ballast resistor/backward

« **on:** March 17, 2008, 04:06:29 PM »

Long story short, tryin to start my motor for the 1st time since my intake manifold /boat swap. I have the timing close, the boat starts and dies imedatly(sp?) So I think if I didn't know any better I'd swear I'm getting no spark after the starter is let off. So I grab the test light,and it lights up down on the bottom where the wire from the terminal block goes into it, up top on the ballast nothing. So I grab the multi meter,and sure enougph 12v on the bottom, maybe 1 volt on the top.Bad ballast? Maybe, I replaced it last year when I had some lack of spark issues. I have an hei on the way, but I'd really like to dunk her once with this ignition, just so I can see how the hei does in comparison. Can they(ballast) be installed backward?

« **Reply #1 on:** March 17, 2008, 04:34:26 PM »

The ballest resistor is just that, a resistor. It should do the same thing either way. Some of the older systems (points type) had a wire to supply full voltage to the coil while starting.The starter pulls the voltage down to say 10 volts while turning. The resistor drops the "key on " voltage to this 10 volts while engine is running. The coil operates at 10 volts, not twelve. Some of the older cars had resistor wire and no ballest resistor. Hope this helps. sounds like your getting your cranking voltage but not your running voltage.

« **Reply #2 on:** March 17, 2008, 04:35:07 PM »

Quote from: SLCKREG on March 17, 2008, 04:06:29 PM

Can they(ballast) be installed backward?

No, but you can have the run wire on the wrong side causing hard starting.

« **Reply #3 on:** March 17, 2008, 04:42:09 PM »

It wouldn't suprise me if I had something phuked up. There is a wire off the starter to the top of the ballast that gives it a 12v shot when the starter is on/engaged. I'm not sure if I know what you mean by wrong side, do you mean backwards? Will it only drop voltage correctly one way? Hopefuly some of that made sense.

« **Reply #4 on:** March 17, 2008, 05:27:06 PM »

Is this one of them.......fords? Move the small wire on the selenoid to the other pole.

« **Reply #5 on:** March 17, 2008, 05:48:15 PM »

What I meant was the wire to provide the 12 v during starting may be on the wrong side. See attached diagram - yellow wire connected to the blue instead of the red.

Ignore the Mopar box, that would be replaced with whatever you are using. If you have points or a unilite - the light blue and the box would be unused, and the black would go to the green points or unilite module wire.

« **Reply #6 on:** March 17, 2008, 06:11:28 PM »

I think even if that wire was on the wrong side of the ballast it whould still stay running when the starter is released, it is there to bypass the ballast during start so the coil gets a full 12 volts while the engine is cranking. You need to find the lead off the ignition switch that is hot when the key is in the run position. How many wires do you have hooked to the ballast?

« **Reply #7 on:** March 17, 2008, 06:15:42 PM »

I agree. I said if it is on the wrong side it can cause hard starting.

Most likely if it starts but dies when the key is released, the ballast is bad.

« **Reply #8 on:** March 17, 2008, 06:26:18 PM »

the purple wire stays live obviously when the key is on. but the yellow wire while the starter is cranking is just hot while your cranking right? so how should your boat run on 1 volt. as far as how many wires to it ,the bottom has the purple(hot) ,the hot 4 the dizzy(same spot). on the other side one to the hot side of the coil and the one from the starter.

« **Reply #9 on:** March 17, 2008, 06:37:41 PM »

bypass the resistor for a minute. the coil doesnt run on 12 volts, the car doesnt have 12 volts during cranking. the batt is knocked down to 10 volts or so from cranking THAT is why you have the bypass wire during cranking to deliver that 10 volts, after start up voltage goes thru the resistor wire or ballest resistor to supply 10 volts. so, it runs on 10 volts (the coil) ALL THE TIME

« **Reply #10 on:** March 17, 2008, 07:01:37 PM »

I haven't tried it yet but I'm convinced it would run with a jumper wire bypassing the ballast. I'm not buyin a new one (again) . Hopefully I can figure out the one wire HEI . Just for the record a ballast should have 10v on the other side. I always thought it was 6 but I dunno? I do know I have less than 1 right now.

« **Reply #11 on:** March 17, 2008, 07:16:41 PM »

Quote from: SLCKREG on March 17, 2008, 06:26:18 PM

the purple wire stays live obviously when the key is on. but the yellow wire while the starter is cranking is just hot while your cranking right? so how should your boat run on 1 volt. as far as how many wires to it ,the bottom has the purple(hot) ,the hot 4 the dizzy(same spot). on the other side one to the hot side of the coil and the one from the starter.

What sort of ignition system are you running??? Except for Mallory Unilite, I don't know of any electronics that run a resistor. If you have a points setup, your wiring is wrong.

