Ballast Resistor- how hot is too hot?

[RJRENTON]

Thanks, but you give me too much credit. Just posted so others are aware of the coils impedance property.
Recently watched some you tube car wiring videos, and most of them are very basic and sometimes misleading.
I've been doing electronic for 45 years (30 in Aerospace) and I am still learning things I didn't know.

I'm a degreed BSEE + MBA Macro Economics + Registrated Professional EE...but your explanation was first rate....it's unfortunate that many readers do not understand the concept...YES...we can all learn something IF we just accept rather than paraphrase the concept.....the Uncle Elmo's...of the group, who miss the point by miles....just my opinion...
BOB RENTON

 

[MWbirdLOVER70]

I'm a degreed BSEE + MBA Macro Economics + Registrated Professional EE...but your explanation was first rate....it's unfortunate that many readers do not understand the concept...YES...we can all learn something IF we just accept rather than paraphrase the concept.....the Uncle Elmo's...of the group, who miss the point by miles....just my opinion...
BOB RENTON

But, maybe diving further into electronics like yourself or Mopar 451 ( no disrespect ) isn’t the majorities thing or have the knowledge. Must like myself will bring in to bench test and swap out if bad so we can get back up. Just my 2 cents -Rick

 

[RJRENTON]

But, maybe diving further into electronics like yourself or Mopar 451 ( no disrespect ) isn’t the majorities thing or have the knowledge. Must like myself will bring in to bench test and swap out if bad so we can get back up. Just my 2 cents -Rick

If that is so, HOW DO YOU TEST THE ECU? (by substituting or do you have a tester?)....can you test the coils inductive reactance and its capacitive reactance along with the primary and secondary resistance AND how compatible these parts with each other and the ballast resistance......do you tabulate your findings to be able to draw conclusions?......just curious.....
BOB RENTON

 

[MWbirdLOVER70]

If that is so, HOW DO YOU TEST THE ECU? (by substituting or do you have a tester?)....can you test the coils inductive reactance and its capacitive reactance along with the primary and secondary resistance AND how compatible these parts with each other and the ballast resistance......do you tabulate your findings to be able to draw conclusions?......just curious.....
BOB RENTON

I HAVE S FRIEND THAT CAN TEST THATS AN RETIRED CHRYCO EMPLOYEE THAT HAS EQUIPMENT. Other stuff I have known good spares and loan out or use multi meter to test or some Chryco tools in this area (70 up VR tester to full feild. What’s with you and the CAPS ALL THE TIME BOB. YOU SOME ANGRY OLD GUY THAT SHOUTS ALL THE TIME HERE AND IN THE REAL WORLD? Try being polite it comes off better -Rick

 

[Sinitro]

Be careful..
Testing an ECU is a challenging task...
Its key component is the power transistor and here lies the challenge.
For early ECUs(>15 years old) the concern was the life and viability of the power transistor.
And now with the later ECUs(<10 years old), the off-shore vendors have continued to use cheaper, less reliable power transistors..
A power transistor can have what called "secondary breakdown" and its internal silicon shorts out under current/voltage load..
Very few testors apply a comparable current/voltage load equal to that which can exist in an active ignition system, so it may show good even when actually is bad.
Also when the ECU(and its power transistor) is hot this tends to accelerate the breakdown process..
IMHO.. The best test is to have a known good ECU and swap it out..

Just my $0.02...

 

[Nacho-RT74]

Despiting the ballast temp concerns claimed by the OP, the thread is becoming hot as usual by the combination of part of the “elements” performance playing around, so hotter than it should be in regular board operating conditions.

 

[451Mopar]

Back to ballast resistors, I like to use the Mallory 700 ballast resistor that varied resistance from 0.75 Ohm colt to 1.5 Ohm hot.
It seems they are no longer for sale, but Speedway lists a ballast resistor with the same specs:
Ballast Resistor, .75-1.50 Ohm

 

[MWbirdLOVER70]

Back to ballast resistors, I like to use the Mallory 700 ballast resistor that varied resistance from 0.75 Ohm colt to 1.5 Ohm hot.
It seems they are no longer for sale, but Speedway lists a ballast resistor with the same specs:
Ballast Resistor, .75-1.50 Ohm

