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Welcome to FordPinto.com, The home of the PCCA => General Help- Ask the Experts... => Topic started by: jimdaug on March 15, 2012, 04:25:46 AM

Title: Electrical Advice Needed for Choke and Ignition coil
Post by: jimdaug on March 15, 2012, 04:25:46 AM
Hi all,


I'm putting the finishing touches on a kit car that has a 2.3 L4 from a '76ish pinto. I took the dura-spark ignition off and put a points distributor in its place.  It also had the hot water choke and I converted it to an electric choke that is on a keyed source from the ignition switch, but it pops open too quickly. From Googling I've been able to determine that this is because the choke on lots of older cars were run from the stator plug on the alternator which ends up being about 7-9 volts. Because it is getting 12+ volts from the ignition switch that would explain why it opens so quickly.


This is a simplified version of what I currently have.
(http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/1350/currentconfig.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/42/currentconfig.jpg/)


I haven't installed the ballast resistor for the coil yet and I thought I'd be able to run a wire from the coil side of the resistor, but everyone says not to do that (even though VW did that on the classic beetles). I guess I don't understand electric circuits enough to see why this is a bad idea. The only thing I found was that someone had said the primary circuit of the ignition coil couldn't handle the current that the choke would add but they didn't offer any more explanation than that.


Why can't I do this?

(http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/1041/option1r.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/28/option1r.jpg/)


If that is a bad idea, can I do it this way?
(http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/6527/option2e.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/525/option2e.jpg/)


Ultimately, I just need to get the choke to slow down a little.  Any and all thoughts welcome.