1968 Dart /6 electronic conversion question.

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Cruisingram

Cruisingram

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I got this kit off ebay Pardon Our Interruption... and have it 90% installed.

My question is the wires and location of the original ballast resister. It looks like it's close to the brake booster on the drivers side. Making sure I have the right wires etc! See pic,this is the balast resistor of which they speak, right? I also posted a pic of the components I have yet to mount, and it looks like I am glad they gave me plenty wire! It's the farthest possible way away from the distributor LOL.

My entire engine compartment is getting a restore when I put the 225 in. I keep it running and driving between mods as much as possible! Sit-itus is deadly to cars here.

image000002 (1).jpg


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Cruisingram said:
I got this kit off ebay Pardon Our Interruption... and have it 90% installed.

My question is the wires and location of the original ballast resister. It looks like it's close to the brake booster on the drivers side. Making sure I have the right wires etc! See pic,this is the balast resistor of which they speak, right? I also posted a pic of the components I have yet to mount, and it looks like I am glad they gave me plenty wire! It's the farthest possible way away from the distributor LOL.

My entire engine compartment is getting a restore when I put the 225 in. I keep it running and driving between mods as much as possible! Sit-itus is deadly to cars here.

View attachment 1716437525

View attachment 1716437526
Click to expand...

Yes, the pictured ballast resistor in your image is the original ballast resistor location.
 
I just did the same thing temporarily yesterday.

This is what I did ( mines a 67 dart 273)

I did not want to drill holes so I used the washer bottle location.

PXL_20250803_030458651.jpg

I have a stock coil so i just used the stock ballast.

The blue with trace is from IGN 1 and feed to the ballast. Blue feeds the voltage regulator (grounded field VR)

On the other side of the ballast is the brown (IGN 2 ballast over ride) and the blue wire to the coil positive.

PXL_20250803_030524874.jpg






The dist trigger wires are relatively long so you could relocate the ECU closer to the firewall.

Screenshot_20250802-211102.png
 
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Piggy back on the ballast. I think thats one of the best options becase there is no damage and is easily serviced.
1754227437861.png


No brake booster
1754227645546.png


When Chrysler switched to ECUs, they were generally mounted on the driver side inner fender.

Honestly I'd run it as it is until you're more familiar with things.
ECU is nice in that you don't have to adjust points but unless your racking up 10,000 of miles its not a big deal if it has a quality condensor in it.

Either way get yourself a tach and timing light.
 
Mattax said:
Piggy back on the ballast. I think thats one of the best options becase there is no damage and is easily serviced.
View attachment 1716437644

No brake booster
View attachment 1716437646

When Chrysler switched to ECUs, they were generally mounted on the driver side inner fender.

Honestly I'd run it as it is until you're more familiar with things.
ECU is nice in that you don't have to adjust points but unless your racking up 10,000 of miles its not a big deal if it has a quality condensor in it.

Either way get yourself a tach and timing light.
Click to expand...
Yeah. What he said ^^^^^. All of it. lol
 
Side note.

I goofed and fed my ECU from the ballast output.

Ran fine for 100 miles yesterday?

I found my mistake due to this and another similar post
 
Mattax said:
Piggy back on the ballast. I think thats one of the best options becase there is no damage and is easily serviced.
View attachment 1716437644

No brake booster
View attachment 1716437646

When Chrysler switched to ECUs, they were generally mounted on the driver side inner fender.

Honestly I'd run it as it is until you're more familiar with things.
ECU is nice in that you don't have to adjust points but unless your racking up 10,000 of miles its not a big deal if it has a quality condensor in it.

Either way get yourself a tach and timing light.
Click to expand...
Point's corrode to fast here. Having to mess with them before just about every ride if it sat for more than 2 weeks.
 
Honestly you guys are great. Thanks. I will hopefully have running today. Waiting on the axles to arrive, then going to change up the sbp to bbp with new rims and tires. Big fun.
 
I don't like being the wet blanket raining on your parade (outside the box under the bus going forward), but while I can't see what you bought on eBay because the link is down, you might want to read this and then decide to unwind the deal, or at least adjust your expectations and buy spare parts to carry for when one of the ones you're presently installing fails, so you won't be stranded.
 
slantsixdan said:
I don't like being the wet blanket raining on your parade (outside the box under the bus going forward), but while I can't see what you bought on eBay because the link is down, you might want to read this and then decide to unwind the deal, or at least adjust your expectations and buy spare parts to carry for when one of the ones you're presently installing fails, so you won't be stranded.
Click to expand...
OH, didn't realize the link was dead- it is a pretty simple and I think good unit, it's touted as about the same as the gold box and better than the orange box, comes with a new ballast resister, distributor and cap. Pretty straight forward. Looks like a good kit to me. I had done a few of things like, 40 years ago LOL. Never on a /6 though.
 
slantsixdan said:
and then decide to unwind the deal, or at least adjust your expectations and buy spare parts to carry for when one of the ones you're presently installing fails, so you won't be stranded
Click to expand...

Cruisingram said:
it's touted as about the same as the gold box and better than the orange box, comes with a new ballast resister, distributor and cap. Pretty straight forward. Looks like a good kit to me
Click to expand...


It will either work well or not. You got nothing to loose at this point.

More then likely you will be fine. Just hang onto your point dist. You can always put it in in an emergency
 
Well damn, looks like I have it all wired correctly and still no spark. The voltage regulator is about a gazzillion years old looking, but I think i have another one laying around, will try tommorow.
 
Cruisingram said:
The voltage regulator is about a gazzillion years old looking, but I think i have another one laying around, will try tommorow
Click to expand...
VR should not cause issues. Disconnect it and run off battery only to prove that it's not the issue
 
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The ECU box MUST be grounded. The VR has nothing to do with it.
Get your meter and run some tests

key on, with meter from coil + to ground, you should see substantially LESS than full battery, aka 6-10V. This shows the coil is getting power through the ballast and that the coil is drawing current through the ECU box.

With your meter connected to the coil+ as above, crank the engine USING THE KEY. The reading should ideally be full same as battery and must be AT LEAST 10V or more


"Rig" a spark gap tester on the coil tower using metal core wire. You can even use low voltage wire if you hang it in air away from other metal.

Separate the distributor connector and take the engine bay end of the connector, not the dist. end. Tap the bare end terminal of that connector repeatedly to ground. Each time should produce one nice hot blue single spark, at least 3/8" and typically 1/2" long.

If that works, inspect the dist connector for corrosion, and "work" it repeatedly in/ out to fell for tightness and to scrub the terminals clean. Inspect the dist internally for reluctor strike damage, rust, debri, and feel the shaft for wobble and play. If you can round up a non-metallic .008" (inches, not metric) feeler blade, check the gap between reluctor and pickup

Connect your meter to the dist connector on low AC volts. Crank the engine, you should get about 1V AC

If none of this helps not sure what is next
 
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