mallory distributor with 6AL
- Thread starter SSpev
- Start date
Agreed!!!!
CDNpontiac409guy
Banned
I love ignition points... ballast resister and all.
I'm with you 100% Aubrey.
You may have a resistor wire in the ignition harness {original wiring} seems to me it is a green length of wire spliced into the ignitiom feed. Anyway I have seen AND BEEN TOLD IF YOU FEED FULL 12V-14V toa Mallory unilite it will instantly kill the circuitry in the distributor.
No ballast resistor for me. from Mallory tech
Thank you for your inquiry. When the Unilite distributor is used with a cd ignition box, a ballast resistor is not needed. If the distributor is run as a standalone unit without a cd box, it wants to see a total primary resistance of 1.4 ohms. A ballast resistor would be used if the coil is less than one ohm on the primary side of the coil.
Thank you for your inquiry. When the Unilite distributor is used with a cd ignition box, a ballast resistor is not needed. If the distributor is run as a standalone unit without a cd box, it wants to see a total primary resistance of 1.4 ohms. A ballast resistor would be used if the coil is less than one ohm on the primary side of the coil.
Happy for you that you now have information that gives you conficence in your ignition system. 
Believe it or not I'm back on this.
Thought I have the problem solved.... Low battery voltage.
Now won't start well or at all. Volts drop to to 12 then quickly to 10.5 when cranking.
It has started a few times before now and been ok. Order of business
Check connections (soldered or weather pack) 6al, coil, ign switch, fuel pump, relay, starter
check wire size to for mentioned
Maybe take fuel pump out of start circuit (shouldn't need to)
test without 6al box.
test with 6al and point distributor (need to get one)
test with factory setup.
need to check coil some how in this mess.....
Any one got more useful advice.
Thought I have the problem solved.... Low battery voltage.
Now won't start well or at all. Volts drop to to 12 then quickly to 10.5 when cranking.
It has started a few times before now and been ok. Order of business
Check connections (soldered or weather pack) 6al, coil, ign switch, fuel pump, relay, starter
check wire size to for mentioned
Maybe take fuel pump out of start circuit (shouldn't need to)
test without 6al box.
test with 6al and point distributor (need to get one)
test with factory setup.
need to check coil some how in this mess.....
Any one got more useful advice.
Cecil, I have not. Although I don't understand the details of a load test, I think cranking for 30 plus seconds and still have 10 V would be sufficient.
I believe a load test is done for 15 seconds and need to end above 9.5 V.
Something new I have been told a 6al needs a "zero cross point" to work (mag pickup) unilite may not cross zero. Need to investigate this.
I believe a load test is done for 15 seconds and need to end above 9.5 V.
Something new I have been told a 6al needs a "zero cross point" to work (mag pickup) unilite may not cross zero. Need to investigate this.
Autozone can load test it for you or you can buy a load tester at Harbor Freight for about $25 or less as I recall.
It is a big resistor that puts a load on the bat similar to the load of a starter and will show a bad cell or dead short, but a dead short would be pretty obvious.
You can have what looks like a fully charged bat but as soon as you put a load on it, it takes a dive. A fully charged bat should be about 13.5 V and should hold about 11-12 with a load. If not, probably a bad cell.
It is a big resistor that puts a load on the bat similar to the load of a starter and will show a bad cell or dead short, but a dead short would be pretty obvious.
You can have what looks like a fully charged bat but as soon as you put a load on it, it takes a dive. A fully charged bat should be about 13.5 V and should hold about 11-12 with a load. If not, probably a bad cell.
Yeah I've seen batteries show full voltage but have very little cold cranking amps.
Thomas, i have had a starting issue on the 60 and went through all of your tests as above, i also took a live wire straight from the battery to the ECM (in my case, but same issues) was a low voltage while cranking issue not at the end of the cranking cycle, ended up being a crook starter motor. replaced it with a standard GM rebuilt hi torque starter and the excess current draw was gone.
