How to test ignition components.

[kiwigtx]

Remember the other time that I did something stupid and pointless?

Do you mean the time you called me rotten a Moderator?

 

[ckessel]

Falling off the roof?

 

[Kern Dog]

Kidding....I have often felt that my actions are a mix of brilliance and stupidity in equal measure.
(with a lot of mediocre stuff in the middle)

 

[kiwigtx]

Kidding....I have often felt that my actions are a mix of brilliance and stupidity in equal measure.
(with a lot of mediocre stuff in the middle)

That is what makes you a likable human Greg.

 

[RJRENTON]

Thank you for that Greg. Hopefully RJ, you see that there are plenty of fellow Mopar brethren that would love your informed input. Just without the grief that makes people walk away from you. BTW, tell us about your project/s. I for one would love to see what you're working on.

It would be helpful to know what you want to learn or know about me....my education or what i did for a living or ???. In the referenced pix, it shows a right rear view of someone's car.....not sure what it represents? As far as your comments what would like to know about me? I can't provide an answer to a unknown subject or question.....be specific. As far as a project car.....i have one....an original 1970 Plymouth GTX RS23V0A******, almost numbers matching (except engine) It was one of 678 440 six barrel cars. Mine was built third week of November 19 as 1970 vehicle. 328 were auto trans 350 were 4 speed cars. I've had it to the WOODWARD AVE DREAM CRUISE (www.woodwarddreamcruise.com) in Detroit, third Saturday of August several times....approximately 50,000+ cruise cars, just as many spectators. Better than the Hot August Nights cruise. I use the car.....although one FBBO member (who shall remain nameless) is constantly fussing with his (almost to the point of being **** retentive or excessive compulsive) with the car......set it...forget it and just use it. I could be specific about what I've done to my car over the 35+ years I've owned it, but don't want to bore you. Look at my garage as RJ's Toy, for several views. ANYTHING else you want to know, PM me.....
BOB RENTON

 

[ckessel]

Nothing specific, just general. Woodward would be awesome to see. Not much bores me on projects unless they get into marks, stamps, paint runs etc. Where is the area you are talking about on RJ's Toy?

 

[Kern Dog]

There we go again. The man proves exactly why he is on the IGNORE list.

....although one FBBO member (who shall remain nameless) is constantly fussing with his (almost to the point of being **** retentive or excessive compulsive) with the car......set it...forget it and just use it.

There is more than just ONE member that likes to tinker and make improvements in not only his cars (plural) and his own skills.
If this forum only had guys with one car that never work on anything, it would crash and burn.
I have 7 cars, two trucks and a small SUV here. 7 of them run and are registered and insured. 3 are parts cars or future projects. THIS is my hobby.
You were asked to share your knowledge, instead you return to be the same person that we have seen numerous times.
The topic of this thread was "How to test ignition components" and while you have responded a few times, you have offered zero help.
This leads me to believe that either you are not any more skilled in this area than I am OR you have no intention of helping anyone.
Neither one of those scenarios is good.

 

[Kern Dog]

Roger stated in post #37 that corrosion will not affect the resistance.
I don’t know if I disproved that or if something else happened.
This resistor tested dead several times.

It has this on one side:

I did mark it just to remind myself…

But after soaking in this:

It did at least look better. The segment between the terminals has a coiled spring around it. There was a lot of corrosion on it before.
Just for grins, I tested it.

This one tested dead even with me aiming the probes every way I could, scraping the terminals on the front for a clean connection and all. Zero. Now it reads a .8 ??

Now it dropped to a .7. Why?

Regardless, I won’t trust this one to last. I don’t know what I did different. Testing it the same way each time is how you’re supposed to eliminate variables.

 

[Kern Dog]

Fresh from the Evaporust bucket:

Note how the filling on the back side is gone from most of these.

The top four are specifically ignition resistors. The bottom 5 are from 2 speed wiper motors.
First test is a new NAPA/Echlin.

Next is one that looks identical but is weathered.

Whuut? 1.9, really?
Yeah it runs but at what point will the engine rev to before cutting out?

 

[Bee1971]

Roger stated in post #37 that corrosion will not affect the resistance.
I don’t know if I disproved that or if something else happened.
This resistor tested dead several times.

View attachment 1704745

It has this on one side:

View attachment 1704747

I did mark it just to remind myself…

View attachment 1704746

But after soaking in this:

View attachment 1704748

It did at least look better. The segment between the terminals has a coiled spring around it. There was a lot of corrosion on it before.
Just for grins, I tested it.

View attachment 1704752

This one tested dead even with me aiming the probes every way I could, scraping the terminals on the front for a clean connection and all. Zero. Now it reads a .8 ??

