...anyone have a clue as to why the car turns over but won't fire. BUT When I turn off the key it acts like it fires on a cylinder or maybe two but doesn't start, naturally, because I just turned the key off. Is that a ballast resistor issue? Ignition switch is NOS that I've had on the car only a few years.

I didn't do anything but install new chrome alternator. But put old alternator back on. Car ran like a top before.

I will try another ballast resistor this weekend and see if that helps.

I really need to get this car running/driving so I can move it to my new house/location! I can winch it on my trailer but prefer to get it working at 100%

Could the chrome ignition box have gone bad? Does it ground to car body? It's away from heat under the washer bottle.

Have you checked the gap at the pick up in the distributor? Sometimes the linkage to the vacuum advance hangs up and I have to pop the cap and pull it back on my truck before it'll fire. Also, as mentioned either bypass the ballast resistor entirely or jump from the starter relay to ballast resistor for a solid power source. That should eliminate a good portion of potential problems. Lastly, are you sure the alternator is charging? When you get the car started again turn on the headlights and see if it expedites the dying process. Let us know how it goes.

BTW, if you jump from the starter relay to the ballast resistor you will have to unplug the jumper to shut the car off. This test partially eliminates the ignition switch from the circuit and will no longer kill the ignition. Good Luck!

Go over everything you physically touched, moved, disconnected, etc. first, starting with the transmission. Make sure your neutral safety switch plug is tight. Check to be sure your shift linkage is adjusted properly. Eliminate one possibility, one variable at a time. If you have eliminated everything you touched then go after things you did not touch. Make sure the connectors at the firewall are snapped in tight. Hopefully you don't have any pre-existing issues there with green corrosion just now starting to cause trouble after you did this work, causing you to suspect it's your work. Swap out or jump the ballast - it's a quick check to do. Then dig into the distributor to check the reluctor gap and condition of the cap/rotor, etc.

Sounds to me you possibly zapped a hot wire while you were replacing the alternator.. Did you remove the neg cable from the battery??

If you have a known good ignition box, I would try it....

When you get one spark while letting off the key the pick up is bad

No, I don't think it was a bad wire connection, because it just plugs onto the ballast. When I put the other one on, I never had another problem with it. I don't know exactly where the spark was - but there was just a spark which was plainly visible in the dusk. I didn't do any wire repairs.

I would check voltage at the back of igniton switch on the "run" terminal see if 12 volts ,u could have a voltage drop inside the ignition switch .
should have 7 to 9 volts on the positive side of coil.
4.6 kinda low is this points car ? when switch gets hot more resistance less voltage and curant flow.
Read up about voltage drop testing. Then check your ignition circuits that way. You will find it for sure with out guessing.

A bad coil will behave the same way. Did you check the coil to see if it's overheating? A hot coil normally means it's bad.

It's a non points distributor.

Yes I unplugged battery when installing alternator

Shouldn't there be 6 volts instead of 4.6 across the coil terminals with key on?

Sounds like a pickup to me also.Measuring across coil termonals is incorrect.You should have app 6 to 8 volts key on at coil Pos.Then get a test light ground and hold to coil neg that goes to dist.It should flash as car cranks.Measuring across coil connections dosent prove much except you have voltage at coil.You can also jump the ballast to see if car runs.Like said you should have voltage at ballast with key on .Rocky

i'd look into whether you're getting voltage to the ballast when you are cranking the motor. i think it's ign1 and ign2 on a wiring schematic.
i would just run a jumper wire from the battery to the ballast resistor. i would also replace the coil if you haven't already.

when i wired up my ignition i was using only one of the ign wires for my turn on voltage, it would not fire until i switched the key back to run from start.
then i did it the other way, it would fire while starting but wouldn't run. then i realized what i did wrong, i needed both of those wires for voltage.

Still has an air gap adjustment.

Great news!! Installed new ballast resistor and it fired up and stayed running!

Thanx to everyone!

That wasn't that bad now was it!

...not bad at all. If you don't count withdrawal symptoms

Now I have to wonder if installing the new chrome Powermaster alternator killed the ballast resistor or if it failed on it's own and it's ok to re install the Powermaster...?

I sure don't want to install it and have the same issue again. I guess if I do I will know not to use the chrome alternator

Chrome alt on my 65 and never hurt the ballast.I run MSD and just never deleted the ballast.Been on for at least 17 years.Did have a bad ballast and that was with the OE alt.Rocky

OK... for those interested I FINALLY resolved the dying issue. I put my old alternator back on and now it runs great all day without dying.

NOW... here is my big question. WHY?!?!?!?

What is wrong with my new alternator/car that would cause this. It's a 2 field chrome 17519 Powermaster 75 amp. I have one wired to field and the other grounded.

I'd check the field brush holders, they isolate the brushes from the case, and if they (or the insulating washers) are defective could cause a short to ground on the switched ignition power wire.

I ain't thinking how the alt/reg could cause it to die. all that system could do is not charge or full field (full charge) or somewhere inbetween (even if intermittent from a loose connection) & it'd die if the batt finally ran down far enough or if it full fielded to the point where everything fried from too high of voltage (neither of which I think is happening here). I'm thinking Murphys Law, the ballast just happened to act up at the same time as the alt (if I am reading this right). 2 seperate issues I'd say. you replaced the ballast & it is running & if you want the Powermaster on there I would go ahead with it

Back in '95 the same car(I've owned it since 1980) died from an internal short in the alternator while driving down the road. I lost lights and ignition....everything.