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Ignition problem #1204448 03/27/12 12:59 PM 03/27/12 12:59 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,018 Here and now J jeebis44 OP super stock
jeebis44 OP super stock J Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,018 Here and now	Need Help! I keep burning up ballast resistors for some reason. I've gone through 2 in the last week. Stockish 318 / thermoquad, stock electronic ignition box from '74 dodge dart, 1.25 ohm ballast and an FBO coil. Brand new plugs and wires. The ballast resistor gets HOT (is it normal for them to run hot to the touch?) and engine will run for about 6-8 minutes then die. Starts up after cooling off for a few minutes and then the same problem. I changed the ECU for a new replacement from NAPA and same problem. Any ideas?

Re: Ignition problem [Re: jeebis44] #1204449 03/27/12 01:18 PM 03/27/12 01:18 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 25,200 Upper Midwest M MoparforLife Too Many Posts
MoparforLife Too Many Posts M Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 25,200 Upper Midwest	Ballast resisters do not work intermittently. Once dead they stay dead. just like a fuse. you have a thermo breakdown somewhere else. yes it is normal for a resister to get very hot. Do not touch. They will smoke when new. an electric stove burner is nothing but a controlled resister.

Re: Ignition problem [Re: MoparforLife] #1204450 03/27/12 01:27 PM 03/27/12 01:27 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,018 Here and now J jeebis44 OP super stock
jeebis44 OP super stock J Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,018 Here and now	What else would fail when hot? The ECU is new, the coil is new, and the ballast is new. The two ballasts that burned out the wire is actually burned through (up in the back side - it's not filled in)

Re: Ignition problem [Re: jeebis44] #1204451 03/27/12 01:33 PM 03/27/12 01:33 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 25,200 Upper Midwest M MoparforLife Too Many Posts
MoparforLife Too Many Posts M Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 25,200 Upper Midwest	Once the connection in the ballast is burned through they do not selfmend. There can be thermo break downs in the the ecu, they pick up coil in the distributor or even in the coil.

Re: Ignition problem [Re: MoparforLife] #1204452 03/27/12 02:20 PM 03/27/12 02:20 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,018 Here and now J jeebis44 OP super stock
jeebis44 OP super stock J Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,018 Here and now	When the ballasts burned out I replaced them

Re: Ignition problem [Re: jeebis44] #1204453 03/27/12 02:36 PM 03/27/12 02:36 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 25,200 Upper Midwest M MoparforLife Too Many Posts
MoparforLife Too Many Posts M Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 25,200 Upper Midwest	You stated: Quote: The ballast resistor gets HOT (is it normal for them to run hot to the touch?) and engine will run for about 6-8 minutes then die. Starts up after cooling off for a few minutes and then the same problem. Doesn't say a word about replacing them.

Re: Ignition problem [Re: MoparforLife] #1204454 03/27/12 03:27 PM 03/27/12 03:27 PM
Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 8,671 A Andrewh master
Andrewh master A Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 8,671	is the coil new since this started? or new since the last balast burned out? did I miss, what kind of coil? 12 v or 8 v? can you track the wiring on the other side of the balast and tell us what else is plugged in ?

Re: Ignition problem [Re: jeebis44] #1204455 03/27/12 08:27 PM 03/27/12 08:27 PM
Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,040 Lincoln Nebraska R RapidRobert Circle Track
RapidRobert Circle Track R Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,040 Lincoln Nebraska	Quote: Any ideas? next time it dies immediately seperate the 2 wire dist pickup pull apart connector & tap the male end of the eng half on metal ground & see if the coil to dist (dist end) secondary wire sparks (key on) & if so that points to the dist pickup as the culprit. Check it's gap also, want .008" live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth

Re: Ignition problem [Re: RapidRobert] #1204456 03/27/12 11:54 PM 03/27/12 11:54 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,018 Here and now J jeebis44 OP super stock
jeebis44 OP super stock J Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,018 Here and now	OK the coil is an FBO coil that I've been using for years. I removed the coil output wire and found the terminal full of oil; I poured that out and tightened down the little screw inside and dried off the coil wire, reinstalled and no issues since. Could that have been the whole cause?

Re: Ignition problem [Re: jeebis44] #1204457 03/28/12 10:53 AM 03/28/12 10:53 AM
Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,040 Lincoln Nebraska R RapidRobert Circle Track
RapidRobert Circle Track R Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,040 Lincoln Nebraska	Yes. My FBO coil leaked past the screw also. Don was good enough to send me another coil live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth

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