Plz tell me this isn’t my ignition modular ? Mounted on the firewall of my 72 Cutlass 350 small blk. I’m hoping it’s just a junction that the PO used to try and install a piece of crap tach. The car will not start without this and the spring in the back obviously heats up now it’s broken. It’s old, broken, Poorly mounted and has got to go. What’s my replacement ? Or can I simply make a negative neutral connection for my tach to the coil.

 

looks like a resistor, lowers the voltage to the coil once the engine starts to save the points from burning out too quick, hook up tach to neg of coil as normal, and yes your car wont run if its wired in

 

Do I need it ? Should I get the modern version ? And what would that be ?

 

honestly i dont know about the 72's if its a stock piece, you can bypass the wire and it should work, its possible they still sell them, i remember them on the dodges only back in the day, best to wait for Joe or someone else more knowledgable than I

 

On start, your car gets 12V to the coil and through the points, and 12V to the starter.

On run, your car gets 12V through that resistor, which should drop it to like 10V and nothing to the starter.

For diagnostic and brief testing, yes, the car should run fine without it, the points will simply not live as long.

 

That is a non-stock ballast resistor for your ignition if your still running points or a points replacement type distributor. Someone must have installed it in place of the stock resistance wire over the years. You can get one at any auto parts store. Below is basically how your ignition is supposed to wired. Where it says special resistance wire is where the resistor is wired instead.

 

You guys are the best my guess is it was added when the P O tried to put a tach in. Don’t care much about the points that yes are still in. I will be replacing the distributor this spring. I was installing a tic toc tach when I stumbled onto this resister and all the poopy wiring that went with it. (Nobody has a crimp tool ?) any way I just like to start the car once a week in this cold weather so I will bypass it temporarily and won’t need it at all when I upgrade to DUI thx for all the help kind of relieved because it’s a pretty wimpy part to keep my car from starting.

 

the part belongs on a dodge and is call a ballast resister. it is used in the ign. system

 

Yes and protects the points correct ? So bypassing it for now just to run my car can’t hurt anything but the points. Hope that’s right I just want to blow some carbon out it’s been about 3 weeks.

 

you might burn up ign. coil. it drop the voltage to 6 volt from 12 volts.

 

without it your points aren't gonna live very long.i have one on my chevelle,it was there when i bought it i can only assume the resistance wire burned up so they put the resistor on.

 

A friend of mine bypassed the resistor on his derby car and it didn't finish the event before the points fried.It doesn't take long to smoke a set of points..... Tedd

 

Why don’t you just buy a new one? they’re dirt cheap and available at any parts store.

 

Did 72's come with points condenser? I thought that was the year they switched to HEI. In any event you could switch to a module from Crane Cams that can be programed or put the ballast resistor back in. Usually it's installed because the factory resistor wire was damaged or when the starter was replaced they didn't install the 3rd stud.

 

x2

 

I picked up a ceramic ballast resister at Pep Boys for $8.99 will put it back tomorrow. There is no hei on this car. It’s not ready to drive anywhere but I need to run the motor for a little. Thx for all the help learn something every time I’m on here. You guys know your stuff. I’m getting there, can almost hold an intelligent conversation. Almost

 

IIRC 1975 was the first standard on most GM vehickes

Pat

 

I would check the volts running to the resistor and the volts out. The resistor wire running to it may still be there and someone installed the ballast resistor when it is not needed. If you show 12 volts coming to the resistor, then it needs to be there.

 

Or they added it in addition to the stock resistor wire for whatever hair brained reason. The stock resistor wire is easy to spot as it has a heavy insulated cloth covering on it. Easily stands out from the more common PVC type wire cover.
Was a points replacement installed in the original distributor? Many of these aftermarket kits come with ballast resistors in the kit but you don't need two inline. As has been stated several times in this thread you need to test the voltage to be sure.