Points ignition question
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,224
Likes: 1
From: Clarksville Indiana
Points ignition question
I have burned up a new set of points running my engine on a stand with full 12 volt battery. What do I ask for to get something that will bring that down to what ever is correct like it was in the car? The car is not too far away, I guess I could rig it up through the car but it would be better if I can just pick up somthing to do it. Is that possible/available at auto zone or the like?
Pro
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 593
Likes: 0
From: London England
I'm guessing you want something like this but I don't know which one.
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/cat...llast+Resistor
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/cat...llast+Resistor
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,224
Likes: 1
From: Clarksville Indiana
or if its something like that in the car that I can just unplug and use on the stand that would work. I dont have a clue, I was thinking it was in the wire, like a fuse link or something, I dont want to go to the trouble of cutting something out just to use temporary. If $8.95 for a ballist resister like in that link is what I'm looking for that will be great
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Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
The '71 car has a resistor wire built into the wiring harness. If you are running a different, direct wire from 12v. source, it will fry the points pretty quickly...especially if you are running at higher rpm's. The '71 non-transistor ignition systems had 1.35 ohm resistance wire and used ignition coils with 1.77-2.05 ohm primary winding and 3000-20,000 ohm secondary winding. The transistor ignition systems used .43 & .68 ohm resistors in the harness and coil with .41-.51 ohm primary and 3000-20,000 ohm secondary windings.
My advice is that if you want to feed the ignition with 12v., buy an electronic ignition module (Pertronix, MSD, other) and a coil to match. If you want to keep it points, you'll have to use the resistor wire in the harness or put the appropriate ballast resistor in the 12v. coil feed line and get a stock coil for your engine.
My advice is that if you want to feed the ignition with 12v., buy an electronic ignition module (Pertronix, MSD, other) and a coil to match. If you want to keep it points, you'll have to use the resistor wire in the harness or put the appropriate ballast resistor in the 12v. coil feed line and get a stock coil for your engine.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,727
Likes: 39
From: Fremont CA
Factory wiring harness has built in resistance wire that should bring voltage down below 10VDC at the coil. There should be a second wire in the harness that comes off the "T" connection on the starter motor soleniod that brings voltage up to a full 12VDC while starter is being activiated because those GM engineers were pretty sharp back in the old days!
You can convert your distributor to electronic with Pertronix Ignitor system or Crane system but, I just had a really BAD experience with a Lobe Sensing Cam Pertronix conversion and am SWEARING OFF that style for life! The LSC type Ignitor set-ups I recently used seem to not perform as well as the ones with the magnet wheel that mounts below the disributor rotor assembly. They are really sensitive to air gap between the breaker cam lobes and the hall effect sensor.
You can convert your distributor to electronic with Pertronix Ignitor system or Crane system but, I just had a really BAD experience with a Lobe Sensing Cam Pertronix conversion and am SWEARING OFF that style for life! The LSC type Ignitor set-ups I recently used seem to not perform as well as the ones with the magnet wheel that mounts below the disributor rotor assembly. They are really sensitive to air gap between the breaker cam lobes and the hall effect sensor.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,224
Likes: 1
From: Clarksville Indiana
I guess my post/question was clear as mud.... My engine with stock ignition is on a stand with only a battery.. the car is on the other side of my garage. I have a wire from the battery to the coil with a toggle switch to turn it off and on... I have burned up my points in no time.. I know why they burned up.... I want to know how not to do this.. I think the way to do this is put SOMETHING inline in the wire from the battery to the coil.... my question is what do I buy and where do I buy it? This is only to run the engine temporary on the stand with no further meltdown..
