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I guess I'm going to demonstrate my ignorance now but here goes.  The V8 conversion on my 7 uses SD1 parts as most of the older ones do.  One of those parts is a flat silver metal block bolted to the wing.  This receives three wires from the loom.  Three exit it on the other side: one to the plus side of the coil and the other two to the distributor.  I always assumed this was some sort of primitive ignition power pack but it isn't is it?

 

It's a ballast resistor.  I have a twelve volt coil on the car so why do I have a ballast resistor.  Can I just remove it, or am I getting completely the wrong end of the stick here?

 

This has come to light as I try to understand the wiring diagram that's come with my shiny new Newtronic leccy ignition kit.

 

Anyone care to enlighten me please?

 

Malcolm.

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Thanks Steve!  I really don't have a problem with the Newtronic wiriing diagrams.  As you probably know they are quite simple.

 

I'm more interested in why I would/would not want a ballast resistor, especially since I've a 12v coil.  Newtronic do show it on their wiring diagram but I'm one of those irritating people who need to understand WHY (as I'm sure you know by now).  I'm off work tomorrow so may well give lucky Simon a call.  I was thinking that the various V8 experts on here (they know who they are) might unravel this for me  :;):

 

Malcolm.

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Hi Malcolm

You are correct in that the SD1 silver coloured block is a ballast resistor. You don't normally need it on a Tr7 conversion as there is a resistive wire built into the Tr7 loom already. Of course someone may have bypassed it when doing the conversion. you cannot simply use a voltmeter to test this because when you draw no current you will see 12v at the coil, this needs to be measured when the engine is running so that the coil is charging & discharging.

 

Cheers

Andy

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Got it now, thanks.  Newtronic all fitted and working.  Nasty 'Opus' dizzy bits now out of service.  Since I've got a 12v coil I've ignored the ballasted +ve and used a 12v ignition supply instead.  Does it make a difference?  Oh yes  :)

 

Malcolm.

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Hi Malcolm , Sounds  like the ballast resistor & ignition on my V12 XJ-S . I have a good write up on it as relates to my V12 but think it would be similar . Includes varios checks re resistance etc etc.

A good aftermarket kit is the Crane X700 which can be got from the states & costs @ $130 U.S.

If you want a copy let me know

Cheers :D

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Could well be Scotty, but I have all my answers to this now thanks to some good advice and a Rover SD1 workshop manual I'd forgotten I had!  The £70 spent on the Newtronics kit is probably the best value for money improvement I've made to the car yet  :cool:

 

Malcolm.

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Malcolm, my view posted in response to SD1 ignition:-

 

Why bother going after market when their are loads of later RV8 ones around. I "upgraded" mine when I rebuilt the engine, from a DLM late Land Rover one to a Mallory dual point and sports coil. I now have what could be an ignition problem. I also lie in bed at night thinking "it fired 40 thou plug gaps before why change it" !!!!

Later Land Rover ones are available on E Bay and don't seem to have the amp problems that the early ones did.

 

Jim

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Went from a DLM8 to a Mallory dual point on mine much to my disappointment,reverted back to DLM8 much better.

 

Only a few weeks ago I fitted a Mallory Unalite (electronic) to a friends land rover-big difference even more so when I fitted magnecor leads the following week.

 

One point to note there are 2 types of DLM 8 I believe ,one for fuel injection and one for carbs ,I think the curves may be different.

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Later Land Rover ones are available on E Bay and don't seem to have the amp problems that the early ones did.

I know you're all finished with your job Malcolm, but for information, the later LR unit does have problems-we throw no end away-new units cost around £260.

 

Rob.

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