[AT] question on use of resistor on coil

[DAVIESW739 at aol.com]

The reason for the ballast resister is to keep  the higher voltage (12) from 
burning the points.  It won't hurt the  coil.  the reason you don;t see them 
in some early GMC vehicles is because  they had a resister wire from the key 
switch to the coil. It was very  stiff.  I have seen people who didn't know this 
that would replace it with  a standard wire and wonder why they kept buring 
up the points. Of course in the  days before electronic ignitions we were lucky 
to get 10,000 miles out a set of  points and spark plugs. I think I changed 
them on my Saab Sonett more than I did  the oil. 
My 97 ford Ranger says to tune it up when it reaches 100,000  miles.

Walt Davies
Cooper Hollow Farm
Monmouth, OR 97361
503  623-0460