• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

12 volt coil vs 6 volt coil

mtnkraus

Full Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2004
Messages
229
Loc.
Iowa
Anyone know where the resistor is at on a 1970 for the coil for the 6 volt coil. I would like to put a 12 volt coil on it.

Jason
 

TN1776

Bronco Guru
Joined
Oct 24, 2006
Messages
2,632
If you have stock wiring, its a resistor wire buried in your factory harness...
 
OP
OP
mtnkraus

mtnkraus

Full Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2004
Messages
229
Loc.
Iowa
I do have a stock wiring harress. I guessing it is within the engine side was hoping someone had found it before.
 

TN1776

Bronco Guru
Joined
Oct 24, 2006
Messages
2,632
As memory serves, its actually under the dash. It might extend out under hood too, don't remember.
 

Wyldebill

Full Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2008
Messages
292
Loc.
Berthoud, Colorado
It comes directly off the back of the ign switch and ends just before it passes through the fire wall on my 69 as I remember. It seems like the resistor part is light brown or tan, and it becomes yellow when it is spliced into the ign wire to the coil.
 

johnmlebel

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Messages
1,363
isnt it a 12 volt coil in all the broncos? and isnt he talking about a fusable link not a resistor?
 

Broncoman

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 29, 2001
Messages
1,873
isnt it a 12 volt coil in all the broncos? and isnt he talking about a fusable link not a resistor?
The coil in a bronco gets 12 volts when the key is in the "start" position. When the key returns to the "ON" position the coil only gets 6 volts.

The fusible link and a resistor wire are two different animals. Both of which on in the stock bronco wiring.
 

DirtDonk

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 3, 2003
Messages
47,345
And in most cases, the coil might actually last a lot longer than the points and condenser will. You do run the risk of overheating the coil, of course, and I do know of people burning them out relatively quickly, but I've run both stock and aftermarket low-volt coils for quite a long time on 12 volts and although I burned out several sets of points and condensers, the coils kept working.
Not that you should, but in an emergency...

You can buy modern coils that run on either full voltage, or reduced voltage (through a resistor), but you can't really run the higher powered setup (reliably anyway) if you still have a points type distributor.

Paul
 

broncnaz

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 22, 2003
Messages
24,341
All bronco coils were rated at 12V if you currently have a 6V coil on it then someone swapped it on. Just bolt on a 12V coil and you should be good to go. You can check the coil power wire when running to ensure it has less than 12v's usually it will have 8-9v
 

68ford

Bronco Guru
Joined
Dec 26, 2004
Messages
2,710
never really heard them refered to as 6 or 12volt. ive always seen them as 1.5ohm or 3 ohm. stock is 3ohm for points. you can run 12volts to stock coil but will probably burn up points.
or you can run newer ign with 12 volts to it all the time by running a new wire or using a relay(6volts with switch a 12 volt relay) along with the lower 1.5 ohm coil like an msd or what not.
 

johnmlebel

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Messages
1,363
I just wondered why he was asking about a 6 volt coil as it would not work real well in a 12 volt system, the coil that a bronco uses has an internal resistor and the wire from the coil to the dizzy powering the points is a fuseable link. then you can get into ohm ratings for how hot of a coil you need.
 
Top