Hot Rods Ballast resistor

So I have been tracing all the wiring in my recent purchase of this t bucket and all the light are working, horn is working but I am just wondering why I see a ballast resistor wired in. It has an HEI distributer and I feel this is incorrect. Can someone tell me if it should go.

 

An HEI should not have a ballast resistor.

 

I'd say that the T bucket was built with a point style distributor and the HEI got installed later. Maybe even with an engine swap. You don't need or want it with the HEI.
If the car has a resistor byp*** wire for starting leave it in place after you take the resistor out of play, A good number of ignition switches don't supply power to the coil when you are cranking relying on the byp*** wire to supply that power.

 

Hopefully the picture will upload. Here it is. When bought he said it had a 305 engine and I ran the numbers and it is a 350.

 

Hopefully the picture will show up. Not good when it comes to uploading a lot. Guess I got a lot of old school left in me.

 

Yes, agreed, straight voltage to the HEI.

 

Yeah, pull that stupid HEI out of there, put in a point distributor, and then you can use the ballast resistor as it was intended.

 

Right, That stupid reliable high voltage basically maintenance free HEI. Gotta get rid of that!

 

I've never been stranded by point ignition, but I have by electronics...

 

From '89 to 2020 I had a 1970 Buick. In '91 I put in a Buick 455 with HEI.

Daily driver until '98, then spring/summer car

Never. Ever. Ever had a problem with HEI. I put 375,000 miles on that car. 300K must have been with the HEI. I'd rely on it all day even today. Stab it in, forget it.

 

Yup, quite the opposite of a traditional car, that lets you play with the ignition system regularly, and build up a nice working relationship.

 

I bought a new Chevy Van in '75, first year for the HEI. Went about 20K miles before it quit. I installed a new Delco single point with a ballast resister and put another 200K miles on the van. I now have the same single point distributor in my '55 Chevy. As Squirrel stated a points distributor can be fixed on the road and not leave you stranded. BTW the HEI is not traditional.

 

Yep. Dang things will NEVER catch on. I don't know what they were thinking.. LOL

Ben

 

Yes - definitely for this forum, which is 1965 or older…………..but you already knew that……….

 

I'm going to use a 1977 Ford Duraspark system with my 351W and it calls for a resistor wire in the system, which I've gotten. I have read that I need this wire or I will burn out the coil, so it's going in. Anyone know whether and why I need this wire in the system?

 

That thick seat back is costing you leg room !

 

The duraspark is an inductive discharge system. If the coil had a balast resistor then this needs to be retained. CDI systems do not.

 

hate those thumnail pics

 

I have been on the side of the road with both HEI and Points, Shorted condenser with points and bad module with HEI. However, I carry points and condenser for my point distributor and a module for the HEI one,replace on side of road.

 

Yup...wouldn't have helped the time the pickup coil quite working, though.

If we were anywhere besides the HAMB, I'd be cool with that electronic ****.

 

So I just finished checking some more wiring and I tracked out the ballast resistor wiring and it was cut out but left in the middle of the harness so I pulled it out. Guess it wasn't being used. I also found where PO had splice in a different color wire going to the distributor so I will be changing that one out for the proper size and color. Found out the fuse box is a Painless fuse box but he had ran his own wire. Believe for now I can use it and just straighten out any issues. All lights, horn, and electrical seems to work just a couple of under sized wires and I will be adding an engine ground and a frame ground.

 

Thanks for your insight. I'm gathering the pieces I'll need to hook this all together to break in the engine and AOD transmission. I'm taking my time, wanting to do it right the first time.

 

I think you are 100% correct but we are only 5 foot 7" so I believe we are okay. It is very comfortable I know that.

 

I okay with you 100%. I am going thru everything on this as I don't know machine. There are thinks I want to do to this but want to get it running correct first.

 

Not without a condenser it can’t. Stranded many years ago and a few years ago both with condensers. Both those were towed home. The only HEI that ever quit was a 1969 3/4 ton pickup and the extra rotor in the glove box fixed it.

 

Luckily never have had a pickup go bad, I run a MSD with the points now. Easy to byp*** if that goes bad.I grew up on points and traveled many miles on them. Still have my Kal equip dwell meter.. the 40 in my AV is getting points with MSD shortly.

 

Since GM didn't use the HEI until 1974 , something e!se must have stopped your '69 ?

 

Well..my '70 had a '74 engine with a '74 HEI staring in 1990

I think he's saying that the vehicle was a 1969 model, not that he had HEI in 1969

 

Anybody's guess ??

 

Opps my 73’ 454 crew cab…remembered the wrong truck.