Ignition Coil Reistor

[The Anti-Chrysler]

I know this topic has been beat to death, but can anyone tell me where this resistor is located in an '82 360, and what it looks like?? I converted to TFI and it runs very poor with the resistance voltage to the coil - and I need to know how to get rid of the resistor.

Thanks!! :D

[turtlejoe]

The resistor is a wire that's inline between the ignition box and the coil. There was quite a thread on this fairly recently but I can't seem to find it. Others will chime in, but there are those who have had success without it and others who have munched numerous modules.

[ March 01, 2003, 08:59 PM: Message edited by: turtlejoe ]

[Masato]

Sorry I can't help with id'ing the resistor. The only resistor wire i've seen goes out from the alternator (dark brown solid wire).

I just found out the T-176 tranny fits the NP208 T.C. I see you have a 360 bolted to it. How many speeds does it have? Is it a strong unit? Does it have a low 1st gear?

[mccullough_89_GW]

the resister is a wire tha runs from your 2 yellow ignition wires on the firewall directly to the coil...it was pink on my mine...just go and find the yellow wires on your firewall, one runs out of the ignition module, the other back into your fuse box and then to your ignition....when you find the yellows spliced together that is where your resistor wire is ...then just follow that too the coil...if it's bad...It is a standard ford(like 1964-1994? resistor(ballastor) wire) 8 bucks at orielly's ...I had to browse the ignition part catalog for it....
the above wiring is off my 1989 but these FSJ's didn't change much in the ignition dept...
good luck

[mccullough_89_GW]

checck my last response....it looks as if the diagram shows a red wire as the resistance on bothh the 81 & 83 @ 1.35 ohms...it is spliced into the (+) side of the coil...go from the + side back to the firewall and you'll find the resistance wire between the ignition and the lead to the + side of the coil...
diagram 1 will show the coil wiring and resistance on an 81...
http://www.geocities.com/grand_wagoneer1989/1981_wiring_Diagrams.html

and

and 83 is the first one here....

http://www.geocities.com/grand_wagoneer1989/83diagrams.html

good luck...

[oddfire]

http://www.trailhed.com/images/DuraSpar2.jpg

[reddog]

If it ran OK before the TFI conversion then I would like for something else like incorrect plug wire routing or timing. It should only run better with the TFI, even with the resistor in place.

Kerry

[Matthew W. Woodruff]

FWIW, the jeep electrical manual for 1989 shows the resistor wire as being yellow, along with the other yellow wires leading to the "run" terminal of ignition switch (i.e., three yellow wires come together in a splice)

On the start terminal of the ignition switch, on the other hand, the manual shows a green wire which joins the yellow ignition wire and a yellow wire to the coil.

Whether the maual is correct or whether jeep actually wired things in this manner is, of course, a guess.

[The Anti-Chrysler]

So, the resistor is a piece of wire versus the actual component? As soon as I put everything together, it ran rough and skipped, but when I ran a lead straight from the battery to the + coil, it ran like a champ. Do I need to adjust the timing with the new cap, or do the posts line up with the old cap? I never checked.

I have seen alot of posts about wiring a straight 12v, but nobody reall mentions that it goes up to 14v or so with the alternator - is there a circuit in the harness that I can tap off of that is resisted to 12v??

Oh yeah, Masato, the T-176 I have is the stock 4 speed - I think it is very light duty (doesn't belong in a 360 J-truck), if you are going for a swap look for a T-18. The T-176 gets very sloppy in the shifter forks easily and sometimes even gets stuck in gear.

[Matthew W. Woodruff]

Resistor is a piece of wire with calibrated resistance. Haynes manual says that on some (early?) models the wire is an integral part of the harness.
If so, "removing" is not a practical option. You should be able to cut one end, however, which will isolate it from the circuit. (If you want to put it back in, though, you will probably have to buy a replacement and make a jumper.)

[89grand]

When I did my TFI upgrade I used a MSD TFI coil connector then connected the other end to the factory coil wires I didn't tap in to anything. Are you sure that you don't have the pos and neg reversed? The TFI coil connections + - are opposite of the original can coil.

[mccullough_89_GW]

Originally posted by The Anti-Chrysler:
As soon as I put everything together, it ran rough and skipped, but when I ran a lead straight from the battery to the + coil, it ran like a champ.

