Hello,
I am installing a direct fire system (MSD through a 2nd gen. coil) into my car. I know I cut the 2nd gen. igniter out of the circuit, but what about the ballast resistor? What does the ballast resistor do?
Thanks for your time ~ JEB

 

You shouldn't need the ballast with the MSD. The ballast is there to limit current with the stock setup. I would also recommend against cutting out the 2nd gen ignitor. It is better to just take off the plastic cover that says "L1 L2" on it. The terminals to the actual coil are directly underneath. Disconnect the stock wires and connect the MSD and coil + (switched 12v) to the coil posts as you would with any other coil. That way you can still use the 2nd gen coil in a 2nd gen or resell later if you decide to do something else. No sense in ruining a good coil pack if you don't need to.