The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop '63 GMC 305 Starts but won't stay on

Just tested pink cable from ignition.

Turned the key to "ON". Grounded circuit tester and started testing. Lights up when touching spade at the ignition. Lights up when touching connection for pink on cab side of firewall. Lights up when touching connection for cloth cable on engine side of firewall. No light when touching "+" on ignition coil or directly on the fork terminal.

As I mentioned I had to travel for 3-4 weeks for work so I wasn't home to work on it, again... sorry for the hiatus. Thanks for the help.

Take that wire off the coil, clean the fork to bare metal. Inspect it's crimp. Test it again while it's off of coil. Report. I am here and watching this post. You are almost there.

Just to be clear, while the wire if off the coil turn ignition ON and test the wire with circuit tester?

Yes, test the end of the wire while it's off of coil. Touch the fork after it's cleaned and inspected. You are testing to see if the voltage reaches the fork. If no light, try to touch the resistance wire that's crimped right there. Try to see if it's a bad connection before we move on.
Circuit tester black on battery neg post...... and red on the fork. Key ON.

The suspense is killing me. Did you go out of town again?

haha no, but performed the test and unfortunately I'm out of time for today.

Disconnected, cleaned up the fork best I could but honestly if you reference the earlier photo it's in bad shape. No light on fork or on area where it's crimped.

OK when "YOU" get time. I have the answer to fix and start your truck.

You have one hell of a sense of humor, very Jerry Seinfeld.

The resistance wire has to be a certain length. It's so long that they bent it back on itself to fit in the harness. Don't know what is wrong with it but one thing for sure. if your tests are accurate, it's history. You can't feasibly replace it. A resisted coil is as bad an idea as the resistance wire was. Having a resistor in the bottom of a hot coil is no good. Heat causes resistance. A remote, ceramic insulated resistor is best....... used with an externally resisted coil. HEI is better than all that but a bit of a pain to do on a GMC 305 V6.

Disconnect connector on firewall. See video below for Packard 56 contact removal. Use a tiny screw driver to release the resistance wire's terminal inside the connector. It should be a male. Take other end off the coil. Leave resistance wire in the harness if you want. Both ends disconnected. (at connector and at coil)

Then do this and all your wildest dreams will come true:

1. Buy a ballast resistor and mount it on the firewall or inner fender. Build two wires. (14 ga). One with a male Packard 56 crimped on one end and a ring tongue terminal crimped on the other. Snap male into connector (where resistance wire was) and attach other end to ballast. Second wire has crimped ring tongue terminals on both ends. Goes from other side of ballast to coil positive.. No more fork tongue terminals!!

Most of the time the male tang does not have bottom access as shown in the video. So you come in from the front like the female removal. The male has a different retention tang than the female, as you can see.

2. Plug connector back in.

3. A new coil is recommended also.

4. Start truck and drive to bar.

It runs! Got a ballast resistor that supports 1.82 ohms from Napa and made the wires. Thanks for all of your help!

I'll send you a PM Bart....

Now on to the long list of other things...

Awesome buddy, so glad.
You did a good job. One thing at a time, wins the race.