Since I have never ran a stock type distibutor on any of my race cars..And I now have one on my new HA/GR... Do you have to run Ballast resistors in your ignition system.??? My friend was tellig me that I could burn up the points real fast without one..Yea-Nay?? What say you..???
Thingy I don't run a ballast resistor on ours. I've found that without a charging system the voltage is low enough for the points to last a season anyway. I know Old6' I had a burnt set at the Finals but the kids left the switch on
I'd go with a Petronix Man. They're legal and trouble-free. Other then that advice, I don't know nothin' 'bout no points. There are some experts around here. I think GMC Bubba is one. I'd like to see you get an answer.
Randy... I was thinking about the Petronix unit, But since the $$$$ squeez has taken effect. I went with the points unit temporarly..I have a couple of mags,Just change to a different base, But no can use they say.....
I'd say use the mag. It won't make the car a bit faster and you already have it. I for one won't complain. But it damn sure will get some shit started...." in the spirit of the Bug and all that crap". Ron
Howdy Dick, Cheapest way out, run the mag for now. None of us'll bitch but you'll spend some time telling all the lookers that it's temporary. Hell, Rocky & Lee ran a slushpump first season 'til they could get their stick set up right and nobody strung'em up for it. 'Course we did give'em some lip over it. We're supposed to, right? We promise to give you some too. I think the only reason they finally changed was getting tired of explaining it. Next cheapest way out, a ballasted coil. Should be able to find one easily and it's plenty good for the application. I likely have one laying around if you want it, that's what we're running. I don't care for seperate ballast set-ups, always remove'em before they can go bad. Personal thing I guess. Our Pertronix gave up the ghost (or rather a few magnets) at the track. No one I've spoken to so far has ever heard of it happening before, nor have I (and I'm running'em in the Toad and both the float's engines). We'd planned to go back to points as soon as we'd gotten the carbs nailed down anyway (spirit of the thing and all) so it was no big deal, just an inconvenience.
What's the big deal with a ballast?? Just hide it behind the firewall and get on with life. Actually, I have run ignitions without the ballast and had no problems. It ain't like you are going to drive the thing any distance, if it worries you, put new points and condenser in each weekend ya run it.
Thanks for the replies.. But I think I will stick to the Modified Stock distrbutor, But forget the ballast resistor..I'm not about to stick the mag in, Don't want to start any problems...Dick M
Heres the thing all points were made to run on 6 volts with no more than 9 volts. Because we run 12 volts and a good battery will have 12.5 volts heres what can happen. If you flip the switch on to start and the points are just starting to open they will arc and burn. The lower voltage across the points will make it so the points almost must be closed before any arcing will occur. If you go to a parts house look up set of points for a 1953 235 Chev and then look up a set of 1956 235, same part number. You can run all summer long and dodge the bullet or you may fire it up and shot ducks all the way down the track. I run a resisitor on the Jimmy and the points look brand new after running all summer. The voltage across the points is only a trigger for your coil, has nothing to do with the amount of voltage to the plugs. Just my 2 cents worth. Roy
except that during starting, most 12 volt systems bypass the resistor to deliver the full 12 volts, to aid in starting. then when the key is released from the cranking position, the current flows through the resistor only.
Yes that is right if you have a key start but most of us use a switch which turns on voltage to the ingnition and then we hit a starter button so we have 12 volts going to the points from the moment we flip that ingnition switch. Just a thought guys, an eight dollar resistor will be safety valve for a point system, I just like to cover all bases. A digital conversion will work great but it either works or doesn't while points and condenser can be filed and adjusted to work. None of it is fail safe. Roy
Yes I have a switch and starter button..SOooo,,, Maybe a ballast resistor should be in line. And you are correct Roy. Nothing is fail safe..Thats why we carry tools and spares..
Yup.......as an old aerospace tool maker that I used to work with would say, "You can make it foolproof, but you can't make it damn fool proof."
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