jtranger

I am going from a Pertronix I to Pertronix III. In the photo below the current hook up has a green wire going from the + coil to the right (low voltage) side of the resister. Do I move the green wire from the right (low voltage side) resister to the left (12 volt side) and leave the other end connected to the positive side of the coil? Thanks

Frankie the Fink

I don't see a green wire in your photo where I would normally expect the "low voltage" side of the ballast resistor. The photo is sort of upside down so I don't know what you consider "left" or "right"...normal convention is the driver's side is the left side. Its better to use "passenger" and "driver" designations.

Here is what you want to end up with....(see picture of my '61).

Basically you want BOTH the Pertronix power feed (usually a red wire) AND the positive side of the ignition coil going to "switched", full-time 12V from the ignition switch....whichever side of the resistor that is located. Remember the Ignitor III rev limiter is set to 5,500RPM by default (in case you want to change the max RPM limit).

JohnZ

That only applies if you have an aftermarket coil that's rated to operate at a full 12 volts; the OP appears to have a stock coil, which can't handle that level of current full-time - it needs resistor-reduced current to the (+) terminal. The Pertronix module feed (red wire) should be a full 12 volts, from the ignition switch side of the resistor.

Frankie the Fink

Generally true, however I ran my Pertronix II with the stock Delco coil for about 1-1/2 years with no problem with the ballast resistor bypassed.....maybe just the luck of the draw...

I DO run a FlameThrower III coil with the Pertronix III however. I would recommend the OP upgrade the coil to a 0.3 ohm or 0.6 ohm coil and then run the full 12V to it.

jtranger

If you look at the picture. The right side of the resister has a green wire with black tape on it (low voltage). That wire currently goes from the low voltage side of the resister to the + coil. The 12 volt side has the red wire that goes to the pertronix module.

I am not sure what to do with the green wire once I install the pertronix III. Do I just move the green wire from the low voltage side of the resister to the 12 volt side and the leave the other end connected to the positive coil? I don't think I would be removing this wire all together.

Right now my pertronix I has the red wire going to 12 volt resister. The black to - coil and the green wire from
+ coil to low voltage resister

JohnZ

That's exactly the way to leave it, as long as you have a stock-type coil. See diagrams below (from Jeff62, I think).

Frankie the Fink

Pretty sure those are from Jeff....best you hook up as John has said although if you call Pertronix they will give you conflicting info about including the ballast resistor (as I found out). I'd still upgrade the coil if it were me.

62Jeff

Yeah that's from me.

In the bottom diagram the ballast resistor is simply serving as a junction block for the wiring. An alternative for the bottom configuration, which looks a bit cleaner under the hood, is to run the red Pertronix wire directly to the + terminal on the coil, reducing the number of wires that are all hanging out at the single connection on the ballast.

jtranger

Thanks Jeff. Thats what I needed. So, I would get rid of the wire that goes from + coil to low resister and and hook the red pertronix wire to positive coil. Of course I will get the correct pertronix III coil.
Thanks Guys!

62Jeff

Noooo, if you do that then your coil won't get power from the ignition switch circuit. Leave that wire in place and connect the red pertronix wire to either the + coil or the resistor where the + coil wire terminates.

JohnZ

That will have his Pertronix module running on resistor-reduced current, which isn't a good idea. The red wire should go to the 12V (ignition switch) side of the resistor. The other (resistor-reduced) side of the resistor should feed the (+) side of his stock coil. His setup should be exactly like the center diagram.

62Jeff

I was assuming he would have already bypassed the resistor for the + coil wire since he stated he was going to get the correct Pertronix coil.

jtranger

John, I am aware that everything is hooked up correctly now for the stock coil. I am going to the pertronix III with pertronix III coil. Where does the wire that is now going from the + coil to low voltage go when I change to the pertronix III igniter and coil? That was my original question.

62Jeff

On the same side of the ballast as the wire coming from the ignition. That makes the ballast nothing more than a junction block. It is represented by the 3rd figure in my diagram above.

jtranger

Thanks Jeff!