C1-Curt

OK, long subject. In my restoration I installed new wiring and a new Mallory electronic distributor with matching coil. This system does not require a ballast resister, just a positive to the coil.

Now to my wiring issue. The wiring diagram shows an 18 gauge brown wire coming from the ignition switch going the ballast input (I assume switch turns power on to the coil) an on the other side there are two 18 gauge dark green wires coming off with one going to the positive coil and the other going to the C terminal on the starter. I should be able to just tie the brown wire from the ignition to the positive of the coil and that should be taken care of.

My question is what is the C terminal on the starter used for and does it have to route through a ballast resister as the wire diagram shows it or can I also just tie it directly to the brown ignition switch wire.

Sorry for the long question

AZDoug

The solenoid terminal bypasses the ballast during starter cranking so that the coil gets enough voltage to fire during the massive draw down during cranking.

I would hook it up, as it will still give better V to the coil during cranking.

It will go to the input side of the coil, same as the ign wire would.

Doug

C1-Curt

Cool, will hook the brown and green to the positive of the coil. Thanks!

Frankie the Fink

Sounds like you can hook it up the same way as my Pertronix....in the picture the ballast resistor is just to look original as starting/cranking are all taken off the 12V side of the ballast.

C1-Curt

So can I just ignore the green wire going to the C terminal on the starter (do I even need it any longer) since my coil will get full voltage now?

I have no ballast now and I went to a wiper motor under the dash so I do not have to worry about that either.

Frankie the Fink

That's what I did. Not shown in the picture above but that darker green starter wire is just disconnected and tucked away (and the end insulated with shrinkable tubing).

AZDoug

You coil still won't get full voltage during cranking, compared to if you use the green wire.

Green wire=24" from solenoid to coil.

no green wire= 96" wire from solenoid to coil.

Perhaps it won't make a difference, but resistor, or no resistor, your voltage to the coil is severely diminished during cranking, that is why GM put the green wire there, to by pass the resister and boost coil voltage..

Doug

Frankie the Fink

Well - my '61 starts run, shine, hot or cold and has for 5 years with this arrangement.
But to each his own.

AZDoug

I am sure it does as you live in FL, where it may get down to, what, maybe a bone chilling 30*F once in a blue moon at 4AM in the morning?

Most here will never try to start or drive their cars when it is -30*F, but if you do, and your battery voltage is already down 20% because of the cold, to a little over 10V, and the starter draw trying to crank over that cold engine, reduces available voltage another 30%, you want the hottest spark possible to try and ignite -30*F fuel in a -30*F engine.

The original system, with the 6V coil,and ballast, insured you got that hot spark by bypassing the ballast during cranking, so the coil saw 6V and not 2-3V in those extreme conditions.

A modern 12V coil may not need the extra boost, though its output will be similarly reduced without the ability to have its input voltage doubled during cranking, so anything to help, is not a bad idea.

GM didn't add that extra green wire because they thought it looked cute sitting there next to the solenoid , it was added for a reason.

Doug

Frankie the Fink

Hmmm....guess those dumb-@ss Ford engineers that put the solenoid on their early 60s cars on the fender had no idea the extra distance from the starter was causing non-starts in cold weather. If only we could go back in time and tell them...

And I grew up in Pittsburgh so I know a bit about starting cars in the cold...

AZDoug

The Ford fender mounted solenoid system is better design; from MAD electrical:

" The problem (non-start) occurs because the large solenoid on the GM starter draws 40 to 50 amps at the moment the key is turned to "START." And that large amount of current must flow through a very lengthy circuit, from the battery to the dash area. Through dash wiring and switches, back out through the under-hood wiring, finally to the starter".

I don't make this **** up, or maybe you should hire on as an automotive engineer as some of these mods will save the auto makers a ton of money by getting rid of un needed parts.

The Ford system has ballast bypass too, BTW.

Doug