questions: ignition switch and key cylinder

[Hive_Mind]

So my 69 bee will not run anymore. I turn the key to crank and it cranks fine but when you let go of the key it dies. I just replaced the ignition switch housing with one bought off of ebay and it was said to be good. Not sure on how to check these, my question is does the key cylinder have anything to do with the ignition. With the switch being just replaced and assuming its good, the next logical thing is the key cylinder itself right? Not sure if its actually a part of the ignition system. My wiring harnesses are new so those aren't the issue (actually had the problem before which lead to replacing the harnesses in the first place!). Before I changed out the harnesses i was jumping the ignition 2 wire straight to a fuel pump switch I have installed. Basically I was cutting out the switch completely, the car would crank with the key and then I would have to power off the switch to get it to die, you could remove the key from the car and it would continue to run. Now with new harnesses and a (said good) ignition switch I am back to the same old problem. Only constant has been the key cylinder, I am really scratching my head on this one. Any help would really be appreciated.

[green69rt]

I think there is an ingnition ballast resistor that goes between the ingnition switch and the coil.  The ballast is bypassed during the time the the switch is turned to the start postion but is in the circuit when the switch is returned to the run position.  Do you have a circuit diagram of the starter circuit?  You can find the ballast and replace it.  Things should work ok then.

[Hive_Mind]

its already been replaced. I have rewired this thing like 4 times to no avail after melting most of the wiring harness the last time that is why I had to replace them 

[68X426]

Sorry I can't help on the problem. I'd be lost. But your Bee looks awesome.

[Cooter]

First off, you mention wires to fuel pump switch? Number one: Waht type of ignition are you ruinning?

Is this car updated with a late model EFI engine and harness?

Points or electronic?

Why was the wiring fried in the first place?

[green69rt]

its already been replaced. I have rewired this thing like 4 times to no avail after melting most of the wiring harness the last time that is why I had to replace them  

Ok, then test the whole circuit anyway. It's easy but it takes two people.  Get a volt meter and read the voltage from the hot side of the coil to ground.   Then start the car and see if there is a voltage while the ingnition key is in the "start" position. (probably 12 volts)  Then release the ignition key and let the switch return to the "run" position.  You should get a voltage (I don't know what it is (something less than 12 volts). if nothing then the "run" circuit is open and you need to trace it back to find where its open.  It sounds like the "run" circuit is open and thats a pretty simple circuit.

Read your post again, does the car ever fire up or just crank over?  In either case do the same test as above.

[Hive_Mind]

The car has a mallory electronic ignition that was in it when i bought it, along with the mallory coil. I am using the fuel pump switch because someone had installed a mallory electronic fuel pump and they had it wired in weired so i installed the switch to activate it manually. The car runs fine when hot wired, but when i hook up the ignition switch the car will turnover but will not stay running. I bought a new switch off ebay but this one is doing the same thing as my old one. This tells me the new switch is bad too i guess, how do you test the switches? was thinking i could just run a wire from the battery to the posts on the back of the switch and then put a meter on it to see if i am getting 12v when in run position.

[Cooter]

Need to check the wiring positions at the ingnition box as you state thios has been happening ever since you've had the car...Sounds like it was wired in the start position and not the run position to the Mallory ignition...

Get a manual on the wiring and check everything again....I won't say I've never seen two switches bad, but it's unlikely...

[Hive_Mind]

Well I have been at it all day and still have not made any progress. I looked up the mallory wiring instructions and even called mallory. I rewired the ignition to the way the mallory instructions state it wasn't far off I just had a wire in a wrong spot, still no vroom vroom . Also I metered out the ballast resistor and I think it maybe faulty even though I just changed it. When the car is cranking I am only getting 9v on the crank side of the resistor (this is all assuming my pos multimeter is not lying to me) I am also getting 9v when the switch is moved back to "run". I had a spare 68 ignition lying around so I plugged that in and its still doing the same thing. So either something else is wrong or I have three bad ignition switches which I think is pretty unlikely. I checked the bulkhead connector and the blue ignition wire male connector was kinda tweaked but I straightened it out and made sure it was firmly seated by pushing it in from the back when the connector is hooked up. The coil wire to the distributor is producing spark and the #1 spark plug is also producing spark so I have elimnated those two items. So either I have 3 bad switches, which I haven't really been able to successfully test by hooking up to power and checking with a multimeter, a bad ballast resistor (which was working when I was hot wiring the car, but I think doing that eliminates the resistor out of the circuit) or I didn't hook my engine wire harness up correctly which is very possible since I am not the brightest crayon in the forest. Just want to say thanks for the replies I have gotten so far. Hoping someone else has had the same problem and knows the magic cure (like change this and voila!) 

[TylerCharger69]

Ive gotten faulty ballast resistors before in the past.....the symptoms you are telling us....that the car starts....but quits as soon as you release from start position to on.  That usually indicates a bad ballast resistor

[Hive_Mind]

I am gonna head to napa and grab a new resistor, I guess when all else fails you just have to either hit it with a hammer or throw money at either way its getting replaced.

[Hive_Mind]

So chalk this one up to being stupid  . Went out and got a new ballast resistor and that still wasn't making the car turn over, I am standing around looking at the harness and it turns out that I had swapped the blue alternator wire for the blue ignition wire . Surprised it didn't catch something on fire honestly. but the car finally turned on and I am outside dancing in the street like an idiot  . Just have to figure out now how to hook up the alternator wire that has a loop type connector for a post on to something that has a spade type connector when I am sure you can't buy them at the local Kragen. Again thanks for the inputs, they helped    .

[TylerCharger69]

round one goes to the main terminal....and the other goes to the field...

[Nacho-RT74]

a bad resistor will give you a suddenly turn off brake light at cluster when cranking. As far that light keeps on ( normally will get a slight dimm when cranking ), you have a good ballast. That is of course if you have emergency brake set.

[Hive_Mind]

i have a dual field alt so they have two spade type connectors

[Nacho-RT74]

dual field alt... with ELEC REGULATOR ? or mechanical regulator ?

[Hive_Mind]

electric reg. i got a engine harness from year one but they failed to provide the proper type of connector for the dual field alt

[Nacho-RT74]

ok, as far you get the correct regulator and two spade wires running to alt ( blue and green ), you can plug them either prong on alt

[TylerCharger69]

sounds like that harness is for a single field and not a dual field.....dual field harness should have one round post, and two spade connectors

[Hive_Mind]

yeah but it came with the upgraded voltage regulator and it has two wires for the alternator it just seems that one has the wrong connector

[TylerCharger69]

gotta pic of that upgraded regulator??

[Nacho-RT74]

something is not matching

[Hive_Mind]

So I worked on this wiring for a solid five days straight.....69charger440 whom I work with came over on sat, looked at the wiring for five minutes and switched some things around and boom the car fires up and works perfect. Turns out that I had everything on all ass backwards. The alternator wire that I originally thought went to the ballast resistor actually went to the alternator (it had the correct spade type connector) I had the coil wire hooked to the alternator (doh) and I had the 4 prong ballast resistor connectors just taped in the back (lol) this is my first mopar and yeah turns out I am not half as smart as I thought I was, but he came over and gave me some schoolin so now everything is good, wiring is all working fine, the car turns over just as smooth as can be and the battery is actually charging again. I am just a monkey that can turn a wrench...all this electronic wizardry is just too much for me. Didn't really help me out though that everything in the car is after market and in different spots. Which is why I thought the alternator wires were the ballast resistor ones and the ballast resistor wires were just something that I am missing out of the car like the heater or the horn or something. Oh well
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