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pink resistor wiring- easy way to do it?

  • Thread starter Thread starter hunterhicks
  • Start date Start date Nov 24, 2008
H

hunterhicks

Member
Dec 4, 2003
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Nov 24, 2008
#1
  • Nov 24, 2008
  • #1
Howdy all-
Have me a 1965 and I need to wire around the pink ignition resistor wire.

I see it behind the cluster, as it crawls into a mysterious wiring loom, then as far as I can tell it turns into a 'normal' wire as it comes out of the firewall connector on the engine side.

So, how long is that pink wire? Can I take it out (I notice it has standard mustang electrical connectors on one end) or can I cut & wire around it behind the cluster?

Does it feed both the starter solenoid and the coil? I'd like to get 12v to both of those- I have a pertronix, and my electric fan relay is switched by the starter solenoid.

Thanks!
 
F

ForceFed70

That's why they call it "dope"
Founding Member
Dec 6, 1999
4,818
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69
BC Canada
Nov 24, 2008
#2
  • Nov 24, 2008
  • #2
Hmmm... I didn't think the 65's came with the resistor wire. I was under the impression those cars had a balast resistor. Maybe I've got it backwords and it was the newer mustangs that had the balast resistor.
 
H

hunterhicks

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Dec 4, 2003
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Nov 24, 2008
#3
  • Nov 24, 2008
  • #3
It's got a pink "do not cut" wire- no block resistor to be found either. I assume he's a resistor wire- not getting 12v where it counts.
 

Tim65GT

Active Member
Feb 24, 2004
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Nov 24, 2008
#4
  • Nov 24, 2008
  • #4
Here is how it works:

When cranking, the solenoid sends the full 12V from the battery on the brown wire to the plug where it ties to the Red/Green wire back to the coil. This gives a better spark when starting. When released, the Red/Green wire feeds Ignition power out of the Ign Switch through the resistor wire which drops the voltage to about 6-9 volts at the coil. This gives the points contacts longer life.

Unplug the resistor wire and leave it in the harness. Run a new 14 gauge bypass wire next to the existing harness. Tape it up to protect it from chaffing, keep it away from the wiper motor/arm and run it through a grommet in the firewall. Cut the Brown and Red/Green wires from the engine side of the fire wall plug and tie into it there. Tape it up or use split loom harness covering.


 

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BornInAFord

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Nov 24, 2008
#5
  • Nov 24, 2008
  • #5
I just bypassed it at the ignition switch terminal, added another parallel wire to go to my pertronix. The pink resistor wire is still there if I ever go back.
Daniel
 
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hunterhicks

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#6
  • Nov 24, 2008
  • #6
Perfect

Thanks Tim, that is the exact info I needed to see. Wires are run, and connected. All is well in the world of 12v power now!

Thanks everyone
 

Stili

New Member
Nov 6, 2017
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Nov 6, 2017
#7
  • Nov 6, 2017
  • #7
Tim65GT said:
Here is how it works:

When cranking, the solenoid sends the full 12V from the battery on the brown wire to the plug where it ties to the Red/Green wire back to the coil. This gives a better spark when starting. When released, the Red/Green wire feeds Ignition power out of the Ign Switch through the resistor wire which drops the voltage to about 6-9 volts at the coil. This gives the points contacts longer life.

Unplug the resistor wire and leave it in the harness. Run a new 14 gauge bypass wire next to the existing harness. Tape it up to protect it from chaffing, keep it away from the wiper motor/arm and run it through a grommet in the firewall. Cut the Brown and Red/Green wires from the engine side of the fire wall plug and tie into it there. Tape it up or use split loom harness covering.


Click to expand...

Hi Tim65GT,

I basically unplugged the pink wire from the female bullet connector coming off the ignition switch. Added a male bullet connector to a 14 ga wire, ran it through the firewall directly to the positive side of the coil. Car ran great for a while, then suddenly stopped running and the car filled with electrical smoke. Took the gauge panel off and found that the female bullet pigtail coming off the ignition switch burned up.

Any idea why that might have happened?

I should note that I was checking the timing when the incident happened. I supposed it’s possible that I grounded out that wire by accident with the timing gun but it’s plastic and I don’t see how. Anyway, before I buy a new ignition switch I’d like to know if I did something wrong so I if it is my wiring approach that was lacking, I don’t repeat the same mistake and possibly do more damage.

Thank you!!!!

Steve
 
Last edited: Nov 6, 2017
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