The only time you'll see a voltage drop on the downstream side of the resistor will be with all the wires connected, AND THE POINTS CLOSED! As soon as you disconnect any wires, or open the points, the voltage will jump up to 12V everywhere. In order for the resistor to work, you need a complete circuit from the battery, to the ignition switch, the resistor, coil, points, and ground. You should see about a 2.5-3 volt drop across the resistor when it's flowing current- - - -key on, and points closed. The "R" terminal on the starter provides full battery voltage to the coil + terminal as long as the starter is running, bypassing the resistor. You can either connect it to the downstream side of the resistor, or the coil + terminal. It works the same either way.
Jerry
