Ignitor/Tach Problem
03-09-2010, 01:15 PM
#1
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 55
Ignitor/Tach Problem
Hi,
I've got a 64 1/2 D code coupe. I'm running a Pertronix Ignitor kit /coil for my ignition. I have installed two different tachs and wasn't able to get either one to work correctly. The first one is a new Sunpro II. I connected the green wire to the negative side of the coil, the black wire grounded to the engine block, and the red to a ceramic ballast resistor (which I may not actually need?) that runs between the ignition switch and the coil.
I didn't connect the light wire because I didn't want to have to dig (back) into the instrument panel just yet.
The tach would only work when the car was cold, and even then, only sometimes.
The other tach I have was given to me by a friend at work. It's a Dixco that he bought around 1970 to put in his '67 Firebird. He took it out when he sold the car and put it away. I like it, as it has a nice vintage look about it. It only has three wires; Green, Black, & White. I did an underhood connection by grounding the black wire directly to the battery ground terminal and touched the green wire to the negative side of the coil. The tach worked, but read high (1000 vs 850 RPM)
Yesterday, I removed the the Sunpro II and installed the Dixco. I connected the ground wire directly to the battery ground, and ran the green wire to the negative post on the coil.
I started the car and got nothing. So I decide to connect the white wire to a key on hot lead. When the key was turned on, the light on the tach came on as well. When I started the car up, the needle pegged out to 8000 rpm. When I disconnected the hot wire, the needle came to rest at at 4K.
Getting back to the ceramic ballast resistor, I'm wondering if I even need it with the Pertronix, but I've also read here that, while the Pertronix may function without it, it will burn up in a couple of hours. Since I have a new distributor/Ignitor/MSD digital 6 that I have not installed yet, I'm thinking about removing the ceramic ballast resistor altogether with what I've got now, and see what happens. I'm hoping the car will start more quickly without it as well.
Please reply...
Thanks in Advance,
Brian
I've got a 64 1/2 D code coupe. I'm running a Pertronix Ignitor kit /coil for my ignition. I have installed two different tachs and wasn't able to get either one to work correctly. The first one is a new Sunpro II. I connected the green wire to the negative side of the coil, the black wire grounded to the engine block, and the red to a ceramic ballast resistor (which I may not actually need?) that runs between the ignition switch and the coil.
I didn't connect the light wire because I didn't want to have to dig (back) into the instrument panel just yet.
The tach would only work when the car was cold, and even then, only sometimes.
The other tach I have was given to me by a friend at work. It's a Dixco that he bought around 1970 to put in his '67 Firebird. He took it out when he sold the car and put it away. I like it, as it has a nice vintage look about it. It only has three wires; Green, Black, & White. I did an underhood connection by grounding the black wire directly to the battery ground terminal and touched the green wire to the negative side of the coil. The tach worked, but read high (1000 vs 850 RPM)
Yesterday, I removed the the Sunpro II and installed the Dixco. I connected the ground wire directly to the battery ground, and ran the green wire to the negative post on the coil.
I started the car and got nothing. So I decide to connect the white wire to a key on hot lead. When the key was turned on, the light on the tach came on as well. When I started the car up, the needle pegged out to 8000 rpm. When I disconnected the hot wire, the needle came to rest at at 4K.
Getting back to the ceramic ballast resistor, I'm wondering if I even need it with the Pertronix, but I've also read here that, while the Pertronix may function without it, it will burn up in a couple of hours. Since I have a new distributor/Ignitor/MSD digital 6 that I have not installed yet, I'm thinking about removing the ceramic ballast resistor altogether with what I've got now, and see what happens. I'm hoping the car will start more quickly without it as well.
Please reply...
Thanks in Advance,
Brian
03-10-2010, 03:01 AM
#3
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Cork, Ireland
Posts: 6,417
well might be two different tachs altogether.
the sunpro is probably a modern parallel tach: just for a test connect red to battery + and black to coil-, see if that works
the dixco might is probably inline tach when it's from the 70s for a firebird
the dixco try inline between ignition switch and te pink wire
there is a quick disconnect about one inch after the ignition switch i think black/green going to pink. disconnect that and put the dixco inbetween that
the sunpro is probably a modern parallel tach: just for a test connect red to battery + and black to coil-, see if that works
the dixco might is probably inline tach when it's from the 70s for a firebird
the dixco try inline between ignition switch and te pink wire
there is a quick disconnect about one inch after the ignition switch i think black/green going to pink. disconnect that and put the dixco inbetween that
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