Does anybody know what this is and why it started smoking???
- Thread starter BarelyaV-8
- Start date
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BarelyaV-8
Well-Known Member
fratzog lover
Well-Known Member
Your ballast resistor is fried.
BarelyaV-8
Well-Known Member
That's what I thought it was... Why would it smoke?
Oklacarcollecto
Life is an experiment
Xs2.
grumpuscreature
Resident Curmudgeon
2 prong ballast resistor. They can start smoking for as stupid a reason as I did. Replace it and if the new one starts smoking you have a bad coil...
fratzog lover
Well-Known Member
Check your ignition system for a short to ground.
BarelyaV-8
Well-Known Member
Didn't even have the coil hooked up just put the motor back in checked the ignition to make sure it had power and all of a sudden smoke! So I'm assuming because the coil wasn't in place it over heated?
bbrroowwnn
never re member
You let the magic smoke out of the ballast resistor...Its that same magic smoke that make the car start and keep running
oldmopardude
Well-Known Member
12+ in, 5 out. Any more fried the condenser in the day. If it smokes, it is being too much of a resistor.
fratzog lover
Well-Known Member
It limits current in the coil. In the points days, leaving the key in "on" with the engine not running would cause problems for your battery. What year, engine and distributor type?
BarelyaV-8
Well-Known Member
1970 dart flame thrower coil stock distributor with...
Sounds like the wire to the coil was touching metal and shorted.
BarelyaV-8
Well-Known Member
Also where does the part hanging off the coil go?
In your picture, the wires are laying on the metal intake. Direct short.
grumpuscreature
Resident Curmudgeon
That'll do it. When you get a replacement buy 2 and always keep one in the glovebox for just in case...
Got hot and started burning the paint off. They are ceramic, and should not be painted.
BarelyaV-8
Well-Known Member
That makes sense
In a rush trying to get things done in a engineer but damn when you move to fast you make mistakes
BarelyaV-8
Well-Known Member
Cars coming along anyways for my first complete rebuild
Still have to figure out throttle linkage and kickdown
Still have to figure out throttle linkage and kickdown
BarelyaV-8
Well-Known Member
Does anyone know where the part hanging off the coil goes? And it's function?
bbrroowwnn
never re member
its a radio noise supressor
grumpuscreature
Resident Curmudgeon
We called them condensers. Looks like you are running a Pertronix or some other electronic conversion and if that is true you can safely sh*t can it. They extended the life of points by bypassing RF energy to ground and reducing the amount of arcing that occurred when the points opened and closed. They also provided job security for tune up shops by shorting out and killing your ignition at the most inopportune times...
BarelyaV-8
Well-Known Member
Is that a joke?
BarelyaV-8
Well-Known Member
What the heck does it connect to?
bbrroowwnn
never re member
no joke...radio noise suppressor....condenser is under the distributor cap and only if you still have points ignition system....If you are running a pertronix or electronic ignition system there is no condenser under the cap....
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