it was the resistor!

I had a heck of a time figuring out why my jeep wouldn't start, but after I replaced the timing chain someone suggested I check into the coil resistor, which I didn't know existed. That was it.
Sure was a lot of worrying and work for something that cost less than seven dollars and bolts to the firewall.

 

Is that the porcelin pice that has one wire in the top and one in the bottom which is connected to the coil. Where did find the replacement.

 

Ballast Resistor! ANOUNCEMENT!! Everyone change your Ballast resistors at this time! it seems an evil virus has infected all Ballast Resistors currently in use and are dying like flies!R) R)

I'm sorry I meant that in all fun and absolutley no offense intended.
I just noticed a few people have had problems with the ballast resistor.

Advice to ALL! buy an xtra and keep it in the glove compartment or just screw it fast to the firewall next to the one in use, IF you have a problem starting,as if no spark or won't catch,just crank. TRY the Ballast Resistor!

This device was designed to last long enough to forget it exists but is gauranteed to fail when you least expect it and are totaly unprepared.
It was designed to do this!
Carry a spare!

Cheers!

 

I must add the previous post was meant in fun, BUT to stress the point that carrying an xtra is always a good idea. (and it's also true)

 

I agree! It happened to me... TODAY! And yes, I had an extra!

 

When switching to a different coil, do you just splice the two wires together? Any affect on the points?

 

I accidently FLAMED a Flame Thrower by not using the ballast resister and leaving the key in the ON position all night. The directions are a little ambiguous as far a whether or not to keep the resister connected with the Flame Thrower. I hooked mine up the second time with the resister. In a pinch you canconnect the two wires together to bypass the resister if it leaves you stranded out on the trail.

 

where can you get one??

 

I believe the ballast resistor reduces the voltage to your points so your points wont "arc" and will last much longer. If your resistor fails you should be able to just move the hot side wire over onto the other side of the resistor so that both wires are on the same terminal which would complete the circuit. That should get you home. Those things are so fragile that chances are if I carried an extra it would be broken when I went to put it on.
Your coil will fail if you leave the key on without the engine running because if the points are closed you have current flowing through the coil continuously and overheats your coil. This wont always happen, it's the luck of the draw weather when you turn your jeep off if the engine stops with the points open or closed. My dad used to yell at me all the time when I would listen to the radio in my vw bug with the key on, I'll just say he was right.

 

I'm using the 1.5 ohm coil. Although I can't read the directions you posted, as I recall there are two recommendations for the resistor using the 1.5 ohm coil. 4 & 6 cylinder leave connected, 6 cyl race engines bypass the resistor. While I don't consider the 225 to be a race engine, I, like many others, belong to the bigger is better club, so if it works for a race engine it must be better for my application. In my first installation that proved to be incorrect. I've been running the Flame Thrower for a year and a half with the resistor with no problems.