KevinG

Been having problems with my '69 being "sluggish". Its got an MSD 6AL ignition box, distrubutor and coil. After carefully reading the 6AL instructions, it says to "bypass the ballast resistor in line with the coil wiring."

Where on the '69 is this ballast resistor? is in inside the wrapped wires, or external on the firewall? My '69 has a new wiring harness installed as well.

Also what the best way to bypass this? Can I cut the wire and splice in a regular wire, and then solder/heat shrink it?

Thanks!

MelWff

You have a pair of wires hooked to the positive side of the ignition coil, one of these is a resistance wire. Disconnect the wires and run a lead from the empty spot on the fuse box labeled IGN.

Easy Mike

There isn't one.

Mike Ward

Nor will it cause your car to run 'sluggish'. Look elsewhere.

KevinG

Ok, So I ran a new wire directly from the empty slot on the IGN fusebox panel into the engine bay and connected it to my MSD. Seems like it didn't make that much of a difference in acceleration.

MelWff

What do you have total mechanical advance set for? Did you have this problem before installing all the MSD stuff?

73, Dark Blue 454

69's had a resistor wire to the coil instead of a ballast resistor. The resistor wire reduces current to prevent the ingition points from cooking. The lost current is converted to heat as it makes it's way down the resistor wire, necessatating a cotton-like insulation for this wire. This heat is the reason for the "accessory" position for your ignition key. If you leave the key in the "on" position with engine not running, this wire can really heat up which could cause problems.

Yes, bypass this resistor wire. As stated above, there's a "IGN" port on your fuse box behind your E-brake pedal. Run a white colored 14g twisted copper length of wire through the firewall to the "+" side of the coil. Take your white cotton insulated wire out of play.

Now you have full current to the coil.

Good luck!

KevinG

The car came with a new MSD 6AL ignition box and never ran the car without it. I don't know what the timing settings are at - my mechanic fine tuned it.

Yes, I did the bypass this weekend with not much of a difference. Those wires go straight to the MSD box and not the coil since I have an electronic MSD igntion box installed.

73, Dark Blue 454

"Sluggishness" is often a rich condition.