Optimizing hot spark

Currently on my truck I have an Accel 8140 super stock coil with a ballast resistor of unknown resistance. The stock distributor pickup. I'm looking to eliminate or reduce the resistance of the ballast to get the hottest spark possible.
Does anyone know what the total resistance of a stock 89 2.6 coil and ballast resistor is?
The primary resistance on the 8140 coil is 1.4 ohms, which leads me to believe I can eliminate the ballast. But I don't want to burn up the stock ignition pickup with overcurrent.
Thanks
Giovanni

I run a original MSD blaster coil and I use a 0.8 ohm ballast resistor with it and never had any problems with the coil or pickup. I would try a resistor like that first before eliminating it.

Rule of thumb - if it's got a ballast resistor in it, keep it. There's the potential to roast components downstream of the coil.

*can't honestly say if a coil with an equivalent resistance in the primary side of the coil will affect or create an issue. I normally under gap my plugs by 0.15mm and be a bit more aggressive with ignition timing...

I bought a new battery for my multi meter and went out to check resistance. 1.2 on the coil and 1.3 on the resistor. I'm going to give a lower resistance ballast a try like you run Pennyman. Thanks for the info. Yes geezer, that's why I was curious about what the resistance on the stock coils was. Some of the aftermarket coils run a higher resistance so that they won't burn up electronic ignitions when run straight from 12 volts. I was going to calculate out the current that the stock system was drawing and make sure I was pretty close to that. It is worth noting that there is a spare coil, ICM, and cap/rotor kept under my seat should I let the smoke out!
I stay close to the stock timing and run my plug gaps up at the high. I think I'm going to give undergapping a shot. I had 4 or 5 degrees of extra static timing in but would get light pinging in certain light throttle cruise situations. How much extra timing do you run geezer?

I don't run numbers. I try to dynamically tune the ignition by holding the rpms @ 2k and swing the distributor 'til I hit the sweet spot and bump it back a tiny bit. Some engines are more sensitive than others when it comes to ign tuning.

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Originally Posted by geezer101

I don't run numbers. I try to dynamically tune the ignition by holding the rpms @ 2k and swing the distributor 'til I hit the sweet spot and bump it back a tiny bit. Some engines are more sensitive than others when it comes to ign tuning.

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Do you have a little write up on how you do it? Disconnect vacuum, hold at 2000rpm, and adjust distributor until max rpm/smoothness is obtained? I've certainly done it at idle with a vacuum gauge when timing marks were off, but never off idle speed.

Nope, it is as simple as it sounds. You need the vac on there or it'll over advance and rattle like a machine gun. Set your plug gaps slightly on the frugal side (I found 0.15mm under is sufficient without getting crazy), back off the distributor retaining nut, either hold the rpm by yourself which is tricky as you'll need a dwell/tach meter as a reference in front of you, or get a spare right foot from somewhere that can keep it at a steady 2,000 rpm and gently swing the distributor til you find an adjustment point where the rpm's jump by themselves. Back the advance timing off a tiny bit and lock it up. You should find an easier start straight off the key and a stronger acceleration curve. This works for all distributor systems. I was haunted by a GM Family II engine that always felt like a slug when I went by the book to tune it. Experimented with this and it transformed midrange and top end power and blipped through gears nice and quick.

I always run my plugs at .010" wider than stock with a hot coil and wires. I have a set of the Nology wires I got years ago used on eBay to go with the NGK platinum plugs and an original MSD blaster coil from the 80's.

Sounds like I have plenty to play with. I ordered an msd .8 ohm resistor today. I really do need some better wires. Was thinking about buying the spool of accel 7mm silicone wire and making up my own set. Wonder if equal length spark plug wires would have any effect. Delivering identical spark to every plug? Probably negligible, but it sounds like a fun idea. Any suggestions for high quality off the shelf wires would be cool too

I had Top Gun leads back in the day. Expensive but good.

I don't think equal length plug leads will have any effect. It'll come down to resistance in each lead which, if they're in good shape, will be barely measurable. You can run a bigger plug gap if you are pushing higher voltage through it, but a stock ignition system will struggle to build a charge in the coil which beats the crap out of it under higher rpms. The factory gaps are a minimum recommendation for an engine in need of a good tune up under cold start conditions, so using a trial and error rechnique with plug gaps and ignition tuning until you find a near optimal tune is the way to go.

*edit - found this on ignition tuning from a guy who is a track support for MSD

Forgot to add, my reasoning with under gapping plugs means it will hold tune longer and will transition from performance to economy as the electrodes slowly burn on the plugs. Meh, it's a theory I've run with as long as I've been meddling with engine tuning...

I agree that running wider gaps on a stock ignition setup is a bad idea, but mine is not stock, so I can do it. The MSD coil paperwork suggested running a wider gap to take advantage of the higher voltage potential.

I ordered a .8ohm msd ballast, and some new silicone wires. Wires aren't that old, but they were cross arcing a bit. I'll probably stick with the low end of the stock gap to start, and open them up slowly until i feel it taper off. Then i'll close them up about .005" to .01" I change my plugs every 10 or 15k, so they shouldn't wear to the point where I have problems. I also ordered a few jets for the carb. Theres a nagging lean spot and rich spot I want to get rid of before I start playing more with the ignition. More to come! Thanks guys

My 2 cents of trials with ignition wires [don't pull on the wire to remove the boot from the spark plug] same goes for the cap & coil ends...

Try this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45dWklF5XX4