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on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down with Ads! Again, thanks! | | | | Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 82 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 82 | I have an external resistor for my coil. I have converted from 12v to 6v. I read the same VDC out as i do in. I have a new resistor and it does the same thing. I have redone the wire from the ignition switch, wire from resistor to coil and wire from coil to distributor. Truck will not start. HELP. | | | | | Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 Bolter | | Bolter Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 | you went from a 12 volt to 6 volt
I have no idea what you are asking, maybe someone will chime in
I would think it would start whether or not you had a resistor but Redryder pixMy HotrodA veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of "up to and including my life."I am fighting cancer and I am winning the fight | Pain is part of life; misery is an option. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 | If you are referring to a ballast resistor in the power-lead going to the coil, one is not needed in a 6v system.
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 12,029 Cruising in the Passing Lane | | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 12,029 | what year we talking about? if you went TO 6V you don't want a resistor in the circuit, did you mean to say you went TO 12V? what is that voltage reading on the resistor? if it's the same on both sides, you've got something wired wrong, like another wire going to the coil [from the starter?] that's "feeding back"
Bill | | | | | Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 Bolter | | Bolter Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 | well, if you have 3 wires you might just try switching around and see what happens, Redryder pixMy HotrodA veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of "up to and including my life."I am fighting cancer and I am winning the fight | Pain is part of life; misery is an option. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 82 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 82 | ok. I did convert from 6v to 12v. after everything cooled down and the battery recharged, i reconnected everything and the truck started. I took readings out on the ballast resistor and there were 10vdc going to the coil and 10vdc coming from the coil to the distributor. Could it be that the ballast resistor is going bad. i have no other wires. I have wire from ignition switch to input of ballast resistor out put to coil and coil to distributor. THis is on a 235 chevy by the way. | | | | | Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 Bolter | | Bolter Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 | if it is running ok who cares about the readings..lol
so I guess your coil is not with an internal resistor ..
Last edited by joker; 08/26/2013 7:58 PM.
Redryder pixMy HotrodA veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of "up to and including my life."I am fighting cancer and I am winning the fight | Pain is part of life; misery is an option. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 82 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 82 | It its not a coil with an internal resistor. After it gets hot it will not start?
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 | You may not be far off at 10v - I think the ballast resistor is supposed to result in about 9v to the distributor? Someone will correct or clarify this?
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 Bolter | | Bolter Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 | are you saying when the coil gets hot it wont start or when the engine gets hot it wont start.. Redryder pixMy HotrodA veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of "up to and including my life."I am fighting cancer and I am winning the fight | Pain is part of life; misery is an option. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 12,029 Cruising in the Passing Lane | | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 12,029 | correct, the resistor is to cut down the 12V to coil, so the 10V reading is fine, not starting hot probably has nothing to do with that voltage to the coil, BUT there should be a circuit that bypasses the resistor when the starter is engaged so it gets the full 12V then, ensuring a good spark when the starter load is high, maybe that circuit is missing .... how is it acting when it won't start? won't crank? cranks slow? won't fire?
Bill | | | | | Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 Bolter | | Bolter Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 | waiting for the response if the coil is to hot or the engine to hot that makes it not start.........make sure the battery is good, Redryder pixMy HotrodA veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of "up to and including my life."I am fighting cancer and I am winning the fight | Pain is part of life; misery is an option. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 123 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 123 | | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 | eyell,
What size engine? What year engine? What type of carburetor (brand/make and type of choke)?
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 8,597 Riding in the Passing Lane | | Riding in the Passing Lane Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 8,597 | The voltage readings need to be taken with the points closed so the coil is energized. If you have the same reading at the dist side of the coil you are just reading bat. voltage. They say money can't buy happiness. It can buy old Chevy trucks though. Same thing. 1972 Chevy c10 Cheyenne SuperIn the Gallery Forum | | | | | Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 82 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 82 | I think it is when the ballast resistor gets hot. the truck was not hot, I only drove the truck for 1 mile. shut it off to go in house for something. came out it would not start. Battery is good turns over fine. Is not fuel related. has always started fine until recently. If the points are worn or burnt would that cause this. I think it would not start no matter what. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 82 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 82 | 235 chevy 58-62 i dont think it is the carburetor.it is a 1bbl carter | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 | Most likely there is no automatic choke on that Carter?
Joe's "start a warm engine" link above is for an automatic choke engine.
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 Bolter | | Bolter Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 | you say the truck has always started fine previous..
have you been tinkering with it and what did you do...
no, the truck will probably not start if the points are bad but if you just started it then they probably are ok..
when you drove that mile did the truck run ok? Redryder pixMy HotrodA veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of "up to and including my life."I am fighting cancer and I am winning the fight | Pain is part of life; misery is an option. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 12,029 Cruising in the Passing Lane | | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 12,029 | a ballast resistor will always get hot, it's on a ceramic block so it can dissipate the heat caused by dropping the voltage, same as a heater fan switch .... if you think that's a problem, just change it, they're cheap compared to frustration .... and when that doesn't fix the problem, put the old one in the glove box as a spare .... not starting hot can be a fuel problem as well as an ignition problem
Bill | | | | | Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 82 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 82 | Not a fuel problem. I am shifting to pertronix. I think this will solve the problem. | | | | | Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 Bolter | | Bolter Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 | I had one of these in my 235 worked well but then I had a stock set up in my 232 ci International that worked well also and cost nothing,,,nothing wrong with a stock system.... the more you modified means some times more trouble..
Last edited by joker; 08/28/2013 6:23 PM.
Redryder pixMy HotrodA veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of "up to and including my life."I am fighting cancer and I am winning the fight | Pain is part of life; misery is an option. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 82 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 82 | ok changed to pertronix and everything works. There was oil on outside of coil when i removed it. thanks everyone | | | | | Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 Bolter | | Bolter Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 | so, does that mean your points were the problem Redryder pixMy HotrodA veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of "up to and including my life."I am fighting cancer and I am winning the fight | Pain is part of life; misery is an option. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 82 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Apr 2013 Posts: 82 | no. I think the coil since they are filled with oil. | | | | | Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 Bolter | | Bolter Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 | never seen a coil be intermediate.. usually they either will or they wont, I had mine once to get corroded just a tiny bit with the plug wire going to the coil, just replaced the wire, and I think only one time did I ever replace a coil...but it would not crank at all, just turn the engine over..
at any rate, glad you got it fixed when I had the mallory diz in mine the module went out over a period of time, and it took awhile to find out the problem because it would always start but cut out at hi way speeds like it was starving of fuel, it would go for months without any problem then it would start and stop... almost drove me crazy, nothing like going 70 mph and then start slowing down, would get down to about 45 and it would pick back up and not be a problem for awhile.. crazy Redryder pixMy HotrodA veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of "up to and including my life."I am fighting cancer and I am winning the fight | Pain is part of life; misery is an option. | | |
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