New distributor/elelctronic ignition/coil

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Kikowillers

Kikowillers

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Hi guys,

Summer is finally over here in Australia so it's time to start working on the Dart again.

I'm in the process of installing a Summit Racing Electronic Mopar Distributor (SUM-850003) and a MSD Blaster 2 Ignition Coil (8203), but I ran into a few problems. I'm no electrician so it's all very puzzling to me.

My current setup is the original points distributor with a very old looking Lucas BA7 coil, no ballast resistor anywhere. This brings me to my first question:

The RUN wire in the + terminal on the Lucas coil read 12V on the multimeter. I then measured the coil's resistance and it read 1.5ohms... so my poor understanding of electrics is telling me this coil should have burned a long time ago (shouldn't 1.5ohm coils run at 6-9V?)... Can anybody explain how this thing still works?

Now for the new setup. This is what I have to install:
vbpgimage.php


These are the instructions that came with the ignition/distributor kit:
vbpgimage.php


The main question is:
I know I will have to install a ballast resistor, but I can't figure out which. As you can see from the picture above, both the ignition/distributor kit and the MSD coil came with a ballast resistor each. They are 0.8ohms in the Blaster 2 kit, and 1.25ohms in the ignition/distributor kit.

So starting from the fact that I currently have 12V on the RUN wire, can somebody please explain what this installation should look like?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!
 
If you wire it to your diagram it will be fine. Either resistor can be used( use 1 only). The MSD resistor will run a little hotter and give the coil more voltage. There is no polarity on a resistor, so just hook it up like the diagram. I hope this helps.
 
Thanks bbeep!

Do you have any idea how my original coil is running off a 12v RUN wire while it shows 1.5ohm resistance when tested?

Cheers!
 
So sorry I cannot answer your question as i run a completely different setup ( an HEI coil in cap ) yet all I can think of is " Lucas, the prince of darkness "
 
I agree with bbeep71. You may know that it is a bit hard to measure such low resistances accurately and even a little contact resistance can change the reading, plus changes as they heat up. Better to measure coil+ voltage while running as you did before, and judge by that. Personally, I would try the lower resistance ballast first and feel the coil and module after a while and see how hot they get. I hot-wired full 12 V to coil+ in driving my Valiant home after purchase (key switch problem) and it ran fine for 5 min, then started missing bad above 40 mph (idled fine). The coil was too hot to touch and I smelled melting plastic. Jumpered in the ballast and drove fine after that. Gives you some idea. My best thought on the Lucas coil is that the operating resistance might have been different than the 1.5 ohm you measured cold. I assume you know to touch the leads together and subtract that reading to tare other readings.
 
I agree with Bill, and suspect that the lower resistance of the two will be fine.

Kiko, you said "please explain what this installation should look like"

Are you saying you don't understand the diagram? If your original ballast has been removed, you need to re-install it. Essentially, the ballast wires into the electronic system exactly as it did originally

The dark blue "run" wire comes out of the bulkhead connector and goes to the bottom of the resistor in your diagram. Also coming off this terminal is any "switched 12V" accessories under the hood, the minimum of which is the IGN terminal of your regulator as well as power off to the ECU

On the remaining (top) terminal of the ballast hooks the wire to your coil +, as well as the brown wire coming out of the bulkhead. This is the "bypass" circuit which comes from the switch.
 
Hi guys

Thanks for the knowledge shared, I think I'm good to go ahead with the install now. Just to clarify, my distributor is original from factory, the coil may have been replaced in the past.

I'll just accept the fact that the RUN wire is 12v on coil positive and just go from there.

Still puzzled about the ohm reading on the old coil, especially because I found out the 12v RUN wire has a label "resistor cable"... But theres no ballast anywhere. Not sure what this is, not making much sense to me...

It's interesting that the 1969 Brazilian darts (like mine) did not come with an ecu nor a ballast resistor. Did all American darts come with these from factory?

Cheers!
 
Kikowillers said:
because I found out the 12v RUN wire has a label "resistor cable"... But theres no ballast anywhere. !
Click to expand...

If you have a wire in there tagged "resistor," then that is what replaces the ballast. Might be someone's "mod" and might be the difference between U.S. and "out of country."

So if that's true, you need to "get back" to full 12V coming out of the bulkhead or where-ever the resistance wire originates.
 
In that case, if this "resistor cable" is working as a ballast resistor, then it should not have 12V at the coil +, right? But it does...

I think whoever built the car must have used whatever cable they had available back then, maybe the car never had a ballast resistor.

This is a pre-production car, so it could have been built before things were setup properly in the plant.
 
I don't mean to complicate things but... If you pre 70 model has its original charging system, it may not maintain sufficient voltage to operate electronic ignition properly.
A points ignition system will function on low voltage. The ECU needs 12 volts.
 
RedFish said:
I don't mean to complicate things but... If you pre 70 model has its original charging system, it may not maintain sufficient voltage to operate electronic ignition properly.
A points ignition system will function on low voltage. The ECU needs 12 volts.
Click to expand...

You know, that has actually crossed my mind. I did however check voltage at the coil +, and it does show 12v so I think I may be ok. But I'm thinking of changing the alternator, voltage regulator, starter relay, just because everything is so old.

What would you suggest for an upgrade to the charging system, possibly maintaining the original wiring or changing it as little as possible?

Thanks!
 
Kiko, I don't know about "down there" but here in the US most replacement regulators for your car are already electronic. Easy to tell. Your original, if it is the mechanical relay type, will have two fairly large resistors under the bottom:

http://vintagemoparts.com/img/p/97-396-thickbox.jpg

If it does NOT have those as pictured, it is a replacement electronic unit. Additionally, Standard Motor Products (Blue Streak) as well as NAPA (Echlin) market electronic units which do not look like a "stocker." Echlin VR1001 or Standard VR-128

http://www.studebaker-info.org/parts/NEW/partsimages/echvr1001.jpg


Anything above is direct replacement for the 69 / Earlier type alternator, which has one grounded brush (field terminal)

The 70 / later alternators have both field / brush terminals insulated and are properly known as "isolated field." This type normally uses the 70/ later regulator which looks like this:

http://www.classicindustries.com/images/productimg/m/mn1140.jpg

Now you could buy a 70/ later alternator, ground one field, and use it with your early type regulator, but if you try and use the 70/ later regulator you MUST have the later alternator
 
67Dart273 said:
Kiko, I don't know about "down there" but here in the US most replacement regulators for your car are already electronic. Easy to tell. Your original, if it is the mechanical relay type, will have two fairly large resistors under the bottom:

http://vintagemoparts.com/img/p/97-396-thickbox.jpg

If it does NOT have those as pictured, it is a replacement electronic unit. Additionally, Standard Motor Products (Blue Streak) as well as NAPA (Echlin) market electronic units which do not look like a "stocker." Echlin VR1001 or Standard VR-128

http://www.studebaker-info.org/parts/NEW/partsimages/echvr1001.jpg


Anything above is direct replacement for the 69 / Earlier type alternator, which has one grounded brush (field terminal)

The 70 / later alternators have both field / brush terminals insulated and are properly known as "isolated field." This type normally uses the 70/ later regulator which looks like this:

http://www.classicindustries.com/images/productimg/m/mn1140.jpg

Now you could buy a 70/ later alternator, ground one field, and use it with your early type regulator, but if you try and use the 70/ later regulator you MUST have the later alternator
Click to expand...


Thanks for this informative post. We just got a 318 going in a 65 dart GT with a new electronic ignition (mopar orange box). It runs great but the new alternator is not charging correctly. I am guessing we need to swap out the voltage regulator after reading your post with a newer style.
 
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