« **Reply #12 on:** March 17, 2008, 07:29:16 PM »

Hi Old squirt. Its a mallory electronic(not a unilight) This is the only orig wiring left from when i bought this motor(in a different boat) anyway........I used to have to have a small cap because of my tr ,1/2 the reason I 86'd it was because I've always hated this system(ignition).

« **Reply #13 on:** March 17, 2008, 07:31:27 PM »

i have had those problems with them damn things...shit can it and wait on the HEI...nice thing to have, BTW if you jump around your resistor it will burn the points up, thats why the resistor is there

« **Reply #14 on:** March 17, 2008, 08:10:13 PM »

There are no points, but your right at this point , the HEI is sounding pretty good. Is the ballast suposed to cut the voltage to the coil or the dist? Like I said it wouldn't suprise me if something was wrong. Right now it's droping to the coil. haha 1 v ain't doin it.

« **Reply #15 on:** March 17, 2008, 08:13:13 PM »

bypass it, it will run. the coil will just get hot after a while. check batt voltage/cranking voltage. sounds like and i've seen it a hunerd times, the bypass wire running the motor, stop crnking and it shuts off. hope that helps, i'm tired and cranky

« **Reply #16 on:** March 17, 2008, 08:15:35 PM »

Quote from: HDriderTH on March 17, 2008, 08:13:13 PM

bypass it,

That would be my advice as well.

« **Reply #17 on:** March 17, 2008, 08:19:39 PM »

does it die as soon as you let off the key from the crank position

« **Reply #18 on:** March 17, 2008, 08:34:39 PM »

I have the Accell magnetic breakerless dist and it states that you use no ballast resistor... I think you could bypass the resistor and see if stays running for a sec, before it burns out the points

« **Reply #19 on:** March 17, 2008, 09:05:21 PM »

If you only have 1 volt, the ballast is bad. Splurge the 1.99 and get a new one :-)

« **Reply #20 on:** March 17, 2008, 09:37:35 PM »

I've read through the replies and it seems one "possible" problem could exist that hasn't been addressed yet (I think. Bad ignition switch. It's totaly possible that the ignition switch contacts are bad on the IG out of the switch.

« **Reply #21 on:** March 17, 2008, 09:40:58 PM »

Damn can't edit

Nope, if you got 12 V on one side of the ballast and 1 on the other side of the ballast it ain't the ignition. It's been a while but I think the low side of the ballast should read like 9 volts when the other side has 12. 12 on one side and 1 on the other is a bad ballast.

« **Reply #22 on:** March 17, 2008, 09:53:16 PM »

Quote from: hotrod56cars on March 17, 2008, 09:37:35 PM

I've read through the replies and it seems one "possible" problem could exist that hasn't been addressed yet (I think. Bad ignition switch. It's totaly possible that the ignition switch contacts are bad on the IG out of the switch.

THAT only happens on my Harley......FucR used to not start when people were watching, I ve had to have a crown of people turn around to start it before. We're all over that now, took the new switch out and put an old Harley one back in.....

« **Reply #23 on:** March 17, 2008, 10:16:05 PM »

Quote from: SLCKREG on March 17, 2008, 04:06:29 PM

Long story short, tryin to start my motor for the 1st time since my intake manifold /boat swap. I have the timing close, the boat starts and dies imedatly(sp?) So I think if I didn't know any better I'd swear I'm getting no spark after the starter is let off. So I grab the test light,and it lights up down on the bottom where the wire from the terminal block goes into it, up top on the ballast nothing. So I grab the multi meter,and sure enougph 12v on the bottom, maybe 1 volt on the top.Bad ballast? Maybe, I replaced it last year when I had some lack of spark issues. I have an hei on the way, but I'd really like to dunk her once with this ignition, just so I can see how the hei does in comparison. Can they(ballast) be installed backward?

SLC, I have a resistor that I could send you as I went all new Mallory ignition and the coil I got has the resistor built in. I didn't go HEI, I just went back the Mallory Marine Dizzy and the Coil are as follow:

Coil - http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=MAA%2D9%2D29707&N=700+0&autoview=sku
Dizy - http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=MAA%2DYLM567EV&N=700+0&autoview=sku

Resistors can be installed in any direction. Diodes and capacitors are polarized, and not all CAPs are.

« **Reply #24 on:** March 18, 2008, 07:40:05 AM »

Thanks for the help guys, Yeh I could buy a new one, I've always thought was strange to drop the voltage to the coil. I'm with 80nordic I always thought the resistor was for the dist. not the coil . Like I said this is hou it was hooked up when I bought it. If I run it without the ballast check to see if the coil gets hot? I don't care to much for paddling.

oh I just saw hd's earlier post. she's a cheby.

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