My 69 SS350 has a Mallory Unilite distributor installed in it. My question is did the Camaro have a ballast resistor or resistive wire installed from the factory? There is not one that I can see installed and I am worried about frying the Unilite module as warned from Mallory. Is there a way I can test to see if one is installed in some obscure area where I can't see it? Any help will be appreciated.

Thank you!!

A way you can tell if it is a resistor wire is put a volt meter on the wire that you will put on your coils + lead if it reads around 9.8vdc it is a resistor wire if it reads 12+ it is not at that time you will need a ballast resistor also you can look at rhe wire and it will have what seems like a fiber woven like sheath to it instead of normal plastic if it is a resistor wire

Thanks for your reply Bruce. Time has been very short here and I haven't had time to try your suggestion. I will inform you of my findings when I check it out!

Thanks again

It pays to double check the instructions from Mallory and make sure you have the proper ballast installed. I believe Mallory recommends their own but other brands will also work. I hooked mine up wrong the first time and cooked the module. Go here to get updated instructions: http://www.mrgasket.com/malinst.htm

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Scott
'69 400SB, Richmond 5-speed; '99 HD Road King Classic
www.geocities.com/sdenning1 (http://www.geocities.com/sdenning1)

Thanks guys. I checked the voltage at the coil + and it was about 12.5 vdc. I installed the Mallory 700 ballast resistor and the spike protection module. The car also had some off the wall coil in it so I installed a Mallory chrome OEM type 40kv coil. I picked up substantial power, probably from the coil. The ignition system is all correct now, even has Mallory Sprint suppresion wires on it. The car still does not run completely smooth as I would like under high RPM (4-5.5K) full acceleration. It has Accel plugs it it. I am not sure what the gap should be with a 40kv coil. I am going to make a new post about that. Thanks again for your help!!

Hugger, did you check that voltage with the engine running or stopped? Your Camaro came with a resistance wire, it has woven insulation as mentioned earlier by bruce. If there is no current flow, the voltage will be straight battery voltage even if there's a resistor wire or ballast. You need to check the voltage at the positive side of the coil with the engine running. There's a pretty good chance you have both the ballast and the resistor wire now, if you installed a ballast. This will cause low voltage to the coil, might be causing some of the symptoms you've mentioned.

Tom

Tom, the engine was off. I do have the woven wire. It is about a 16 ga. black wire with a woven sheath over it. You are right in that I am using the wire and the resistor. I will check the voltage with the engine running. If it is low I will try it without the resistor.

Thanks Tom!!