Quote:

I am using an MSD 6AL, on a 69 Plymouth. Blaster coil, and MSD Distributor. Car ran great, but yesterday it sputtered and died. I left the ballast resistor in line, as I read in a couple of different places on MSDs website, and in the instructions that it was ok to do so. Doing some trouble shooting, I have voltage everywhere I should, so I figured what the heck, I'll bypass the resistor, and it cranks. So I reconnect the resistor, and it cranks. ???? Examining the resistor, it's broken inside, could this have taken me down? I mean to where the engine wouldn't even turn over?


The ballast resistor is shunted out of circuit when you crank the motor over. If it started when the key is turned and then stopped when you returned the key to run position, then you have a bad ballast.
If it does not crank, more likely suspects are dead battery, starter relay, neutral safety switch and/or combinations of these.
Ballast resistors do go bad but it most likely opens up and would kill the spark, not drain the battery.
Craig

2014 Ram 1500 Laramie, 73 Cuda
Previous mopars: 62 Valiant, 65 Fury III, 68 Fury III, 72 Satellite, 74 Satellite, 89 Acclaim, 98 Caravan, 2003 Durango
Only previous Non-Mopar: Schwinn Tornado