I've gone through 2 coils why is my coil overheating.

Do you have a ballast resistor?

If so, is it the correct ballast resistor?

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Yes I have the right one factory one

What type of ign system? Stock points type, stock electronic, HEI conversion, something else?
What makes you think the coil is overheating?

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Stock electric ignition. Coil gets really hot and truck dies and I have to switch out the coil

Can you please list the make and model and year? That will be a big help. "Stock electric" ignition does not tell us anything.

Is the ballast resistor warm after the car tuns for 10 mintues or so?

Do you have any accessories attached to the ignition circuit like a tachometer?

Is you ignition switch the stock one?

The engine is from a 1978 dodge d100. I don't think the resistor warms up never really check. I'll have to check and see what all is attached to the ignition. The ignition is from a 53 dodge pickup its a turn key with a push button. I had to add the button to keep the original key since it was a kick start. My drive train is a slant 6 and trans from the 78 dodge truck with the 53 cab on a 89 code Dakota frame.

OK, I assume it has the later Mopar flat pack ignition ECU and the distributor that was in the '78 engine?

Well check the ballast resistor after running for 10 minutes or so. It ought to be pretty warm. If not, then the igntion circuit is not connected right. If you have a simple pushbutton start switch going only to the starter, then the circuitry needs to be modified. The 12V ignition wire from the ignition switch needs to go to the ballast (and also to the ECU power input), then a wire goes from the other side of the ballast to coil + for normal running.

Then another wire needs to connect 12V from the to pushbutton start switch to the coil + in addition to the starter solenoid (or start relay if you have that). This will put 12v direct to the coil when cranking and 'juice it up' when the system voltage is sagging due to the cranking load.

Could the capacitor be shorted?

Ballast resistors get hot.


If it's not, it sounds like the ballast is bypassed.

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

That would cause more coil heating than normal, but then there would be no spark at all.