1963 valiant won't start

-
OK, give us some details. What do you have for an engine, and what do you have for an ignition system? Tell us "what it does" and "doesn't do" and what happens, or not.
 
Thanks Have 360 motor in 1963 valiant can't get it to turn on have wire wrong from coil from resistor can't figure it out tried everything
 
What means "turn on". You can turn on a TV or an electric motor; but you can't turn on a gas engine.
You can "crank" it, and if it fires, it might start,and then you release the key to "run".
So question #1 is; does the starter crank the engine, by using the ignition switch in "crank" position?
 
My dad bypassed it and had it running before but the module would get super hot and melted in the back so I got a new one and try to hook it back up right now won't start now The car would only stay on wire from the coil to the battery
 
OK, what exactly do you have for an ignition system? Mopar ECU? Aftermarket? Other?

IF this is a Mopar system is it 4 or 2 pin resistor?

There are TWO wires coming from the ignition switch, through the bulkhead connector, and to the (original) resistor. Normally dark blue is "run" but THAT WIRE goes dead during cranking.

The second wire, brown, normally goes to the coil PLUS side of the ballast resistor. This wire (brown) is hot "in start" and is what powers the ignition during cranking.

Wire it up the way you think it should be. Turn the key to "run." Measure voltage at the coil terminals and post the readings. Coil POS should read far less than battery, perhaps 6V. Coil NEG should read 1-2 volts or so, quite low.

The ECU box MUST be grounded.

Go here, lots of good info

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=31

Normally I'd ask you to download a service manual, but there is isn't one there for 63. The later ones are slightly different (wiring)

However the same site has aftermarket, simplified wiring diagrams here:

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1963/63ValiantA.jpg

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1963/63ValiantB.jpg

Look at diagram "B" and find the ballast / resistor near the bottom of the page. You can see the dark blue and brown there coming down the page from the bulkhead (firewall) connector

If you have a TWO terminal ballast and a newer Mopar ECU, that part hooks up exactly the same.
 
sounds like it could be a bad ballast resistor. did you try bypassing it? Do this by connecting the two wires. Just don't leave the ignition switch in the on position with the car not running when you do this.

Check the points gap, and the condition of the points.

Here's a possible scenario: ballast resistor goes out. Car stops running. Somebody bypasses the ballast resistor and then the car runs, but electrical stuff gets hot especially if the ignition switch is left on. Could kill the points, could cook the coil.

Check the ballast resistor too, if it burns out there's usually some evidence - blackened coils, burned smell, etc.
 
The "module " is an amplifier and a translator. The car will not run without it. It takes the very tiny signal from the magnetic pickup (inside the distributor), amplifies it and changes it to something the coil understands. Then it fires the coil with that new signal.
The ballast resistor is a two part deal. Firstly, when the resistor block gets ignition voltage jammed into it, it gets hot;that's normal. The hotter it gets the less voltage gets through it; that's normal. So when it's cold a lot of volts get through, and when it get's hot it chokes it down.
The one side of that resistor block feeds the ECU (module). When the resistor is cold, the ECU gets full voltage, and so the car is supposed to start easier. But the ECU does not like to run continuously on full volts; it will overheat and die. But the ballast resistor takes care of that, cuz soon after it is receiving full volts, it heats up and begins to choke down the volts to the ECU.
The other side of the ballast resistor, performs the same function, but to the coil. When the resistor is cold, the coil gets max voltage for a quick lite-off.Then as the resistor heats up,it chokes the voltage down to something that the coil can live with, cuz some coils do not last long on full voltage.

I think pretty much everything you need is detailed in post #13, by the great Del.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top