The Big Ballast Resistor Video! A Simple, Yet Misunderstood Part Of Your Classic Chrysler Product
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- Опубликовано: 18 авг 2023
- On today's episode, we take a look at a really simple electrical device that has mystified Mopar owners for decades. More than that, it has truly mystified many well intentioned people trying to give diagnostic advice on the internet. I covered ballast resistors in my Classic Chrysler Ignition Systems video, but I thought it deserved its own video, so here we are.
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Today on Dead Dodge Garage, we are reminded a little too late that Uncle Tony already made this video some time ago. Listen, if this is surprising to anyone…
I don't care. I prefer your presentations. Yeah, I said it.
You both cover old Mopars. It’s going to be hard to not cover stuff that someone else already covered.
You deserve 144,000 subs at least by now!
I haven’t owned a mopar in almost 15 years but you keep that soft spot nice and moist😮😅
A paper clip across the ballast resistor is what I have used to get home... Last 50 miles at best.
Again, Jamie, thank you for making it easy for home guys to understand what they need to do concerning the ballast resistor
Best way to make sure you’re ballast resistor will always work is to carry a spare! It’s the best $3 I spend on every mopar I have that still use a resistor.
Bingo! Just like how having a brand new engine wrapped up on a stand will ensure that yours never breaks. Haha.
Three dollars has been a while .
I laugh about the other guys trying to delete or bypass the resistor unstead of just having a backup or 2 😂😂😂 especially in my case I'm a full purest with 1 exception that parts are completely obsolete and something new has to be done or park the car indefinitely
@@danlevesque5437 I'm, like... most of a purist? With the exception of common, non-destructive, perfectly acceptable upgrades - your Edelbrock carburetors, your electronic ignition systems, sway bars, what have you. In general, I prefer mostly factory stuff.
@@DeadDodgeGarage I have faimly members who chop up the classic hardtop and make them convertibles when they were not, added automatic transmission to factory 3 on the tree vehicles, and even added a self jacking feature because they wanted to hit a button vs jacking up the car If it got a flat tire 🤦♂️
Thanks for the "real" scoop on resistors! I'm 62 yrs old, worked on tons of Mopars over the years, and I think I only changed one bad resistor! My experience has been that 4 pin box is always crap!😮
Later!
The factory improved the OEM boxes in the mid 70's and removed the need for a low voltage input and did it internally so all of them after that were 4 pin. All the P boxes, Gold , Chrome, and Orange have always been 4 pin.
@@auteurfiddler8706 "P" boxes. 🤭 That's what you do when you replace them on the side of the road!
I worked for a repair shop years ago. I was an Auto Parts Counterman, and found myself between jobs, and one of my former clients asked me to come work for him. They specialized in Fiat’s, but worked on anything that came our way. There were 6 mechanics in the shop, one of whom was from czechoslovakia and was quite a character. One day he was working on a Ford Courier mini truck. It would start fine, but as you switch from start to run it would die, just like this gentleman explains here. I pulled a ballast resistor off the shelf and took it to him, and he said that wasn’t the problem. As soon as he left for lunch I put the new ballast resistor in place of the faulty one. The owner walked up and asked what I was doing, so I told him about what the mechanic had said, and told him that when he pulled back into the lot I was going to start the truck and walk away do it would be running when he came back to work on the truck.the owner laughed and said, let me help you. I’ll signal you when he drives in so he doesn’t see you by the truck. When the mechanic came back in I got the nod and went over and started the truck, then went to the office where the boss was watching to see what happened. When the mechanic walked in and realized the truck was running he had a really shocked look on his face. The boss and I laughed our butts off, and when the mechanic finally realized what happened, he was totally embarrassed. All cars had a ballast resistor when it used points style ignition systems. The 6 and 8 volt cars didn’t need one, but when they started using 12 volt systems they all did. And yes’m there were cars with 8 volt electrical systems. But they wouldn’t start cars when it was too cold. They replaced the 6 volt systems, but were found to still be unreliable in cold country.
Love the story man. Thanks for sharing.
This brings back memories from my teenage years. We had a mid 1970's Chrysler station wagon that my dad always carried a new/spare ballast resistor & nut driver in the glove box. It seemed that rain and/or moisture always preceded the problem with the resistor burning out for us. I recall changing them out maybe once a year. Good video. Thanks for taking the time to make it.
