Ballast Resistor By Pass Chrysler Valiant

[daniel9843]

Hi all,
Just wondering if somebody could help with my ballast resistor bypass on how to wire it correctly?.
I live in Australia, this is a Chrysler Valiant VH series 1972 wiring diagram supplied.
I have a 1 wire altenator in the system now and a crane H I 6 ignition system.
I have bypassed the resistor with 1 wire across where the resistor originally ran,
just wondering if I have done it right ?. As I feel it has never ran quite right at idle.
Cheers Daniel

 

[1969383S]

My opinion is to just pull the ballast and solder in a #12AWG solid copper wire between the terminals from behind and leave the harness alone!

It looks bone stock and accomplishes the same thing! Assuming a single ballast as your diagram shows.

 

[George Jets]

Hello Australia @daniel9843

I believe I know what your problem is with your ignition conversion not idling correctly.

Sounds like you did a High Energy Ignition upgrade. Mopar HEI conversions we do here in the States. Chev HEI module that fastens under the mopar electronic distributors.

So I set a mopar HEI conversion up to test on my Engine Run Stand, like this with a standard coil, it did not idle correctly. In fact it would shut down below 800 rpm.

With the Ballast and without ballast same results.


Realized I needed the High Energy E-Core coil that runs cool on straight 12 volts with no ballast resistor that is designed to work with the High Energy Ignitions.

Same E-Core coil that comes with the 1985 to 1994 Ford F150 Pickups, can get one at your local Pick-and-Pull parts yard. Grab the 2 prong pigtail and 10" of wire with it, and grab the coil lead wire that goes to the distributor too cause it has a special latching end at the coil.

Rock Auto sells them too reasonably.

These coils are nice cause they have 2 spades and are clearly marked + and -. Simple to hook up like a regular coil.

Anyhow the E-Core Coil solved the no idle/poor idle problem 100% Running the mopar HEI conversion distributor.

Spark Plugs are even burning themselves cleaner now too, with the higher voltage 40,000 plus volts e-coil.

So Yeah, straight through wire your ballast for 12 volts, use the E-Core coil, and you are good to go.

Win Win !

☆☆☆☆☆

3 Ford E-Core coils pictured here with handy 2 spade design. Don't need that inline condenser, that's for radio noise. But definitely grab the Factory Ford coil pigtail.

Upper right coil is Chev GM 3 round post design, less desirable.

Special Ford e-core coil lead.

Locks on Tight

Good Luck with your project.

 

[1969383S]

Regardless, the easy path is as I stated in post #2. simple and no cutting!

I run Pertonix III conversion from points and you would be hard pressed to notice!

 

[67Dart273]

ion system.
I have bypassed the resistor with 1 wire across where the resistor originally ran,
just wondering if I have done it right ?. As I feel it has never ran quite right at idle.
Cheers Daniel

That should be fine.

 

[RustyRatRod]

You can also bypass the ballast behind it with a proper size wire soldered between the connections if you want a kinda stealth look.

 

[Bewy]

The Crane Hi-6 is a CD ign, connects differently than inductive ign like HEI.

Your coil should be connected to two dedicated wires that exit the box, marked coil - & coil +. No other wires should be connected to the coil.

Heavy red wire goes direct to bat + terminal. Heavy black goes to bat - [ ground ]. Thin red wire gets switched ign. Easiest way to hook up so that you do not make a mistake is to remove the wires going to the two spade lugs on the resistor, connect these wires together & then connect the thin red wire to these wires. Resistor can be removed if desired, no longer needed.

 

[daniel9843]

Hi all , thanks all for your input will take all on board .
Bewy can you just connect the thin red wire to the original coil wire or do you reckon connect straight to the wire that bypasses the ballast resistor?.

 

[George Jets]

Hi all , thanks all for your input will take all on board .
Bewy can you just connect the thin red wire to the original coil wire or do you reckon connect straight to the wire that bypasses the ballast resistor?.

