New Distributor Ignition Ballast

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JungleCrow

JungleCrow

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I purchased this new Mallory distributor and Im in the final stages of installing it. As you can see by the directions how I am suppose to hook up the wires with a ballast resistor. My resistor has an ignition wire combined with what is suppose to go to the + on the coil according to my wire diagram (right). The other side (left) goes to my alternator. So my question is how to hook up my distributor wires and such according to the diagram. Does my + on the coil go with the wire from the alternator and the red wire on the distributor goes to the side with the 12v ignition wire?

Thanks in advance!
 
Get out your test light or "voltmeter preferably", unplug the resistor completely, turn on the ignition key to the run position, see which of the two wires has battery voltage & hook that wire back up to the resistor. That wire you just hooked up to the resistor should also be hooked up to the red wire going to the distributor.

Now the other terminal on the resistor with no wire attached needs to have a wire from the resistor to the + side of the coil. You really should use the origional wire (wires) that was hooked to the + side of the coil anyway. It looks to me like the only wire you really need to add is the 12 volt power wire (12 volts with the ignition key in the run position) to the red dist. wire.
 
Right. But what Im wondering is if the wire from the alternator goes on the non 12v side? Right now it is. Just wondering if these directions changes that?

Thanks for clearing everything else up though.
 
I am having the same problem. I am not sure what to hook the two blue wires that go to the ALT to.
Please help us both.
 
JungleCrow said:
Right. But what Im wondering is if the wire from the alternator goes on the non 12v side? Right now it is. Just wondering if these directions changes that?

Thanks for clearing everything else up though.
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First, what exactly are you working on?

When you say one wire goes to the alternator what does this mean? Do you mean that it is directly hooked to the alternator? If so where is it hooked on the alternator, on one field terminal??? Does it go to the regulator?
 
Im working on a 70 dart and Im adding this new distributor. The ballast in photo 1 has the 12v and a wire that went to the old distributor or coil (right side). The left side that has no wires had one that went to the coil or distributor and one that went to the alternator. I dont know what wire that is since I dont have a diagram for the alt. Its a blue wire that splits. One goes to the ballast and the other goes to the harness on the firewall. So my question is since this diagram doesnt say anything about my alt wire does it stay on the non 12v side of the ballast like original? My thought is yes but I just want to make sure. I dont like electrical and Im learning as Im going.

Siuauto, I have a wiring diagram I can take a photo of. Its for a 71 dart.
 
OK you asked,

No matter who's resistor you use, unplug both connections of the old resistor. Take a voltmeter and read voltage both with the key on and key off on both connectors.

Tell me that connector #1 has such and such voltage key on and then key off

Tell me that connector#2 has such and such voltage key on and key off!!!!

What you should find is that one connector will have battery voltage with the key on and zero with the key off. The other connector should not show any voltage readings. If in fact this is what you find than the connector that has battery voltage with the key on and none when it's off is the connector/wires you will want to splice into that the new red distributor wire will hook to. Than hook up the resistor (new one or the old one) using the origional connectors. Then hook the origional wire that was on the coil + to the new coil + terminal. Finally the green wire off the new dist. to the - side of the new coil and it should be good to go.
 
Ok, I already know how to do that part. I know what wires are what. My questions are about where each wire should be on the ballast resistor cuz I dont have the original wires just a diagram. The only wires I have left according to my diagram are the one from the alternator (leftside), the 12v wire from the ignition and a random wire with nothing on the end of it (rightside) as seen in photo. My question was the alternator wire and what side it needs to be on. My instincts tell me on the side with the wire that is going to go to the + coil while the other side gets the one from the distributor and the 12v source. Basically Im rewiring all of this cuz it was never there. It was jimmy rigged to death hence why I got a new distributor. Well that and the old one was full of antifreeze.
 
Do you have a factory wiring diagram? That should show you where everything goes.

If the original wiring is that messed up then you need to get a new harness or at least a different harness, it's not worth the risk of an engine fire trying to reuse a screwed up harness.
 
I have a factory diagram. Just need to make sure if that is where the wire from the alternator goes still with this new distributor.
 
JungleCrow said:
Im working on a 70 dart and Im adding this new distributor. The left side that has no wires had one that went to the coil or distributor and one that went to the alternator. I dont know what wire that is since I dont have a diagram for the alt. Its a blue wire that splits. One goes to the ballast and the other goes to the harness on the firewall.
I had asked you where it went on the alternator and your reply above stated
you don't know. HOW DO YOU KNOW it goes to the alternator????? It would be nice to know what it's hooked to on the other end and, it might have been easier if you had mentioned the wiring was hacked up to begin with. When someone is trying to help you from miles away the more information you can get the better informed of a decision you will get.

I do believe since you have everything else figured out, the alternator wire if in fact it is, and if in fact it goes to the actual voltage regulator and not the alternator woould go to the hot 12 volt side of the resistor. It should be the voltage feeding the regulator.
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I have dyslexia. I know it goes to the alternator cuz I followed it there and the diagram says it goes there. The other end of the wire is spliced to the resistor and wiring harness on the firewall (whatever the factory spec is). I dont remember what wire it is on the alternator right now other than its blue. I want to say the top connection on the alt.

