Cooking ballast resisters

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USMC67DART

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Keep cooking ballast resister any help would be apprciated. Bought by 67 dart gt conv new and am still the proud owner. Until last june i had never cooked a resister. I was on my way to a cruise with a 273 .30 over and a 284 cam. This year i found a 67 date code 340. It is now a 418 stroker built with all the goodies. I have had a holley 600 cfm and 750 cfm double pumper. Can anyone tell me why i have cooked 2 resister in less that a week. One thing the resisters are manufactured in mexico
 
I think we need more info on the ignition system your running. Still the stock points set-up?
 
I had that problem with one of my cars, it ended up being a short in the coil.
 
Am running electronic distributor, chrome box accel proformande 12 volt chrome coil, and a blue streak voltage regulator
 
Why are you running a resistor? It's a 12 coil.
 
Am confused. Am running a regulater not resister. Am i missing something? Have had the same setup since day one, other than upgrades.
What do you mean why are you running a resistor? If you mean a resistor is the sme as a regulater how do i by-pass it?
 
if you already have an electronic distributor, i'd pick one of these up.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-850610/

they are made by msd, you eliminate your stock bal resistor b/c the box plugs right to the coil and the dist....the ignition system is now completely independent of your stock wiring harness..the only thing your stock harness will do now is charge the battery and start the car....for $150 you can't beat it for a digital ignition system with a rev limiter and even a signal light....i never had any luck with the stock boxes, i know many have but i bought ones that were bad out of the box, same with the bal resistors...just my 2 cents
 
Earlier i was asked why am i running a ballist resister. I said that i was confussed. I thought that you needed a resistor to have spark. How do i by pass the resistor and still have spark? If i am not understanding something please please tell me what i am doing wrong
 
Earlier i was asked why am i running a ballist resister. I said that i was confussed. I thought that you needed a resistor to have spark. How do i by pass the resistor and still have spark? If i am not understanding something please please tell me what i am doing wrong

ok! so the ballast resistor was originally so that there would only be like 9v or so to the coil (except on cranking) so u wouldn't fry the points. will an aftermarket coil and electronic ignition u shouldn't need a ballast. this is why msd and petronixs say to take the ballast out so they get full voltage... more spark... more bang
 
Just hook the two wires together and skip the resistor. I'm not talking about the voltage regulator. You said you were burning up the resistor, your not talking about the resistor on the back of the voltage regulator but about the white ballast resistor on the firewall by the master cylinder, right?
 
Right i am talking about the white porcelain resister. Thanks for all the help. Sorry about causing confusion with my one reply
 
Get rid of that sucker!

Run a ignition system that doesn't require a ballast resister. Like a Summit, Accel, MSD,... get one with a rev limiter.

: )
 
I converted mine to the GM HEI,and eliminated the ballast resistor.I kept getting bad Mopar stock boxes .I plan on getting that ignition that johnnymac2k6 showed.
 
Did it start doing that when you installed the new coil? If so you need to see what ohm ballast is required for that coil. There are different ohms ratings on the resistors, you may be installing one that is too low of a reading.
 
Oh yeah, that's right.....just give up on the Mopar stuff and make it like a Chevy. It's probably got a bad coil drawing too many amps through the ballast and toastin the resistors. Why does everybody always say chunk the resistor? Mopar was FIRST on the scene with mass produced electronic ignition, so they've been at it the longest. I think they know what they're doin with it.
 
Oh yeah, that's right.....just give up on the Mopar stuff and make it like a Chevy. It's probably got a bad coil drawing too many amps through the ballast and toastin the resistors. Why does everybody always say chunk the resistor? Mopar was FIRST on the scene with mass produced electronic ignition, so they've been at it the longest. I think they know what they're doin with it.

We having a bad day? :-D
 
Well have an update. Put in a new ballest resister and put the original coil back in that has been setting in a cabinet for the past 12 years. Unable to get a good charging voltage, do not have a meter. The resister temperature reading is 164.1f. Does anyone know, is that a reasonable temperature rerading? Thanks
 
Resistor and regulator are 2 different things. Get a schematic online, and trace wiring.
 
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