I think it’s the Ballast resistor?

[ALRUI]

Hi HH.

I can't personally say I have ever seen this but i have seen people leaving the ignition in the run position and not start the engine.

It can & usually leads to prematurely failed welded points & condensers but not a ballast resistor...
Can you add to this for clarification sake?

I just explained this to my 16 year old last weekend, don't leave the key in RUN to listen to the stereo, you'll burn the points! Wonder if they'll even touch on this type of info. when he goes to the junior college auto class next semeste if COVID is "over" (they don't offer auto shop or any other industrial arts classes in high school these days).

 

[NewportRbod]

LoL!!!! That’s how I blew the mufflers off my `68. KaBOOM !!!!!

You lucky.

Yeah, I had the same thing. I started to get a stumble, then after going over some railroad tracks, it died out for a second . Then boom! At the time a Sheriff car was right next to me. The lights came on and I thought I was done for. He walks up and said Good afternoon sir, may I see your ballast resistor? Took me a second to comprehend...his department ran Mopar back when he was a rookie. He said they carried a spare because the high under hood heat, vibrations, and harsh conditions corroded and crumbled. The resistor was swapped out but the blown mufflers took longer...they sounded good for a while.

 

[NewportRbod]

Finally.
A man who can RTFM and troubleshoot.

All else fails check the manual.

 

[coaster179]

I always had a spare in the glove box.

 

[HWYCRZR]

After all my ballast resistor and points drama, it was running very well again. Then the next day I took it for a spin. It was running well at cruising speed, but started to idle like it had a big cam. When I got home I stuck the tach on it an it was trying to idle at 380 rpm. I thought all the popping and back firing engine shake had maybe loosened my idle screw. (I didn’t think it all the way through). So I just cranked it back up to 600 and made the mixture a little richer. (Never adjust two things at once when chasing a problem). I took it for a spin. Again at cruise it ran just fine and idled just fine, but kind of fluttered when coasting. I was pretty sure it was a carb issue, so I put some sea foam in the remaining 1/4 tank and drove about 30 miles, and then refueled. It was still fluttering. I had a chance to look at the carburetor tonight and found I had cranked the idle screw far enough that the fast idle cam was no longer in play. I could also hear it sucking air because the butterfly’s were cracked open. I definitely had something plugged up in the carburetor affecting idle. I sprayed it down with carb cleaner in every hole I could find, and let it set a couple of hours. I backed off the idle screw and set the fast idle cam to start. It started fine but wasn’t giving me fast idle revs. When it warmed up it started idling better. Then it died on me and I started checking the spray pattern putting some extra fuel down the carb. I started it up and it gave a little backfire pop, and the idle jumped to about 2,000 rpm and stayed. I backed off my idle reset my fuel mixture and it purred like a kitten. The little thermal event must have had enough pressure to knock what ever was plugged out. All is better now.

 

[halifaxhops]

Good to hear. Try the choke trick works like a charm most of the time.

 

[Greg M Bashara]

‘68 Polara 383 2bbl. I started down the road to a car show about 60 miles away. I got about 10 miles away from home and I felt a little stumbling. I Stopped to check it out. It was idling smoothly, rev it up, still smooth. It seemed one of the wires on the ballast resistor was loose so I pushed it on further and got a quick stumble while I was pushing. Then ran smooth again.
I really wanted to continue on, knowing I should turn back while it was running. So I continued. At about 30 miles in, it started stumbling again. A little bit surging and sputtering. I slowed to 60 and it was still kind of hit and miss. This wen on for about 2 miles and then started running smoothly again. At about 40 miles in it did it again. This time a little backfire. I pulled into a small town and it was running fine again. I opened the hood and got it to stumble again. I was 43 miles from home I decided I should probably head home to get closer instead of further away. On the way home it happened 2 or 3 more times but made it. Now to try and diagnose an issue that is not consistent.

I had a 68 Newport Custom and I had to replace the ballast resistor, but that may not be the problem. It may be a dirty fuel filter or fuel pump going bad.

 

[1966newport]

i switch to electronic igntion because the points and condensors i was getting at napa were junk

 

[Mr C]

I've been around Mopars my whole life and my Dad counselled me to always have a spare BR in the glove box...so I have always done that.

Never had a BR go bad on me...go figure.

 

[HWYCRZR]

This was BR #2 on this car.
First time around 70k miles back in ‘85? The car didn’t live an easy life. About 4 miles per day on a rough country gravel road that wasn’t maintained by the county. A lot of vibration and rough impacts going 70 - 80 mph down that road likely didn’t help longevity. Then again now at 110000 miles and three moves wit the BR bouncing around in a box. It was the BR both times. This time I could see it was broken and the resistance was way too high. Neither time had a spare. I do now.

 

[HWYCRZR]

I had a 68 Newport Custom and I had to replace the ballast resistor, but that may not be the problem. It may be a dirty fuel filter or fuel pump going bad.

New fuel pump earlier this summer. I think all the vibration and sputtering when it was misfiring knocked some gunk loose in the carb ( although it was really clean) and partially plugged an orifice . Fixed, now ready for a road trip. To be fair it runs quite nice, smooth and consistent. The fuel mixture screws are still sealed from the factory and when I check out the cylinder balance it is pretty even from side to side on the carb. But it is likely time for a complete carburetor rebuild this winter. The butterfly shafts have a little more wiggle than I would like. A jiffy kit may not do much any more.

 

[ALRUI]

New fuel pump earlier this summer. I think all the vibration and sputtering when it was misfiring knocked some gunk loose in the carb ( although it was really clean) and partially plugged an orifice . Fixed, now ready for a road trip. To be fair it runs quite nice, smooth and consistent. The fuel mixture screws are still sealed from the factory and when I check out the cylinder balance it is pretty even from side to side on the carb. But it is likely time for a complete carburetor rebuild this winter. The butterfly shafts have a little more wiggle than I would like. A jiffy kit may not do much any more.

How'd you get that engine compartment & engine looking so good? Has the engine been out & apart before?

 

[LocuMob]

How'd you get that engine compartment & engine looking so good? Has the engine been out & apart before?

 

[HWYCRZR]

How'd you get that engine compartment & engine looking so good? Has the engine been out & apart before?

The entire car except for the body parts and sub frame engine was stored in my attics (yes two different ones) for about 10 years. Every moving part has new bearings and or seals. The only parts left this summer that weren’t totally re-built or replaced were the fuel pump, ballast resistor, and starter( which I rebuilt earlier this summer. I have had every part on this car in my hands. Check out my restore thread. Link below my signature. (If on a smartphone turn I sideways and the link will show. ).

 

[ALRUI]

The entire car except for the body parts and sub frame engine was stored in my attics (yes two different ones) for about 10 years. Every moving part has new bearings and or seals. The only parts left this summer that weren’t totally re-built or replaced were the fuel pump, ballast resistor, and starter( which I rebuilt earlier this summer. I have had every part on this car in my hands. Check out my restore thread. Link below my signature. (If on a smartphone turn I sideways and the link will show. ).

I figured it must have been super clean to start with or restored, just wanted to ask. Nice job!

 

[Mr C]

How'd you get that engine compartment & engine looking so good? Has the engine been out & apart before?

This car has been an EPIC build and one of the best out there.