Thanks 451 Mopar for that info got me the factory mopat mp resistor with the kit or factory oem but that’s per my application and original box

 

[RJRENTON]

Back to ballast resistors, I like to use the Mallory 700 ballast resistor that varied resistance from 0.75 Ohm colt to 1.5 Ohm hot.
It seems they are no longer for sale, but Speedway lists a ballast resistor with the same specs:
Ballast Resistor, .75-1.50 Ohm

Why would WANT a variable resistance? The original system used 0.5 ohm. Resistance effects charge/discharge time of the coil...I see zero advantage to having variable values...other than the psychological aspect...BOB RENTON

 

[Kern Dog]

HalifaxHops did write that the ohm readings do change from cold to hot. The stock ones aren't variable when running except that the resistance gets lower as it warms up.

 

[kiwigtx]

Recently watched some you tube car wiring videos, and most of them are very basic and sometimes misleading.

They cut corners also......big corners.

I know what involved in wiring...been doing it for 42+ years.....

 

[MWbirdLOVER70]

They cut corners also......big corners.

I know what involved in wiring...been doing it for 42+ years.....

Would that be your 2 cents Kiw just having fun with you

 

[kiwigtx]

Would that be your 2 cents Kiw just having fun with you

Five cents worth.... (exchange rates are brutal)

 

[eldubb440]

Five cents worth.... (exchange rates are brutal)

I was recently told it was corporate price gouging

 

[MWbirdLOVER70]

Five cents worth.... (exchange rates are brutal)

Hehehe

 

[451Mopar]

The HP Academy you tube videos are decent, but overkill for most hobbyist. They usually show the $10,000+ wiring harnesses with auto sport connectors ($200+ pair, plus about $3-$4 per pair of terminals), Tefzel wire (about $1 foot for 14 AWG in 100 foot lengths), DR-25 at around $3-$9 / foot and such.
I see they have a wiring training package for $299.
For me the OE modern type Metri-pack connectors, along with the OE type Packard connectors to connect the original car parts, and TXL/GXL wire is what I am using.
I think it is a good combination of cost and quality.
I have used the older Weather pack connectors, but they are bulky and not really designed to be connected/disconnected more than a very few times.

For the Ballast resistor, I started using the self adjusting Mallory 700 ballast in the 1980's when running the big yellow Accell super coil. With the Orange Box Electronic Ignition conversion kit (In the 1980s Direct connection sold the whole dist/ECU/wiring kit was less than $80), the stock ballast resistor would burn out with the big Accell ignition coil, but not with the Mallory ballast resistor. Back then I never looked at the specs of it all, it just worked with no problems.
I'm not sure when (maybe in the 1990's) Mopar Performance jacked up the price of the Conversion kit to over $200! I bought one at the higher price and the quality was worse than the earlier kits, so because of the jacked up price and quality issues, I started using Mallory UniLite, and MSD, and Jacobs Electronics ignition parts.

 

[4mulas]

How hot is too hot is a rhetoric question.....it's similar to the question: how high is up or why is there air? WHY DOES IT MATTER? Perhaps this query should be posed to our resident "trivial expert", specialising in totally inconsequential and useless information, who, cannot resist comments on anything/everything.....like installing a limiter plate in a distributor, Lithium batteries (amps vs amps), tire valve stem cap torque, soldering aluminum, ...... Mr. If I don't comment, I'll explode......Kern Dog.......which he'll likely do an documented expose, complete with temperature vs resistance vs amps vs ambient temp......let's see how long it takes......
BOB RENTON

I thought you were talking about your own useless rambling posts that often occur on this forum just hear yourself talk….

 

[RJRENTON]

I thought you were talking about your own useless rambling posts that often occur on this forum just hear yourself talk….

NO ....I was referring to your total lack of understanding of fundamental knowledge of ohm's laws and their various iterations...
BOB RENTON

 

[4mulas]

NO ....I was referring to your total lack of understanding of fundamental knowledge of ohm's laws and their various iterations...
BOB RENTON

There’s last word BOB.

Just my opinion.

PS I understand ohm’s just fine. Your reply just solidifies the validity of my initial post on this thread.

 

[AR67GTX]

Who would have thunk that something as simple as a resister could generate so much discussion and turmoil. Me, I just want to be poster #60.