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1974 ignition resistor wire question

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Old Jun 17, 2024 | 09:05 AM
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Default 1974 ignition resistor wire question

When a resistor wire goes bad, does it burn out to a "open condition"? or does it just loose all its resistance?

My '74 loves to eat points every year, (been doing this for years) my wiring system is all stock, (engine harness 25 years old, main harness 2 years old).

So I decided I would try to fix this

When I put the volt meter on the coil (+) and chassis ground, it reads 12 volts (key on) after it is started it reads over (13 volts). I just replace the ignition switch, the factory wiring has (2) leads on the positive side of the coils crimped into a single connector, one must come from the statrter solenoid and the other comes from the fuse block (resitor wire)
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Old Jun 17, 2024 | 09:14 AM
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Something is amiss. The ballast wire is resistive in its whole length, and impossible to short out into a low resistance line. It looks like a non-resistive line is feeding the coil (somewhere/somehow).

Edit: What's the C+ voltage when the points are definitely closed and the engine isn't running? (If your resistance wire is not present, make this a fast test.)
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Old Jun 17, 2024 | 09:35 AM
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walleyfisher
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Originally Posted by 69427
Something is amiss. The ballast wire is resistive in its whole length, and impossible to short out into a low resistance line. It looks like a non-resistive line is feeding the coil (somewhere/somehow).

Edit: What's the C+ voltage when the points are definitely closed and the engine isn't running? (If your resistance wire is not present, make this a fast test.)
Was going to try that next, thanks,

Also just bought a new starter solenoid to try (old one is 25 years old)
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