I didnt do my home work

[Supermike]

Yeah... I've been reading that one, too. It sounds like his issue is more of a one-off problem with swapping coils, leaving the keys on, etc.

[lrjetmech]

Okay... I've re-read throught this thread (again) and done some googling in trying to understand everything. I believe I'm getting closer to understanding this, but it has led me to some answers and some questions:

1) In (most of) our trucks, we do not have a "ballast resistor", other than the PINK WIRE itself, which serves as a resistor.

2) This "pink wire" is actually some kind of special resistance wire, which is "electrical wire used for its resistance. It is routinely used at high temperatures, so normally also has high melting point." (thanks, Wiki)

3) By splicing OUT the section of pink wire and replacing it with "normal" 14g auto-electrical wire, I am REMOVING the resistance, thus allowing 12v instead of 6v

4) It is not necessary to replace the wire from my coil to my ignition switch.

Now my question:

In the instructions, I am being told to LEAVE 3" of resistance wire (pink) on each end of the run. Will that not have any negative impact on the voltage? Will the 'leftover' 6" of resistance wire not impede on the flow?

Also, I believe I have felt the pink wire before while running and it has been very HOT. Will the 14g wire I'm splicing in be able to carry the heat? (I don't need any fires!) It also will not cause any components (gauges, etc.) to "fry"?

Thanks for the continued help!

1. True!
2. True
3. True
4. Not unless you need to, i.e., wire is bad, insulation messed up, burnt.

The reason I advised to leave 3" at each splice point is so that in case you mess up the splicing, you still have enough wire left to do it again. This is exactly how I did mine, and I haven't had the slightest problem with mine.

[dcbullet]

Also, I believe I have felt the pink wire before while running and it has been very HOT. Will the 14g wire I'm splicing in be able to carry the heat? (I don't need any fires!) It also will not cause any components (gauges, etc.) to "fry"?

It gets hot because it's a resistor. Leaving out the electrical engineering, it's turning the voltage into heat, therefore dropping the voltage. Since you will no longer have resistance, your new wire won't get hot.

[lrjetmech]

Also, I believe I have felt the pink wire before while running and it has been very HOT. Will the 14g wire I'm splicing in be able to carry the heat? (I don't need any fires!) It also will not cause any components (gauges, etc.) to "fry"?

It gets hot because it's a resistor. Leaving out the electrical engineering, it's turning the voltage into heat, therefore dropping the voltage. Since you will no longer have resistance, your new wire won't get hot.

By the way, the pink resistor wire is a 20 gauge wire-see here: http://www.fordification.com/board/Ford ... -chart.gif

[Supermike]

Thanks! I think I'm getting there!

Will it hurt to use 14g? I think I have 14g and 18g on hand... would prefer not to have to buy more wire if'n I don't have to...

[lrjetmech]

Thanks! I think I'm getting there!

Will it hurt to use 14g? I think I have 14g and 18g on hand... would prefer not to have to buy more wire if'n I don't have to...

You should be okay with the 14g-pretty sure that's what I used-even the 18 would be ok, since you are replacing a 20g resistor wire!

[Supermike]

I just went out and took a quick peek... I didn't trace the wire, so I don't know for sure. But all I can say is...

Oh... My... God.

Someone did one hell of a job on the wiring in my truck. They've wired in a radio, and at some point a CB. And there's wires to nothing, and wires to lord knows what. I have what's called... a rat's nest.

I'll keep you posted. I may have to wait 'til it's not so friggin cold outside.

[DBossMan]

I find all this confusing.

I put a Petronix I and matching coil on my 70 Boss 302 Mustang probably 20 years ago and have never had a single issue. Don't know if it has a resistor wire or not. If there is, I didn't do anything with it.

I put a Petronix II and Flamethrower II on the 428 in my 72 F250 about 18 months ago. Again, if there is a resistor wire, I didn't do anything with it. About 1000 miles now. It works like a champ.

[Nausea]

And there's wires to nothing, and wires to lord knows what. I have what's called... a rat's nest.

LOL! No, that's just the original harness!

[fordman]

i have seen those rats nest. they can get confusing. just unhook all that stero and cb wiring. that will help you see the harness better. the wire you are looking for is directly above the gas pedal. it is a three wire plug it goes through the firewall.

[lrjetmech]

I find all this confusing.

I put a Petronix I and matching coil on my 70 Boss 302 Mustang probably 20 years ago and have never had a single issue. Don't know if it has a resistor wire or not. If there is, I didn't do anything with it.

I put a Petronix II and Flamethrower II on the 428 in my 72 F250 about 18 months ago. Again, if there is a resistor wire, I didn't do anything with it. About 1000 miles now. It works like a champ.

Pertronix I-no problem with the resistor wire. Maybe someone else had done something with that wire before.

[Supermike]

Okay... someone PLEASE tell me which one of these wires coming off the ignition is the infamous "pink wire". When I said I had a rat's nest, I wasn't joking. I can neither locate an obviously pink wire coming from my ignition, nor figure out where it goes to.

Now... there IS a pink wire that goes to a small white connector box in the middle of my dash, but I can not trace it to my ignition (or to anywhere, for that matter), and it is spliced in with a bunch of crap.

I'm no genius, but I am careful about what I do. Whomever owned this truck before me was an electrical dumb@ss. This is giving me a the fits, because I can't stand "disorder" like this...

[fordman]

in pic 3 remove all of those stereo wires unless they are hooked up to a stereo. they wont help for the install of a new stereo.

[Supermike]

in pic 3 remove all of those stereo wires unless they are hooked up to a stereo. they wont help for the install of a new stereo.

They are... although I do plan to re-wire it as soon as I have time and I won't freeze my cajones off in the process. It appears they may have once had two speakers attached, but the one wire leads to nothing now.

Funny thing... there is another wire -- very thin, speaker style -- that is wrapped up under the dash, and runs out the firewall, under the truck, and to somewhere I haven't traced yet. So much work to do... I decided tonight that I'm going to just pull out the stereo and rewire it.

But... that doesn't help me find the dang pink wire?? It comes from the ignition, right?? Is it wrapped into the harness, or is it seperate? Other than the harness wires, the only wires coming from the ignition are black (2), and one orange one...

[fordman]

the schematics say the wire is suppose to be red witha green stripe. what color of wire is going to the col from the firewall? that is the resistor wire.