heat shed abilities, where as some arnt.
I dont have any of my photos on my phone but will try and dig some off my laptop to post.
I can see where no resistor would generate less heat on the internals as long as they can take the higher voltage. That may not sound right but some of the gutted boxes had higher levels of silicate in the potting material to the point that it retained instead of shed the heat.
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Out of curiosity, the numbers you are referring to, 50k & 40k, are the advertised secondary voltage delivered to the distributor and NOT the secondary RESISTANCE in ohms. In a coil design, the primary resistance can be low drawing less power while the secondary resistance can be high, or having a higher volts per turn ratio, yielding higher secondary voltage. The coil could be designed to have low primary current yet deliver high secondary voltage providing the best of both worlds.
BOB RENTON
383man
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Also the number of turns in the coil windings can make a difference in output. Wire size of the windings and how many secondary windings the collasping magnetic field cuts through all make a difference. As you said the coil design is what determines coil output mostly. Ron
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I believe most ignition coils are a core form design vs a shell form because of space limitations. Usually, in a core form design, the primary winding is over top of the secondary winding. The magnetic forces tend to cause the coil to contract radially, while the secondary windings tend to expand radially and the opposing forces tend to cancel out each other. The smaller OD secondary windings should allow for more turns yielding a greater turns ratio and higher secondary voltage. Inductive reactance of the combination of the primary and secondary windings tends to control the charge and subsequent discharge time.
BOB RENTON
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And as a side bar to my #49 above, the ignigion coil is really an auto transformer, where the end of the primary winding and secondary winding are physically connected at a common point. A typically ignition coil, has three (3) connections. A positive (+) connection, a negative connection (-), which is the common connection point for the windings, and the high voltage connection. A "true" transformer has isolated primary and secondary windings, connected solely by the magnetic field and the silicon steel core laminations, which allows the magnetic lines of force to pass thru both sets of windings. Energy losses can be summerized by: core losses (the magnetic energy) AND copper losses (losses due to the resistance of the windings). These losses cause internal heat build up, sometimes to the point of insulation failure.
BOB RENTON
BOB RENTON
MoparGuy68
Well-Known Member
I have seen what looks like the identical tester with the NAPA brand name on it. The instruction card for the NAPA indicates using the same Chrysler dial setting and harness to test both 5 and 4 pin modules. 5 pin modules came on cars from 72 to 79. 4 pin 80 to 83. 83 was probably the year the tester I saw was made, because all module dates only went up to 83 on its instructions.
I assume other testers of the era used the same harness and settings on tester for both 4 and 5 pin modules.
Yes they do as far as I know. Pretty cool little tester, just pricey with all the cables so not for the usual guy to have for one item. It can even run on 12V for testing on the car. Will get some pictures later today of different faults. Best is so you can see when the ground is bad and how important it is.
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Jonas Nordstrom
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I also have a MSD Blaster 2 coil. (Mounted vertically.)
Now when I bought this ignition kit:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-850005
I got a ballast that reads 1.5 Ohms
With the Blaster I got the 0.8 Ohms
Which one to use?
Now when I bought this ignition kit:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-850005
I got a ballast that reads 1.5 Ohms
With the Blaster I got the 0.8 Ohms
Which one to use?
I allways have got doubts about the resistor/coil/ECU match up, because when you got any of the MP pieces neither of them made mandatory an specific setup for a correct match. Just getting the full MP electronic ignition conversion with the orange box you get an specific ballast ( which I can't recall the value )
What does it recommend with your system?
points I would use the .8 ohm electronic 1.5. Contact them to be sure different model Blaster II's out there.
points I would use the .8 ohm electronic 1.5. Contact them to be sure different model Blaster II's out there.
View attachment 991617
And actually made in USA in 2010!
Jonas Nordstrom
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My coil is the pn 8203 one with included 0.8 resistor.
Electronic system.
Asking summit they said the ECU with 1.5 resistor could be used with the msd 8203 coil.
Will try to contact msd too to be really sure.
Tell them what ECU you have also. Really thinking a 1.5 if it is a common black, blue or orange. Looking for something but can find nothing. Have to watch some coils have internal resistors also.
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