I didnt do my home work

[Supermike]

The pink wire is a resistor wire! I changed mine over from the old points set-up in my '69 with a 390. You just cut the pink wire close to the ignition switch and close to the connector where it branches off and goes out to the coil. Splice in a piece of regular wire about the same gauge and you're done. Turn on the ignition switch-you should have 12 volts at the coil! It's that easy. I haven't messed with my ignition since!

Man... I tell you what... that SOUNDS so easy, but you're telling me to cut a wire "close to the ignition switch and close to the connector where it branches off and goes out to the coil. " and to splice in a regular wire. So am I bypassing the ignition switch... is that the deal?

This makes me nervous... I'd be cutting a stock wire. Once I do that, it doesn't sound like it would be easy to ever roll back to a points system...

[Supermike]

(bump)

Hey guys... what are the odds of someone taking a picture of what I need to cut, and where (or drawing me one, at least)?

I'm still working on building these skills, and I feel pretty confident I can install the pertronix II, coil, and plug wires. What I'm not confident of is this whole ballast wire thing. Is my goal just to bypass the ignition switch?

[fordman]

what he is saying is that you need a power on type of 12 volts to your setup. if you wire in a wire that will trun on when you turn the key then thats all you need is a straight 12v hot wire that is killable with the ignition switch.

[Supermike]

I'll be honest... that's not making much sense to me... on one hand I'm being told to REMOVE a wire (the ballast wire), but it sounds as if you are telling me to ADD a wire that will turn on when I turn the key and is killable with the ignition switch?

This is frustrating me... I'm sure I can do all this, but this wiring stuff has got my head all twisted up. I'm not so sure now...

[fordman]

instead of cutting that wire of at the igntion switch you can just run a diferent wire that will supply 12 volts only when the key is on. and that will turn off when the key turns off. that is the way i read it.

[lrjetmech]

The pink wire is a resistor wire! I changed mine over from the old points set-up in my '69 with a 390. You just cut the pink wire close to the ignition switch and close to the connector where it branches off and goes out to the coil. Splice in a piece of regular wire about the same gauge and you're done. Turn on the ignition switch-you should have 12 volts at the coil! It's that easy. I haven't messed with my ignition since!

Man... I tell you what... that SOUNDS so easy, but you're telling me to cut a wire "close to the ignition switch and close to the connector where it branches off and goes out to the coil. " and to splice in a regular wire. So am I bypassing the ignition switch... is that the deal?

This makes me nervous... I'd be cutting a stock wire. Once I do that, it doesn't sound like it would be easy to ever roll back to a points system...

Either way you look at it, you are gonna have to get the pink resistor wire out of the circuit. Will take pictures tomorrow, if I get the chance, but basically, you look under the dash where the ignition switch is. You should see the pink resistor wire plugged into the ignition switch. Come back about 3 inches from the ignition switch, and cut the wire. Splice in a regular piece of automotive wire-14-16 guage or so should be fine. Now, follow the pink wire towards the center of the dash area. It will be plugged into a black connector. Come back about 3 inches, cut the wire, and splice in the other end of the wire that you spliced in by the ignition switch. That's all there is! Save the pink resistor wire in the rare case you wanted to convert it back to points. Like I said, I work nights, so I will go out to my '69 and try to get a pic or two to send you before I leave for work.

[Supermike]

THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Supermike]

Either way you look at it, you are gonna have to get the pink resistor wire out of the circuit. Will take pictures tomorrow, if I get the chance, but basically, you look under the dash where the ignition switch is. You should see the pink resistor wire plugged into the ignition switch. Come back about 3 inches from the ignition switch, and cut the wire. Splice in a regular piece of automotive wire-14-16 guage or so should be fine. Now, follow the pink wire towards the center of the dash area. It will be plugged into a black connector. Come back about 3 inches, cut the wire, and splice in the other end of the wire that you spliced in by the ignition switch. That's all there is! Save the pink resistor wire in the rare case you wanted to convert it back to points. Like I said, I work nights, so I will go out to my '69 and try to get a pic or two to send you before I leave for work.

Okay... so I want to be sure I'm interpreting this correctly (still hoping for pictures, but I'll give it a shot):

1. Find the "pink wire" that is plugged into the ignition switch. Come back 3" from the switch and cut it

2. Splice a regular piece of automotive 14/16g wire to the piece coming through the firewall -- not to the 3" piece on the ignition switch (screw cap that off?)

