How Hot Does the Ballast Resister Get?

News:

  • Home
  • Help
  • Chat
  • Login
  • Register

    • « previous next »
    Pages: [1]

    Author Topic: How Hot Does the Ballast Resister Get?  (Read 1724 times)

    Offline dpcd67

    • Jr. Member
    • **
    • Posts: 278
    How Hot Does the Ballast Resister Get?
    « on: May 20, 2014 - 04:17:02 PM »
    How hot is the 4 post ballast resister supposed to get? I wired mine up on my test stand IAW the manual and it quickly got smoking hot. I am sure something is wrong but I do not know what. Any advice? I have checked my wiring.
    Logged
    1963 Dodge M37 (3)
    1967 Dodge WM300 (2)
    1971 Plymouth Duster
    Bought new in '71; I wanted the Challenger but they were $2850; too much $ so I got the 318, 3 speed on the floor, Twister Duster for $2100.
    1973 Plymouth Barracuda
    I ain't done yet.


    Offline polarbear123

    • Jr. Member
    • **
    • Posts: 407
    Re: How Hot Does the Ballast Resister Get?
    « Reply #1 on: May 20, 2014 - 04:24:08 PM »
    It gets very hot that’s why it is porcelain.   Not Suppose  to smoke though.
    Logged

    Offline dpcd67

    • Jr. Member
    • **
    • Posts: 278
    Re: How Hot Does the Ballast Resister Get?
    « Reply #2 on: May 20, 2014 - 05:13:02 PM »
    Sorry,, I used the term "smokin" to mean "really" hot. It didn't actually smoke. But it got way too hot to touch.
    Logged
    1963 Dodge M37 (3)
    1967 Dodge WM300 (2)
    1971 Plymouth Duster
    Bought new in '71; I wanted the Challenger but they were $2850; too much $ so I got the 318, 3 speed on the floor, Twister Duster for $2100.
    1973 Plymouth Barracuda
    I ain't done yet.

    Offline Chryco Psycho

    • Administrator
    • C-C.com Guru
    • *****
    • Posts: 36620
    • 70 Challenger R/T SE 70 tube Chassis Cuda now sold
    Re: How Hot Does the Ballast Resister Get?
    « Reply #3 on: May 20, 2014 - 06:38:55 PM »
    it helps having it bolted to steel to act as a heat sink but yeah it gets hot
    Logged

    Challenger - You`ll wish You Hadn`t

    Offline HP_Cuda

    • Hit the skinny little pedal on the right!
    • Sr. Resident
    • ******
    • Posts: 5268
    • Mopar or No Car!
    Re: How Hot Does the Ballast Resister Get?
    « Reply #4 on: May 20, 2014 - 08:55:00 PM »

    Remember a resistor takes electrical energy and converts it to heat and in the process drops voltage.

    Ohms law V=IR
    Logged
    1970 Cuda Clone 440 4 speed - sublime green
    1970 Cuda 383 4 speed - yellow - SOLD

    Offline dpcd67

    • Jr. Member
    • **
    • Posts: 278
    Re: How Hot Does the Ballast Resister Get?
    « Reply #5 on: May 20, 2014 - 09:45:32 PM »
    I test ran it for 25 minutes and it worked fine. Nothing melted.
    Logged
    1963 Dodge M37 (3)
    1967 Dodge WM300 (2)
    1971 Plymouth Duster
    Bought new in '71; I wanted the Challenger but they were $2850; too much $ so I got the 318, 3 speed on the floor, Twister Duster for $2100.
    1973 Plymouth Barracuda
    I ain't done yet.

    Offline dfrazz

    • 1970 Cuda - 1968 Charger
    • Resident
    • *****
    • Posts: 4070
    Re: How Hot Does the Ballast Resister Get?
    « Reply #6 on: May 21, 2014 - 09:05:28 AM »
    Quote from: dpcd67 on May 20, 2014 - 09:45:32 PM
    Nothing melted.

    That's always a good sign!  :woo:
    Logged

    Offline dodj

    • Sr. Resident
    • ******
    • Posts: 6197
    Re: How Hot Does the Ballast Resister Get?
    « Reply #7 on: May 21, 2014 - 02:55:01 PM »
    Quote from: dpcd67 on May 20, 2014 - 05:13:02 PM
    Sorry,, I used the term "smokin" to mean "really" hot. It didn't actually smoke. But it got way too hot to touch.
    I have seen a little smoke come off a new one for a minute or so.
    Logged
    Scott
    1973 Challenger  440 4 spd 
    2007.5 3500 6.7 Cummins Diesel, Anarchy tuned.
    Good friends don't let friends do stupid things. ........alone.

    Offline cudabob496

    • Sr. Resident
    • ******
    • Posts: 8024
    Re: How Hot Does the Ballast Resister Get?
    « Reply #8 on: May 21, 2014 - 09:43:07 PM »
    MSD System allows you not to use a ballast resistor.
    Logged
    72 Cuda, owned 25 years. 496, with ported Stage VI heads, .625 in solid roller, 254/258 at .050, 3500 stall, 3.91 rear. 850 Holley DP, Reverse manual valve body.

    1999 Trans Am, LS1, heads, cam, headers, stall, etc! Love to surprise the rice rockets with this one. They seem so confident, then it's "what the heck just happened?"

    2011 Kawasaki Z1000

    Offline dpcd67

    • Jr. Member
    • **
    • Posts: 278
    Re: How Hot Does the Ballast Resister Get?
    « Reply #9 on: May 22, 2014 - 11:07:10 AM »
    I have the original system. It works so I am not going to change it.
    Logged
    1963 Dodge M37 (3)
    1967 Dodge WM300 (2)
    1971 Plymouth Duster
    Bought new in '71; I wanted the Challenger but they were $2850; too much $ so I got the 318, 3 speed on the floor, Twister Duster for $2100.
    1973 Plymouth Barracuda
    I ain't done yet.
    Pages: [1]
    « previous next »