Just installed FBO Ignition and Year1 engine harness w/ modified ballast

[manic_mopar]

Hey Guys, I'm more of a lurker than an active poster, but thought i'd share this with yall. I was having engine problems with my 440 stroker build. The motor would cut out after running for a little while, progressively getting worse with each time it was driven. After talking with Don from FBO systems (he did our recurved distributor, fuel pump, and carb), he suggested it was my chrome box ignition overheating and then cutting spark to the system.

I decided to go ahead and do an upgrade, and got his ignition box w/ rev limiter and the new coil. This also required to bypass the ballast resistor with a jumper, but I couldn't quite get the jumper to work on the ballast, nor did I like the look. I saw someone post on here to gut the ballast resistor and wire it within for a stock look. This is easier to do than I was expecting! I also went ahead and ordered the Year One engine harness to start my slow progression towards total wire replacement/upgrade.

The car ran fantastic after the ignition system upgrade! Just now finishing up the wiring harness. The one from Y1 is almost exact to the one I yanked out of the car. I love having the correct wire colors to correlate to the wiring diagrams.

Now on to upgrade all the other harnesses and connectors through the car! my year end goal is to have it all rewired.

 

[idrivemopar]

I did my entire car during its restoration with the M&H harnesses from Year One, worked out great, so much better now without all the crusty wires!

 

[Nacho-RT74]

Nice job on the ballast mod... I am who has being posting the idea

 

[mopar73dge]

Clever, and clean

 

[manic_mopar]

Thanks guys. Yeah Nacho, that ended uo working out great. The best part is it looks pretty stock too without goofy jumpers. With the right gauge wires, those stock tabs worked great. I ended up soldering then to the wire to ensure connection.

Idrivemopar, my next step is the dash harness and if my budget (and wife) can allow, the new autometer gauge cluster insert with all new american racing gauges. They look fantastic, but heavily priced.

My other major goal this year is to look into those passon performance overdrive A833. In all highway where i live now, and this gearing is killing me, even with a 3.55!

 

[Nacho-RT74]

Did you refill the grooves on terminal ends at least to be sure about isolation against firewall?

 

[manic_mopar]

Did you refill the grooves on terminal ends at least to be sure about isolation against firewall?

Yes sir! I didnt have any epoxy to use, but i had a ton of black rtv sealant leftover from my oil pan install, so i filled it with that and packed it in real good. Worked great!

 

[2012ChargerBlacktop]

I understand that you can use whatever you have to fill in the grooves on the ballast resistor after the mod but what is the preferred method? I just ordered the FBO kit for my car and I like the neatness of this ballast resistor mod. What did you use to cut the ceramic so nicely? Thanks!

 

[RJS]

I would talk to Don on how you did the ballast resister. There is no reason to jump top and bottom. You just want to jump the 12V position and eliminate the other from what I understood. I can be wrong but did it this way for a friend when we put in the FBO ignition and have zero problems.
Ron

 

[Nacho-RT74]

I understand that you can use whatever you have to fill in the grooves on the ballast resistor after the mod but what is the preferred method?.............. What did you use to cut the ceramic so nicely? Thanks!

I'd use any epoxy glue you have available... just over terminals for safety. Many ballast resistors are not even filled but just at terminal ends to be sure they won't be playing around when being plugged in because terminal is free there just hold by the tab in font face of ceramic. lot of play there... i think those with exposed resistor on back are called Thermal resistors ?

The ceramic is already cut, no need to worry about that.


And yes, actually is enough to modify the resistor which gets the brown wire. The other one gets to nowhere using 4 pins ECUs

 

[Don Gould]

Good Job Guys!

 

[eagleone1983]

Does somebody have a link to the post that explains the ballast resistor mod. Like where to get the spade connectors, it looks like fairly large gauge wire, and best method to grind out the backside of the ballast? Or are you just reusing the spades that come with it? I'm assuming this has been discussed before.

 

[RJS]

My Dremel tool got the nod for the cleanout/cutting
Ron

 

[Nacho-RT74]

Terminals are being reused.

Wire actually doesn't need to be that thick he just meet the gauge of the resistor to perfect fit to the terminal.

 

[manic_mopar]

What nacho said, i just did it to match the hole on the back of each terminal. I also soldered the ends to ensure connection.

I too used a dremel. Got through the resin easily. It makes a mess though!

 

[mopar73dge]

do you think the FBO box is better than the orange box?

 

[eagleone1983]

Never used the orange box but my FBO box has been running strong for 5 years now. Still starts as quick as ever.

 

[threewood]

Does somebody have a link to the post that explains the ballast resistor mod. Like where to get the spade connectors, it looks like fairly large gauge wire, and best method to grind out the backside of the ballast? Or are you just reusing the spades that come with it? I'm assuming this has been discussed before.

The filled in back can be scraped out with a pick. Remove the factory ballast from the terminals, solder a solid wire in between the terminals, reinstall and fill ends so the terminals don't contact the body upon installation.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

do you think the FBO box is better than the orange box?

the old A688 FBO box against the orange MP... definitelly yes, but side by side to the Chromed.

Now the Later HHR688 FBO box... dunno, I can't tell. It should! The orange MP box is not a hell of box, just quite decent with good performance over the factory one... while they keep working of course LOL

 

[manic_mopar]

I saw a huge improvement in reliability in going from chrome to fbo. My chrome box began overheating and started causing problems. The new fbo box doesnt get affected by heat so easily, plus it has a built in rev limiter and is plug and play with the factory harness! Only thing required is his compatible coil.

So in my completely unprofessional and minimal knowledge opinion, i do think this fbo ignition beats out the chrome at least.