Yeah I've now confused myself. I'm running a non-points Unilite distributor. From my understanding the primary lead wire is used for starting and then the resistance wire is used once the car is started. Wouldn't you still need at least 1 wire from the ignition?
So if I have the ballast resistor it's redundant, since all the current is going through the ballast as well as the calibrated wire. I don't see how splicing would make a difference since only one of the leads is active at one time. By using both the calibrated wire and ballast resistor I was probably reducing the voltage before it even got to the ballast.
I also checked and saw that the wire I used was tinned copper so it should be as good or better. Maybe I'll get another ballast resistor. I think the Mallory 700 unit is variable resistance for starting. 0.75 -1.5 Ohms
What ignition wires would you guys recommend with this set-up? I have super old 8.8mm (~1994) and I'm guessing they were over kill since I don’t have an MSD. I did mess with the wire looms a bit to make sure the #5 and #7 wires weren’t routed together. Maybe I could have inadvertently cracked a wire, but I would imagine that the missing would be constant and not just at one RPM. I guess I could mist the wires to see if they arch. I was planning on replacing the wires, so maybe now is the time. Do you have a preferred or recommended wire type or brand?
Any diagnostic tests to check that my voltage and current are sufficient at the coil, plugs, and ignition?