Re: Resistor Coil
The Mallory design components that Ford used on the V8 cars were specially made to fit with the distributors Ford used up through 1948. After that, Ford contracted with Holley to use the Load-O Matic design in conjunction with the 8BA and 885 carburetors made by Holley for Ford and Mercury respectively. The Mallory designs all needed a ballast to control the current to the coil for optimal performance and reliability. Straight 6-volts would be hard on them.
The can type coils with the 1.5 Ohm primary never needed current control so they work fine with 6-volt systems. The early 12-volt systems tried to get away with using the same 1.5 Ohm coil in 1956 but they were problematic to they added a ballast resistor to control the current on them or they would get too hot. Ford and other manufacturers did this clear up into the early electronic ignition era.
The modern 3-Ohm primary coil was developed using new materials so it could work on 12-volts with no ballast control. Special epoxy mixtures replaced the oil in these new type coils so they can take the heat with no problems.
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