View attachment 1704753

Now it dropped to a .7. Why?

View attachment 1704755

Regardless, I won’t trust this one to last. I don’t know what I did different. Testing it the same way each time is how you’re supposed to eliminate variables.

Maybe a better quality volt meter and probes

Don’t overthink it

Are your probes making good contacts with the meter itself and ballast resistor

Anyways

 

[Kern Dog]

More:

Here is the one in my car now:

I drove with this ballast resistor in place. The car ran fine but the tach bounced around a bit. I don’t know if a BR can affect the function of a tachometer.

 

[Kern Dog]

The resistors that are found on 2 speed wiper motors have a similar appearance to ballasts for ignition from the aftermarket. I was curious if they would work in a pinch.

I was just curious if I was out on the road and had a failure if the wiper ballast could be substituted.

I figured that sometimes we find a part that interchanges even if it wasn’t intended to.

Now I know these wiper motor ballasts don’t look exactly like the ignition ballasts but their resistance isn’t much different. They might work. Chime in if you have any experience with this.

 

[Bee1971]

Anytime I ran a low ohm coil like an MSD with my Chrysler Ignition Modules , my Auto Meter Ultra Light bounced all over the place - Didn’t matter what Ballast I used or didn’t use


Yes I know about a signal transistor


When I use an 1.5 OHM Ignition Coil , zero issues with the Tachometer

 

[66 Sat]

I use the car.....although one FBBO member (who shall remain nameless) is constantly fussing with his (almost to the point of being **** retentive or excessive compulsive) with the car......set it...forget it and just use it.
BOB RENTON

Bob I use my car too, probably as much as anyone else on here, except the daily drivers of course.
I also tinker with my car all the time. As Kern says it's a hobby, and I enjoy learning new skills and how things work. I'm not a mechanic, I have an office job, but I'm pretty good at wrenching and always have been since I was a kid (pulling apart push bikes and putting them back together). I enjoy it and it beats sitting around watching TV.
TO EACH HIS OWN.
You do your thing, we'll do ours, but please don't criticize.

 

[Kern Dog]

This coil tested at 1.5. The .9 ballast is higher than recommended. I’ve seen charts posted where the 1.5 coil needs a ballast resistor between .5 and .75.
I’m like a kid waiting for Christmas….the troubleshooting book from HalifaxHops is in transit!
Again, please forgive me if anyone has offered help and it didn’t sink in.
Some things get missed. Maybe I do have some attention disorder or something. At least I’m sure that I am a male.

 

[Bee1971]

Kern , for the tenth time , run a good quality .5 - .8 Ballast Resistor

Anything over 1.2 OHMs throw in the garbage

 

[Kern Dog]

Maybe a better quality volt meter and probes
Don’t overthink it
Are your probes making good contacts with the meter itself and ballast resistor

Thanks. I didn’t think this meter was a bad one. I bought it at an electrical supply store. It was about $35-40.

 

[RJRENTON]

Nothing specific, just general. Woodward would be awesome to see. Not much bores me on projects unless they get into marks, stamps, paint runs etc. Where is the area you are talking about on RJ's Toy?

Look at the photo garage section.....RJ's Toy. There is Chrysler at Carlyle and the Mopar Nationals to find parts, vendors other cars.......but there is more to life than cars......especially if one has been involved in South East Asia during the 60's......aka Vietnam.....in another Galaxie....a long long time ago, far fsr away, I flew a HU1D.....believe me......there is ABSOLUTELY more to life and life's experiences and to share those experiences with a special lady or partner .......than with a pile of nuts and bolts, aka a classic car....which being ranked about 1-2% of the total of life's experience, thus far .....but this is just my feeling....having experienced many good and great and terrible aspects of life. I feel sorry for those that fixate on their cars.....life's too short to really care about measuring ballast resistor values and posting their trivial opinions.....so...believe or think what you want about me .....i really do not care......
BOB RENTON

 

[Bee1971]

Can’t we all just get along

 

[Kern Dog]

I’ve mentioned before that loose connections could be an issue. At least one member also commented and added pictures of wires and terminals that showed signs of getting hot.
This will be old news to some but I’ll put it out there anyway.
To get the plastic insulator off the end, you need a thin blade. I took an old small screwdriver and ran it against the grinder a bit.

Look in the end of the connector. There is a rectangle shaped opening with a smaller rectangle space above it.

Insert the screwdriver in the top slot.

Wiggle the wire from the other end. It should pull out. Below you can see the locking tab on the top of the terminal that keeps the plastic insulator in place.

I’m going to look at the terminals that connect to the ballast.
Stay tuned…