The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 6V Coil No Resistor requirerd?

Ok it just keeps getting more confusing by the minute.

I'm having a heck of a time figuring out this wiring situation on my 59 with a 235, Alternator, Resistor and 6 volt coil.
If I didn’t have an alternator I would just set it up like it is in the shop manual. Or if I had a lot of cash I would put in a 12v coil and distributor.

So yesterday I bought a new coil and on the coil it says " 6V NO EXTERNAL RESISTOR REQUIRERD"
So does this mean I can run the coil directly to my Ignition (ING 1)? And if so what do I do with the ING 2.
Or do I just ignore the message and run the ING 1 wire to the Firewall Resistor and run the Coil wire to the Firewall Resistor and have the ING 2 wire tap into it like it is in the shop manual.

After this I have to figure out where to run the wire('s) from my Alternator to--?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. All I need to get this bad boy going on the road is the wiring problem resolved.

the first question is if you have TF trucks, why 6V? 59 is 12V

the notice on the coil means it has internal resistance, so should NOT be used w/ an external - you could go back and ask for one w/ NO internal resistor - or just take the external resistor out of the circuit by hooking the 2 wires together that normally go to the firewall resistor

6v and 12v use the same dist

internally regulated 6v alternator? need to hook some wires together at the firewall regulator, but can't recall which right now, will see if I can find my notes, but you need to clarify if this is not your TF truck

Bill

So I can hook the ING 1 directly to the coil and not even use the ING 2?

Internal regulated 12V Alternator.
Also it’s a push button starter. Was a floor starter but someone moved it to the dash.
I am working on the 59 but I have a 55.2 shop manual. Is the electrical the same?

Am I incorrect that 55.2 - 59 have a 12V system but use a 6V coil?

yes 55 and 59 Chev are close enuff the same, both 12V [55 GMC was 6V], and any 12v needs a 12v coil - get the right one: external resistor 12V!! but if you can only find internal resistor ones, yes, bypass the firwall resister

for the 12V alternator hookup, is it a one wire or 3 wire alternator? I'd hafta dig around and find the hookup [mine is old external regulated] - someone else here must know

Bill

If a 55.2 Chevy with a 235 has a 12V coil then why does the diagram have a resistor mounted on the firewall.

I'm not trying to prove you wrong I just don’t understand why this keeps showing up in drawings and part #s. And guys at the part stores are mixed on the info that they tell me and part # for Chevy 55.2-59 has a 6V resistor in one of the parts catalogue.

Wont a 12V coil fry the points?

Maybe the problem is just me.
Thanks for you continued support red58

Yes, the 12v coil will burn your point up prematurely IF, the coil is one without an internal resister, and no external ballast resistor is used. If you use a 12v coil with an internal resistor, you don't need the external ballast resistor.

The old 6 volt systems didn't use ballast resistors because the 6 volt system didn't push enough current through the primary circuit to burn the points. When they went to 12v they started using the ballast resistors to knock the voltage to the coil down to somewhere in the neighborhood of 7-9 volts. This lessens arcing at the points and extends the life of the points dramatically. When measuring voltage at the coil you have to make sure the points are closed and current is flowing through the circuit. If no current is flowing, the meter will read full battery voltage. You can also check the voltage with the engine running.

So do Ignition 1 and Ignition 2 both go to the Coil when the coil has a built in resistor?

Ignition 1 should go to the resistor and then to the coil +.
On a key start truck (V8)Ign 2 should go directly to the coil + to bypass the resistor to give a hotter spark at startup. A six cylinder with foot start had the resistor bypass done by a wire that ran from the switch on the starter up to the coil.

There is very little differance in a 6V and a 12V coil.
A 6v car when charging runs at 7.2 volts to the coil. A 12v car with a dropping resistor puts about 8-9 volts to the coil. Very close to the same.

