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MSD 6AL with MSD 8546 Pro Billet ...what to do with ballast

Posted By: Tommy D

MSD 6AL with MSD 8546 Pro Billet ...what to do with ballast - 10/15/18 08:18 PM

Help needed. I am running an MSD6AL with a MSD #8546 Pro Billet Distributor. I had some wiring issues with the original harness, and ordered and received a new engine harness from Evans Wiring. I saw the wiring diagram on the MSD site...The question I have is regarding the wires for the ballast resistor. My harness has these wires. The old setup and the diagram do not use the resistor. Do I simply not connect the wires to the ballast resistor? Should I just let them hang? Thank you in advance.
Posted By: therocks

Re: MSD 6AL with MSD 8546 Pro Billet ...what to do with ballast - 10/15/18 09:03 PM

You can run the ballast or eliminate it.But the wires must be connected.Many gut the ballast and solder in say a 10 gauge wire then hook up like stock.My MSD has had the ballast in use for the last 20 years.No problems at all.Rocky
Posted By: Tommy D

Re: MSD 6AL with MSD 8546 Pro Billet ...what to do with ballast - 10/15/18 09:12 PM

Thank you for the reply.
Posted By: an8sec70cuda

Re: MSD 6AL with MSD 8546 Pro Billet ...what to do with ballast - 10/15/18 09:21 PM

I removed the ballast and connected the wires together. Have 3 cars done that way for years.
Posted By: Tommy D

Re: MSD 6AL with MSD 8546 Pro Billet ...what to do with ballast - 10/15/18 11:47 PM

I called the tech line after posting this thread. The online guy told me I could NOT use the ballast resistor. If used and the voltage drops below (forget the level he told me)...the ignition would shut off. He told me that I must connect the wires together as mentioned above...thank you.

Any chance you have a photo of what that looks like, or how you did it? Tom
Posted By: Cab_Burge

Re: MSD 6AL with MSD 8546 Pro Billet ...what to do with ballast - 10/16/18 04:16 AM

Make yourself a #14 or #12 female jumper wire to plug both ends of the stock wires that went to the ballast and bypass it that way up scope
You can also cut the ends off and solder in a piece of #14 wire to the ends and shrink wrap it and tape it into the stock wiring harness to hide it whistling devil up twocents
Posted By: 383man

Re: MSD 6AL with MSD 8546 Pro Billet ...what to do with ballast - 10/16/18 07:05 PM

I have never used the ballast on the cars I have put MSD on. My son runs MSD on his Dart and we took the ballast out. I still run the MP orange ECU because it still works great in my car with the old Accel super coil and no ballast. Ron
Posted By: Tommy D

Re: MSD 6AL with MSD 8546 Pro Billet ...what to do with ballast - 10/17/18 01:37 PM

With the electrical help of a good friend...we cut the back of the resistor out and put a jumper on the hot side to connect the battery wire of the MSD box. This way the wiring looks stock, which was a must for me. Thanks again for the help from the folks on this board!
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