Eliminating a ballist resistor

I have a MSD 6al box,coil and distributor. I have the ballist resistor also.
Do I need it now? if not then I would like to eliminate it.

What do I do with the wires? where do they go? Any info about this would help lots.

Is this a smart move or is the ballist resistor needed still?

Depending on how your car was wired.
If you wired it through your existing ignition setup, you'll need your ballast resistor
or else your car wont stay running or start.

Makes sense.

What is a ballist resistor used for anyway?

Makes sense.

What is a ballist resistor used for anyway?

A ballast resistor limits the amount of current flowing in an electrical circuit.

The most common automotive use for a ballast resistor is as to regulate the voltage to the ignition system by being inserted in series in the primary circuit between the ignition switch and the positive terminal of the ignition coil. It is usually located in the open near the ignition coil so that it can dissipate its heat into the air.

Cranking an engine causes a heavy load on a battery which can cause the voltage to drop. Ignition systems needed to be designed so they can fire on this reduced voltage, but when the engine is running normal operating voltage is restored, which is then too high for the ignition system. The ballast resistor helps the engine to fire more easily by being bypassed during cranking, and then lowering the voltage when it is inserted into the circuit after the engine has started to minimize wear on ignition components.

More modern solid state ignition systems do not need a ballast resistor, because they have been designed to cope with a wider range of voltages.

You wont need the ballast resister with the MSD.I removed my ballast and soldered a wire across the ballast connectors and reinstalled it .

take the ballast off the firewall, and remove the wires from the bulkhead connector. then ....... throw it in the garbage !!! 6AL wires up to coil and dist., ballast completely bypassed ! .... unless ..........you are running factory charging system, one of those wires comes from resistor to alternator voltage regulator ...

I will give this a go this spring. When I remove the ballist do I just connect those wires to each other or do I eliminate the wires all together. I guess if I remove the ballist and it doesn't start then I know I have it wrong; then I will be back on here asking more questions.
What am I going to fry if I screw this up?
Thanks guys.

you'll be ok man ! i eliminated the wires all together. just remove them from the bulkhead connector. less clutter on the firewall ! ... The MSD wiring is very simple, 2 for coil, 2 for dist., 1 batt, 1 grnd, 1 key on batt. .... dont worry, if thats the worst thing you gotta do then your in good shape !!! ...

Thanks 65-440.
I will have to look at how I got it wired now. I have the MSD stuff wired up but also have the ballist in the wiring also. I just don't want the ballist to go out at the track at the wrong time.

you'll be ok man ! i eliminated the wires all together. just remove them from the bulkhead connector. less clutter on the firewall ! ... The MSD wiring is very simple, 2 for coil, 2 for dist., 1 batt, 1 grnd, 1 key on batt. .... dont worry, if thats the worst thing you gotta do then your in good shape !!! ...

Well said,I agree.All new wires,routed nice just where you want 'em!Some small wrap ties and the split tubing in your favorite color really gives it the clean look:munky2:

You guys talked me into it! When I get it done I will let you know how it went. Thanks again for all your help. I can't get this Mopar help around here. Mostly Bowtie and Blue Oval guys around here and they have no clue about Mopar stuff. It is so bad that when I was putting in my 500 I was telling them that it was a 318 and they had no clue. They kept saying man that thing is wide for a small block. It was hard to keep a straight face.

thats what happens when you build your car off of pepboys shelves ! you just dont know any better !!!

If you don't need it but want to retain the factory LOOK take it off and simply put a "run through" heavy gauge wire through it. It is hollow in the back and simple to do. Keeps the factory wiring look.

you'll be ok man ! i eliminated the wires all together. just remove them from the bulkhead connector. less clutter on the firewall ! ... The MSD wiring is very simple, 2 for coil, 2 for dist., 1 batt, 1 grnd, 1 key on batt. .... dont worry, if thats the worst thing you gotta do then your in good shape !!! ...

I'm in the prossess of doing this as well. I was told to use the larger wires from the resistor to power up(key on)small red wire from the MSD box. What do you guys think???

As seen in this illustration, the Ballast resistor is no longer required for an MSD 6AL ign system. The lead marked going to the starter solenoid provides the full 12v during cranking only, and the power supplied from the ign switch 12 volts is reduced internal to the 6AL module then sent out to the + side of the coil as well.
So with this being said, the + lead on the ballast resistor coming up from the starter can be used for the wire shown to be from the starter. The other + lead going to the resistor will then be the lead actualy coming from the ign switched power. It will be the power for the wire labeled as ign switch lead.
I dont know which of the two types of resistors you are converting from " two post or four post" but they all pretty much have the same power feeds coming in, "12v while cranking and 12 volt with the key in the run position".
Good luck with it!

