Wrecker Ride Blues

[Tim Bell]

It was sunny and 68 Degrees here in Texas today. I thought it would be a good day to get the 64 Sport Fury, Hemi 4 speed, Dana 60 426 Wedge out for a ride.
I needed fuel, so I made the 15-mile drive to town for some Shell 93 octane. The car was loving the cool air and running very well.
I pulled into the Shell station, got my fuel, and started my Plymouth. It cranked over and spit once. That was it just cranked away and that was it. I have a Pertronix ignition in my car.
I thought it had vapor locked so I went inside and purchased a soft drink. I waited for 20 minutes, the same result coughed once no start.
I got a wrecker and took the $85 ride home. I parked it in the garage and let it sit for an hour, the same result. I had a spare spark plug so I pulled a spark plug wire from a plug and put the spare plug into the wire. I cranked the engine and the grounded spark plug showed no spark.
I got out my multimeter, took the ground wire off the battery. I checked my coil out. At 200 Ohms it showed 1.7 resistance and 20K it showed 12.5 resistance. Next item is the ballast resistor?
Any ideas?

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Do you have 12V at the ballast? Does the rotor turn when the engine is cranking?

 

[chtampa]

I thought Pertronix didn't use a Ballast Resistor

 

[1 Wild R/T]

I thought Pertronix didn't use a Ballast Resistor

Depends on which Petronix & which coil...

 

[RJRENTON]

It was sunny and 68 Degrees here in Texas today. I thought it would be a good day to get the 64 Sport Fury, Hemi 4 speed, Dana 60 426 Wedge out for a ride.
I needed fuel, so I made the 15-mile drive to town for some Shell 93 octane. The car was loving the cool air and running very well.
I pulled into the Shell station, got my fuel, and started my Plymouth. It cranked over and spit once. That was it just cranked away and that was it. I have a Pertronix ignition in my car.
I thought it had vapor locked so I went inside and purchased a soft drink. I waited for 20 minutes, the same result coughed once no start.
I got a wrecker and took the $85 ride home. I parked it in the garage and let it sit for an hour, the same result. I had a spare spark plug so I pulled a spark plug wire from a plug and put the spare plug into the wire. I cranked the engine and the grounded spark plug showed no spark.
I got out my multimeter, took the ground wire off the battery. I checked my coil out. At 200 Ohms it showed 1.7 resistance and 20K it showed 12.5 resistance. Next item is the ballast resistor?
Any ideas?

Perhaps you may want to reconsider the ignition system choice...? Do you still have the origional Prestolite dual point distributor to substitute. The old Chinese proverb may apply..."fancy gizmos don't work and if they do, they don't work for long and will quit at the most inopportune time".... but it sounds like the Pertronix device has failed or, like mentioned previously, possibly the coil and maybe the ballast resistor if applicable has failed. Just my opinion of course.
BOB RENTON

 

[Ranger16]

I always carry a spare ECU and ballast resistor. I learned the hard way.

 

[Cranky]

Perhaps you may want to reconsider the ignition system choice...? Do you still have the origional Prestolite dual point distributor to substitute. The old Chinese proverb may apply..."fancy gizmos don't work and if they do, they don't work for long and will quit at the most inopportune time".... but it sounds like the Pertronix device has failed or, like mentioned previously, possibly the coil and maybe the ballast resistor if applicable has failed. Just my opinion of course.
BOB RENTON

That's the main reason I kept the points systems on my street cars. Got my fill of the factory style electronic stuff that came from the parts houses when the factory stuff from the wrecking yards was drying up....

 

[dadsbee]

Yep, I carry a spare points/condensor set, coil and a ballast resistor in each of my cars. Have never needed more than my pocket knife in 40+ years..

 

[toolmanmike]

Ya, I have one with Pertronix and one with points. Knock on wood, no issues with either. Stocking up on GOP's though. (good old parts)