You continue to put knowledge into all the “wisdom” I’ve heard all my life.
I love deep dives into very simple parts
REAL Mopar guys hack driving with a bad resistor by starting the car in neutral and then knocking the shifter into drive while holding the key full twist. But your method is cute!
But what about stick shift Challengers with no clutch safety? What do real Mopar guys do then?! Check and mate
@@DeadDodgeGarage😂
Every hack is valuable when the mental Rolodex shuffles into panic mode ...like in the McDonald's drive-thru! We've all been there 😅, keep up the great work Mopar family 😁
Personally, I'll NEVER have another MOPAR without a (GM😮) HEI module conversion.
Mount the HEI module on a heat sink and carry a spare module, especially if it's a cheapo.
HEI IS AWESOME 👍😎 AND CAN BE MODIFIED TO ABOVE 7000rpm....👍
Thank you! Some of my favorite videos ever-demystifying electrical!!
Thanks for the update, I'm a long time Mopar guy, but this information is a great primer for beginners.
Thank you for covering this particular topic , Jamie 🙏
I certainly appreciate you making these , vlogs
Great tutorial - Wish this video was around 40 years ago when I was battling ignition issues with my '68 Charger :)
Learned about the ballast resistor back in the mid ‘80s on my dads Challenger T/A. It would start but then shut off as soon as you let go of the key. That was a lesson I always remembered.
If only you knew then what you know now. I would be happy with just a ‘70 Challenger T/A clone.
You have to be careful swapping coils , especially with an inductive system such as points, Mopar box, or HEI. The Blaster 2 is a safe choice. It has specs roughly equal to a factory coil.
And the performance with be roughly equal. Mallory Pro Master and Accel big yellow plastic Super Coil are also great choices to replace a factory coil. The advantage is looks if you think they are cool looking.
The other coil you showed has only a quarter of the resistance of the factory coil. You will get a hotter spark, but heat up your control box or points. The Chrome and Gold Mopar boxes (the actual P part numbers, not a parts store box) are built to withstand low resistance coils or low resistance ballast resistors.
Ballast resistors come in lower ohm versions. They are not easy to find though.
The same warnings apply.
You have more freedom to choose low ohm coils and you don't need a ballast at all when you use CD ignitions such as MSD 6A.
Low ohm ballast resistors are super easy to find, just google search power resistors. Might not have the exact same packaging, but would do everything exactly the same thing in the end, limit current.
I have so many comments, I chuckle every time you clean the work bench, your graphics/drawings have dramatically improved. Now that your a big time RUclipsr, have you hired an artist. And like you stated, I have only had one ballast resistor fail, but cooked many ignition modules. And I've been driving Mopars since '83.
“Big time RUclipsr” 😅 there’s my chuckle for the day. Thanks Al!
I always wondered how that ignition 1 and 2 worked. I have a 69 roadrunner that I put a motorhome 440 in. I used the electronic ignition that came with the engine. I would crank it and the engine wouldn't start, let go of the key and vroom started right up. Now I know what to look for. Thanks Jamie
It’s funny that I ran across your video. I was thinking about these things the other night. Had a MH with a 413 engine that had one of these. We were in the northern woods deer hunting and the MH wouldn’t stay running. It would start but quite when you let go of the key. Tracked it down to the BR and jumped it to get out of the woods. Great video.
Oh, I remember those. It’s amazing all the things that you have forgotten.
Dude. This info is gold. I'm eyeing a 70s Dodge pickup barn find and this is just the data I need. I had no idea what the Dodge wiring weirdness was about. Thanks!
For the record, lots of old stuff works exactly like this. I helped someone diagnose a scout 800, and it has a ballast resistor doing the same exact thing. It's bypass was built into the starter, an "I" terminal, kind of like the ford solenoid bypass but just located somewhere else. No wiring weirdness, just how it was done back then.
IH mounted the resistor down near the starter, so it'd take on water super easy. It's encased in ceramic because it gets hot in use, and it's not perfectly sealed. Not the best choice, IMO. I relocated it...
Very good video! Also, the sigh at the end was my favorite. Just a note to anyone running one of these resistors on any make, or model, do not get them wet when they are hot, there is the possibility of it frying. Also, if you have an old-school Jeep or Bronco or such, carefully clean the packed mud out every so often to prolong its life.
