problem with points distrubtor

[meaniam]

first let say this never ran points before always hei. so with that out of the way. im doing my boat. 454 with tunnel ram. hei wont clear intake. i need to understand how to set this up i see 1 black wire coming from dist. one new coil and one new ballast resestor. i want to take power from the igniton switch. i hooked it up the way i thought it should be and the ballast started smoking. must be doing this wrong. any help would be great. not looking for someone to say msd or something else
thanks
mike

[Rexone]

Check this out (http://www.liquidaddiction.net/wiring.htm)

[Moneypitt]

It is normal for a new ballast resistor to smoke when you first put power to it. The ceramic material gets on the resistance coil, and burns off within a few seconds to a minute or so. The power from the switch is reduced as it passes through the ballast, and that creates heat. You probably have it wired right. MP

[meaniam]

thanks mike
i was really hoping someone would post wiring diagram. i looked at the diagram it looks like i hooked it all up right. so know i am kicking around this idea. im not sure what year chevy switched from 6 volt to 12 volt system. i think the ballast resistor i asked for was for a 57 chevy. idea 2. maybe junction box has a problem. or wiring at one time in this harness had devolped a short from heating wires up (to much draw) or something so ? is. does a 57 chevy run 12 volt system or 6 volt system\
mike

[Yikes]

Chevy change to 12 volt in 1955.

[Moneypitt]

I do not remember a chevy running a balast resistor. They used 9 volt coils instead. The 54 Ford, and subsequent fords for many years used ballast resistors. The one you bought is probably the universal "RU12" or simular in a brand other than standard ignition. As I said, they WILL smoke when 1st used, nothing to worry about........MP

[sgdiv7]

Ray, Chevrolet used resistor wire.

[Moneypitt]

Some GM used resistor type wire, and some used 9 volt coils. The coils actually said 9 volts right on them. As I said the fords were the home of ballast resistors back when......And they do smoke the first time used.....MP

[meaniam]

ok tired of trying to figure this points distrubtor out hooked everything up right. went and bought new coil diffrent ballest and dist. im done with it, not becuase its working becuase i cant figure it out. wiring is just as rex diagram shows everything there is tits. 9 volt to power supply at coil. no spark from dist or from coil. cant freakin belive this thing kicked my ass. cant f@ck with this no more.i wont make the 4th of july if i mess with this more. going to get petronics and have a bud do the dist so all i have to do is drop it then adjust my liftes. proably better that way any how. they wont burn out. feeler guage to check gap. oh hell no what were they thinking back then.with the petronics i can throw away the ballest run str8 12 volts to coil. rex i need to know if you sell petronix ign for big block in stock i also need the divertor tee for my bassett headers :eat:
i still need to test this boat make sure it floats, buy insurance in case it dont. try and find a tandem trailer to switch with, fix all other problem make a new wiring harness. install interior
hey mike with my prop shaft sticking thru the floor and both support fully monted should i be able to move my shaft side to side or is it to be tight cassell not installed yet.
way more work then i ever planned

[Rexone]

Meaniam make sure you have the "start" wire from the solenoid (full 12V) to the coil hooked up. This shoots a full 12 for cranking. It won't start if you don't have it and you won't see spark cranking either. It is the other small terminal on the side of a typical Chevy Solenoid (it comes off the "R" terminal in that diagram). Check the voltage at the coil while cranking.
I do have T valves coming in shortly, none at this moment, no Pertronix, I'd recommend the MSD Ready to Run if you make a change (which I don't necessarily think you need to do). Ready to Run MSD requires no box and is plenty sufficient for what you're doing.

[meaniam]

ill get it to work :hammer2:

[Moneypitt]

Run a lead from the battery to the + side of the coil and crank it. If you get spark the problem is in your new wiring, if you don't, the problem is in the dist. Don't leave it hot wired for very long without cranking it, or after your check. Are you sure of the point setting? It is the points that "switch" the coil to fire, which is just a discharge of the stored voltage in the condenser. Also, the points should be arcing while cranking if everything else is right.........MP

[meaniam]

no i didnt adjust the points i thought a new dist would already be adjusted. and i would be able to just drop in. my guess appears to be wrong. istill plan on going ahead with petronic ignition just so i dont have to worry about points burning out, while at the river.but before i go buy that part i am going to run a hot wire to coil bypassing ballest. just to try it. i havent done new wiring yet.but will start that soon

[Rexone]

I've said before and will say again although not a popular opinion around here, there is no need to go to electronic to get away from points unreliability. Points are not unreliable, especially that a boat the sees a few hours of run time a year. On stock engines you will likely see NO performance difference.

[meaniam]

i agree fully with what you say mike. im not doing it for proformance gains of any kind. as it wouldnot be found to improve horsepower any snad agian any gas milage increase would not be measurable. but as a close friend of mine did point out. i leave the key in the on position i will take the chance of being stranded. im sure that will happen enough. so buy purchasing it i will eliminate the possibilty of points buning out do to my stupidity or anyone else driving my boat. if i could have drop an hei i would have in a minute..those i belive are the closet to drop plug and go. i will drop this dist back in tonight. and damn it, it better work... dist 4 me 0..... it is kickin my ass. also by doing this i can and will eliminate my ballest resistor.... wish i had a clear dist cap.. no i will have a clear dist cap so i see the spark... also just another thing that screams, hey look at me.
thanks
mike
will update as i done with this damn problem

[SmokinLowriderSS]

Man am I feeling old now. My first car had points (1974 Z-28 Camaro) and my Taylor SS has Ford points in the prestolite marine distributor in my Chevy engine.
Take off the cap, bump the engine over till the points are atop one of the cam lobes. Set the point gap at about 0.016 to .018 inches of gap. Now turen the engine over to TDC #1 compression. Push it on to about 8 degrees advanced on #1. Make sure the rotor is pointed in the #1 plug wire direction. Hook up your timing light to #1 plug, turn on the key, loosten the dist clamp, and rotate the dist slowly untill the timing light just fires. Do this a few times to get the feel of where it ought to be set without passing it. Tighten dist. down and head for the lake with everything re-assembled. Once it fires, connect a dwell meter to the coil & block and adjust the points to the correct dwell (29 to 31 degrees on a GM). It's really not hard.
I've heard the stories too about leaving the key on and smoking points but I have never had it happen (call me lucky). My radio is on the "on" circuit (no "aux" circuit) nad we have often sat, on anchor or drifting taking a breaK, listening to some good classic rock tunes, and then fired right up when we wanted to leave.
I set my 454 this way upon rebuild and she fired at about 8 1/4 degrees for the cam-break-in run perfectly, and STILL running hard (harder than they do in Beaumont, you know how they do it) :D

[HammerDown]

i agree fully with what you say mike. im not doing it for proformance gains of any kind. as it wouldnot be found to improve horsepower any snad agian any gas milage increase would not be measurable. but as a close friend of mine did point out. i leave the key in the on position i will take the chance of being stranded. im sure that will happen enough. so buy purchasing it i will eliminate the possibilty of points buning out do to my stupidity or anyone else driving my boat.
Carrying a spare set of points is much cheaper than carring a spare MSD box.
Dual points worked fine in the early 70's for my 10/10 Bracket SS-69 Chevelle ;)
And actually been working GREAT in my 468 BBC 21' Daytona. Almost 8 seasons, only one mishap (my fault)...and it still got me back to the ramp!