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Ballast Resistor or Fuseable Link |
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Ollie
AMC Addicted Joined: Sep/17/2012 Location: Brandon, MS Status: Offline Points: 2801 |
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Posted: Jul/01/2015 at 7:27am |
This part is in my 1966 American and it appears to be an original part.
It is wired like a ballast resistor that is used in Mopars. I am using Petronics instead of the original points. Can this be eliminated or leave it there? Ollie |
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rocklandrambler
AMC Addicted Joined: Feb/09/2013 Location: Nanuet, NY Status: Offline Points: 3953 |
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I doubt very much that is an original part just by looking at those large yellow crimp on connectors. AMC never used them. My '65 American doesn't have a ballast resistor but that could have changed by '66. I had a Pertronix unit in my '56 Olds that had a ballast resistor like that and I never changed anything and it ran fine for over 15 years before I sold it. Finish the work, turn the key and see what happens.
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Past AMC's
1974 Hornet X (new) 1975 Gremlin X (new) 1964 Classic 660 Cross Country 1965 American 440-H |
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KermitDRambler
AMC Addicted Joined: Jul/06/2007 Location: Cincinnati, OH Status: Offline Points: 2579 |
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AMC used resistance wire OR they used a coil with an internal resistor. Your car should have used a coil with an internal resistor. My guess is that the original coil died and they replaced it with the wrong part and then decided to hack the wiring to "fix" it.
You don't need the resistance with the Ignitor so I would eliminate it and put the factory wiring back to the way it's supposed to be. There's a good chance that the wiring is going to be corroded where the crimp connectors are at so you'll probably need to replace the wire from where it's cut over to the coil. To make it look neat, either solder the wires together or use an un-insulated crimp connector, cover the splice with heat shrink tube, and re-wrap the harness between the coil and the splice. Matt
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Ollie
AMC Addicted Joined: Sep/17/2012 Location: Brandon, MS Status: Offline Points: 2801 |
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That's what I needed to know Matt. I have removed the ballast resistor and put in a new yellow wire to the coil.
Tks, Ollie |
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billd
Moderator Group Forum Administrator Joined: Jun/27/2007 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 30894 |
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Make sure it's the correct coil for a car with no resistance if you don't have the pink resistance wire inline prior to the yellow going to the coil.. The primary windings on the coil that requires the external resistance is different from that of a coil that does not require the external resistance.
Running a wire to the coil and having no resistance wire could harm a coil that's expecting some resistance in the form of a resistance wire or ballast between it and the battery voltage. AMC never used that sort of a ballast resistor for ignition - but DID us a resistor similar to that for the early alternator charging systems. But that's not one of them. They were mounted down by the regulator just inches away at the most. |
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Ollie
AMC Addicted Joined: Sep/17/2012 Location: Brandon, MS Status: Offline Points: 2801 |
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The ballast resistor is gone. In 50 years somebody messed with my Rambler...hehehehe.....imagine that !!!
Have got the wiring just about done. Tks for the knowledge, Ollie |
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