ballast resister

[carguy5068]

I have 1972 17ft starcraft with 140 mercruiser. engine fires up but kills as soon as ignition switch is realeased to on position much like a ballast resister problem. I cant find a ballast resister on engine anywhere. Ive read on here it could have a ballast resister wire instead. I cant seem to find any information on the location of this wire. would i be better off converting to pertronix electronic ignition to solve this problem? do i have to have it running to winterize it I don't want it to freeze and bust.

 

[achris]

Re: ballast resister

The ballast resistor take the form of a resistive wire, and it looks just like any other wire... It's between the coil '+' and a junction point inside the harness. The only reason you need to run the engine for winterising is to get the it warm to change the oil and to get the fuel stabiliser into the carburettor and fog the engine. You can still fog the cylinders by removing the spark plugs and squirting it don the holes and then cranking the engine to distribute it, and don't forget to remove the cooling system drain plugs on the engine, manifold and elbow.... as long as the block and manifold have been drained you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[cr2k]

Re: ballast resister

You should have a brown wire (resister) or a purple wire (key switch power for internal resistor coil) You are running on the booster wire from your starter. (only has power when key is in Start position, yellow w/red stripe). You need to find out where the break is in your ignition wiring. nothing wrong wit distributor.

 

[carguy5068]

Re: ballast resister

thanks I will try to find broken wire.

 

[carguy5068]

Re: ballast resister

Well traced wire from coil deep into harness no break in wire installed pertronix electronic ignition coil motor still starts and dies runs for a second with shot of ether. smells like its getting gas but when i look down carb and pump throttle its barely squirting fuel just ran new fuel line and filters. no change. tomorrow gonna crank it with fuel line off from carb to check pressure how much pressure should it have in other terms how big of stream should it squirt with a properly functioning fuel pump. I thought it might be the accelerator pump but i dumped a little gas down carb and it runs about as long as with starting fluid. thanks in advance for any help with this project. mark...

 

[thumpar]

Re: ballast resister

What is the voltage at the coil? Did you run a separate 12v wire to the pertronix module?

 

[stonyloam]

Re: ballast resister

The Petronix needs a full 12 volts to operate properly, so you are going to have to run a wire for it. Need to know a couple of things to get it right. Ignitor or Ignitor II? Did you get a flamethrower coil with the Petronix? If so I or II? With that Info will get it running in no time Oh yeah, do you have a purple wire going to the choke module on the carburetor?

 

[carguy5068]

Re: ballast resister

I have only used the coil it is a pertonix 2 flamethrower coil will check today to see what voltage im getting at coil.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: ballast resister

OK, now we are in business. Locate and remove the purple wire on the coil +, fold it over and tape it off, that is your resistance wire and no longer needed. Locate the purple wire going to the choke module. Turn on the ignition and measure the voltage on that wire, should be 12 volts. Splice a stranded (not solid) wire into the purple wire. Make sure it is a really good connection, solder if possible, use something like liquid tape to protect the splice. Run the wire to the coil + along with the Petronix red lead. Make sure the purple/yellow wire from the starter is attached to coil +. Turn on the ignition, measure voltage at coil, should be 12v +. If 12V, you should be good to go. good luck.

 

[Don S]

Re: ballast resister

A lot of the replies in this thread has you looking for a purple wire, of which you don't have one. You have the old (Pre BIA) wiring color codes. If your wiring is all original, you should have a white wire (also the resistor wire) and a tan wire (from starter) going to the + terminal of your coil.
Remove both wires from the coil, turn your ignition switch to run and see if you have power on the white wire you removed from the coil, also check on the ignition switch itself. It may be nothing more than a bad switch.
Here is a wiring diagram showing the wiring of an engine with out a ballast resistor.

It doesn't show, just click this link http://forums.iboats.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=120734&stc=1&d=1320248194

 

[stonyloam]

Re: ballast resister

Oops! Sorry about that:facepalm: There does not appear to be an electric choke, but you will have to pick up a full 12Volts from the ignition switch somewhere to run the Petronix. You could run a temporary wire directly to the battery + to check it out. Once started, just remove the wire to shut off the engine.

 

[carguy5068]

Re: ballast resister

thanks for all the info! im going to purchase the rest of the pertronix conversion for my application to eliminate points comepletely im currently only running the igniter 2 coil that i took off my truck. Ill just run a keyed 12 volt jumper wire with 12 volt till i get the electronic ign installed to at least hear it run. leave tan wire off? because it actually was disconnected when i bought the boat and i reconnected it. thats the way it is now. I tried to run it again with wire disconnected and got nothing. thanks again. mark... glad im done looking for that purple wire i was beginning to think someone replaced it with diffrent color but no sign of it.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: ballast resister

According to the diagram the tan wire bypasses the resistance wire when the starter is turning, just like in a car with a ballast resistor, so it would normally need to be connected. If you are using a separate keyed circuit directly to the battery + you don't need it for the testing. With 12v at the coil it should work OK with the points.