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Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? #1063135 08/26/11 01:55 AM 08/26/11 01:55 AM
Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,496 Sask, Can. 7 72demon416 OP pro stock
72demon416 OP pro stock 7 Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,496 Sask, Can.	I'm posting this for a friend with a 71 Bee with a 383. He tells me within a couple minutes after starting the car the coil gets hot enough to burn you and won't restart if shut off. The car has electronic ignition and he has changed ignition boxes (MP orange) and ballast resistors ( Napa 2 terminal replacements- likely wrong). He has bought a new MSD coil for it but has not tried it yet and is getting all kinds of advise but the most common being poor grounds. Any ideas?- electronics problems are not my bag.... Last edited by 72DEMON416; 08/26/11 01:56 AM.

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: 72demon416] #1063136 08/26/11 03:47 AM 08/26/11 03:47 AM
Joined: Jun 2005 Posts: 4,442 Texas D Daty Rogers World's Greatest Husband. I love you Robyn
Daty Rogers World's Greatest Husband. I love you Robyn D Joined: Jun 2005 Posts: 4,442 Texas	ballast resistor is not stepping down to 6 volts after startup. -Daty

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: 72demon416] #1063137 08/26/11 07:26 AM 08/26/11 07:26 AM
Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 3,344 Central TX roe master
roe master Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 3,344 Central TX	Quote: I'm posting this for a friend with a 71 Bee with a 383. He tells me within a couple minutes after starting the car the coil gets hot enough to burn you and won't restart if shut off. The car has electronic ignition and he has changed ignition boxes (MP orange) and ballast resistors ( Napa 2 terminal replacements- likely wrong). He has bought a new MSD coil for it but has not tried it yet and is getting all kinds of advise but the most common being poor grounds. Any ideas?- electronics problems are not my bag.... The Napa 2 terminal ballast may be correct, it was on my 71 Satellite. No answer for your question though, good luck. I'll be following this thread 1971 Plymouth Satellite 408/904 8 3/4 3.23 SG

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: 72demon416] #1063138 08/26/11 09:52 AM 08/26/11 09:52 AM
Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,822 Colorado D denfireguy top fuel
denfireguy top fuel D Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,822 Colorado	Quote: I'm posting this for a friend with a 71 Bee with a 383. He tells me within a couple minutes after starting the car the coil gets hot enough to burn you and won't restart if shut off. The car has electronic ignition and he has changed ignition boxes (MP orange) and ballast resistors ( Napa 2 terminal replacements- likely wrong). He has bought a new MSD coil for it but has not tried it yet and is getting all kinds of advise but the most common being poor grounds. Any ideas?- electronics problems are not my bag.... It is definitely not a poor ground. If it was poor, no current would flow and the coil would be cool. My guess, and only a guess without the coil in front of me, is shorted windings in the coil. That would allow the coil to function but the shorted windings would lower the DC resistance of the coil causing it to make more heat. It also puts an AC load on the coil so when the field collapses to fire the spark plug, it puts a damper effect on the coil, making even more heat. Try a new coil. Craig 2014 Ram 1500 Laramie, 73 Cuda Previous mopars: 62 Valiant, 65 Fury III, 68 Fury III, 72 Satellite, 74 Satellite, 89 Acclaim, 98 Caravan, 2003 Durango Only previous Non-Mopar: Schwinn Tornado

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: 72demon416] #1063139 08/26/11 10:18 AM 08/26/11 10:18 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	If you have a VOM check the voltages on it while running & take the wires off of it & ohm it while hot, ohm the ballast while you're at it. (1) touch each pri terminal on low ohms scale and (2)same w ballast (3)then switch to K (X1000) ohms scale & check either pri terminal and center terminal. As said ballast value too low (likely)or shorted windings (way less likely) or wrong coil 2 begin w live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: RapidRobert] #1063140 08/26/11 11:59 AM 08/26/11 11:59 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,251 Slidell, LA Ronnman pro stock
Ronnman pro stock Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,251 Slidell, LA	As a reference a spare coil I have measured 1.5 ohms across the primary + to -. and 10.87 K ohms from - to the (center) coil wire terminal. All this at 88 degrees F. Ron

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: Ronnman] #1063141 08/26/11 02:05 PM 08/26/11 02:05 PM
Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,496 Sask, Can. 7 72demon416 OP pro stock
72demon416 OP pro stock 7 Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,496 Sask, Can.	Thanks for the tips guys- I'll pass it on

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: Daty Rogers] #1063142 08/26/11 08:06 PM 08/26/11 08:06 PM
Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 4,154 bethlehem pa M mikemee1331 master
mikemee1331 master M Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 4,154 bethlehem pa	Quote: ballast resistor is not stepping down to 6 volts after startup. -Daty you didn't say what type of coil but the resistor is mismatched.

