40 Ford Resistor

[dewert]

After a lot of trial and error I found out my resistor was bad. I had juice from the ignition to the resistor but none coming out so no juice to the coil. I changed the resistor and man it started right up. Have had the new one on for about two weeks. I go out to start it and my battery is low and the car did not start. Should of I think. Checked the juice again and none coming out of the new resistor. And the resistor was hotter than hati. Do I have a short or did it just go out again. Seems to me I read here somwhere that some guys just by-pass it. Six volt positive ground. Any help again would be appreciated.

 

[G.M.]

I'm not sure I follow you correctly but it sounds like the battery is to low to give to over 3 1/2 volts to the coil. It will crank and the resistor will get hot but the spark with the coil getting about 3 volts isn't enough to fire the plugs. Try charging the battery over night before doing anything else. G.M.

 

[George/Maine]

I sounds like something is not wired right.If it shows and open resister you are drawing to much current and burning it out.
Check the wire coming from key switch and its working ok,then to resister then to coil.The resister should be .5 ohms and a afther market car resister.If you have a 6 volt system and a .5 resister.Take a volt meter and measure across resister should read about 1.5 volts. Voltage 1.5 Divided by .5 ohms should be about 3 amps and more it getting to much current.

 

[G.M.]

I never had very good luck with after market resistors. Bend the vented tabs up on the original type one. Scrape the inside of the metal ends clean near both ends of the resistor wire. Push the end turns down against the cleaned area, Keep the terminal tabs level with each other and solder the wire to the ends useing acid flux, paste flux won't work on nichrome wire. Clean with baking soda and water, rince and blow dry, Bend the covers back in place. Put a nut on each screw sticking up through the fiber board, tighten good and put the resistor, wire terminals, lock washer and another nut on and tighten good. Now the resistor and wires are clamped together making good contact. The fiber board expands and contracts with moisture and makes a loose connection dropping the low voltage even lower. G.M.

 

[flatjack9]

Sounds like your voltage regulator is not working properly. Points in the regulator should open when the key is off so no current can flow. If they stick closed, dead battery. If you bypass the resistor, you risk damage to the coil and reduced point life.