I have customers running 6v coils with a resistor on 12v cars with no problems.

not sure what this ign 1 and 2 are - there is a wire to one end of the firewall resistor that goes to the coil, the wire on the other end of the resistor goes to the ign sw - if you have a 12V coil w/ internal resistance, just take the two wires off the firewall resistor [both of which go into the firewall if you have an original harness] and hook them together to bypass it - one side of the coil [either type] goes to the distributer, other side to the ign sw, but again on an original harness, both go into the harness

yer parts guys are screwy - resistors aren't measured in volts and it makes no difference to a resistor if it's 6v or 60v - their books should show that the 5-9 [235 or 283] uses a 12V coil w/ NO internal resistance, but they may not have that type of coil handy nowadays as everything went to the internal in the 60's or so

a newer style internal resistance coil will work on the truck [if you bypass the external one], but an original coil didn't have the internal resistance, so used the external ign resistor, which is why it's shown on your wiring diagram

the purpose of the original setup is that when you first engage the starter, the starter bypasses the ign resistor to give full juice to the coil, then once running, the coil only gets the resistance lowered current as Eric says so as to not burn points

Bill

If you don't mind I'm going to jump in here with a question. I'm having electrical problems of the same kind. I have a 12 v system. I have a new resistor in the line that goes from the ingition switch to the coil and another line going from the minus side of the coil to the distributor. My foot starter switch has only one post on it, with no provisions for a wire going back to the coil. I am having problems getting the timing right. But think I will eventually get that worked out by trial and error if no other way. The truck is now backfiring through the carberator, which makes me think it is firing too soon. Do you agree with that. BUT, my resistor is getting hot, as are the wires going to and from it. Also the coil while not as hot is getting very warm. This doesn't seem normal to me. What have I done wrong? Am I using the wrong resistor? If so what should I ask for at the parts store? If I bought a new coil with internal resistance, could I then just hook the wire from the Ignition switch directly to the coil, and just forget about the resistor, etc. Thanks for your help. Allen

Bakerallen,

The only foot starter switches that have the extra post on them for resistor bypass are the 12 volt 1955-59 PU.

I would check the voltage at the coil plus side with it running. If the voltage is above 9 volts you have the wrong resistor.

A coil and resistor will get very hot if the key is left on with the points closed if it is not running.

If it is backfiring through the carb the accelerator pump may not be working.

Spitting back through the carb can be caused by retarded timing when the engine doesn't accellerate quite as fast as it should when the thottle is opened, as also happens when the accellerator pump doen't work. Backfiring through the carb is usually caused by timing being completely out or by improper firing order.

Baldy: Thanks for the reply. Baldy is exactly right. The timing was extremely retarded. I just sent a reply to Stuart under Timing Marks. Take a look there for the full story. I will check the resistor for voltage. I bought a new one, and the guy at the parts counter said he didn't know what I needed, but the one he sold me was the one most people used on old vehicles, and tractors such as 8 and 9 N Fords, so it is probably ok.

I intended to send the previous post to both Pre '68 Dave and Baldy. Thanks again. Allen

Would a resister be needed if i did away with the points?

Mark

Mark, the resistor is intended to keep the coil from being fried by too much current - nothing to do w/ the dist, breakerless or not - so if you've got a coil ....

Bill

I need to jump in here too and and ask a question. I've got a 58 Panel that had a 67 Camero 327 in it when I bought it. I'm planning on keeping the 327 but I want to go with a HEI distibutor. Do I still need to keep the external resister? I'm trying to clean up the firewall and I'm still in the planning stages. Thanks

Mike

distributor don't matter - get a coil w/ internal resistance and you can eliminate the external one - by 67 I think they were that way anyhow - specify internal resistance at the parts store

got some pics of that panel in the gallery yet?

Bill

Thanks Bill, Makes sence now that i think about it!

I started another topic on this, but maybe you can answer it too, is there a positive and negative side of ammeters on a 49 gauges, i'm putting new wire in and the owner seems to think there is but nothing I have indicates it?

Mark

58 CHEVY PANEL,

HEI distributors use straight 12 volts, no resistor.

bodiman,

Ammeters have a positive and negative side. If you hook it up backwards it will just read backwards.

Is there a 6V and a 12V condenser or are they the same?

Billy - the condensers may be different in various ways - they'll be the same for a number of years, but you should use the one for yer year

Bill

Thanks red

The old time installations that I have seen, had them attached to the steering column, usually with tape (tacky or what?). The old flashers had holes in the prongs and the eyeletts of the wire ends were attached using screws and nuts.