Yup, been-there-done-that! Good video. Used to carry an extra ballast resistor in the glove box too, for my 6-Pack Charger!
Your videos on electrical gremlins are very helpful. I am trying to figure out why my 74 Dart Sport won’t start using the key but starts jumping starter relay. I already located corroded wire(s) on engine side of the firewall connector but it was not the ignition switch wire. Thanks for all your practical knowledge. Not many of us guys have a “crew” either and NOTHING seems to fix itself after I shut off the lights in the shop at night. I like your attitude and determination for your videos. And your hair and beard looks fine.
Haha. Maybe some day I can hire night time car repair gremlins… but probably not. If you haven’t already, check out my video that’s called something like “Classic Chrysler No Crank No Start” where I go through all of the different components involved in that, in order. Hopefully it helps!
Looking forward to seeing you at the Mopar show tomorrow.
I agree the only one I have ever had failed was an original 4 prong one and I had no idea how long it was in the car before I bought it.
Part of the illustrious and infamous 'Jamie clears his bench series'.
Good video!.
Love the opening callback to the old tech videos! Made me laugh!
Very helpful video, sir. Thank you very much.
In my ten years of driving a Chrysler with the Ballast resistor (1981-1990), I probably went though more than two dozen resistors. I definitely kept one in my glove box! I found that humidity killed them. Rainy days and car washes in particular. My vehicle at the time was a 1969 Dodge A108 Van with a 318 V8.
Once, I stopped for a stranded motorist in a Diplomat, (about 1980 or so). I immediately diagnosed the problem as a blown resistor and proceeded to take the resistor out of my glove compartment and install it. The owner couldn't believe that my car used the same part as hers. I explained that it did not (hers had 3 connectors on it, mine had two), but I had bought the wrong part years ago and it was rattling around in my glove box for several years. If I am not mistaken, hers had 3 terminals on it only because it connected both connectors directly to the resistor wheras mine was set up like your Charger and the two wires merged in the wiring harness. This means that her resistor would have worked just fine in may van if I just ignored the extra terminal.
These resistors on Chryslers were crap. In all the Fords I owned with them, I never had a failure (they blew starter solenoids instead). Not sure what Chrysler did wrong on these. They just Sucked!
Isn’t the resistor mounted to insulation inside the engine box on the A van? I wonder if that was a factor in your experience. As mentioned here, my experience has been very different than that. I’ve had many different Chrysler built vehicles with the resistor under the hood and have logged many thousands of miles with them. I’ve had a few failures, but that’s it.
Resistors are not only rated in OHM's but Watts as well. If you could have found out the resistance and measured the amps that passed through the resister you could easily figured out how many watts was needed. One could contact an industrial electronics parts store and request a resister of the same Ohms but double the watts. Many times these high power resisters come in a metal package that uses two screws to mount it to a metal surface. Add a little white heatsink compound to the back and there should never be a failure again.
So I tend to wake up in the morning and have no spark. But if I have had it running like 10 mins ago it would be fine it would start up but if it sits longer then 30 to 1 hr it doesn't get spark I fiddle with the ballasters and unplug the coil quite a few times before I get it to actually start up so any advice or info to what you could think it is or if it is the ballast
Starting a Chrysler built vehicle by pushing often worked well with standard transmissions. But you could also push start them with an automatic transmission if it was built before 1965 because the older transmissions had a rear oil pump that worked with the output shaft. In 1965, Chrysler abandoned the rear oil pump in the Torqueflite transmission and only used the front oil pump driven by the torque converter.
I had a 1959 Dodge Custom Royal with a 361 V8. I took some auto classes at a junior college and after I got enough knowledge, I went to the junkyard for parts and converted the ignition system from the old points to an electronic ignition system. All I had to do was change the distributor, take the wiring harness and ignition module from another old car, and it ran like a charm. The most difficult part was adjusting the gap between the reluctor and the pick-up coil in the distributor. I called that '59 Dodge my Big Dog. If you see the front end of a '59 Dodge, you might guess why. Uh, woof, baby.
My dad had a '62 and a '67 Plymouth, and I had that Dodge. I also had a 1973 Newport. In all the years we had those cars, I don't remember having any trouble with the ballast resistor more than one time. It was having that '73 Newport that kinda taught me how to do the ignition system changeover on my old Dodge.
