[updated:LAST EDITED ON 25-Feb-02 AT 04:28 PM (EST)]I went to start my 57 last night to add some clutch fluid and now I can't get it run again! I started it up let'er idle for a minute and shut it off. I then put the brake fluid in the cylinder and tried to start it again and nothing. The resistor that is in the coil circuit is broke in half and has been for a while but most of the time it doesn't bother anything. It makes the conection for the capacitor loose. Does anyone know if this is likely the problem and what kind of resistor do I need to replace it? I would like to take this to work in the morning so I can leave the lady the beast. It has the 272 engine in it just so you know what I am talking about.

Your help would be awesome,

Ben

 

Dover,

Just to be clear, were you working on the clutch or brake system?

George

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 25-Feb-02 AT 07:11 PM (EST)]I was filling the clutch master cylinder but that is not what is wrong. It just happened to be what I was doing when the problem occurred.

Ben

 

Sounds like something just gave out. Get your volt meter out and start tracing the circuits till you find the one that it bad.

 

It did this to me once last week also. I was about 1/4 mile from home. I towed it home and just before my driveway it finally started. That is why I am thinking that it is a loose connection. I will test every thing this weekend I guess.

Ben

 

I had a vw once that did that. Turned out to be a bad coil.

 

I was hoping htat it wouldn't be the coil, but that is what I'm expecting. I will test it all tomorrow. Does anyone know the size of the resistor that I need? Pretty please?

Thank you,

Ben

 

Go to an auto store and take anything they have for FOMOCO in a points style ignition.
Chrysler used the same resistor well into the 80's.

Both used 6V coils on 12V with just a different value resistor.

 

yepper!

ballast resistors were always a REAL problem on mopar cars, always paid to keep a spare, as it does with 57& 8 ford trucks (59 & 60 used an internal (pink) resistor wire within the wiring harness, of coarse from time to time this buggers up too as the two different metals (copper & whatever the resistor stuff is made of) can have a reaction @ the splice ends & corrode all to f*^#.)

anyhow the diagnosis for a faulty ballast is usually quite easy the truck fires & starts until you let go of the key from "starter crank" position then it quits as soon as the key snaps back to "run" position.
reason being as there are 2 feeds to the coil, a resisted one... and a straight powered one. the straight powered one needless to say puts power to the coil full bore whilst the starter is cranking & robbing most of the power from the system, then as soon as the key snaps back the resisted one takes over, the lower voltage protects the points, coil & condenser from cookin'.
i have seen 2 ways on the 57-60 ford trucks of these being switched between the resisted & straight powered, one uses one of the two small termanals on the side of the solenoid .... the other uses an extra termanal on back of the key switch. usually the way to tell the diff is if there are 1 or 2 small terms. on side of the solinoid.
i'm tired of typing now....hope this clears up the BALLAST RESISTOR mystery for many of you.
.....oh ya .....one more thing if you are stuck away from home and no spare ballast (bad boy you get a slap on the hand for that!) you can always run a wire from the + side of the batt. to the + side of the coil, it'll likely do your points in, but it should getcha there.
i'm tired of typin' now!
mikie!
near ottawa canada
64 e100 p/u
57 f100 panel
58 m100 s/b p/u