65 383 ignition issues

[rathmor]

OK I had a coil go bad and it took out my Ballast resistor. Changed both and had the spark and engine going for a few. Now the ballast resistor is shot again. I've tracked the wires and didn't find any breaks or grounds anywhere. I am wondering if there is an easy way to see if the Distributor is fried and causing the back feed or any other ideas on why the ballast resistor keeps burning up.


As always thank you everyone for your help and guidance on this

I miss having my father around to help and get me thru the stuff I am still trying to learn on older motors.

 

[Big_John]

I doubt if the ballast resistor was burnt from either coil or distributor going bad.

They do go bad... sometimes new ones only last a short time. Nature of the beast. The wires being too tight will sometimes shorten the life by breaking the internal ceramics and then leaving the nichrome wire that makes up the resistor unsupported. The wire breaks after a few cycles.

But... Are you sure it's the ballast resistor?? Check for continuity across the terminals or better yet, check the resistance with a multimeter.

And... My Dad's been gone 22 years and I still think about how I could call him and he would have an answer to a question. I miss him.

 

[C Body Bob]

are you using the correct coil. Many of the performance coils have their own ballast.

 

[rathmor]

Yea im pretty sure its the ballast resistor I watched it smoke away when I connected the turned on the ignition to check for power at the ballast on both sides and then to coil and by the time I hit the coil positive with the test light the ballast was smoking.

Im just using a stock coil I picked up at napa

 

[Big_John]

I'll take back what I said about the coil burning out the ballast resistor. I got to thinking about it and did a little checking and a bad coil.. or a coil that draws too much current will burn out a ballast resistor.

 

[rathmor]

Hmmm well then I wonder if I just got a bum coil it happens. worked for a few minutes and then something went poof in it.

Guess ill be hitting Napa again tomorrow when they open up for another coil and ballast resistor and see what it does.


Thanks again for the help. Its only been just over 6 years since my fathers aneurism but when im working on the car I can still hear his voice helping

 

[C Body Bob]

Is this a points ignition? You can burn the contacts up leaving the switch on. Not sure why the ballast would start smoking with the engine off.

 

[rathmor]

yes it has points and ill check them again but I looked at em yesterday and they looked fine n clean. but I did just look at the distributor itself and I think my bushings are shot I have about an inch of up n down play in it

 

[C Body Bob]

A very good time to upgrade to electronic ing.

 

[rathmor]

That was exactly what I was thinking out with the old pain in the butt ign with points and go Electronic