Good morning Jamie. Great topic.
The GM 12V points cars had this resistor also. Friend had the engine start/stop problem and when I jumped the wires it started and he looked at me in awe.
Haaahaha. Yep. I know tri fives did. Did they use a resistor wire like Ford later? Can’t remember.
I learned all about ballast resistors when I wired my electric choke straight to the coil. Made it about 30 miles from home when it died, let it cool drove about 5 miles died, repeated about 20 times but made it home. Next day I set out to replace the resistor and found it to be mostly dust.rewired the choke and all is good but never leave home without a spare resistor and control box.
That’s impressive. I did that on my Charger not long ago - wired the choke on the wrong side of the resistor. It made it an hour from home but it was breaking up and getting more and more unhappy…
I had a ‘78 Dodge van that had that same problem. I figured it out and, even tho I don’t have that van anymore, I still have a replacement in my tool box! 😅
Dude. You’re the ballast resistor guru. Thanks for posting. I can’t wait until you buy a AMC era Jeep Yj. All electrical help appreciated, HaHa!
Excellent topic.
For the record, the old Direct Connection/Mopar Performance electronic ignition conversion kits
came with a 0.8ohm ballast resistor as part of the kit (different from the standard issue ballast
for points).
Good to know! I have one of those kits, which was installed on my Demon in the 70s. I’m not familiar with the different resistor ratings. I probably should be.
They offered different kits with different resistors depending on which box you ordered. And different coils with different primary resistance. "It is not advised to mix and match components!" it said. (Mopar Bible and DC catalog)
I think 0.8 ohms is fine with a stock or orange box, but you need a Chrome box or Gold box to go to 0. 5 or 0.25. What does your coil measure across the small terminals? If the total is less than 2.0, I think you may be right about not having enough , especially for points.
Back in the 70s I used to love the Fury, had a few of them. After my first experience of having the car fire up, then shut down, I always kept a spare one in my glove box
Mopar guys gotta Mopar. I don't know one that has less than four cars.
Dude, you got me hooked with this one video. I upped your subscriber count by one.
Yeah we’re all hoarders 😅 thanks! Welcome aboard!
My neighbour worked at plant 5 Pillette rd on the assembly line building the dodge full size van,he used to fill his lunch box with those electronic ignition boxes because him and his friends&family all drove old school mopars and those things blew all the time,uncle Lee was pretty generous back in the day.
Awesome video and information ! 👍
I am 68 and been driving mopars all my life still have my first car a 71 charger and it was just 318 car but I hopped that with 340 stuff put a electronic ignition conversion on it when they first came out in the early 70s and 410 gears in an 8-1/4 rear ran pretty good for a heavy car and later put it all back to stock and parked it when that 904 trans finally die at about 160k I need to move it out of the corner of my shop and start working on it I think this video has inspired me 😮
Awesome! Getting them back on the road is kind of my whole thing. You can do it!
I would have to agree. Even though I haven't played with a classic Dodge in a while; when I did.... my Swinger would eat voltage regulators - but they were all aftermarket ones. Though I did learn to attach a secondary ground to them and that seemed to help. I think I burned up ONE ballast resistor in that car too....and it too was an aftermarket part. My Valiant and New Yorker were both pretty reliable. Though the Valiant had an intermittent issue with the distributor pickup that plagued my parents for their entire ownership of the car.
The thing is, with general maintenance; none of these items are real issues. It's only when you ignore things that failures begin.
My Mom had a green 4 door Dart years ago that quit on her in traffic. When i went to get it it would start and then die , somehow i figured out that if i held the key on slightly after starting i was able to get it home and once i let the key off it quit again. I found the resistor was burnt up. A new one and she was good to go !
Good information thanks for sharing
Excellent explanation . Im running an Pertronics / flamethrower coil via a ballast - coil is a 12V in 45,000V out , however as its only getting 9V via the ballast its really only getting 33,000V out - more than enough to fire my weedy little engine , therefor points are also only on 9V , Theres no bypass set up on it and the condenser / capacitor isnt in the dizzy but externally mounted under the coil . OK so its not a V8 , In fact its less than 1 litre . Still its been running perfectly like this for the last 4 years , never fails to start instantly AND the point still look new . All probably a non recommended set up but if it works is it a bad idea
Great explanation and history lesson on the Chrysler ignition system and wiring.