I showed a picture of the hack job. According to that photo the 12v source is on the right side with a wire that went somewhere. According the diagram it was the + on the coil. The left side had the wire coming from the alternator which is spliced into a wiring harness on the firewall and the other wire into the resistor (Factory). Opposite of the 12v source.

So now the 12v source and wire to the + dist need to go on one side and the wire from the alt and + coil needs to go to the other?

Sorry man for the confusion but its hard for me to get my thoughts into txt. I do appreciate the help no matter if I suck at writing, get yelled at or get repeated directions.
 
JungleCrow said:
I have dyslexia. I know it goes to the alternator cuz I followed it there and the diagram says it goes there. The other end of the wire is spliced to the resistor and wiring harness on the firewall (whatever the factory spec is). I dont remember what wire it is on the alternator right now other than its blue. I want to say the top connection on the alt.

I showed a picture of the hack job. According to that photo the 12v source is on the right side with a wire that went somewhere. According the diagram it was the + on the coil. The left side had the wire coming from the alternator which is spliced into a wiring harness on the firewall and the other wire into the resistor (Factory). Opposite of the 12v source.

So now the 12v source and wire to the + dist need to go on one side and the wire from the alt and + coil needs to go to the other?

Sorry man for the confusion but its hard for me to get my thoughts into txt. I do appreciate the help no matter if I suck at writing, get yelled at or get repeated directions.
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My last .02. I don't believe so.

12v. source on one side (the ballast resistor doesn't care which side you hook it on) on the SAME SIDE as the 12v. source will also go the RED + wire for the new dist. and also the wire going to the alternator! On the other side of the resistor should go the wire to the + coil.

Will you be using the uncut origional wire going from the resistor to the coil +? The reason I ask this is, if not you might have to splice in a wire to the coil + from the starter relay so you get a full 12v. to the coil while you are in the cranking mode.

No problem, not trying to cause any hard feelings just the more info. that can be put out there makes it easier on the one trying to help you. Good luck!
 
Here are a couple more photos I finally got weather to take them in. See how the alternator wire splices to the ignition resistor, Volt regulator and the other to the firewall harness? As you can see in this the alt wire is opposite of the 12v source. You cant see the other side of the harness but it goes to the ignition connector on the steering column. I included the under the hood photo too of the blue wire splicing into three different areas if the diagram is confusing.

So does the alt wire still go on the same side as the 12v source?
 
This helps a little. It's an electronic voltage regulator however, I can't tell if it's the correct alternator. I can only see the output terminal (battery charge wire) and one slip on field connector. Is there another slip on field terminal not shown I hope????

Sorry, not seeing the blue wire spliced into three areas???? Really need to know about how many slip on field terminals on the alt.?
 
The alt has three hook ups. The top one which ran to all the spots that the diagram and photos show. The other field connector is in the middle of the alt right below the top one. Then the last one isnt a slip on but a stud and nut. I cant tell you where the other two go cuz Im not home till Monday. But the one on top in the photos goes to the ignition resitor, voltage reg, and firewall. Ok now see in the diagram how the wire from the alt splices to those three places? Now look at the up close photo of the wires in the car. Right behind the MC is the splice. Its bare wire with solder. Thats the splice as in the diagram that goes to the three locaions. Now in the diagram it says that wire is suppose to be opposite of the 12v source. So with this new distributor I was just wondering if that is where it stays?

So to answer your question there are two slip on field connectors and one stud and nut. Blue/white wire on top, red in middle and black on bottom.

Thanks for all the help once again!
 
JungleCrow said:
The alt has three hook ups. The top one which ran to all the spots that the diagram and photos show. The other field connector is in the middle of the alt right below the top one. Then the last one isnt a slip on but a stud and nut. I cant tell you where the other two go cuz Im not home till Monday. But the one on top in the photos goes to the ignition resitor, voltage reg, and firewall. Ok now see in the diagram how the wire from the alt splices to those three places? Now look at the up close photo of the wires in the car. Right behind the MC is the splice. Its bare wire with solder. Thats the splice as in the diagram that goes to the three locaions. Now in the diagram it says that wire is suppose to be opposite of the 12v source. So with this new distributor I was just wondering if that is where it stays?

So to answer your question there are two slip on field connectors and one stud and nut. Blue/white wire on top, red in middle and black on bottom.

Thanks for all the help once again!
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With your voltmeter, check for battery voltage with the key in the run position at the blue wires that are factory splice together. You should find this has battery voltage only in the run position and is zero with the key off. This (series of wires spliced together) gives battery voltage to the regulator, one alternator field terminal and the ballast resistor and should have battery voltage with the key on! The other green wire off the voltage regulator goes to the other field terminal (the push on connectors of the alternator) of the alternator. The very same wire with all the splices (blue wire) is what you want to connect your RED wire to from your new distributor.
 
That would be the same side as the 12v source and would be opposite of what the original car wiring diagram says wouldnt it? Just want to be sure.
 
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