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Engine coil 12volt low resistance wire

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rich_b

Contributing Member
i have a 165hp inline 6 (1

i have a 165hp inline 6 (1971)i replaced everything i mean everything new..installed new wiring harness (front to back)the harness on engine (also new)is the problem.i have a 12 volt coil that says on the side of it to use a external resistor.the new wiring harness has a low resistance wire going to the coil.do i need a external resistor.will the 12 volt coil hurt the low resistance wire.dont know what to do. any help is a blessing.
 
"The resistance wire was used

"The resistance wire was used by Merc. to drop the voltage to 6 volts to the coil and points ignition. The resistance wire will not provide 12 VDC to your 12 volt coil. Use the ballast resistor your coil calls for and run a 16 gauge wire from the harness to the coil. If your harness has a choke wire and your choke is not elec., use it for the coil. If it does have an elec. choke, use a jumper from the choke for 12 volts to the coil. Guy"
 
run it from where in the harne

run it from where in the harness.i have no choke wire.so where do i hook it from.from where to the coil.the boat run great before with the old resistance wire in the old harness and same coil without a resistor.started and ran real good.i just dont want to mess the new harness up like melting a wire.
 
"Are you still using points ig

"Are you still using points ignition? Yes? Why not get rid of the points and convert to 12 volt electronic ignition which takes the place of the points. You won't need points and a ballast resistor which is pre 1970s technology. The spark will also be hotter providing better combustion.

Does the wire harness have a wire labeled + SIDE COIL. Yes? Check the voltage at the wire end connection with a fully charged battery. If it is less than 12 volts, it should be a RESISTANCE WIRE. Use it to connect to the coil without a ballast resistor.

If there is NOT A + COIL WIRE in the harness, (which is hard to believe) there should be a RED w/PURPLE stripe wire attached to the 50 amp circuit breaker on the engine. This wire is live all the time. Use a volt meter to verify it is live with the ignition key in the OFF and RUN positions.

Connect a 16 ga. wire from this circuit breaker point to one side of the ballast resistor and connect another jumper wire from the other end of the resistor to the + side of the coil. This connection should work as long as you did not replace the original coil.

Guy"
 
"..." have a 12 volt coil

"..." have a 12 volt coil that says on the side of it "

Then it's NOT a 12 volt coil, it needs a ballast resistor. If I were you, seeing you've done virtually a complete rewiring job anyway, I'd toss out the ballast resistor and buy a true 12 volt 'super coil'. You can get one from Jegs or Summit on-line and then throw one mutha of a spark!

Jeff"
 
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