Makes troubleshooting a lot easier
- got multiple ballast resistors from the salvage yard…. So far so good. 👍
In the late 70's, I had one of those ballasts go out in my company car at the time, a '77 slant six Plymouth Volare. Fortunately, in one of my rare pieces of good luck, I had just finished filling up at a full service station, and the car wouldn't start. In a bay it went, resistor replaced, and back on the job again.
Yup. Know all about those.
My mom had a ‘71 dodge demon 225 slant 6. And about once or twice a year that damn thing would burn out. I always kept 2 or 3 of them in the glove compartment with a cheap wrench to change them out!! It got us out of a jam more than once. 😊
Good info! Been driving Mopars for close to 50 years. I can only remember one resistor failure.
Everybody’s had one! Haha.
@@DeadDodgeGarage Yeah I'm noticing that too lol
I've only had one failure that I can remember. I'm thinking repeated resistor failures mean you got something else wrong.
I keep extra points and condensers too,Learned that long ago.Right now I'm running a old set of blue point points because 3 new sets of points just couldn't cut the mustard.Quality just isn't what it used to be indeed
Jamie, I've not had problems with two prong resistors in the past but oh my gosh the four prong ones on my 76 Cordoba. Living in MI at the time if I was driving in winter and the temp really plunged overnight after parking guaranteed the next morning it would not start. Always learned to carry a couple of spares in the glovebox just in case.
Very interesting! Of course we don't usually have big temperature swings here so that may well be a factor in my experience with them - among other things.
This video describes all the functions of Point systems in detail. Very well done.This is 2024, and best way to cure the ballast resistor issue is to chunk the garbage point system. They were never very good anyway, remember cleaning spark plugs? Tune ups at or before 12K miles? If it were my car and this car is Awesome, I would put a modern CD ignition in it and bypass the resistor. If you have a GM product you can retrofit a HEI system, simply the best early SSD system available because of its design. The issue with adding a high performance ignition system here is the distributor cap and rotor. you will need replacement more often because they are not rated for the higher voltages.However performance will be much better. Thanks for the Video.
I have done a guide on HEI ignition module retrofit on Mopars too - but I’m also the guy who removed an MSD system from his Charger in favor of an original points distributor 😃
I'm not sure if you covered it, but I found out about these when my Dad's 1977 Dodge D100 4 SPD would not push start, when it wouldn't start with the key. Lots of pushing by the kids. Then Dad being pissed when it was a cheap resistor, so he kept one in the glove box but unlike idiots on the internet/RUclips, it never needed one ever again!!!
Years ago, had a 73 Dodge Van. One day tried to start it, sounded light jumped timing backfire, wouldn't start. I am GM guy, and my first Dodge vehicle. Called my grandfather who knew a retired Chrysler mechanic and told him to tell me to change the ballast resistor, never heard about it (way before the internet) went to parts store and bought it. Found it buried up under the firewall, behind the brake booster, changed it, ran like new. Never forget that problem.
Awesome video! Thank you 😊
Great video, the best info yet.
I've got the same Pertronix + Flame Thrower coil as you. I removed the resistor from the back of the ballast resistor and crimped/soldered in a a thick wire. It's now a jumper disguised as a stock ballast resistor and it gives me the warm fuzzies.
Awesome! I should do that in my Demon. Haha.
Had this same setup in my old Polara 500.
Where were you in 1984 when this happed to me. my mechanic couldn't figure it out, so i eventually stumbled on the issue, i jumped it with a wire, and solved the problem.
I… might have been a twinkle in my father’s eye. Maybe.
I had a ballast go dead in my 318 pickup. Grabbed one of my speakers from behind the seat (car speakers are 4 ohm), plugged the 2 spades from the ballast onto the speaker terminals and it worked just fine!
The speaker magnet held it on the inner fender well for the entire weekend till I got back to the shop. put about 500 miles on it.
Works like an audible tach, you can hear it purring under the hood at slower speeds.
That’s impressive. Haha.
Buddy of mine had a Duster that had a ballast resistor. About once every few months he would pop into NAPA and buy a couple and toss them in the glove box. It's the only car I ever rode in that would hit a puddle and shut off. He'd get out pop in a new one, and down the road we went. Silliest part ever.