Have you checked the current draw while cranking??
just some thoughts
Steve
Have you checked the current draw while cranking??
just some thoughts
Steve
Well I will say this, the wire running to the distributor runs the unilite (ignition) inside the distributor and if it is full 12volts it will destroy the electronics inside the distributor, that should be the trigger wire out coming out of the MSD box and I don't know what the voltage is on that wire but your feed from the ignition switch should go to the MSD box and the trigger wire should go to the distributor, and I would say if you put a resistor in that trigger wire it should not care because all that trigger wire does is act like the points to trip the coil and make it work. The MSD box feeds the coil in this setup not the distributor. That sounds confusing but the idea is that the unilite operates on 9v and if you feed it 12v it will die.
Well I I'm not sure where to start. Thanks for the input....
I have not yet got this resolved. I feel like the dullest tool in the box right now.
I might add this is a new problem from where this thread started. The first time was a week battery
Cecil, I have not got the load test done, but I did switch to another battery. No go
Sense I could not get this thing to run I took out the 6AL. I know the unilite needs a resistor when it is stand alone.
I didn't use it and I did not try very hard with this setup. ( Mallory says "will eventually " ruin the distributor)
Figured it would be ok for a few tries. No start
I am now with point, STILL no start. I have had to step away from this again.
time line - last fall
Break in - no problem, started fine
Dyno run - starts fine
spring
put X pipe in - starts fine - sounds awful
put true duals in - starts fine - sound good
april/may started noticing starting harder intermittently??
went to car show - what a story
.........started ok though
Hasn't went any where sense and been going down hill.
I have changed batteries, charged batteries, left charger on batteries, used 2t batteries ( 1 for ignition 1 for cranking)
Check wiring, Concerned that power goes through switch. Path is long
Started with Unilite / 6AL / E-coil. - Removed 6AL - changed coil to factory type (mallory)
rebuild factory distributor. Setup for points. Let smoke out of coil.
Through this time the distributor has been in and out a number of times. TDC, 180 out, 90, move all over.
Timing make at 0, 10 and 20. Plugs ( wet and sooty) out regapped cleaned .
Piston at TDC with make at TDC. 1 valves open, lash good (22/24). valves move.
Everything is moving (pistons, cam, rotor)......
This is where I stopped ... again. Yes I know I need a resistor. But It should fire with out it.
The start circuit doesn't use one. It does NOTHING now.
I must be an idiot if I can't get points to run...
New Ideas... BAD power valve, BIG vacuum leak.
I am going to start over. degree wheel, compression check, reset all valves, check carb....
What am I missing......
I have not yet got this resolved. I feel like the dullest tool in the box right now.
I might add this is a new problem from where this thread started. The first time was a week battery
Cecil, I have not got the load test done, but I did switch to another battery. No go
Sense I could not get this thing to run I took out the 6AL. I know the unilite needs a resistor when it is stand alone.
I didn't use it and I did not try very hard with this setup. ( Mallory says "will eventually " ruin the distributor)
Figured it would be ok for a few tries. No start
I am now with point, STILL no start. I have had to step away from this again.
time line - last fall
Break in - no problem, started fine
Dyno run - starts fine
spring
put X pipe in - starts fine - sounds awful
put true duals in - starts fine - sound good
april/may started noticing starting harder intermittently??
went to car show - what a story
.........started ok thoughHasn't went any where sense and been going down hill.
I have changed batteries, charged batteries, left charger on batteries, used 2t batteries ( 1 for ignition 1 for cranking)
Check wiring, Concerned that power goes through switch. Path is long
Started with Unilite / 6AL / E-coil. - Removed 6AL - changed coil to factory type (mallory)
rebuild factory distributor. Setup for points. Let smoke out of coil.
Through this time the distributor has been in and out a number of times. TDC, 180 out, 90, move all over.
Timing make at 0, 10 and 20. Plugs ( wet and sooty) out regapped cleaned .
Piston at TDC with make at TDC. 1 valves open, lash good (22/24). valves move.
Everything is moving (pistons, cam, rotor)......
This is where I stopped ... again. Yes I know I need a resistor. But It should fire with out it.
The start circuit doesn't use one. It does NOTHING now.
I must be an idiot if I can't get points to run...
New Ideas... BAD power valve, BIG vacuum leak.
I am going to start over. degree wheel, compression check, reset all valves, check carb....
What am I missing......
2 batteries, 1 for the ignition should have eliminated the current draw.
Originally it was setup per the MSD and Mallory diagram and and e-mail from Mallory to confirm from it was right.