1971 Cutlass 350 points distributor. I was checking my points and found that I have 14 volts going the positive side of the coil with the engine running. with the engine off and key on I have 6 volts and 9 volts during cranking. How can I be getting to high volts to the coil I have not removed the resistor wire.
Any help would be great. Thank you

 

It sounds like you have your wires crossed (mixed up) ether at the ignition or at the starter. Not my era of car so I'm a little ignorant here but some how the + wire to the coil missed the ballast resistor or was bypassed..... Tedd

 

Agree with above.

 

Ok so I disconnected the yellow wire to the coil coming from the starter. Still with the engine running I have 14 volts. How can I have 14 volts if the black wire comes from the ignition switch through a resistor wire. If the resistor wire is bad wouldn't it be open and no volts. Or does it just loose its resistance. If so what can I do to replace it?

 

My experience with resistor wire was, when it died it did not burn up, so it was still there to carry juice, but it did burn all the cloth cover off the wire and melted some of the tape wrap on the harness. So it sounds like you have guessed your problem to me. I believe the resistor wire has lost it's resistance. A ballast resistor would be one way to fix it, I believe I would run a new wire instead of using the old resistor wire.
I am not familiar with 71 cars but on a 66, 67 the resistor wire stops at the bulkhead where the wire harness plugs the outside harness to the inside harness. I unplug the engine harness there and remove the resistor completely. But I have seen guys cut it short there and splice a new wire to the short stub of the resistor wire.
Good luck,
Mike

 

Well I have to replace that wire maybe I should convert it to a pertronix

 

IIRC the resistor wire should be pink not black. Either I am remembering the color incorrectly or the wire has been changed. Anybody???

 

wire diagram shows black to bulk head and then changes to pink to ignition switch

 

If I may comment about ignition conversions.
The kit considered as best in some circles is made by Lectric Limited and sold by many other companies. Sold on ebay;
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...=0&_odkw=38131


It supposedly lasts longer than any other. I have had Pertronix and Crane both fail. I have not installed my Lectric Limited kit yet but I will get to it. It is here and ready.

 

I am not sure that is physically possible. My understanding is the resistance wire is something such as a Nickle-Chrome alloy, and if so, it can't change its properties. If something happens that causes too much current to flow through it, the wire will heat up significantly, like an oven heating element.

 

The reason why your seeing 14v is probably because your meter is not fast enough to pickup the change in load with the engine running. The reason why your seeing a reduced voltage while cranking is due to the load from the starter.

If your not burning up points in an untimely manner, I would not worry about it.

 

It would give me concern's if it is truly pushing 14 volts through the points. My experience has been points will last only till you are stuck in a miserable place to change them. I would do my best to find out why you have 14 volts at the coil on run and fix it before you find that miserable place..... Just my thoughts..... Tedd