An old school Mopar guy I knew kept a second ballast resistor mounted directly below the original... Makes the swap or check procedure real quick...
Genius, and solves the problem of not knowing where you hid your spare br.
@@larslarsman The guy was one of the smartest people I've known. I did odds and ends for him when I was in highschool. Doing routine maintenance on some of his vehicles, he had several little tricks & hacks installed for when ( not if) something broke down. His reasoning was that a breakdown or trouble will usually happen when you're pinched for time, in the middle of inclement weather or something along those lines. Best time to figure a quick & speedy fix is when you've got a couple hours in a nice dry garage.
When the old vW Bugs switched from 6 to 12 volts in 1967, they switched to a 12 volt coil rather than a separate ballast resistor. My 12 volt Triumph Spitfire does have a ballast resistor.
There's just awesome old Mopars and ton's of great tech!
Ha, the dreaded Mallory module just crapped in my Chevelle . I’m doing a pertronics swap as we speak! Good timing.. I think the Mallory system was hooked up to ballast resistor. I’m waiting on Amazon to deliver ! Lol
Well done explanation, nice video
Oddly this vid helped me figure out what was going on with my new project a 76 Chevy luv.
That is indeed odd, but I’m happy to help!
Well it's been so long since I had a ignition system with points..... AND YOU made it clear as mud.. 😅😅😅
But here's a funny I had..... it was a1957nford short bed ( at 16yrs old.... my brother drove one weekend while I fixed his 65 corvair corsa 140.. (4 single barrel carbs 1 on each corner) and he threw a rod through the block on my truck... so he got a tow home and left my dead truck and took his car I had fixed..... me and my 2 older brothers and 2 brother inlaws fingered we would take the 260 v8 from the same brother who had a wrecked 64 murk. Comet.... AND we did took about 3 weekends and it really worked sweet my 57 Ford pickup was super fun much more power with the 260 Ford v8 than the lil Ford strait 6..... I ran the crap out of it... just driving on freeway and and 4-6miles in town every day to school and back I was getting 20mpg.... ❤ but about every month or so I would burn up my points.... we kept the truck original wiring and it hooked the v8 up to it using the engine wiring on the v8.... bothe the truck and comet had 12volt system with a generator and separate regulator worked fine for a month at a pair of new points..... in a pinch I had a metal finger nail file I could open points (battery disconnected) &smooth out the points where they made contact..... one time it did it at my friend's house I got the file out and his dad watched a lil bit than asked what the hell I was doing..... I explained the problem.... he about pissed his pants laughing so hard..... he goes wait went in his garage came out and gave me a new resistor and said you need this.... than explained the thing and said he learned several jeeps earlier that when you swap later moldle engines to the older jeeps you will have that problem 9 outa 10 times.....
😅😅😂😂😂 the truck ran great till I went into the service and my parents sold it to a family friend cause my dad wanted it off his drive way.... he was pissed I think cause he had been a career marine and I went into the navy 😂😂😂
Wait, did I really not explain this in a way that makes sense? Lol. Your ‘64 donor would’ve had a resistor wire as opposed to a ceramic resistor. Not sure what the heck they used in ‘57. GM used a ceramic resistor like Chrysler at that time.
Good tips. I usually run an 'HP' style aftermarket coil and bypass the resistor. Like I think you said it's dependent on the resistance of the coil and the current switching capacity of the module. I've heard all the 'lore' for DECADES about ballast failures but NEVER actually experienced one in over a million miles and several decades on way too many cars to count. I DID however have the ballast terminal connections get corroded and act the same way because of where they mount that resistor it picks up a lot of runoff water from the cowl. But I have had the newer style ignition modules fail more often to the point that I mount a spare right next to the 'in-service' one so I can just move the plug over. I also used one of those Proform Mopar 'knockoff' kits and it's been problematic. I used a bunch of the original Pertronix Ignitors in the past but I wouldn't use another Proform kit. The GM module approach is OK too as long as you get a 'real' GM module. They have better dwell than the Mopar box. There were some Mopar modules that had higher current ratings. That Proform kit sucks. I had random hard start issues because the pins in the rubber module plug were spread so far apart they weren't contacting the module pins.
