Coil Resistor

[Barlea]

What would be the result of running without resistor to cut voltage to the coil on a pre-war Ford? ..B.

 

[jerry grayson]

What would be the result of running without resistor to cut voltage to the coil on a pre-war Ford? ..B.

Melted coil

 

[ken ct]

Premature burning of points. Not a good idea. ken ct.

 

[zeffer1940]

I wondered the same ..I have run mine that way for over 10 years..just changed
points, tune up..etc..the points were grayish and burnt, not pitted..car still
ran fine..I am cautious about leaving ign on, unless engine is running..I run a rebuilt
Skip Haney coil..so far so good..I inquired to a bunch of flatheaders, and most warned of running batt down if ign left on...point life shortened etc.. I like the bright strong blue spark...and have not had an issue in 10,000 or so miles....?? but..I know Henry put it there for a reason......

 

[George/Maine]

The resister is to cut voltage to the coil,It drops about 1.5 volts across resister.If you don,t like the resister get a Plymouth coil 46 thur 55 they don't use them.

 

[G.M.]

Zeffer you won't hurt Skips coil running it without a resistor but if the ignition switch is left on for 10 minutes it will burn the coil out. The only way one of his coils will burn out is to leave the switch on and the points are closed. He don't warrant burnt coils, they don't burn out running with or without a resistor. The resistor also takes a lot of heat out of the coil and wiring if the switch is left on. Cars have caught on fire when the switch is left on with a battery charger connected. It only takes enough spark across the spark plug to over come the "wind" from the compressed air so the spark don't blow out like a candle. Skips coils give plenty of spark with a resistor. What excessive spark will do is cause wear on the rotor, arc the contacts on the caps and the ends of the rotor and cause carbon tracking to ground any place there is oil and dirt in the cap and rotor. I have seen arcing through the inside of the rotor to the shaft. Plug wires will also leak to ground. I don't know of any benifit of a spark hotter then your coil will put out with a resistor. If you have a burnt ignition switch bad electrical wires and connections or a low battery this will offset the no resistor a little. G.M.