3. Follow the pink wire to a "black connector" in the middle of the dash

4. hope someone hasn't jacked that up previously

5. Come back 3" from the connector and cut the pink wire out. Save that stretch of wire for posterity.

6. splice in the opposite end of the wire I spliced in by the ignition to the 3" piece going to the black connector

7. say a few prayers

8. replace points and coil and plugs

9. say a few more prayers

10. start engine

11. keep praying

12a. Celebrate extensively (OR)
12b. Curse loudly

[lrjetmech]

Either way you look at it, you are gonna have to get the pink resistor wire out of the circuit. Will take pictures tomorrow, if I get the chance, but basically, you look under the dash where the ignition switch is. You should see the pink resistor wire plugged into the ignition switch. Come back about 3 inches from the ignition switch, and cut the wire. Splice in a regular piece of automotive wire-14-16 guage or so should be fine. Now, follow the pink wire towards the center of the dash area. It will be plugged into a black connector. Come back about 3 inches, cut the wire, and splice in the other end of the wire that you spliced in by the ignition switch. That's all there is! Save the pink resistor wire in the rare case you wanted to convert it back to points. Like I said, I work nights, so I will go out to my '69 and try to get a pic or two to send you before I leave for work.

Okay... so I want to be sure I'm interpreting this correctly (still hoping for pictures, but I'll give it a shot):

1. Find the "pink wire" that is plugged into the ignition switch. Come back 3" from the switch and cut it

2. Splice a regular piece of automotive 14/16g wire to the piece coming through the firewall -- not to the 3" piece on the ignition switch (screw cap that off?)

3. Follow the pink wire to a "black connector" in the middle of the dash

4. hope someone hasn't jacked that up previously

5. Come back 3" from the connector and cut the pink wire out. Save that stretch of wire for posterity.

6. splice in the opposite end of the wire I spliced in by the ignition to the 3" piece going to the black connector

7. say a few prayers

8. replace points and coil and plugs

9. say a few more prayers

10. start engine

11. keep praying

12a. Celebrate extensively (OR)
12b. Curse loudly

#2 is incorrect-splice the new piece of wire to the 3" piece of pink wire that is still plugged into the ignition switch. All you are doing is removing most of the pink wire and replacing it with regular wire. You could remove the pink wire completely from the ignition switch and the middle of the dash connector if you had the tools and new pins! But why hassle with that. Just cut the pink wire about 3" from the ignition switch and splice a new piece of wire ONTO that 3" piece. Find the other end of the pink wire, which should be plugged into a black connector. Come back about 3" and cut it. Splice the OTHER END of the new wire that you spliced in by the ignition switch and splice it ONTO the 3" piece of wire coming out of the black connector. When you are done, you have this:
1. From your ignition switch, a 3" piece of pink wire, which has a new piece of wire spliced onto it.
2. The new piece of wire should go halfway across the dash to the black connector, where the 3" piece of pink wire has the other end of the new wire spliced onto it.

[Supermike]

oops!

That's why I posted my steps... I see the error now! Thanks for clarifying! I think I understand what I need to do now, even though I do NOT understand WHY I'm doing it.

[lrjetmech]

oops!

That's why I posted my steps... I see the error now! Thanks for clarifying! I think I understand what I need to do now, even though I do NOT understand WHY I'm doing it.

Because the resistor wire drops the voltage from 12 volts down to 6-7 volts (something like that) for the old coil and point set-up, so they wouldn't burn out so fast. The Pertronix II set-up needs a FULL 12 volts to operate properly, so you remove the resistor wire to make sure you get the maximum volts possible! Simple as that!

[Supermike]

Ok... that kind of makes sense. However...

Robert, I know I probably seem like a pain in the @ss... but to me, all it sounds like I'm doing is replacing a section of wire?? How does that "remove" the resistor... it sounds to me like I'm just replacing it with new wire??

Or is there something "special" about this "pink wire" that I'm missing? Is it a really light gauge? Or is it just old?

Also, after all this, I sure hope this is the same on a '67 as it is on the later trucks!

I'm getting there... have patience with me! I just want to understand what I'm doing when I do it, and how it impacts my truck overall.

[Supermike]

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!

[Supermike]

hmm... double post. Sorry!

[fordman]

have you alos read this thread about a possible similar problem with these things? http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... hp?t=29149