Do you know?

[Harv]

The GT40R is designed to be used in vehicles fitted with a ballast resistor, like most red-motor Holdens. When you first start the car, the ballast resistor is bypassed, and the coil gets the full 12V(ish). Once the engine fires, the resistor comes on line and limits the current going to the coil (voltage drops back to 8-9V(ish). Ballast resistors were first introduced with the EH Holden.

The GT40 coil is designed to be used in vehicles with no ballast resistor, like the EJ Holden. It operates on the full 12V.

So assuming someone has just plonked a red motor into the 'J, and hasn't added the ballast resistor, it should has a GT40 coil. If you run the GT40R coil with standard EJ Holden wiring, it will soon cook the coil.

Cheers,
Harv (deputy apprentice spitz and sparken technician)

[EH Axiomatic]

I see no 'physical' ballast resistor anywhere in the engine bay or near the distributor, like i guess you'd normally see, so i guess i still have standard ej wiring.

You won't "see" one in the EH engine bay either as they run the ballast resistor as a ballast resistor wire through the EH wiring harness.
It would be a perfect opportunity (with the EJ wiring harness) to run a HEI distributor and ignition coil ,like often used out of the Commodore blue motors, as they use 12 volts with no ballast resistor .

[Harv]

You won't "see" one in the EH engine bay either as they run the ballast resistor as a ballast resistor wire through the EH wiring harness.

Correct. All you would see is a second connection to the +ve side of the coil. Normally a white wire with orange/purple cross-hatch tracing.

Cheers,
Harv

[EH Axiomatic]

Ah Blur1 ... the plot thickens.
Check there website here http://www.lumenition.com/new/support/l ... lation.pdf
Gives some coil specs.
But these guys are in your neck of the woods http://www.rae.com.au/technical/
and should be able to help you.
I don't have the Bosch GT40 specs handy...

Regards Ax

[Harv]

The Lumenition link indicates that it is "Not for use on low-resistance electronic coils". Coils are of three general types:
a) low resistance. If you throw an ohmmeter across the two terminals, they read 0.4-1.0 ohms. If you run one of these with normal Holden points ignition, you get a thumping great current through the coil... and a free BBQ under the bonnet. This is not what you want.
b) medium resistance, like the Bosch GT40-R. An ohmmeter will read 1-2 ohms across the terminals. These are for vehicles that have a ballast resistor. Assuming that you have the bog-stock EJ Holden wiring (and no sneaky second wire to the +ve side of the coil), then this is not what you want. You don't get the free BBQ... more like a slow-cooker that will fry the coil at the most inopportune time.
c) high resistance, like the Bosch GT40. An ohmmeter will read 2-4 ohms across the terminals. These are for vehicles that do not have a ballast resistor. This is what you want.

Cheers,
Harv (deputy apprentice spark plug tester, master of the Scintilla shuffle).

[EH Axiomatic]

master of the Scintilla shuffle

good one Harv ...Add wordsmith to your list of credentials
saved me all that typing and spec hunting ... and blur1 too of course

[EH Axiomatic]

"NYUk NYuk Nyuk".... older people will know....

For those who don't know what Harv was on about or not bothered looking it up,
he hit 2 home runs..
meaning...
1.SCINTILLA
/sɪnˈtɪlə/
noun
noun: scintilla; plural noun: scintillae; plural noun: scintillas
a tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling.
"a scintilla of doubt"
[/b]synonyms: particle, iota, jot, whit, atom, speck, bit, trace, ounce, shred, crumb, morsel, fragment, grain, drop, spot, mite, tittle, jot or tittle, modicum, hint, touch, suggestion, whisper, suspicion; More


2. BUT ALSO HIS PASSION

http://www.dcnyhistory.org/Scintilla.pdf
And On its last page.......
Scintilla Shuffle
"Finally an attempt at humor, just for the old days and for things going wrong as they often do….
The Scintilla Shuffle, perhaps not known to many, is like the Curley Shuffle. You certainly
remember Curley of “The Three Stooges” who made a number of movies, records, and was part
of yesteryear’s lore. When overburdened with a mental dilemma, he would stop what he was
talking about and do the shuffle. Doing the Scintilla Shuffle, take a good Scintilla magneto, hold
one of the high tension leads in one hand and with the other hand quickly spin the rotor. The
dance or shuffle created by the high voltage will tell you in general terms that the magneto is
working, and the dance it created is called the Scintilla Shuffle. Caution: do not try this at home
if your nerves are frayed or if you are subject to seizures, heart trouble or diarrhea."

It's a bit presumptuous of me Harv .. but I hope I was on your wavelength

[Harv]

Good news on the coil.

Yep, that was the Scintilla Shuffle I was thinking of. Kinda like using Dad's old bakelite Vane timing light... it's a bit bitey too unless wrapped in a rag. My kids learnt to swear listening to me use that timing light .

Cheers,
Harv

[EH Axiomatic]

blur1....... I think I found a picture of Harv using that Bakelite timing light of his or was it while he was doing the Scintilla Shuffle
The graphics actually look like the sparks.. make a great T shirt for him..
Is that You harv