burning points immediately (SBC)... why?

If the coil is wired backwards it will burn the points.

 

...What are you setting the gap of the points at before you try to start ?....Miller

 

I'm using an auto resistor, setting the points at .019 with a feeler gauge, then fine tuning with dwell meter.
I went ahead and hooked up the resistor and ran it for a short bit with the multimeter on the coil. The voltage at the coil + was bouncing around pretty drastically. It bounced around and had spikes of 16 and 19 volts! I checked the voltage regulator and got a steady reading of 12v and 9v to the ignition.

 

Scott, something nobody has mentioned is that a new ballast resistor will get hot enough to leave a burn on your skin plus it will sometimes smoke for a short while after the engine is started.

 

It did smoke at first, but seems to be mellowing out. should it eventually run cooler to the touch?
Anyone have any ideas where the voltage spikes to the coil are coming from or if it's normal activity as the coil charges and colapses?

 

You are running your points wire to the negative side of the coil right??! I had similar problems as you so heres what i did. New set of points and cap and rotor, whole sha-bang with a oil based coil with ballast resistor built in from pertronix. I ran the wire of the stock set of points to the coil and ran the two 18 gauge wires back from the coils positive side to the harness and completely eliminated that stinkin resistor wire. Mine fired right up and its been one year on that same set of $2 points. Sounds like you got your wires mixed up but try a coil with a built in ballast resistor.

 

Spikes in voltage sounds like its being switched open/close or maybe you have a wire loose in a crimp somewhere in your harness. Un-tape your harness and double check for problems. It shouldnt be this complicated.

 

AMEN TO THAT!
I'm not an expert, but I'm not a moron either. However, I am starting to feel like one.
I am definitly running the points to the negative side of the coil. What pisses me off is that it never burned up a set of points before this tune up, and I've been driving it daily for like six years.

 

Another question, could high resistance in a set of bad plug wires have any effect like this?

 

No. That's secondary side, your problems are on the primary side of the ignition circuit.

 

The wire that powers the coil comes from the ignition as a resistance wire. It first stops at the starter motor on the aux. terminal.the as a normal wire to the coil. When ignition is on voltage slowly drops to protect the points. In order to get full voltage when starting with resistance on the wire the starter aux terminal is made when starter is ingaged. giving full voltage for starting. It is possible that the aux terminal is stuck on as d2 willys stated. Hope this give a little info on how the 60s GM wiring works.
Ron

 

Hi....

first which coil do you have ?
coils that are made to use ballast resistors are not the same as coils without,

the ballast resistor lets the full 12v go to the coil to give it that extra ZAP to start , then if the resistor is working correctly it gets hot , creats more resistance and lowers the voltage to the coil to 6-8v , the coil is really just a 6v coil anyway....

I see no reason why a 12v coil cannot be used and run direct from the ignition switch 12v , no resistance wire or ballast resistor
its what we have used on dune buggies and jeeps etc forever !

Beaulieu

 

Update...
My alternator and voltage regulator checked out good and I'm runing the external 1.1 ohm resistor. When the voltage was fluctuating drasticaly at the coil I remembered the second condenser. There has always been a condenser under the distributor cap at the points, and a second external condensor hooked up to the coil. I have had like ten people tell me the external condensor was just to supress noise and prevent interference with the radio, so I have never changed it. So I took the condenser I had in my points before the tune up (which I figured was still good) and replaced the external condenser with it.
Now I have consistent voltage, no spikes, and no more burning points and I've been driving it for three days.
Thanks to all who helped.

 

Glad to hear your success! To me and probably others it doesn't make much sense. I still think the coil might be reversed. Like they said the condenser is for radio interference only. Anyway your persistence paid off.