I have seen alot of posts about wiring a straight 12v, but nobody reall mentions that it goes up to 14v or so with the alternator - is there a circuit in the harness that I can tap off of that is resisted to 12v??

the problem is with running 14v to your coil is you will fry coil prematurely...the resistance wire is @ such an ohmage as it keeps the voltage around a straight 12 while it 's running....
I wouldn't recommend getting too creative with what your going to tap off of, to run the positive side of the coil...
with what you've stated i would just replace the resistance wire..as sputtering,"skipped",missing ...etc are signs of a bad resistance wire...
but regardless it'll run until the coil goes bad...I 've read awhile back it can work for quite awile, that way...

hey at least she's running...

[The Anti-Chrysler]

I figured that a constant alternator voltage would fry the coil. I wonder, as a majority, who has run the coil up to 12v, versus using the stock resistor wire?

It seemed that the resistor wire brought the voltage down to around 8 or 9 volts when it was running. I think that's where it originally should be. Do the Ford's (pardon the F-word!!) use the same resistor wire setup?

I keep having this problem when it has fits where it won't idle at certain times, especially when it's wet / damp. The timing is right, the carb seems ok, the cap and wires have always been good, tried cleaning the distributor connector and module connectors, etc, (changed module to late-model weather-pak connectors). It will stall right out, or stumble for a few seconds and die. Then, sometimes it will be stumbling at idle, and it's like something switches "on" or something, and the idle smooths right out. Strange. I was hoping the TFI would help cure that. Not so far.

[89grand]

I've had my Grand start idling like crap for no reason a couple of times too. One time I started pushing on the diaphram on the EGR and it went away. I don't know if it was sticking or what but I haven't had that problem in about 9 months.

[The Anti-Chrysler]

You know it's funny you should say, because I was thinking the EGR for some reason. I had never thought much about it, since it's not really hooked up right, but it sure would make it idle bad and/or stall. The EGR in there is real sticky - didn't even think it would open w/ vacuum. I'll have to plug it and see what happens. Thanks.

[mccullough_89_GW]

its a stock ford ressistor wire...@ the specified ohmmage...also when you check your EGR(or plug it...if it doesn't hold any vacuum then its causing a major vacuum leak , which could be alot of the (running issues)...

mine would run terrible cold...and great warm....
checked my EGR ...it was leaking profusely[@the EGR body]...and by no means functioned...I pulled it and runs great...of course i have TBI and it made it alot easier to richen the mixture...it's very difficult to do so on the motorcraft anything...
so your better off just fixing it[EGR that is]....

anyway good luck

[letank]

i spliced a wire from the throttle solenoid and added a ballast resistor.... of the correct resistance, for the 74 it was 1.28 ohm (giving about 9v at the coil, i had barely 7v before) at Napa, i do not remember how much resistance for the duraspark version, or how much voltage is measured....

Michel
74 wag

[timmirvin]

Jason

Just completed the upgrade. After hours of research and postings, I decided to use my existing resistor wire.

If you check my recent postings (Jan/Feb)you should learn more about the ignition, specifically the TFI coil, than anyone should ever need to. lol :D

Bottomline...it should only run better with the upgrade. Re-check your work/parts. I am assuming you used new plugs, wires, coil, etc. You may have a bad part. You may have gotten a couple wires crossed.

Yes, you should readjust your timing. I (and most others) am running at 8 degrees. And did you regap your plugs??

[ March 04, 2003, 08:25 PM: Message edited by: timmirvin ]

[The Anti-Chrysler]

I think I may have a bad ground on the coil. It seems it has to be grounded very well. Before my last quitting time (COLD!!), I jumpered from the (-) terminal on the battery to the coil magnet, and it revved up a little. I re-adjusted the timing and everything, and it was having these cut-out fits under acceleration - it would buck pretty bad. I'm going to try to re-ground the coil and see what that does.

I was unaware a ground for the coil was so necessary - after all, it's unlikely the clamp around the stock coil grounded it all that well. I wonder if I'm headed in the right direction.

[89grand]

I know I mentioned this before but are you certain that the pos and neg are not reversed on the TFI coil. I say this because the TFI coil pos and neg are opposite of the can type. I don't mean to sound like you wouldn't have hooked it up properly it's just a thought.

[The Anti-Chrysler]

I looked inside the coil, and the terminals were labeled + and -, and wired it to match. Would it even run if it were backwards??? I will double check, but I don't think that's my problem.