BTW, back in the '70's they used to sell SCR switching boxes to offload the current switching from the points and move it to an 'SCR' transistor. It wasn't a CD box, just an inductive switcher. The points were just the 'trigger' so essentially they lasted 'forever'. Supposedly kept the car in tune for 'better mileage, power, etc'. I have one marketed under the Hurst-Airheart name. On my older more collectable cars I try to keep the points and just use some kind of a 'box' to offload the points. The points these days are pure junk.
Watching the vid I was thinking exactly what you described the SCR circuit as. If the issue is points burning up from too high voltage/current, then change the circuit to where the points are a trigger with no load. I'm going to read up on SCR circuits, thanks for the info!
There were a few of these boxes that made the scene in the '73-'74 period. I think the Hurst was the most prolific and Hays had one. I have a car that still has points that I changed in 1983. They are the good Blue Streak ones in a dual point Prestolite. With those boxes the points only pass milliamps. The box is real small, maybe 1.5"x3", 4 wires. Last I checked there were new 'NOS' ones all over ebay for around a hundred.@@car_ventures
We built those boxes in high school around 1970.
When I was younger, like 50 years ago, I knew guys with Chrysler vehicles with early electronic ignitions found out that when they opened the hood after a rain storm, the water on the hood would run down onto the distributor and cause them to malfunction.
Haha, I clean off my crowded bench the very same way 😅 - Jamie if you ever watch any of scannerdanners video’s, he has a very cool 78 power wagon that he did an ignition series on, a very cool truck you would love it
Great intro.............. thanks
I used to have a 77 Volare. After the ballast resister failed the 1st time, I’d carry 1 or 2 of them in the glove box. They’d always seem to crap out on Sunday afternoons when the stores were closed (NJ Blue Laws). I remember one died during a real heavy rain. Unplugged the old one and connected the new one and left it hanging that way til I got home and it stopped pouring. They’d seem to fail once or twice a year.
Sounds like the best of times… and reminds me of the frequently dying voltage regulators in my first Power Wagon. I’ve never had that experience with the resistors - yet.
Seems like mine went bad driving , like the key switch just turned off.
@@stick9648 Yup! That’s how mine would go, driving down the road and then kaput!!
Thanks for the video my guy
My second car was a '79 Dodge diplomat...I kept several ballast resistors in the glove box - changing them out was a snap, and my 225 'Super Six', ate them for breakfast...😂
I remember a lot of my car loving brethren were Mopar guys and they all used to carry a spare or two ballast resistor in their glove box or tool set since they were a failure prone part.
Thank you for the video!
I really don't know why you don't have more subs. You deserve it.
Thank you! We’re getting there! Haha.
Finally..my dad’s old 74 Dart..that I used to open the hood,and see that thing..just there..
Dad kept several resistors and at least one coil in the toolbox on the power wagon. He did the jumper thing a time or two when he didnt have parts 😂
Thanks Jamie,,,I'm a CHEVY guy!! BUT YOUR videos are DEAD ON greatness of DODGENESS!! 😆 🤣 LOL. AWESOME STUFF!!
Hey, Chevys used ballast resistors too. Haha.
when i was a lid we had a jeep that was hard to start my dad added one of these may not be the same one then a push pull switch and when it was used the jeep started right up no matter how cold or hot but you had to turn it off and not run it with it on or things could burn up
In the 60s my dad bought a used car for 50 bucks, because it would not run, my brother was a shade trees mechanic, and he just replaced that resister,an it ran great. I always remember that when a car won't run.
I've only ever owned one Mopar that would 'eat' ballast resistors- a 76 Ramcharger. Every time it rains, you could bet on the resistor smoking. After a bit of investigation, I discovered some water stains on the firewall that ran down to the resistor. Yup, cold water dripping on a hot resistor greatly reduced it's lifespan. I bent a piece of sheetmetal to act as a gutter over the resistor, and never had another failure. Note: I have owned a couple pickups and ramchargers, and this was the only one that ever did this. Never heard of anyone else having the same issue. Just lucky I guess.
That’s really interesting. I’ve never had that in a truck either, but I have had a voltage regulator that died at least once every year in my ‘75 Power Wagon. I suspected it had to do with moisture, but I never really figured it out. I just kept replacing the regulator under warranty… like 12 times.