Here it is...lol

I'm in the prossess of doing this as well. I was told to use the larger wires from the resistor to power up(key on)small red wire from the MSD box. What do you guys think???

you could, depends on where you are putting the box. mines under dash so i just ran positive battery wire from volt guage to 30A toggle switch, then wire that for "key-on" power source.You always want to have a solid 12V going to box when starting car. if you tap into an existing key-on voltage, you take a risk of not supplying enough power to your box.........then you will be pissed when it just cranks with no fire !!!

you could, depends on where you are putting the box. mines under dash so i just ran positive battery wire from volt guage to 30A toggle switch, then wire that for "key-on" power source.You always want to have a solid 12V going to box when starting car. if you tap into an existing key-on voltage, you take a risk of not supplying enough power to your box.........then you will be pissed when it just cranks with no fire !!!

I think the referance to the "large red wire" is probably the Feed side of the ballast resistor. In this case it is fine to use this source for the ign supply voltage. The voltage never drops any more than the source voltage "battery". No matter how you slice it, the power drop "hopefully minimal" is the same across any point of measurable source when fead directly from the source as it is with the Ign switched power. The only exception to this is if connection points or conductor break down is present. In that case a measurable voltage drop could be detected across the point of degregation within the circuit.
If power is taken from the "out" side of the Ballast resistor then it would be less than optimal due to the voltage drop associated and performance may be affected.

Sorry to bore everyone!

education is never boring !!! (wish i would have thought that way when i was a kid ! )

I'm glad you think so

67 B-BODY: Thanks for the diagrams BUT I am lost? I am kinda dense sometimes!

Why am I stripping the wires going to the distributor?
Why does the coil say Black(+) and White(-)? Am I hooking up the white wire from the box to the (-) and the Black wire to the (+) instead of the Orange(+) and Black (-)?

Do you have or could you show me a diagram with the ballist wires going where they need to go? I kinda understand your instructions but they are kinda of fuzzy also. They could make sence when I go out and look at it but as now I am kinda confussed.

65-440: You wrote in an earlier post: Ballist Resistor completely eliminated........unless.....You are running a factory charging system, one of those wires comes from the resistor to the alternator voltage reg.

What do you mean by factory charging system? I have a PowerMaster Alt. I am not using the factory amp. gauge in the dash. I am using an Autometer volt gauge. I am not using any factory gauges. Battery in the trunk hooded up to a master cut off switch.

the orange and black go to coil, green and purple to dist..... leave the white wire alone....

what i meant by factory charging was .... one of the wires coming from ballist resistor goes to alternator voltage regulator. if you have gotten rid of factory voltage reg, like most people have, then you can throw that resistor is the garbage, and remove the wiring ! ... simple simple !!!

65-440: I figured that it was hooked up the way the MSD manual states. I was just commenting on the diagram that 67-B-body posted. I have a voltage reg on my firewall. It is not the factory one but a Mopar Performance one. Do I need a one wire Alt. to eleminate the volt reg. The more I ask the more confussed I get so maybe I will leave it be for now.

65-440: I figured that it was hooked up the way the MSD manual states. I was just commenting on the diagram that 67-B-body posted. I have a voltage reg on my firewall. It is not the factory one but a Mopar Performance one. Do I need a one wire Alt. to eleminate the volt reg. The more I ask the more confussed I get so maybe I will leave it be for now.

Yaa,,, that diagram was just something I pulled off the internet. I didnt do the hand written stuff. Just go by the actuall drawing itself.....

yes, a one wire alt would be needed to get rid of external regulator.....just search around for internally regulated alternators ...

I followed the wires on the MSD and Ballist tonight. I have the orange/black wires going to the coil. Thin red wire from the MSD box going to the ballist and on the other side of the resistor are 2 wires. One going to the volt reg and the other to the bulkhead connector. If the MSD box reduces the volts on start up why can't I just connect the thin red MSD wire to the other side resistor wires to eleminate the ballist?
I also had my AutoGauge tach red wire going to the resistor. I can't locate my instruction manual for the tach so is there a reason why I did this or can I just hook it up to a 12v keyed hot wire.

yes, just hook it them to a key'd 12v and remove that damn ballist !!!!!!!!!!! .... i think that wire coming from bulkhead connector to reisitor is key on 12v .... i'll go check my wire diagram ..........................................