The Ford Barn

hueyhoolihan · 03-02-2026, 08:45 AM

what's the simplest way to test for whether or not i've got a ballast resistor in the circuitry that runs from my ignition switch to my coil on my '41 ford? as i think i've finally found the reason that my E-Fire distributor is not working. i.e. it will apparently (buried very deep in the small print in the installation manual) not work at all with a ballast resistor, and i suspect my car has one.

and if i do have one, what's the best way to bypass it? hopefully one that doesn't involve laying upside down underneath the dash with both arms raised above my head for any more than a second or two.

03-02-2026, 08:45 AM	#1
hueyhoolihan Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2024 Location: central coast california Posts: 594	testing for the existence of ballast resistor in my car what's the simplest way to test for whether or not i've got a ballast resistor in the circuitry that runs from my ignition switch to my coil on my '41 ford? as i think i've finally found the reason that my E-Fire distributor is not working. i.e. it will apparently (buried very deep in the small print in the installation manual) not work at all with a ballast resistor, and i suspect my car has one. and if i do have one, what's the best way to bypass it? hopefully one that doesn't involve laying upside down underneath the dash with both arms raised above my head for any more than a second or two.