We have a 58 corvette we purchased a couple years ago an we've been placing old warn parts slowly.

I recently replaced the ballast resistor (along with distributor cap, rotor, points, spark plug wires and plugs).
We were bumping the starter to turn the engine while setting valve lash and I started smelling a burning smell and then saw some smoke, I looked and it was coming from the brand new ballast resistor.

I want to make sure the wiring to the ballast resistor is correct, I just reattached it the way the previous owner had it.

Coming off the passenger side of the ballast is a wire that then splits to go to a dark green wire that goes into the harness through the passenger side firewall, the other wire that splits off it goes to the positive of the coil.
Coming off the driver side of the ballast resistor it goes into a splice with a red wiring running to the carburetor, a black wire going to the wiper motor, and a brown wire going into the same harness as the green from the passenger side and also then going into the passenger side firewall.

I'm assuming the brown is keyswitched power which then gives power the the wipers, carb, and driver side of the ballast resistor, is that correct?
And then the green must be power that is supplied when the started is cranking, which wired as it is would be direct to the coil when cranking, is that correct as well?

 

I'm sure you know that none of that is factory, including ballast resistor. Here is a picture of my original.



Brown to wiper ignition switch and wiper motor. Green from ignition switch and to starter solenoid S lug.

I wouldn't be surprised that the ballast would get extremely hot when bumping with starter. If you happen to stop with the points closed, and key on, it will pass full current through the ballast and coil winding, through points to ground. The coil will also get extremely hot in that situation, will burn your hand. Also discharge battery very quickly.

 

Why would the ballast get "extremely hot" when bumping with the starter ?

 

because anytime the keys in the run position as I explained above, and the points are closed,full battery current will pass through the coil and ballast. As you're bumping it the points are constantly open and closed. Disconnect the positive coil wire if you're going to do that.
just leaving the key in the on position is enough to be a problem if the points are closed, providing the ground to the coil winding. That's why leaving the ignition key in the run position can run your battery down to nothing and heat things up

 

Re smoking - the ballast was brand new - hadn't burned in yet and any residue from manufacturing hadn't burnt of.
A few years ago I did leave the key on at a cruise night and I was quite concerned about my old Gratiot Track Coil that had been performing flawlessly for over 40 years.
The coil and Mercedes ballast resistor I use got hot but have not exhibited any ill effects.
Re draining the battery - it is only about a 4 amp drain - you would have to leave the key on for days to drain the battery (check the amp-hour rating on batteries)