Here's a riddle...

Okay, so my last post on here was June 2015, 6 months before my first child was born. Fast forward to today, and I have a 7 year old and a 3.5 year old. Needless to say, I just uncovered my car, threw a new battery in, and it started right up. Just hit 80,000 miles, and the car is largely stock. So some basic maintenance is in order.

Here's the riddle...

While letting some seafoam run through the engine, I noticed slight smoke smoke coming from the wires in the back (picture) while it was touching the other wires. I disconnected the battery and pulled that wire apart (picture) from the others and it broke in half.

With it separated, I tried to start the car… but it wouldn’t turn over.. just spun..As soon as I put that wire nut on it, it started right up.

So I thought problem solved?? Now I look again, and the wire nut is melted off and it’s cooking slowly. What is that wire..?? It took about 40 mins of runtime for this to happen.

One other thing I noticed, is that I don't have an ignition coil, but a few years back I switched to HEI.

I appreciate any help and direction. I am oil change, spark plug, water pump, radiator level handy, so if you have any suggestions, say it slow .

Thanks!

 

Thats the resistor wire for the coil. It will get hot, thats why it has the goofy insulation.

Also, a wire nut didn't fix it!

 

So, Joe..
If I don't have a coil, should this have been bypassed? I guess I am trying to better understand if the wire failed due to being old/brittle, or if something is wrong in my "current setup"

 

So it would seem you can't splice a resistor wire then? Is that what is causing it to overheat in that spot? Also, if you're running HEI and still using the original resistor wire, is that a problem? Isn't the HEI module internally resisted?

 

I traced it back to this... To the right of the splice, red is running to distributor, tan wire is running under the engine to... (help me out someone)?

To the left, the wire is good for 6 inches, then it starts to melt for a 8 inch run, and then the wire is fine into the firewall, where that wire connects to...(anyone?).

 

You must have a coil of sorts, unless your running a deisel?

 

Also, Ken.. I pretty much put the wire nut right in the middle of where the wire was going bad because I thought initially it was just contacting another wire and shorting out.

 

No, no coil... I mean.. there is one next to me in a box because I looked under the hood and thought.. where is my coil.

Could this be what is cooking this resistor wire?

 

I don't know if anything should be spliced into that resistor wire. Mine runs uninterrupted from what I recall from the junction block to the Coil. Anything else drawing current through that resistor wire might be why it's melting. You need to find out where that tan wire goes.

 

The coil is located inside the HEI distributor cap.
Resistor wire has to go because a HEI needs the full 12V

 

So the red wire here is running to my distributor

 

I'll jump under there now and take a look

 

There is a terminal on the HEI distributor cap that says BAT, the other one says TACH.

You should cut out the resistor wire in the wiring that's coming from the ignition switch and connect it straight to the BAT terminal.

 

Like Erik said you should have a full 12 volts running to your HEI anyway. I actually did that when I installed a Pertronix, I simply disconnected my resistor wire from the bulkhead and the coil and ran the proper gauge standard wire in place of the resistor wire for a full 12 volts.

 

Ok, here comes the say it slow part....

My end result is that I am looking to eliminate this resistor wire, but where was it running to when it meets the firewall going into the car?


@ken the tan wire that is spliced into the resistor wire goes down to the starter

 

The coil is in the cap with the HEI.

You'll have to see where else that spliced wire is going. Its probably pulling too much amperage

 

Tan wire spliced @Joe @ken

 

During start up a points system needs higher voltage, after that the resistor wiring takes over when your key goes from the START to the RUN position
So that's where that tan wire is for.

 

I have HEI

 

Thank you all for your help! I think I figured it out ( I appreciate the guidance and direction)