Thread: no more points

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I want to take off the point distributer and re place it with a HEI distributer. Is the only thing I have to do is take off the old coil and put the hot wire feed to the coil labeled batt next to the tach termanel?

Originally posted by anpip141
I want to take off the point distributer and re place it with a HEI distributer. Is the only thing I have to do is take off the old coil and put the hot wire feed to the coil labeled batt next to the tach termanel?

that wire might not have 12volts. if its got 12volts then hook it up. if it don't then you need to run a 12volt wire to the batt. termanel.

oh Iwould run a wire from the batt.This is in a jet boat I am redoing. I just wanted to make sure that would be the only step to do to convert that system. Thank you for your reply

Originally posted by anpip141
oh Iwould run a wire from the batt.This is in a jet boat I am redoing. I just wanted to make sure that would be the only step to do to convert that system. Thank you for your reply

no you need 12volts with key on. cant run it stright.

there probably is a resister in the wire before the coil some where, if it is just take the resister out. you need 12v with with key on and key start.

oh ya I forgot bout that. Good thing you reminded me or I would always have a dead batt.

Waitaminte, Hold the phone. What are you talking about, 12 volts? I have a 1968 Chevy C-10 pick up truck with a 327. It ofcourse had a point distributor. I replaced it with HEI, the kind with a coil mouted on top. And the wire I used to connect to the HEI is the same one that was on the old dis. Are you saying that this wire is worng to use? That it may be to weak? And what would that resister look like? This is an issue I never have thought about. Thanks, John.

John, put a meter on the wire and see if you have 12 v. with the key on. Cars with points were designed to run on about 6 v., so the OEM's used either a ceramic ballast resistor (usually mounted on the firewall) or a resistor wire in the wiring harness.

...or a resistor in the coil. If you have a points system, you will have some sort of resistor. If one is in the coil, it will say on the coil. You may have a ceramic balast resistor, a big white block in the wire to the coil. Either of these cases are simple, if you have a balast resistor, simply remove it and connect the wire that went to it to the coil. If you have a coil with an internal resistor, simply wire its power wire to the new distributor. If you are unlucky, you will have a resistance wire that runs from the ignition to the coil. If this is the case, you will have to trace it back to the ignition, remove it, and replace it with a normal wire. Since this is a boat, you will most likely have the external balast resistor.

I looked on my motor( 327 Chevy) could not see a condensir or anything on wire to Dis. I have messed with a lot of small blocks and I did see one somewhere on one of the cars I,ve had. But not on my 1968 or 1967 pick-up truck. The cars I,ve had with a small block are this and it had to be on one of them. 1955 Chevy 265, 1955 ford 272, 1957 chevy 265 or 283, 1957 ford 292, 1959 ford 352, 1964 chevlle 283, two 1966 chevlles 283, 1968 chevlle 396, 1968 chellve 307, 1971 chellve 350, 1968 C-10 230, 1967 C-10 283, 1968 C-10 327 1968 C-10 350 ?, And a few more I,ve forgoten about. Most ofcourse with points. But only remember a condensir on one of them maybe the 50,s models. Never new about the 12 volt issue. Thanks for advising me. John.

Watch out when you check to see if you have a resistance wire. If there is no current flowing through the wire you will still get 12 volts. If you have a wiring diagram of your car it will usually show if the coil wire is resistance or not. I know the one on my 73 camaro is. There are usually 2 connections to the wire on the old point type igntions. One will go to the starter and one directly to the igntion switch. The terminal to the coil will look like it has two wires going to it. The one that goes to the starter is there to give you a full 12 volts when starting the car to give it a hotter spark for starting, it just bypasses the resistance wire.

Originally posted by 73RS
Watch out when you check to see if you have a resistance wire. If there is no current flowing through the wire you will still get 12 volts. If you have a wiring diagram of your car it will usually show if the coil wire is resistance or not. I know the one on my 73 camaro is. There are usually 2 connections to the wire on the old point type igntions. One will go to the starter and one directly to the igntion switch. The terminal to the coil will look like it has two wires going to it. The one that goes to the starter is there to give you a full 12 volts when starting the car to give it a hotter spark for starting, it just bypasses the resistance wire.

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" Watch out when you check to see if you have a resistance wire. If there is no current flowing through the wire you will still get 12 volts."

Thanks, Will get me a volt meter this weekend and test the wire going to the dis. If it is only 6 volts. And I can,t find a resistor. How should I connect the wires up so it will be right? Also, I,ve never used a volt meter before LOL. John.

run it to your fuse box or wherever so that its running 12v when the key is on, and nothing when the key is off