Tony is the best table cleaner on the planet I learned about bowels resistance the hard way 50 years ago broke down at 3:00 in the morning in the middle of nowhere how to walk 2 mi that I found out after the whole thing was over from my father all I had to do was twist the two wires together and I would have been able to drive home of course after that I've learned to keep about 47 spare bowels resistors in the glove compartment
I guess I should have double-checked this automatic speech garbage it should have said ballast resistor not bowels resistor sorry
I picked that up. The text to speech is just the worst for that… good times.
You know another thing I used to do I used to keep a spare ballast resistor already mounted on the firewall in case it failed I just had to pull the leads off and put it on the other one I also did that on my electronic ignition Chryslers I have an extra whatever you call it spark box I got two of them if it fails I just pull the plug off and plug in the other one I still have my 73 modified 318 duster for the last 45 years still sitting in my garage you know what it puts today's cars to Shame
My '73 Duster 225 ate ballast resistors like Skittles. Never figured out why, just kept a handful in the glovebox. Was a great car and I've been half-assed looking for another for years, but cannot find one with a "three on the floor" like mine had.
I had a resister go out on a fresh rebuild break in start up, what a bad time for that to happen, well i replaced with a junkyard resister. Fixed! Well that was in 1989. Still using that same one from then , i must be lucky, bc poeple do say they burn out all the time lol
Yeah, they sure like to say that... Haha.
The ballast resistor is significant IF you want the engine to continue to run after it is started. It IS insignificant for starting. For a Mopar owner it would be wise to carry a spare at all times. The "body" of that resistor has a tendency to crack after it is heated up and water is splashed on it. The resistance element opens and VOLA , NO high voltage for the plugs! In a pinch, carry a jumper wire with 'roach clips" attached, so you can jumper across the ballast. This tip is ONLY for short trip, otherwise you will "fry" the coil and/or the power transistor in the ignition module!
🎉, Thanks from old New Orleans 😎
Can't count how many of these I replaced back in the day. Always advised customers to carry a spare in the glove compartment for inevitable "next time".
Me & my girlfriend left the bowling alley & my 71 Satellite 318cu wouldn't stay running after you started it. With a total shot in the dark, l wrapped a gum wrapper around the ballast & it ran. I think l totally impressed her. We got married & divorced 3 yrs later. I guess it was for the best. 🤬
But l never replaced it & she ended up wrecking it, not her fault.
Another lesser annoying issue with mopars was carburetor flooding with hot start if you accidentally set choke. Always carry screwdriver and your on the way.
Had a '72 Plymouth Barracuda. Always carried a spare ballast resister. In the eight years I drove it, I needed to replace it twice.
Not bad!
Wow, 14.5k only 4 months ago. I may be coming back from a very long trip tomorrow with a rare oddity of the Plymouth variety, and I appreciate the study on this in case of failure on the way back. Will keep you updated, but I suppose the best clue is "paisley"...
Oooohhh! Nice!
Had a '72 Charger with a 400 that that thing went out on constantly.
Learned to always have a spare.
I use to keep an extra ballast resistor with socket wrench in my 75 Duster glove box. A hair line crack would be a failure.
I’m sure having a crack is less than ideal, but I’ve seen them with all of the potting guts in the back gone, with the actual resistor coil floating freely, and still going strong somehow. I don’t know that a hairline crack actually has that big of an effect on how it works electrically.
Way more informative than the Mopar/Roadkill show.
Great video thanks I don't have a 68 charger and wish I did I have a 1949 allis chalmers i got it running yesterday and seen the ballist register just hanging so grabbed it to locate a place to mount it and almost burnt my self it only been running a couple of minutes is that normal thanks
I never had a balist resitor go bad but I have had a ignition box dye when it rained.
In 2004 I changed the entire driveline in my 78 150 to one from a 95. Changed to a carb and Chrysler ignition. Since 04 I've changed 1 control unit, 3 voltage regulators, 1 coil, 1 alternator, and 0 ballast resistors
Sounds about right to me!
Never changed one on any of my Mopars!, However I did change to Moduel Box on my 1977 Dodge Aspen because all of the Sealing Material melted and ran out, But it was still working but I figured not for long! Lol
Oh yeah. I’ve seen a good few of those streams of horrible potting goo running down firewalls and inner fenders. Haha.
Dad had a '74 Duster when I was a kid, I can't tell you how many of these he replaced.