Would think you want the shortest most direct route to clean full 12 volt power to your coil. And if you have an electric choke carb, you do not want to pull power from that 12 volt coil feed to power the choke as it degrades it making your ignition do funny things.

 

[1969383S]

Would think you want the shortest most direct route to clean full 12 volt power to your coil. And if you have an electric choke carb, you do not want to pull power from that 12 volt coil feed to power the choke as it degrades it making your ignition do funny things.

I feed my electric choke from the Wiper motor Blue wire. 12V on ignition.

This is protected by a circuit breaker in the Wiper switch. On my 69 at least.

Worst case, if the choke shorts I loose wipers until I can un-hook the choke. Not a fan of connecting it to the primary ignition circuit!

 

[Bewy]

Daniel,
The Hi-6 is a CD ign, & the HI-6S is inductive. Not 100% sure, but would think the wiring could be different so important to know which model you have. If you have the CD version, coil wires should be connected as per the italics in post #7.

PM me your Ph# & I will give you a ring. I am in Sydney.

 

[67Dart273]

Would think you want the shortest most direct route to clean full 12 volt power to your coil. And if you have an electric choke carb, you do not want to pull power from that 12 volt coil feed to power the choke as it degrades it making your ignition do funny things.

THAT IS NOT WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!!!!

The Crane system here is very similar to MSD that is they are CD, and the switched wire for both IS ONLY A LOW CURRENT "power on" wire. The main current is fed to the box direct from battery
CD IGNITIONS DO NOT HAVE 12V FED TO THE COIL

On ANY CD system you DO NOT hook power to the coil and you do NOT hook the tach to the coil

 

[MopaR&D]

THAT IS NOT WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!!!!

The Crane system here is very similar to MSD that is they are CD, and the switched wire for both IS ONLY A LOW CURRENT "power on" wire. The main current is fed to the box direct from battery
CD IGNITIONS DO NOT HAVE 12V FED TO THE COIL

On ANY CD system you DO NOT hook power to the coil and you do NOT hook the tach to the coil

+1 for effect lol. CD ignition systems are wired completely different than factory-type systems, none of the same rules apply. No wires go to the coil except for the leads which come from the CD control box itself.

 

[AJ/FormS]

In a CDI System, the ignition switch wire, just "arms" the CDI box. After that, the "box" takes Battery voltage from it's own input, steps it up to something like 525 volts, modifies it, and presents it ready to plow into the coil, at the behest of the signal generator inside the Distributor. Until that moment the coil has not seen any voltage.
Therefore, with the key on and engine not running, there should not be any voltage going thru the coil. In this case, the coil is just a transformer, stepping the 525v up to 30/40 K-volts; but it has to be lightning fast, especially during multi-strike operation.
By about 3000 rpm, the coil can't do it anymore, and so the brain-box switches automatically to Single-Fire.

IIRC , in Single-Fire mode, the output amperage is increased, so now you are on a par, or nearly so, with an HO Induction Ignition System.

On a Mopar, you usually have to run the "crank" and "run" wires from the ignition switch together, to arm the box. However this feeds back into the starter during "run" mode, in Park/Neutral, sometimes with enough voltage to cause the starter to want to engage. To prevent that, I ran the brain box signal wire thru a relay in crank mode to isolate those circuits. Actually IIRC, I ran both circuits thru relays, so that my 1968 ignition switch doesn't have to handle the current.
However you do it, the box needs power in BOTH "crank" and "run", and the factory starter relay, signal-side, should be dead in "run".
I don't run an electric choke..... no choke at all. If I did, it too would be on a relay.

 

[daniel9843]

Much appreciated all, its all been a great help. will let you know how I get on with all the ideas.
I did forget to mention that I'm running a MSD pro billet distributor with the crane H I 6 setup, it is magnetic pick up.
if that's any help

 

[Bewy]

Then the coil wires should be connected as per post #7.