Super A Electronic Ignition

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
I have a 53 Super A that i am going to convert to 12 v negative ground system. I also want to put in the Pertronix Electronic ignition as well. I have bought the 12v neg ground Pertronix kit, and my question is will I need a ballast resistor?
 
CORRECT ANSWER ASK PERTRONIX

If I recall correct, some coils they require ballast, others not.

John T
 
From the Pertronix website http://www.pertronix.com/support/tips/default.aspx#a2:

What type of coil can I use with the Ignitor™? How do I check my coils resistance? (12V negative ground only)
To determine if your systems coil is compatible with the Ignitor, some measurements should be taken prior to installation of the Ignitor. Caution… While performing this test, never leave the ignition switch on for more than 30 seconds at a time.

Set your voltmeter to a 15 or 20-volt scale. Attach an 18 or 20 AWG jumper wire from the negative coil terminal to an engine ground. Attach positive (red) lead of your voltmeter to the positive side of the coil, and the negative (black) lead to an engine ground. Turn the ignition switch to the run position. Now read the voltage at the positive coil terminal. Turn the ignition switch off. If the voltage measured is approximately 12 volts, no resistance wire is present. A typical resistance wire will provide 9 - 6 volts.

The next step is to determine the resistance in the primary ignition. Label the wires attached to the coil terminals and note their appropriate location. Make sure that the ignition switch is off and disconnect all wires from the coil. Adjust your meter to the lowest ohm scale. If you are using an analog style meter make sure to zero the needle.

Measure from the negative terminal to the positive terminal. Write your measurement down.

Now the maximum system amperage can be determined, divide your voltage measurement by your coil resistance measurement. This will give you the system current or amperage.

Four and six cylinder engines should not exceed 4 amps. Eight cylinder engines should not exceed 8 amps. If the total amperage in your system is higher than the amount recommended for your application, you should install a ballast resistor.

Example
Voltage 12
Resistance 1.5
12 / 1.5 = 8
Total amperage 8

Basically,on a 12V system, you need a 3Ω coil for a 4 or 6-cyl engine. If you ohm out at 1.5Ω, add a 1.5Ω resistor to make 3Ω. This is what you should have had anyway to avoid burning contact points and overheating coils.
 

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