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: mikemee1331] #1063143 08/26/11 08:50 PM 08/26/11 08:50 PM
Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,496 Sask, Can. 7 72demon416 OP pro stock
72demon416 OP pro stock 7 Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,496 Sask, Can.	I believe it is just a factory coil.

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: 72demon416] #1063144 08/26/11 09:29 PM 08/26/11 09:29 PM
Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 4,154 bethlehem pa M mikemee1331 master
mikemee1331 master M Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 4,154 bethlehem pa	put in the blaster. is the ECU fairly new? if so you shouldn't need a ballast with the blaster coil. if it's an older conversion ECU you will need the ballast that came with the blaster coil.

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: mikemee1331] #1063145 08/27/11 12:27 PM 08/27/11 12:27 PM
Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,496 Sask, Can. 7 72demon416 OP pro stock
72demon416 OP pro stock 7 Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,496 Sask, Can.	If I recall our conversation correctly he sail he had changed the ecu but it made no difference. I would have to guess it's a older conversion. So your saying to turf the ballast when he installs the msd coil?

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: 72demon416] #1063146 08/27/11 01:09 PM 08/27/11 01:09 PM
Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 15,478 the boonies aarcuda I Live Here
aarcuda I Live Here Joined: Mar 2003 Posts: 15,478 the boonies	It's either the coil or the ballast. Check the resistance of the coil and ballast (I don't recall the specs but google does.) If you got 6 to 9v at the coil your good buy you probably have closer to 12v meaning the ballast isnt dropping the voltage. If the coils smokng it means it got to much voltage at the + terminal (ballast) or it's drawing too current (coil shorted) It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas.

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: aarcuda] #1063147 08/27/11 01:54 PM 08/27/11 01:54 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 4,664 Newfoundland M mopar_man master
mopar_man master M Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 4,664 Newfoundland	Does the BEE have four wires to a double ballast . could it be one terminal is reversed ?

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: 72demon416] #1063148 08/27/11 05:16 PM 08/27/11 05:16 PM
Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 4,154 bethlehem pa M mikemee1331 master
mikemee1331 master M Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 4,154 bethlehem pa	Quote: If I recall our conversation correctly he sail he had changed the ecu but it made no difference. I would have to guess it's a older conversion. So your saying to turf the ballast when he installs the msd coil? here, read through this - https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/show...rue#Post6776227

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: mikemee1331] #1063149 08/27/11 08:49 PM 08/27/11 08:49 PM
Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,216 Under My Car Mopar_Country pro stock
Mopar_Country pro stock Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,216 Under My Car	The coil could be going bad. The ballast resistor should drop the coil run voltage to 9v. If he replaces the stock coil with a Blaster 2 then you need a .25 ohm ballast.

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: Mopar_Country] #1063150 08/27/11 09:44 PM 08/27/11 09:44 PM
Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 4,154 bethlehem pa M mikemee1331 master
mikemee1331 master M Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 4,154 bethlehem pa	i would say you are right about the coil being bad. as to the blaster coil, he might not need a resistor. he would need to varify that with the manufacture of the ECU he is running. the blaster coil itself does not require a ballast resistor. only if running points or an older ECU.

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: mikemee1331] #1063151 08/28/11 01:16 AM 08/28/11 01:16 AM
Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,496 Sask, Can. 7 72demon416 OP pro stock
72demon416 OP pro stock 7 Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,496 Sask, Can.	Thanks guys, I'll have to find out a little more on his setup and get him to check his voltages at the coil.

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: 72demon416] #1063152 08/28/11 11:00 AM 08/28/11 11:00 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 3,103 Phila Pa S scatpacktom master
scatpacktom master S Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 3,103 Phila Pa	Sorry, but I don't get to say this very often... The oil in the coil is at a broil.

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: scatpacktom] #1063153 08/28/11 02:43 PM 08/28/11 02:43 PM
Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 4,154 bethlehem pa M mikemee1331 master
mikemee1331 master M Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 4,154 bethlehem pa	Quote: Sorry, but I don't get to say this very often... The oil in the coil is at a broil.

Re: Why would a coil get smoking hot and stay that way? [Re: 72demon416] #1063154 08/28/11 06:00 PM 08/28/11 06:00 PM
Joined: Nov 2008 Posts: 1,565 tennessee P pushbutton pro stock
pushbutton pro stock P Joined: Nov 2008 Posts: 1,565 tennessee	Quote: I'm posting this for a friend with a 71 Bee with a 383. He tells me within a couple minutes after starting the car the coil gets hot enough to burn you and won't restart if shut off. The car has electronic ignition and he has changed ignition boxes (MP orange) and ballast resistors ( Napa 2 terminal replacements- likely wrong). He has bought a new MSD coil for it but has not tried it yet and is getting all kinds of advise but the most common being poor grounds. Any ideas?- electronics problems are not my bag.... I have a friend that had this happen with a SBC in a street rod,the coil was wired wrong. I wouldn't have thought it would run but it did.

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